Monday, September 30, 2019

King

In his â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail†, Martin Luther King Jr. writes that there are just laws and unjust laws. He argues this first from a religious point of view and then from a logical one. First, King argues that laws that create segregation are immoral in that they do not impart God’s love to every man equally.Furthermore, they rely on separation, the ultimate punishment God inflicts on man, as a method of punishing other men, regardless of whether they have sinned. Since the letter is written to his fellow clergymen, the moral argument about unjust laws is appropriate in the context. However, it is his logical diatribe against unjust laws that most clearly and eloquently makes the argument against the state of the South in 1963.From a religious standpoint, King defines an unjust law as one that conflicts with God’s laws (King, 1963). From a logical, non-religious standpoint, he argues that an unjust law is one which the majority inflicts upon the minor ity and does not hold itself to.   The basic concept means that if the majority makes a law saying that they may kill anyone of color, but the people of color cannot kill them or one another, then the law is unfairly applied and therefore unjust.King argues that many of these laws look much less vexing on the surface as they appear to have been placed on all people by all people, but he reminds us that appearances can be deceiving. King points out that segregation laws adopted by the Alabama legislature had virtually no input from African-Americans citizens of Alabama because the state had so thoroughly abused the voting rights act that there were counties in Alabama where the majority of the population was African-American and not a single African-American was registered to vote there (King, 1963).King also points out that what is legal is not always what is right. For example, he cites the Hungarian Freedom fighters in World War II. By the rule of law, the treatment of Jews by N azi Germany was legal, but it was unjust (King, 1963). It was only right, he says, for those with good moral standing to aid and lend comfort to the Jews, despite the fact that it was illegal.In the same way, it was only right in Birmingham, 1963, for protestors to give aid to the African-Americans who were being unduly oppressed by their state and local governments. African-Americans had been granted the right to vote by an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, yet unjust laws like the grandfather’s clause and poll taxes and literacy tests were put in place to prevent the fair execution of the law of the land. In short, King’s argument was that the law was in conflict with itself and needed to be revised.King’s letter appropriately described the events leading to the situation and other steps which had been taken to try to change the unjust laws, but argues that eventually it becomes necessary to take direct action to force the opposition’s hand. The prote sts in Birmingham were made to force the city to recognize the unjust laws and to begin good faith negotiations to change them.King points out that there had been several attempts at negotiation previously and that promises made to the African-American community went unfulfilled. He argued that laws, especially when they are not uniformly applied, can also be unjust. For example, prior to Brown v. the Board of Education, school segregation was legal so long as schools were â€Å"separate but equal†. King points out that everyone was aware that they were separate and not equal, but only the separate portion of the law was being applied.Finally, King makes it clear that civil disobedience is a valid option when the law is unfair. He argues that one can only be told to wait for change so long before it becomes clear that wait really means never (King, 1963). King calls righteous people to action, arguing that when the will of the people is to eliminate unjust laws then it will b ecome reality. REFERENCESKing, Jr., Martin Luther. â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail.† http://www.historicaltextarchive.com/sections.php?op=viewarticle&artid=401963. July 9, 2007.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Cubism -the Weeping Woman Essay

Cubism was an art movement which originated in France and Spain in 1906. Cubism influenced painting movement. Cubist artists include Pablo Picasso, George Braque and Juan Gris. Picasso had recently travelled to Africa and native America and was inspired by the tribal masks. Cubist Artists captured different view points at the same time. This showed collage and made the image look 3D. In the painting ‘The Weeping Woman’ she looks like she is at home. I get this idea from the border behind her in the middle of what looks like two walls. I also think it looks homely because it is painted yellow, a colour associated with warmth and comfort. It could also be a church, the brown strip could symbolise the wooden seats in a church. Another thing it could symbolise, is the attendance of a funeral because she is wearing black coloured clothing. In the middle of her face, which is the colour white/blue, it could mean a part of her being taken away, not only is her colour draining away, but so are her emotions. She seems to be hiding her sadness. You can tell she is sad and upset because her eyes look glazed over and there is a red/pink blush under her eyes and nose which could show that she has been crying and has wiped her tears away. The sharp jagged lines could represent how she is holding herself together, and maybe the other emotions she feels, like anger. You can see that she is in distress as she has creases on her forehead. The bits of green blended in with the yellow could represent jealousy, but could also symbolise being ill or sick. She is so upset that its actually making her feel weak and unwell. The white could also be seen as being some kind of ghostly figure, which links back to the thought of her attending a funeral, and why she is so upset. The green representing jealousy, could be envy for other people who’s loved ones are still with them. Her hands look like they are together, like she is trying to pray, for the protection of her loved one in the afterlife. She could also be holding something, like a tissue to wipe away her tears, a possession of the bereaved, a letter or a will. This painting was actually painted representing the weeping woman as a mother of a soldier who had died at war. This connects to the thing she could be holding, as when a soldier dies at war, they usually send a letter to inform the close family of this.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Australian Education Growing In University †Myassignmenhelp.Com

Discuss About the Australian Education Growing In University? Competitive business environment is significant for the business organizations regarding gain the competitive advantage. The main of this marketing plan is to analyse the marketing and competitive environment of the CQ University. Though, different external environment factors are considerable for the University for increasing the global presence towards the different competitors. At the same time, it may create the problem for the University brand while applying the competitive strategy for measuring the academic performance of the students. On the other hand, University analyses the different external factors for evaluating the marketing and environmental analysis like PEST analysis, competitor analysis, segmentation and targeting, SWOT analysis, value and brand positioning, marketing mix strategy, and budget allocation. Consequently, these external factors may help to improve the University performance and environment. CQ University is the one of the largest regional University of the Australia, which is situated in the North Rockhampton, Australia. Over more than 35000 students are registered in the University in various programs (CQ University Australia, 2017). Though, University provides more than 300 courses in 25 campuses in more than 20 locations. This indicates the goodwill of the University is strong in the Australian education sector. In doing so, University rejoices the 25 years anniversary as a regional University in the Australia. Moreover, it provides the flexible study environment to their students so that it can improve their learning’s and skills. On the other hand, University offers various academic courses like research, graduate, post graduate, and vocational courses. In order to provide better education and training, University amalgamate in 2014 with CQ TAFE. Moreover, University is also focused towards the research activities through collaboration and partnership with t he community and industry. In this manner, University achieved an award of Excellence in Research Australia (ERA) in 2015 (CQ University Australia, 2017). Instead of this, University future marketing plan is to conduct the various courses and research activities through distance learning. Marketing plan of CQ University is to enlarge the student skills and knowledge thereby; they can easily face the future global challenges. Similarly, there are different factors, which are increasing the demand of CQ University such as it provides the good learning to their students through the highly experienced tutors (Kassens-Noor, 2016). Concurrently, University supports in different online vocational courses, conduct training programs, and conduct various research activities. Here analyze the market summary and demand estimation of CQ University trend Above diagram depicts the student admission ratio in the CQ University. It shows the ratio of graduate and postgraduate students are continuously rising. It indicates that the enrollment of international and local students may get a rise in the future in different academic programs. Thereby, it helps to increase the market share of the University as well as it raises the opportunity for quality education in the Australia (Braun, et al., 2014). However, University facilitates to provide the good learning environment to their students, which will help to create more demand towards the different programs of University. At the same time, University provides the different research activities, online courses and vocational courses, which will quite helpful to attract more students towards them. CQ University is the leading regional University in Australia. In order to increase the academic courses, University should identify the people who have an interest in higher studies.   Further, the target market of the University should be domestic and meritorious students. Concerning this, University should conduct the advertisement campaign in their neighbourhood countries so that it can retain and attracts the more students (Hemsley-Brown and Oplatka, 2015). Likewise, University marketing plan is to achieve the target of 50000 students across the global. This can be done through the students studying in the school and other sources.   Moreover, Australian education sector is continuously rising. Thus, it can be said that University has sufficient space to spread the information across the Australia. Over the years, Australian education is raising thereby, many of neighbouring countries students are getting enrolled in the Australian universities. Concerning this, Australian Bureau of Statistics is also indicated that the no of admission is increasing over the period. Although, 14% Australian adults opting the further higher studies. Here use the PEST analysis for the CQ University in terms of analyzing macro environment of the University. Large no of international and local students are enrolled in the Australian University due to effective courses, research activities, and training. Political factor is quite effective for the CQ University, because the stability of the government is existing in the Australia, thereby, government is already invested the $200,000,000 amount annually in order to provide quality education to international as well as domestic students. For this, University can easily invest more in academic activities, social activities, and research and innovation activities (Ho, 2014). On the other hand, economic conditions of the Australia and neighbour countries have been improved. High employment rate is quite effective for the University in terms of large quantity of students registered in different courses (Feng and Liu, 2017). For this, students can easily get the higher education through loans. Australian people having a high living standard, which demonstrates the level of education is high. Higher education level enables the University to retain more students towards the different courses. Concurrently, high literacy rate would be helpful for the University regarding retain more students (Shabanova, et al., 2015). Concerning this, University grants the permission to their students in terms of making the unity inside the diverse classroom. Despite to this, Australian government invests the large amount in the research and innovation, and technology. This will be helpful for the University to spread the information in different campuses as well as it enhances the skills and knowledge of the tutor and students (Ab Talib, et al., 2014). Similarly, University slowly moves towards the digitalized campus. For this, it switches their different courses through the online gateway. This will significantly increase the student’s ratio in the University different campuses. Mean while, University facilitates to provide the Wi-Fi connectivity to their students and tutors in order to teach in a better way as well improves its productivity at the global level. CQ University has effectively provided the learning environment to their students. At the same time, there are different competitors of the CQ University, which provides same courses such as The University of Melbourne, University of Technology Sydney, The University of New South Wales, Victoria University, Western Sydney University, and Australian National University. Despite to this, some global competitors of CQ University is the National University of Malaysia, University of Tokyo, National University of Singapore, and RMIT University. Though, these universities are also competing with each other regarding same courses for gaining more market share in Australia (Fleisher and Bensoussan, 2015). In order to take a competitive advantage, University offers the distance education and research courses through online to their students, which can be helpful to increase the University feasibility (Hollensen, 2015). Similarly, highly qualified and globally staff would be helpful to increase the University presence in the different subject field like natural science, social science, media and communication, engineering and so on. Moreover, University also enjoys the competitive advantage through effective research activities. In the current environment, students of University are satisfied with different running courses. Though, University more focuses towards the social innovations, students empowering, which strengthens the student’s skill and knowledge. Thus, there are some other competitive factors of the University are learning environment, tutor support, effective R & D activities, and good corporate governance (Luxton, et al., 2015). CQ University is also tie up with di fferent universities and industry so as to fulfil the required skills. This can be helpful to increase the student’s employability. Apart from this, the aim of the Australian Universities is to overcome any issues, which may impact on the student academic performances and college campuses. Likewise, Competitors aims to provide every type of academic support and guidance to their students. The objective of the every University is to become the largest Australian University as well as to become the role model of other global universities. On the other hand, promotional marketing of the Universities is to promote the different courses through social media network and other promotional tools, which can be helpful to increase the University presence towards more people (Hubbard, et al., 2014).   Here analyzes the strength, weakness, opportunity, and threat of the CQ University as follows:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   High goodwill of the University  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Provide more than 300 courses on 25 campuses  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Award of Excellence in Research Australia (ERA)  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Tutors support in academic  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Harder to implement changes in different campuses at the same time (Bull, et al., 2016).  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Large competitors regarding same courses  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Different location creates the problem while implementing any new changes  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Australian government support the higher studies  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Local schools students may create the opportunity for the University in terms of retaining more students.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   University may face the problem related how student obtain visas for higher studies  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fear of losing academic faculty due to a good opportunity (Mackay, et al., 2016). CQ University is one of the largest Australian regional universities, which has created its own brand image across the Australia. Though, there are different factors, which are created the value for the University such as tutor’s support, quality education, learning environment, effective research and innovation, and more than 300 programs (Gengler and Mulvey, 2017). Similarly, University strengthens the skills and capabilities of the students through providing effective teaching methods and training.   In terms of value, University has five values, which underpins the students and staff regarding participation in different campus activities. For this, University design the effective study culture, which creates the develop opportunities for the students. Likewise, effective values enable the University to maintain the good relationship with its stakeholders (Sirianni, et al., 2013). CQ University should participate at a global level in terms of research activities in such a way that it presents good track record. Moreover, it should create the buzz towards its different courses so as to raise its marketing. In context brand positioning, University must create the positive learning environment in such a way that student can easily learn multiple things and raise its skills through other activities. As a result, it can be helpful to improve the quality education and productivity of University, which may positive impacts on the University brand positioning (Khanna, et al., 2014).  Ã‚   Further, CQ University increases the employability and capability of their students through collaboration with different colleges and universities. Thus, above values are significant to raise the brand positioning of the University. Though, effective research innovations and ideas have also generated the values for the community. This can be positive impacts on the brand position of the University. In the current education era in the Australia, the aim of the CQ University is to facilitate to offer the specialize education and conduct various training programs for enhancing the academic performances and students employability. Simultaneously, University has also an aim to coordinate with different sponsorship activities and its suitability, which will be helpful for the students regarding facing the global challenges (Eteokleous, et al., 2016). Moreover, University plan will align the high education programs and conduct the research seminars so as to improve the practical skills of the students. Likewise its plan is to invest the huge amount on extracurricular activities, which helps to raise the sustainability of the University.  Ã‚   On the other hand, promotional objectives of the University for 2018 are to spread the academic excellence of the University of the Australia. Concurrently, the future promotional objective of the CQ University is to attract the international students towards the different academic courses.   Another promotional objective is to build up the corporate image of the University around the world so that more students will enrol. University also reflects his promotional strategy by effectively using the social media (Stelnicki, et al., 2015). This can be helpful for the CQU in terms of his effectively academic excellence.   CQ University is largely based on the traditional approach, it has a large no of Face book followers. Concerning this, approx 62890 followers like the University page on Face book, which has a positive impact on the more people. Marketing mix strategy is significant for the companies while promoting the new products. There are different types of marketing mix strategy that can be used by the CQ University like price, place, promotion, and product (Huang and Sarigà ¶llà ¼, 2014). For this, product shows the different academic courses, which are offered by the University is like graduate, vocational courses, post graduate, PhD Courses, and research. However, pricing strategy of the University is different as per the local and international students. At the same time, University is also fixed the process of different courses through different aptitude exams like GRE, SAT, and GMAT. Further, there are different promotional tools that can be used by the University while promoting the di fferent courses such as a magazine, email, WebPages, Uninews, newspaper, Facebook, online ads, yellow pages, banners and leaflets, and digital signage (Fan, et al., 2015). Thus, these tools are effective to enhance the brand image of the University towards the more people. Similarly, above tools are also helpful to retain more international students in respect of the different academic courses. Along with this, University especially uses the social media for images, which can be helpful to reach out to more students. Further, University is located at North Rockhampton and its main aim is to provide the effective learning to their students in open environment. Thereby, University provides the online platform to their students for registering its name in different academic courses (Armstrong, et al., 2014).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As a result, this strategy is effective for the University while promoting the new academic courses. In terms of future marketing strategy, University should take participate in special fairs and college associations, which can be helpful for the students to getting learn more things in the future.   Competitive strategy helps the organization to gain the competitive advantage.   There are a different competitive strategy that can be used by the CQ University such as cost leadership, cost focus, differentiation leadership, and differentiation focus. Therefore, CQ University is used the differentiation strategy, because it helps to target the international and domestic students towards the academic excellence and different more than 300 academic courses. Along with this, it offers the different quality programs and vocational courses, which is significant to strengthen the competitive edge of the University (Santandreu, et al., 2015). This strategy creates the value for the University thereby; student gets attract more and enrolled them.   The following table summarises the media and budget allocation of the CQ University Media and Budget Allocation for 2018 Collaboration with industry and Universities Above table depicts that the media and budget allocation of the CQ University. This indicates the CQ University make the investment plan for future with the help of different media, it means it invest the $40000 in different academic and research activities in 2018. This can be helpful to raise the University presence at the global level (Zhang, et al., 2016). Consequently, it will be quite helpful for the university in terms of more students enrolled in different academic courses. Here analyses the current position of the CQ University through BCG Matrix Above diagram shows the four quadrants of the BCG matrix, this indicates that the CQ University offers the various academic and vocational courses, which comes from the cash cow quadrant. Because of this, University has low growth as compared to other top Universities in Australia. Meanwhile, the market share of the university is high. Though, it has the opportunity to grab the star through effective strategy related to providing the effective student's solutions (Shanbhag, et al., 2016). On the basis of above analysis, it can be examined that the CQ University is leading the regional University of the Australia. It can be analyzed that the more than 35000 students are enrolled in the different courses in 25+ campuses. Simultaneously, tutor support and effective courses would be helpful for the University in terms of attracting more students. It has also analyzed that the marketing mix strategy improves the University growth. Further, all external factors are quite effective for the University in terms of proving quality education as well as retain large students. University gains the competitive advantage through differentiation strategy. University constantly focuses towards the student learning’s and employability, which may help to increase the brand image of University at the global level.   However, it allocates the fixed budget of $40000 for 2018 in terms of more feasibility of University courses and its excellence.   Concurrently, values of Universi ty are quite helpful to maximise the brand positioning. Ab Talib, M. S., Hamid, A. B. A., Zulfakar, M. H., & Jeeva, A. S. (2014). Halal logistics PEST analysis: the Malaysia perspectives.  Asian Social Science,  10(14), pp.119. Armstrong, G., Adam, S., Denize, S., & Kotler, P. (2014).  Principles of marketing . Australia: Pearson. Braun, S., Dwenger, N., Kà ¼bler, D., & Westkamp, A. (2014). Implementing quotas in university admissions: An experimental analysis.  Games and Economic Behavior,  85, pp.232-251. Bull, J. W., Jobstvogt, N., Bà ¶hnke-Henrichs, A., Mascarenhas, A., Sitas, N., Baulcomb, C. & Carter-Silk, E. (2016). Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats: A SWOT analysis of the ecosystem services framework.  Ecosystem services,  17, pp.99-111. CQ University Australia (2017). About Us. Retrieved from: https://www.cqu.edu.au/about-us CQ University Australia (2017). About Us. Retrieved from: https://www.cqu.edu.au/about-us/about-cquniversity Eteokleous, P. P., Katsikeas, C. S., & Leonidou, L. C. (2016). Review of Research on CSR in International Marketing: 1993–2013. In  Let’s Get Engaged! Crossing the Threshold of Marketing’s Engagement Era,  pp. 683-684. Fan, S., Lau, R. Y., & Zhao, J. L. (2015). Demystifying big data analytics for business intelligence through the lens of marketing mix.  Big Data Research,  2(1), pp.28-32. Feng, J., & Liu, C. (2017). Strategy for Developing Cold Chain Logistics in Zhengzhou Air Harbor Comprehensive Economic Experimentation Zone Based on PEST Analysis. In  MATEC Web of Conferences,  100, pp. 05048. Fleisher, C. S., & Bensoussan, B. E. (2015).  Business and competitive analysis: effective application of new and classic methods. USA: FT Press. Gengler, C. E., & Mulvey, M. S. (2017). Planning pre-launch positioning: Segmentation via willingness-to-pay and means-end brand differentiators.  Journal of Brand Management, pp.1-20. Hemsley-Brown, J., & Oplatka, I. (2015). University choice: what do we know, what don’t we know and what do we still need to find out?.  International Journal of Educational Management,  29(3), pp.254-274. Ho, J. K. K. (2014). Formulation of a systemic PEST analysis for strategic analysis.  European academic research,  2(5), pp.6478-6492. Hollensen, S. (2015).  Marketing management : A relationship approach. Australia: Pearson Education. Huang, R., & Sarigà ¶llà ¼, E. (2014). How brand awareness relates to market outcome, brand equity, and the marketing mix. In  Fashion Branding and Consumer Behaviors, pp. 113-132. Hubbard, G., Rice, J., & Galvin, P. (2014).  Strategic management. Australia: Pearson. Kassens-Noor, E. (2016). Flip, move, tweet: a blended course design for different learning environments in urban planning, sustainability, and climate change university courses.  International Journal for Scholarship of Technology Enhanced Learning,  1(1). Khanna, M., Jacob, I., & Yadav, N. (2014). Identifying and analyzing touchpoints for building a higher education brand.  Journal of Marketing for Higher Education,  24(1), pp.122-143. Luxton, S., Reid, M., & Mavondo, F. (2015). Integrated marketing communication capability and brand performance.  Journal of Advertising,  44(1), pp.37-46. Mackay, M., Joyce-McCoach, J., Stephens, M., Cutler, N., Brown, R., Fernandez, R. & Traynor, V. (2016). Review of transnational nursing education programme curricula: process, findings, and recommendations.  Nurse education today,  42, pp.73-77. Santandreu, J. R., Shurden, M. C., & Chambers, T. (2015). STUDENT INTERACTION IN A TEACHING/LEARNING ENVIRONMENT: POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR DIFFERENTIATION.  ASBBS Proceedings,  22(1), pp.357. Shabanova, L. B., Ismagilova, G. N., Salimov, L. N., & Akhmadeev, M. G. (2015). PEST-Analysis and SWOT-Analysis as the most important tools to strengthen the competitive advantages of commercial enterprises.  Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences,  6(3), pp.705. Shanbhag, M., Dutt, M. L., & Bagwe, S. (2016). Strategic Talent Management: A Conceptual Analysis of BCG Model.  Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research,  2(7). Sirianni, N. J., Bitner, M. J., Brown, S. W., & Mandel, N. (2013). Branded service encounters: Strategically aligning employee behavior with the brand positioning.  Journal of Marketing,  77(6), pp.108-123. Stelnicki, A. M., Nordstokke, D. W., & Saklofske, D. H. (2015). Who is the successful university student? An analysis of personal resources.  The Canadian Journal of Higher Education,  45(2), pp.214. Zhang, B. L., Qian, Z. Z., Li, W. Z., Tang, B., Lu, S. L., & Fu, X. (2016). Budget Allocation for Maximizing Viral Advertising in Social Networks.  Journal of Computer Science and Technology,  31(4), pp.759-775.

Friday, September 27, 2019

See the attachment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

See the attachment - Essay Example Mainstream economists believe that producers usually employ the cheapest input method while the consumers substitute towards spending on products that are manufactured by cheaper input methods. Mainstream economists posit that labour may not adapt its supply in conjunction with the demand but a flexible market mechanism in the labour market as well as in the goods and financial market may equate the number of jobs available with the number of job seekers. The audience for this genre are manufacturers and the students who are interested in understanding the labour and the commodity markets. Manufacturers would always want to understand the best mix for labour in a particular industry so as to employ the most appropriate and cost effective mix in production. For academic purposes, the students and other people interested in the economic activities may be interested in understanding the connection between labour and production. This genre is very informative as it informs about the labo ur market relationship with production. It highlights how market mechanisms in the labour market affect technique of production and finally the result of the labour input. This genre attempts to explain an economic phenomenon, which most people do not understand. An economic expert who has a deep insight of activities taking place in the labour market can therefore write the genre. 2 Economy is dependent on transportation, taxes, poverty, education, environmental preservation and immigration. These factors are interrelated and play an integral part in the growth of economy. There are various challenges facing the factors determining economic growth rate. For instance, there is a problem between expansion of roads and transportation system and the need to protect the environment, which is also an important economic aspect. Transportation is an important aspect of resource distribution and should therefore be evenly distributed. However, because of inability to expand it imposed by fa ctors such as financial constraint developing a centralized transportation location may be very useful in ensuring proper distribution of resources. Environmental pollution may hinder economic growth but since there should be economic activities going on regardless of environmental challenges, few of the activities such as housing and transportation may be allowed to ensure minimal pollution of environment. Education is another significant factor that can catapult economic growth but because it is a scare resource, the government should mostly concentrate on educating children living in poverty because the rich can afford their children’s education. In fact, due to scarcity of educated individuals, educated immigrants may just feel the gap and produce quality. The audience for this genre is policymakers, government workers, students and players in an economic growth sector. Policymakers and government workers would utilize this information to understand economic drivers that can help a country’s or a region’s economies. Additionally, economic students may also use the genre as a good source of information regarding economic growth and development. The purpose of this genre is to inform the audience about the main economic drivers, their impact and significance in the economy. The genre highlights different factors affecting economic growth

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Are Women Really Better Leaders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Are Women Really Better Leaders - Essay Example Thus, this paper intends to explore the issue of the difference in leadership styles between the two genders to answer the question: Are women better leaders? In 1996, Belenky made a study on organizations run by women and identified how female leaders assumed their functions differently that from men. Belensky (1996) noted that women leaders â€Å"developed themselves as public leaders by extending and elaborating women’s traditional roles and women’s ways to an extraordinary degree† (p. 412). This statement can be supported by the case of Anne Mulcahy, former CEO of Xerox who influenced people by working side by side with them through hard times. Xerox then was in a time of financial bankruptcy; in fact, she herself worked for two consecutive years without a weekend off. Her passion and perseverance kept her going on despite the warnings of financial advisors that Xerox would not be able to make it. Mulcahy was not just an ordinary leader, she was very extra-ordinary that gender did not matter at all. Amazingly, she was able to change the course of Xerox and her successor is even a woman too. It is easy to manage people when they are satisfied; however, good leaders emerge when the scenario is full of adversity. This is what made Mulcahy different since she rose from the ranks and took the helm without doubting herself. However, this does not mean that Mulcahy is a good leader because she is a woman; instead, she performed beyond her traditional role that is why she became a great leader. Sex-typing of leadership abilities does not place women in higher position nor does it give them more respect. Rather, society should view women as â€Å" people†, not â€Å"men and women† (Debate, p. 151). Women are managers and good leaders because they worked hard to educate themselves and earn professional experience. The successor of Mulcahy is Ursula

Managing change at Cox's Container Company Case Study

Managing change at Cox's Container Company - Case Study Example The researcher states the general manager of the company (Erica Wilson) does not include her workmates in the survey. She found that the company lacks actual cost and operational controls. She recommends the company to employ financial and managerial specialists. In addition, when the new employees are employed to work on budgetary control, others do not support them. Abdul Aziz is one of the opposing workers of the organization. The above problems that are facing this group need to be analyzed. The analysis can be carried out in two ways. The first approach involves analyzing all the employees affecting the performance of the company. These employees include the senior managers, middle managers, and business expert such as accountant. Failure of an organization can be linked to the failure of the employees. In this company, the employees are unconcerned with each other. They do not cooperate, communicate, or consult each other. Harold Cox is the senior most executive in the Cox†™s Container Company. He is politically and financially involved with people’s affairs. His leading job is to develop strategic and long-term decisions of the company. This involves planning the long-term profitability of the company through increasing sales. In addition, he is responsible for delegating some powers to his juniors. For instance, he has assigned Erica Wilson to evaluate the actions of the company. Erica Wilson is the general manager of the company. She is responsible for making operational decisions of the company.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

The Ethnic Groups in Southeast Asia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Ethnic Groups in Southeast Asia - Essay Example But there are oral accounts in the form of folk tales, out of which some suggest that Burma is indeed their original home, but there are some folk tales which point towards their origin being China. The Karens have script of their own as well, which is often termed as 'chicken scratch script' because the script resembles the scratches made by the movement of a chicken when it moves on sand or soft soil. Smith (2003) stated that, "until the annexation of Burma in the nineteenth century, the Karens were largely a hill of forest-dwelling people without a written literature.as a result, the Karens appear as an ethnic group very much on the fringes of the recorded history." Myanmar has at least 15 major ethnic groups with Burman (Bamar) comprising about half the population. The population of Karen is the next highest with 6-7 million people. The last comprehensive census with ethnicity count was held in the year 1931, under the British Colonial government. Thereafter the Burmese government avoided the questions about separate ethnic identity (Bowles, 2000). Basically, the Karen tribe is known to be agriculturists, with Buddhism being the predominant religion amongst the tribe. A belief amongst the Karen tribe is that historically they have come from a place called "Thibi Kawbi". This is termed as their representation of Tibet and southern Gobi desert. As time passed, gradually during the 18th century, Karen began to move down south towards Thai Payap (old northern kingdom of Siam)1. The Karen tribe have been demanding an independent identity and land for them since early 1880s, with the formation of Karen National Association. At that time, Burma was under the colonial rule of Britain. After independence of Burma in January 1948, they tried to have a peaceful existence under the banner of Karen National Union (KNU), with some important posts in the government offered to Karen people. Situation started changing after the Military junta took over the country in 1960s. Subsequently, the demand for a separate land for Karen became more voc al. The military junta started adopting oppressive measures after it took over. As a result, a large number of Karen people were forced to leave their homes and fled into bordering Thailand with the result that many thousands of Karen are now living in Thailand, Australia and elsewhere as refugees. The strength of Karen fighters depleted with Burmese army declaring a full scale war against them in early 1990s and by 1995 the KNU headquarters at Manerplaw fell to Burmese army. Culture and Religion The brass rings around the necks of Karen tribe people are stated to be because of a number of reasons2. Some say it is done to prevent tigers from biting them; appears to be a credible defense, because the tiger prefers to pull the life out of a human being with a firm grip around the neck. Another version is that it is practiced to make women less attractive, so that there is less likelihood of them being captured by the slave traders. But, there is still another version which finds that this is being practiced to make women for attractive, so that they are able to attract a better husband. Besides the neck ring, large sized ear-rings also make an important component of the beauty products of the womenfolk. As the age of young girls increases the size

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Oder #315536 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Oder #315536 - Essay Example Marital therapy is perhaps the best haven that people in distressed marital relationships can go to so as to help in the healing of their marriages. A skilled and experienced marital therapist provides support and assistance that can help doubtful detached partners to carefully deal with their problems and start the problem-solving and healing process (Parenting and Marital Advice 2009). Marriage is a continuous struggle to â€Å"relate intimately to another human being without being controlled or taken for granted† (Guerin, Fay, Burden & Kautto 1987, 3). It can be a good-humored effort that enhances both partners and cultivates their growth, or it can be a tedious effort, wherein one or both partners are persuaded that their emotional, as well as their physical, survival is threatened (Guerin et al. 1987). The objective of this study is to review and discuss concepts of marital relationship and therapy. First, the paper will discuss the notion of marital conflict and marital therapy. Then, two of the integral concepts in the conceptualization and treatment of relational and marital conflict, namely, loss and context/attachment history, will be discussed. Finally, the paper will discuss how marital therapists could integrate the concepts of attachment and separation anxiety in their treatment plans. Marital conflict has been defined as â€Å"situations in which partners experience communication and problem-solving difficulties, find it difficult to work together, and have difficulty accepting each other’s differences† (Mead 2002, 299). It has been discovered that troubled couples interchange lesser gratifying behaviors and more unsympathetic behaviors than do non-troubled couples, and this is valid for verbal communications and for the interchange of other types of reinforcements (Shaddock 2000). It has also been discovered that troubled partners are

Monday, September 23, 2019

Consumer behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Consumer behaviour - Essay Example The key role of an advertisement is to bring about a positive change in attitudes of consumers towards a brand, which is accomplished by first creating an awareness regarding the brand, followed by communicating a positive message about the same, in a manner which appeals to the sensibilities of the target consumers. The information included in the advertisements exposes the consumers to a variety of information, thus in turn psychologically pressurizing them to buy the product through positive social pressures (Donovan, Henley, 2010). Pride and Ferrell (2011) define attitude as "an enduring evaluation of feelings about and behavioural tendencies toward an object or idea" (Pp. 138). The marketers try to capture and change the individual's feelings / attitudes through advertising. Advertising helps in creating awareness of brands and companies in the minds of the consumers, and the same can be done by appealing to one or all of the three key elements of attitude; which includes - cogn itive, affective and behavioural. The cognitive element entails an individual's knowledge and information regarding the product or idea being marketed by the companies; the affective element entails the feelings and emotions of the individuals towards those products or ideas; while the behavioural element comprises of actions taken by the individuals with regard to the product or ideas. Of these components / elements of attitude, the affective component plays a major role in developing a positive attitude in the minds of the consumers with regard to a given product or idea. The emotions in turn comprise of both psychological as well as biological elements. Feelings such as love, hatred, anger etc., influence an individual's behaviour towards any object or idea; and if used effectively, can be used to generate positive responses towards a specific brand (Hoyer et al., 2008). Impact of attitudes on consumer behaviour: Attitudes of consumers are one of the key elements of marketing str ategies, which is often targeted by the marketers and advertisers with a view to gain a positive response from the target customers. Attitudes are formed of various characteristics such as favourability, attitude accessibility, confidence, persistence, and resistance. Favourability refers to the likes or dislikes of consumers with regard to a product / brand attribute; accessibility refers to the ease with which the consumers can identify and relate a brand attribute and retrieve it from one's memory; confidence refers to certainty of one's feelings towards a given brand; persistence refers to the time-period for which a consumer can hold on to such an attitude; and resistance refers to the reluctance of consumers to change their attitudes towards a certain brand. Studies have shown that consumers, in most cases, frequently change their attitudes towards brands depending on the marketing strategies applied by the marketers, although bringing about such a change is a difficult task. The marketers hence use a variety of strategies and tactics to influence the consumers and develop a positive attitu

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Market for Energy Drinks Essay Example for Free

Market for Energy Drinks Essay 3.How is the market for energy drinks, sports drinks and vitamin-enhanced beverages changing? What are the underlying drivers of change and how might those forces individually or collectively make the industry more or less attractive? The market for energy drinks, sports drinks and vitamin-enhanced beverages kept on changing through differentiation from other brands to have a better brand image and also to meet the demands of the consumers as it is said that USA has helped greatly in the growth of the industry. Because of the significance of brand recognition, the sellers kept on building the product and how it to be most familiar. Product innovation, one of the market’s drivers of change, is said to be the most important competitive features of the alternative beverage industry. Alternative beverages competed on the basis of differentiation from traditional drinks (carbonated soft drinks or fruit juices) so for energy drinks, they often changed the taste, the energy boosting of their ingredients, and image. It is also through marketing innovation and efficient distribution systems that the industry kept on changing by always having varied its packaging, clever ads, endorsements from celebrities/athletes and sponsorships. Alternative beverage sellers also need to have efficient distribution systems to be successful in the industry. These forces only made the industry attractive because it can attract first time buyers through product and marketing innovation and offer responsive customer service to large customers which may then lead to an increase in market demand, make competition more intense and lead to a higher industry profitability.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Effects of Copyright on the Consumption Music

Effects of Copyright on the Consumption Music The aim of this dissertation is to understand the effects of copyright on the consumption and acquisition of music online. With a focus on Feels Like Free services such as Spotify as well as illegal file sharing services, research into the copyright issues surrounding the debate present a picture of how music is being consumed at present. Building on notable works and theories of research in the area {} the dissertation supplies evidence supporting the continuing dominance of labels as right-holders in the new digital era. With one-on-one interviews with emerging artists at the forefront of digital music as well as group interviews with consumers a convergence of opinion on key points provides an insight into the effectiveness of current digital music distribution services as well as the enforcement and enforceability of current copyright laws. Introduction This dissertation focusses on the challenges of distributing digital music in an era of unprecedented web use. Access to digital media is increasingly a part of peoples every day lives and the issues surrounding access to content and the legal implications therein are the subject of much debate. It is natural that the rights holders and their representatives would assume a position protecting their legal rights and the cases of pursuance of both individual and commercial rights infringers are well documented, however some say copyright law is dated (Negroponte, 1995) and beyond the task of policing the digital frontier of music distribution. This dissertation investigates the effect of copyright on audience and artist attitudes to digital music distribution in both legal and illegal forms. Using relevant literature and established studies it addresses the benefits of the chosen research for this investigation and provides results giving evidence for the various claims and counter cla ims made on both sides of the copyright argument. In doing so it is intended that my results will give a picture of current distribution methods and their ability to deal with copyright as well as rights holders ability to enforce it in an increasingly digitised age. By gathering evidence using one-to-one interviews with two emerging artists as well as consumer interviews conducted at group level I am able to establish the artists interaction with the process of copyright and the extent to which it alters their distribution of music whilst also engaging the audience in debate about their understanding and adherence to the existing issues surround accessing digital music. The involvement of both artist and audience provides a unique opportunity to pinpoint the present effect of the existing systems of music distribution and the copyright protection available. Digital Music Copyright At the crux of the debate surrounding digital music distribution is the issue of copyright and the infringement thereof. Arguments both for and against the current system of rights ownership and management are well documented and some clear division between the opinions of those who hope to gain capital from the ownership of rights and those who wish to produce and consume digital music is revealed. The representative bodies existing to support the rights of the artist , such as the BPI (British Phonographic Industry) and the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) have staunch views on the use of their intellectual property and defined by the BPI, copyright in its current form can be surmised as follows: Copyright is the foundations which the music business is built. In its simplest terms, it is a form of intellectual property and, as such, gives the creator or the owner/ author of that work exclusive rights over how it is published, distributed and adapted. (BPI [online] 2009) The collective gusto of the recording industry to enforce their stance on what they see as a critical issue to the music business has led to much bad publicity and a galvanisation of some copyright infringers as a group with a serious social point to make. Kembrew McLeod (2005) agrees that infringement of copyrighted material online presents a significant problem for the monopoly held by the industry giants, even going as far as to view this as a positive consequence of file sharing and distribution. Arguing in favour of a diminished corporate monopoly, McLeod uses examples of successes for smaller independent artists, helped in part by the evolution of media distribution methods available to cut out the middle-man. With both artist and audience interviews revealing a symRobhy for McLeodÊ ¼s statements, most participants demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of the possible advantages that new distribution methods offer smaller/less established artists, who often work outsi de of the boundaries of the established music industry. Williamson Cloonan (2007) accuse the BPI of blurring its distinction between the ‘interests of British record companies which it claims to represent with a wider definition of the ‘music business . The process of recording, distributing and marketing music is one element of the music industry but its inferred connection to grassroots music of all levels seems to be the bone of contention, as is borne out in my group research. The strength of language words and aggressive tone of both the RIAA and BPI in dealing with infingers, combined with the appropriation of the wider music industry for moral grounds (Williamson Cloonan, 2003, p. 305-7) adds to a misunderstanding regarding what exactly the music industry is and how it affects users access to media. There is an obvious disparity in opinion on either side of the debate surrounding copyright law, with the nature of what copyright represents and who it protects a nd particularly how it is relevant to new digital models of distribution and consumption open to much debate. These diverging opinions are likely to have an impact on how consumers and artists understand the issues within this field, and clearly how they relate and react to them. Media Access The history and development of studying audiences and their consumption habits is by now highly sophisticated and the subject of much debate and research. Using the work of others as a guide as well as theory and research my aim is to understand how audiences are accessing digital content and if their understanding of the legality of so doing , alters how they interact with the content. Longhurst (2007) observes that the most significant contemporary change to [music consumption] is coming through downloadability (p. 205). The pervasive nature of digital consumption in todays culture is displayed throughout both artist and audience responses showing high levels of use and understanding of the medium. An RIAA commissioned report (Siwek, 2007) carried out in the United States by the Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI) suggest that online copyright infringement costs the industry $12.5 billion annually(online). It is fair to assume the the access to both legal and illegal digital musi c is affect the industry greatly but these figures are open to criticism for there bias. The research of Huang (2005) into file sharing as a means of music consumption through group interviews of college students concludes that music file sharing is now a facet of music culture from a social perspective. My studies have some support for this claim with even artists describing extensive p2p use and one actively embracing it as a means of propagation of his material. Mascheroni et al (2008) conducted a comparable ethnographic study digital television consumption. The study concludes that young viewers are capable of defining their relationship with media based on present developments in the field rather than existing paradigms and traditions, and in doing so perhaps goes some way to explain the findings of Huangs research on college students. In similar ethnographic profiling Harwood (1997) compared television viewing Robterns of different aged groups, finding that decisions are representative of perceived Ê »social identityÊ ¼. It is arguable that similar influe nces are at play in consumers interaction with digital music consumption and with the increasing convergence of digital content, user generated content, and the social influences aforementioned, copyright infringement and any repressions appear to have very marginal impact on consumption habits. Based on the highlighted works the interaction between consumers and the legal implications surrounding content access are likely to vary in line with social perception and experience led understanding of the field. The fact that the artists were so Robert about file sharing, their involvement with it and its potential for positive use, adds weight to the claim copyright regulations for digital music are past their prime and lacking in effectiveness. Unique Online Considerations Various possible explanations for the ways in which digital media access has changed consumption habits have been covered previously. Increased media access has inevitably led to increased temptation to use nodal connectivity for illegal file sharing, although if the enactment of this abuse is as widespread as the BPI and RIAA would like us to think is another matter. Borne out of this peer to peer system of file distribution new products are being brought to market that provide alternatives to illegal acquisition of content. Analysing the manner in which consumers access content and services online has led to , sophisticated modEmmang of the accessibility and demand for said content and services. AndersonÊ ¼s (2006) presents a long tail model which serves as an example of such studies. The model refers to online commercial distribution with the most popular and commercial, products at one end of the graph with the highest volume of sales. The graph extends to illustrate the alm ost limitless potential for online sales in specialist or minority markets. Fig i. Long Tail Model (Anderson, 2006) Anderson further sets forth an opinion that the broadening of potential promotion and distribution online has increasingly opened up more possibilities for for both artists and consumers. Applying the long tail theory, it is obvious that it proposes a different system of economics to the traditional retail sector. Adding to this the obvious advantages of products being available around the clock, often irrespective of regional restrictions and the idea of a new economic model is further strengthened. The ability to cover areas of minuscule interest with little additional overheads enables retailers to offer huge depth of choice as well as broadening the idea of ownership of content through streaming.. Clearly the economics of online commerce are very different to the traditional model, however the rules of engagement surrounding copyright are expected to fit both models. two is different, yet the laws of copyright remain the same. Illegal sharing of content is viewed as an infringement of rights and therefore a form of theft as attested by the RIAA. The case that eventually closed the late nineties file sharing platform Napster, as detailed first by Merriden (2001) and then Menn (2003) illustrates the ramifications and interest in the first high-profile case of file sharing. Speaking of Napster Wall states; The record companies proposed that the Napster system ripped off artists and would kill music, while they made the legal argument that Napster encouraged the infringement of copyrights they held. Napster countered by arguing that members of Napster were making fair non-commercial use of the rights already assigned with the original sale of the record that had been converted into mp3 files. (Wall 2003, p223) Continuing where the Napster litigation left off, cases between the industry and p2p networks are still widespread today, showing that the industry has moved on little in the intervening years. The Swedish prosecution and proposed imprisonment of the creators of infamous file sharing tracker The Pirate Bay (Johnson Kiss, 2009) is perhaps the highest profile case today and could be seen as the modern Napster. In an attempt to bolster the music industries grasp on digital distribution a number of new models have been brought to market., Many mobile phone operators worldwide now offer unlimited music bundles with cell contracts and the emergence of streaming services mentioned such as Last.fm and Spotify, are seen in the group interviews to have a positive influence on peoples adherence to copyright. Gerd Leonhard (with Kusek 2005 2008) is describes these services as Ê »feels like free.Ê ¼ Advertising and premium service upgrades present the creates potential for capitalisat ion of music. Spotify has been a particular success in Europe, with the BBC reporting figures that already 5% of its users have upgraded to a premium service, giving it some 320,000 users paying  £10 per month for its full offering (BBC, 2010, online). This small percentage provides and annual turnover in the region of  £38,400,000 excluding additional revenue provided by advertising, proving that Spotify is a serious force in the online distribution business without even launching fully in the United States. By looking at audience habits and interaction with both copyright and media we can see that the new media model and the traditional approach to distributing music are increasingly unable to keep up with the consumer driven demand for online services, leaving companies such as Spotify to move in and become a type of new music industry for the 21st century. The difficulty inherent to their role is that the copyright for the material they wish to distribute is often owned by o ne of their more traditional predecessors. Methodology In this chapter I offer justification for the effectiveness of my methods for the collection of audience and artist responses to their interaction with digital music copyright. I use two groups of participants; one younger (16- 25) as well as a group from an older demographic of consumers (40-65) with both groups being representative of consumers as well as two individuals representative of artists. As this study represents a small cross section of the many people who are involved in roles as both consumer and artist definitive conclusions solely gathered from my findings alone are difficult to ascertain. The value however, of conducting the comparative interview types, is the provided overview of responses, and how they interplay with the core arguments surrounding the debate. Work by Huang (2005) and Macheroni et al (2008) would suggest that younger audiences are less concerned about the implications of peer to peer sharing and thus more likely to use the distribution method. Using relative methods I build upon their work, highlighting and supporting claims by providing complimentary evidence and similar findings. HuangÊ ¼s (2005) use of groups interviews highlighted specific areas of interest with direct interaction with audience members, whilst MascheroniÊ ¼s (2008) research adopted ethnographic studies of online, as well as off line interaction in a more one to one manner. Due to the nature of copyright interaction online ethnographic study of users could be applied to researching users of file sharing services. The problem with this is the anonymity in this type of cinteraction, discussed by Watt, Lea and Spears (2002). Although there is potential for some light to be shed on how audiences share music online, it would be difficult to rationalise the reasons for this activity, providing little evidence to illuminate the reader on audience behaviour. My own studies, made use of extensive one on one interviews allowing unsigned artists a mouthpiece within the debate. The benefit of exposing the artists to the one on one interview process was expected to be a greater understanding and experience of copyright yielding technical data on the subject. This was then coupled with group based research. With guidance from Bertrand and Hughes (2005, p81), the group interviews, were expected to benefit from inter-participant discussion allowing some involved to make up in shortfalls of technical knowledge. As a well established means of audience research, group interviews can help garner natural responses from participants. It must always be considered however that these discussions do not take place in unmonitored environments and so must be viewed as having the potential to be polluted by the participants knowledge that what is being said is also being recorded. A particularly pertinent issue given the legal climate surrounding the issues covered. The legal aspect of my research may encourage participants to shy away from full, Robert answers, however the focus group environment should also foster greater candour and less inherently solicited responses than that of one on one interviews for instance (Boubour 2007) although the combination of the two means of study should have a balancing effect on the results. Research Findings Here I present the findings of my primary research investigating the interplay between copyright issues and digital music consumption. The material put forward here is the product of the two group interviews and two individual interviews with consumers and artists respectively. The discussions centred around the same key themes including the participants access to and use of digital music as well as attitudes and understanding of the related legal issues. Of particular importance for my study are responses they may have relevance towards legal the constraints and considerations surrounding the notion of digital music access. Providing the the structural basis of this chapter my aim is to discover any visible Robterns between the responses of the two types of interviewee. Consumption Listening Habits: The primary question for the interviews is one of use and involvement in digital music. It is essential to establish the extent, if any, to which the interview subjects interact with digital music content, irrespective of its origin. The following section examines participant music consumption routines and in particular, digital music consumption habits. Based on their replies, I address the stereotype that older audiences are less willing and able to undertake interaction with new delivery methods whilst isolating comparisons between the groups in other forms of music consumption. On broaching the subject of use of digital music with the older group, it was clear that most participants were involved and responsive to the means of content distribution. Many of the group cited the iPhone or iPod as an influence on their ease of access and enjoyment of digital music, proving Apple have a huge say in how this market is set to develop. either using mp3 players or their mobile phone to co nsume digital music. When the group was asked if they had access to a digital music player the response was as follows, Howard: Of course IÊ ¼ve had mp3 phones for a good 5 years now and players for a bit longer. Dominic: Yeah me too I would say, not the players but the phones, I use an iPhone for everything now. Howard: I still use my player for jogging though, I dont like to be bothered by phone calls but I still want my music with me. Most made some use of access to digital music on a regular basis. This helps to dispel the myth of a generation gap regarding digital media use as alluded to in the work of Mascheroni et al (2008). Although this establishes a commonality in usage of devices we are yet to establish meaningful connections between access and consumption habits. In the older group. The concept of digital music consumption representing the mainstay of their listening habits produced varied responses. For the older group the response was as follows: Dominic: For the car or the house I spose real music, sorry I should say CDs and stuff I spose, real music is normally what I go for. Robert: Yeah the same really. This is similar to the attitudes of both artists interviewed. Biometrix: Yeah its really all about vinyl for me but that normally means I have to rip the vinyl if I want to listen to it on my phone or anything like that Gecko: I collect all sorts of CDs and records, when we go on tour I normally come back with a pile of discs Ive either bought or been given. With the artists and the older audience still actively engaged in the acquisition and collation of music it is clear that there is still a space for tangible products within the music industry. Such observations are notably absent when dealing with the younger of the group studies. In this group there was evidence of a fractured landscape of media access with no commonly held method of consuming music. Youtube, Spotify and Soundcloud provide a number of feels like free options for home use along with the ubiquitous iPod/Phone, however the access to music was overwhelmingly digital amongst this group. It can be said that both groups access digital content in a number of ways, with the younger group being more selective and more aware of different delivery methods, perhaps indicated by the greater disparity in the services and methods of consumption they chose. Within this younger group, extensive different ways of acquiring digital music were referenced, including demonstrable evidence of LeonhardÊ ¼s (2008) Ê »feels like freeÊ ¼ streaming services such as Spotify and Last.fm. The following extract is taken from the opening stages of the younger focus group; MarT: Spotify, mainly. Youtube too, but there is much less music on there now and when you find something you like it gets deleted after a while for copyright stuff. Spotify have made it so easy and if they have pretty much everything so you can just go there, and if you canÊ ¼t find it aint on Spotify there might be a live version or something on Youtube but the quality is always ropey. The only bad thing about Spotify is that you get ads but its still free and its much safer than downloading audio files. Steve: Everything is so joined up on Spotify, like suggested artists and playlists and stuff, I spose its similar on Youtube, you can spend hours exploring. Claire: And you dont have to buy anything or give your card details over. Similarly both artists are avid users of Spotify amongst other streaming services: Gecko: I know the money is peanuts for getting played on there but it makes you accessible to so many people, some of them dont have enough money to pay for your album or your mp3 or whatever but the fact that they can still access it is important to grow as an artist. Its like playing a gig and barely making the petrol money to get home. We all do it but some of us are a bit more relaxed about the good it does for us. Biometrix: I use Spotify all the time, really its stopped me stealing a lot of music really. Its so much easier than actually downloading something so normally I just do that because I cant be bothered finding what I want and then waiting on it to arrive on my computer. Clearly Spotify offers an innovative model that can fit into both of MyÃ… ¡kaÊ ¼s (2009) subscription service model categories. A monthly fee can be paid to allow listeners to enjoy uninterrupted music without advertising and also allow access to feature rich content such as mobile streaming and offline listening, as well as Leonhards (2009) Ê »feels like freeÊ ¼ model that is funded by advertising. Of the myriad methods of media access identified, use of Web 2.0 music consumption models such as Spotify demonstrates a fall in favour of traditional peer to peer networks, contrary to the testaments of the recording industry (Siwek, 2007.) This goes some way to enforce the claims of Leonhard (2009) that these new, lawful access streams provide an attractive alternative to illegal downloading and also allay industry concerns about copyright protection. The interview subjects also cited the simplicity of these new methods in allowing them to locate music without the extensi ve searching that is commonplace with peer to peer access to media. Engagement with File Sharing: In this section, we assess the subjects involvement with the file sharing. I present rationalisation of the participants use or otherwise of file sharing networks and investigate their understandings and interactions with the legal ramifications of such actions. As the conversation developed, unexpectedly within the older group, many of the participants had used peer to peer services in the past, whilst perhaps their usage was limited, responses seemed mixed. Shaun: IÊ ¼ve used Megaupload in the past Yeah. Subscribed to that. We didnt download without our subscription, but now lapsed, I dont about the kids but yeah, Megaupload. I used to et a lot of other stuff there like films and ebooks so it was great. We can see that the participants have an understanding of file sharing as a concept, if not perhaps the finer points of nodal networking. There is an inference that by purchasing a subscription the subject considers themselves to have bought their downloads. This is however false and the subscription simply provides faster download speeds. The artists had a more sophisticated understanding of how rights related to downloading and sharing content, however it is notable that this greater insight did little to dissuade them from partaking in file sharing. Biometrix: Yeah I do download stuff, not as much as I used to but if theres something I cant find on Spotify or Soundcloud or that stuff then I will just go on a torrent site but I feel bad about it, I reckon, well I reckon because I think about what it would be like if the musicians were like me, just starting out or something. The guilt mechanism in this response shows a belief that the RIAA/BPI position is correct and that the copyright issues surrounding this kind of media access is universally illegal. This shows some support for the industry having a direct influence over peoples online interactions despite their diminished market share. One of the artists in particular also uses p2p sharing to promote and distribute their own material. Biometrix: I try to make a couple of free songs every month and put them on soundcloud for people to download. Its pretty much a thanks to all the people on Facebook, Soundcloud and Youtube who like my music and keep my profile hits high. I know theyre on the torrent sites but I dont mind, they were free anyway. This positive use of filesharing allows the artist greater exposure with virtual nil as an overhead, undercutting the top-heavy music industry and presenting the egalitarian model favoured by McLeod (2005). Responses to Legal Issues Industry Implications; This section aims to build on the responses in the previous section by filling out the subjects understanding of the legal issues involved with file sharing. Particularly noticeable in these answers is the difference between the artist and audience categories. As mentioned earlier there have been many examples of litigations against providers of p2p services, such as the media-circus trial of Ê »The Pirate BayÊ ¼ founders. Whilst the audience groups had little knowledge of such cases the artists seemed far better versed in what was going on within the industry to shape the distribution of music. Biometrix: Yeah, IÊ ¼ve know a lot about it actually The pirate bay have been found guilty of copyright abuse and theyre appealing their jail term now I think. Its a pretty big deal, all of the big film companies have been after them. The site is still going though, so it doesnt seem to have done much good does it? Gecko: Pirate bay is huge. Its not just pirating things, they do all sorts, politics and freedom of speech stuff and all of that. I think it was started by activists but I dont know whos involved nowadays. As soon as something gets taken off it seems to come straight back up. Loads of people use it. Infringement and theft are put forwards by McLeod as tactics to enforce the monopoly of the recording industry. Of the subjects opinions on the significance file sharing has for the music industry, the various subjects displayed an array of responses. The following extracts are taken from the older subjects; Dominic: Small bands dont have a bean basically. Those are the people you are robbing off, not the execs or anything. Emma: They must be getting paid somehow, the music is still out there. Robert: But the money doesnt go to the band. This passage underlines the fact that members in this group believe that the majority of income for musicians, particularly less prolific artists, is provided by their record sales. This understanding of the revenue streams available to music industries also demonstrates a finely tuned understanding of what the Ê »music industryÊ ¼ entails. Williamson and CloonanÊ ¼s (2007) arguments against the wide spread use of the term, based on my findings, suggest older generations are indeed more inclined to understand the term equating to the recording industry. The actions of the recording industries and the responses from audiences can be seen as an example of Michel de CerteauÊ ¼s idea of Ê »strategies and tacticsÊ ¼ (1984). The strategies of the power structures within the relationship, in this case, the industries retention of traditional retail models and the discourse that it equates to the music industry (BPI, 2009), in contrast to the tactics of audiences. This investigation finds between age demographics the response tactics identifiable and noticably different. The older group creates their own space through a sceptical approach to recording industry practices, methods of media access and opinion demonstrate stronger ties with the recording industry discourse crime and punishment. The both the artists and younger group members seemed much more separated from these established means of operation, shown in their symRobhy for file sharing, anti-corporate comments and reluctance to trust established regulations regardin g copyright infringement. Based on the findings outlined above, the suggestion is that audiences are highly aware that there are legal implications surrounding the sharing of files, but their opinions and responses to the validity of these implications are generationally split. The evidence provided by the younger demographic of both audience and artists provides support for the views of McLeod (2005) whereas the older group demonstrated a much more accepting response for the necessity of copyright legislation as a protection against theft. Applying music retail and commerce theories presented by Anderson (2006) and Dubber (2007), most of the participants appeared to be informed of the changes online distribution was experiencing, although there was rejection of the industrys reluctance to develop progressive content access agreements along with them. The divergence of opinion in the application of rights enforcement between the two groups adds weight to the arguments presented by Garofalo (2003), acting to s et the balance between the two sides of the rights argument, preventing the financial exploitation of free music, whilst also managing a free channel of access to consumers. Conclusion It can be established from the results of my investigation that audience and artist opinions are divided on the justifications for rights protection and the enforcement thereof in relation to digital music access. Whilst there is clear evidence of a move towards digital media consumption, there is a distinct generational gap in the manner in which different age groups access music digitally. Older generations seem to fall into line with traditional models of product capitalisation, purchasing physical formats and viewing transgression of copyright online as theft. Younger subjects more immersed in digital media and having grown up during the internet gold rush have a far less strict attitude to the acquisit Effects of Copyright on the Consumption Music Effects of Copyright on the Consumption Music The aim of this dissertation is to understand the effects of copyright on the consumption and acquisition of music online. With a focus on Feels Like Free services such as Spotify as well as illegal file sharing services, research into the copyright issues surrounding the debate present a picture of how music is being consumed at present. Building on notable works and theories of research in the area {} the dissertation supplies evidence supporting the continuing dominance of labels as right-holders in the new digital era. With one-on-one interviews with emerging artists at the forefront of digital music as well as group interviews with consumers a convergence of opinion on key points provides an insight into the effectiveness of current digital music distribution services as well as the enforcement and enforceability of current copyright laws. Introduction This dissertation focusses on the challenges of distributing digital music in an era of unprecedented web use. Access to digital media is increasingly a part of peoples every day lives and the issues surrounding access to content and the legal implications therein are the subject of much debate. It is natural that the rights holders and their representatives would assume a position protecting their legal rights and the cases of pursuance of both individual and commercial rights infringers are well documented, however some say copyright law is dated (Negroponte, 1995) and beyond the task of policing the digital frontier of music distribution. This dissertation investigates the effect of copyright on audience and artist attitudes to digital music distribution in both legal and illegal forms. Using relevant literature and established studies it addresses the benefits of the chosen research for this investigation and provides results giving evidence for the various claims and counter cla ims made on both sides of the copyright argument. In doing so it is intended that my results will give a picture of current distribution methods and their ability to deal with copyright as well as rights holders ability to enforce it in an increasingly digitised age. By gathering evidence using one-to-one interviews with two emerging artists as well as consumer interviews conducted at group level I am able to establish the artists interaction with the process of copyright and the extent to which it alters their distribution of music whilst also engaging the audience in debate about their understanding and adherence to the existing issues surround accessing digital music. The involvement of both artist and audience provides a unique opportunity to pinpoint the present effect of the existing systems of music distribution and the copyright protection available. Digital Music Copyright At the crux of the debate surrounding digital music distribution is the issue of copyright and the infringement thereof. Arguments both for and against the current system of rights ownership and management are well documented and some clear division between the opinions of those who hope to gain capital from the ownership of rights and those who wish to produce and consume digital music is revealed. The representative bodies existing to support the rights of the artist , such as the BPI (British Phonographic Industry) and the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) have staunch views on the use of their intellectual property and defined by the BPI, copyright in its current form can be surmised as follows: Copyright is the foundations which the music business is built. In its simplest terms, it is a form of intellectual property and, as such, gives the creator or the owner/ author of that work exclusive rights over how it is published, distributed and adapted. (BPI [online] 2009) The collective gusto of the recording industry to enforce their stance on what they see as a critical issue to the music business has led to much bad publicity and a galvanisation of some copyright infringers as a group with a serious social point to make. Kembrew McLeod (2005) agrees that infringement of copyrighted material online presents a significant problem for the monopoly held by the industry giants, even going as far as to view this as a positive consequence of file sharing and distribution. Arguing in favour of a diminished corporate monopoly, McLeod uses examples of successes for smaller independent artists, helped in part by the evolution of media distribution methods available to cut out the middle-man. With both artist and audience interviews revealing a symRobhy for McLeodÊ ¼s statements, most participants demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of the possible advantages that new distribution methods offer smaller/less established artists, who often work outsi de of the boundaries of the established music industry. Williamson Cloonan (2007) accuse the BPI of blurring its distinction between the ‘interests of British record companies which it claims to represent with a wider definition of the ‘music business . The process of recording, distributing and marketing music is one element of the music industry but its inferred connection to grassroots music of all levels seems to be the bone of contention, as is borne out in my group research. The strength of language words and aggressive tone of both the RIAA and BPI in dealing with infingers, combined with the appropriation of the wider music industry for moral grounds (Williamson Cloonan, 2003, p. 305-7) adds to a misunderstanding regarding what exactly the music industry is and how it affects users access to media. There is an obvious disparity in opinion on either side of the debate surrounding copyright law, with the nature of what copyright represents and who it protects a nd particularly how it is relevant to new digital models of distribution and consumption open to much debate. These diverging opinions are likely to have an impact on how consumers and artists understand the issues within this field, and clearly how they relate and react to them. Media Access The history and development of studying audiences and their consumption habits is by now highly sophisticated and the subject of much debate and research. Using the work of others as a guide as well as theory and research my aim is to understand how audiences are accessing digital content and if their understanding of the legality of so doing , alters how they interact with the content. Longhurst (2007) observes that the most significant contemporary change to [music consumption] is coming through downloadability (p. 205). The pervasive nature of digital consumption in todays culture is displayed throughout both artist and audience responses showing high levels of use and understanding of the medium. An RIAA commissioned report (Siwek, 2007) carried out in the United States by the Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI) suggest that online copyright infringement costs the industry $12.5 billion annually(online). It is fair to assume the the access to both legal and illegal digital musi c is affect the industry greatly but these figures are open to criticism for there bias. The research of Huang (2005) into file sharing as a means of music consumption through group interviews of college students concludes that music file sharing is now a facet of music culture from a social perspective. My studies have some support for this claim with even artists describing extensive p2p use and one actively embracing it as a means of propagation of his material. Mascheroni et al (2008) conducted a comparable ethnographic study digital television consumption. The study concludes that young viewers are capable of defining their relationship with media based on present developments in the field rather than existing paradigms and traditions, and in doing so perhaps goes some way to explain the findings of Huangs research on college students. In similar ethnographic profiling Harwood (1997) compared television viewing Robterns of different aged groups, finding that decisions are representative of perceived Ê »social identityÊ ¼. It is arguable that similar influe nces are at play in consumers interaction with digital music consumption and with the increasing convergence of digital content, user generated content, and the social influences aforementioned, copyright infringement and any repressions appear to have very marginal impact on consumption habits. Based on the highlighted works the interaction between consumers and the legal implications surrounding content access are likely to vary in line with social perception and experience led understanding of the field. The fact that the artists were so Robert about file sharing, their involvement with it and its potential for positive use, adds weight to the claim copyright regulations for digital music are past their prime and lacking in effectiveness. Unique Online Considerations Various possible explanations for the ways in which digital media access has changed consumption habits have been covered previously. Increased media access has inevitably led to increased temptation to use nodal connectivity for illegal file sharing, although if the enactment of this abuse is as widespread as the BPI and RIAA would like us to think is another matter. Borne out of this peer to peer system of file distribution new products are being brought to market that provide alternatives to illegal acquisition of content. Analysing the manner in which consumers access content and services online has led to , sophisticated modEmmang of the accessibility and demand for said content and services. AndersonÊ ¼s (2006) presents a long tail model which serves as an example of such studies. The model refers to online commercial distribution with the most popular and commercial, products at one end of the graph with the highest volume of sales. The graph extends to illustrate the alm ost limitless potential for online sales in specialist or minority markets. Fig i. Long Tail Model (Anderson, 2006) Anderson further sets forth an opinion that the broadening of potential promotion and distribution online has increasingly opened up more possibilities for for both artists and consumers. Applying the long tail theory, it is obvious that it proposes a different system of economics to the traditional retail sector. Adding to this the obvious advantages of products being available around the clock, often irrespective of regional restrictions and the idea of a new economic model is further strengthened. The ability to cover areas of minuscule interest with little additional overheads enables retailers to offer huge depth of choice as well as broadening the idea of ownership of content through streaming.. Clearly the economics of online commerce are very different to the traditional model, however the rules of engagement surrounding copyright are expected to fit both models. two is different, yet the laws of copyright remain the same. Illegal sharing of content is viewed as an infringement of rights and therefore a form of theft as attested by the RIAA. The case that eventually closed the late nineties file sharing platform Napster, as detailed first by Merriden (2001) and then Menn (2003) illustrates the ramifications and interest in the first high-profile case of file sharing. Speaking of Napster Wall states; The record companies proposed that the Napster system ripped off artists and would kill music, while they made the legal argument that Napster encouraged the infringement of copyrights they held. Napster countered by arguing that members of Napster were making fair non-commercial use of the rights already assigned with the original sale of the record that had been converted into mp3 files. (Wall 2003, p223) Continuing where the Napster litigation left off, cases between the industry and p2p networks are still widespread today, showing that the industry has moved on little in the intervening years. The Swedish prosecution and proposed imprisonment of the creators of infamous file sharing tracker The Pirate Bay (Johnson Kiss, 2009) is perhaps the highest profile case today and could be seen as the modern Napster. In an attempt to bolster the music industries grasp on digital distribution a number of new models have been brought to market., Many mobile phone operators worldwide now offer unlimited music bundles with cell contracts and the emergence of streaming services mentioned such as Last.fm and Spotify, are seen in the group interviews to have a positive influence on peoples adherence to copyright. Gerd Leonhard (with Kusek 2005 2008) is describes these services as Ê »feels like free.Ê ¼ Advertising and premium service upgrades present the creates potential for capitalisat ion of music. Spotify has been a particular success in Europe, with the BBC reporting figures that already 5% of its users have upgraded to a premium service, giving it some 320,000 users paying  £10 per month for its full offering (BBC, 2010, online). This small percentage provides and annual turnover in the region of  £38,400,000 excluding additional revenue provided by advertising, proving that Spotify is a serious force in the online distribution business without even launching fully in the United States. By looking at audience habits and interaction with both copyright and media we can see that the new media model and the traditional approach to distributing music are increasingly unable to keep up with the consumer driven demand for online services, leaving companies such as Spotify to move in and become a type of new music industry for the 21st century. The difficulty inherent to their role is that the copyright for the material they wish to distribute is often owned by o ne of their more traditional predecessors. Methodology In this chapter I offer justification for the effectiveness of my methods for the collection of audience and artist responses to their interaction with digital music copyright. I use two groups of participants; one younger (16- 25) as well as a group from an older demographic of consumers (40-65) with both groups being representative of consumers as well as two individuals representative of artists. As this study represents a small cross section of the many people who are involved in roles as both consumer and artist definitive conclusions solely gathered from my findings alone are difficult to ascertain. The value however, of conducting the comparative interview types, is the provided overview of responses, and how they interplay with the core arguments surrounding the debate. Work by Huang (2005) and Macheroni et al (2008) would suggest that younger audiences are less concerned about the implications of peer to peer sharing and thus more likely to use the distribution method. Using relative methods I build upon their work, highlighting and supporting claims by providing complimentary evidence and similar findings. HuangÊ ¼s (2005) use of groups interviews highlighted specific areas of interest with direct interaction with audience members, whilst MascheroniÊ ¼s (2008) research adopted ethnographic studies of online, as well as off line interaction in a more one to one manner. Due to the nature of copyright interaction online ethnographic study of users could be applied to researching users of file sharing services. The problem with this is the anonymity in this type of cinteraction, discussed by Watt, Lea and Spears (2002). Although there is potential for some light to be shed on how audiences share music online, it would be difficult to rationalise the reasons for this activity, providing little evidence to illuminate the reader on audience behaviour. My own studies, made use of extensive one on one interviews allowing unsigned artists a mouthpiece within the debate. The benefit of exposing the artists to the one on one interview process was expected to be a greater understanding and experience of copyright yielding technical data on the subject. This was then coupled with group based research. With guidance from Bertrand and Hughes (2005, p81), the group interviews, were expected to benefit from inter-participant discussion allowing some involved to make up in shortfalls of technical knowledge. As a well established means of audience research, group interviews can help garner natural responses from participants. It must always be considered however that these discussions do not take place in unmonitored environments and so must be viewed as having the potential to be polluted by the participants knowledge that what is being said is also being recorded. A particularly pertinent issue given the legal climate surrounding the issues covered. The legal aspect of my research may encourage participants to shy away from full, Robert answers, however the focus group environment should also foster greater candour and less inherently solicited responses than that of one on one interviews for instance (Boubour 2007) although the combination of the two means of study should have a balancing effect on the results. Research Findings Here I present the findings of my primary research investigating the interplay between copyright issues and digital music consumption. The material put forward here is the product of the two group interviews and two individual interviews with consumers and artists respectively. The discussions centred around the same key themes including the participants access to and use of digital music as well as attitudes and understanding of the related legal issues. Of particular importance for my study are responses they may have relevance towards legal the constraints and considerations surrounding the notion of digital music access. Providing the the structural basis of this chapter my aim is to discover any visible Robterns between the responses of the two types of interviewee. Consumption Listening Habits: The primary question for the interviews is one of use and involvement in digital music. It is essential to establish the extent, if any, to which the interview subjects interact with digital music content, irrespective of its origin. The following section examines participant music consumption routines and in particular, digital music consumption habits. Based on their replies, I address the stereotype that older audiences are less willing and able to undertake interaction with new delivery methods whilst isolating comparisons between the groups in other forms of music consumption. On broaching the subject of use of digital music with the older group, it was clear that most participants were involved and responsive to the means of content distribution. Many of the group cited the iPhone or iPod as an influence on their ease of access and enjoyment of digital music, proving Apple have a huge say in how this market is set to develop. either using mp3 players or their mobile phone to co nsume digital music. When the group was asked if they had access to a digital music player the response was as follows, Howard: Of course IÊ ¼ve had mp3 phones for a good 5 years now and players for a bit longer. Dominic: Yeah me too I would say, not the players but the phones, I use an iPhone for everything now. Howard: I still use my player for jogging though, I dont like to be bothered by phone calls but I still want my music with me. Most made some use of access to digital music on a regular basis. This helps to dispel the myth of a generation gap regarding digital media use as alluded to in the work of Mascheroni et al (2008). Although this establishes a commonality in usage of devices we are yet to establish meaningful connections between access and consumption habits. In the older group. The concept of digital music consumption representing the mainstay of their listening habits produced varied responses. For the older group the response was as follows: Dominic: For the car or the house I spose real music, sorry I should say CDs and stuff I spose, real music is normally what I go for. Robert: Yeah the same really. This is similar to the attitudes of both artists interviewed. Biometrix: Yeah its really all about vinyl for me but that normally means I have to rip the vinyl if I want to listen to it on my phone or anything like that Gecko: I collect all sorts of CDs and records, when we go on tour I normally come back with a pile of discs Ive either bought or been given. With the artists and the older audience still actively engaged in the acquisition and collation of music it is clear that there is still a space for tangible products within the music industry. Such observations are notably absent when dealing with the younger of the group studies. In this group there was evidence of a fractured landscape of media access with no commonly held method of consuming music. Youtube, Spotify and Soundcloud provide a number of feels like free options for home use along with the ubiquitous iPod/Phone, however the access to music was overwhelmingly digital amongst this group. It can be said that both groups access digital content in a number of ways, with the younger group being more selective and more aware of different delivery methods, perhaps indicated by the greater disparity in the services and methods of consumption they chose. Within this younger group, extensive different ways of acquiring digital music were referenced, including demonstrable evidence of LeonhardÊ ¼s (2008) Ê »feels like freeÊ ¼ streaming services such as Spotify and Last.fm. The following extract is taken from the opening stages of the younger focus group; MarT: Spotify, mainly. Youtube too, but there is much less music on there now and when you find something you like it gets deleted after a while for copyright stuff. Spotify have made it so easy and if they have pretty much everything so you can just go there, and if you canÊ ¼t find it aint on Spotify there might be a live version or something on Youtube but the quality is always ropey. The only bad thing about Spotify is that you get ads but its still free and its much safer than downloading audio files. Steve: Everything is so joined up on Spotify, like suggested artists and playlists and stuff, I spose its similar on Youtube, you can spend hours exploring. Claire: And you dont have to buy anything or give your card details over. Similarly both artists are avid users of Spotify amongst other streaming services: Gecko: I know the money is peanuts for getting played on there but it makes you accessible to so many people, some of them dont have enough money to pay for your album or your mp3 or whatever but the fact that they can still access it is important to grow as an artist. Its like playing a gig and barely making the petrol money to get home. We all do it but some of us are a bit more relaxed about the good it does for us. Biometrix: I use Spotify all the time, really its stopped me stealing a lot of music really. Its so much easier than actually downloading something so normally I just do that because I cant be bothered finding what I want and then waiting on it to arrive on my computer. Clearly Spotify offers an innovative model that can fit into both of MyÃ… ¡kaÊ ¼s (2009) subscription service model categories. A monthly fee can be paid to allow listeners to enjoy uninterrupted music without advertising and also allow access to feature rich content such as mobile streaming and offline listening, as well as Leonhards (2009) Ê »feels like freeÊ ¼ model that is funded by advertising. Of the myriad methods of media access identified, use of Web 2.0 music consumption models such as Spotify demonstrates a fall in favour of traditional peer to peer networks, contrary to the testaments of the recording industry (Siwek, 2007.) This goes some way to enforce the claims of Leonhard (2009) that these new, lawful access streams provide an attractive alternative to illegal downloading and also allay industry concerns about copyright protection. The interview subjects also cited the simplicity of these new methods in allowing them to locate music without the extensi ve searching that is commonplace with peer to peer access to media. Engagement with File Sharing: In this section, we assess the subjects involvement with the file sharing. I present rationalisation of the participants use or otherwise of file sharing networks and investigate their understandings and interactions with the legal ramifications of such actions. As the conversation developed, unexpectedly within the older group, many of the participants had used peer to peer services in the past, whilst perhaps their usage was limited, responses seemed mixed. Shaun: IÊ ¼ve used Megaupload in the past Yeah. Subscribed to that. We didnt download without our subscription, but now lapsed, I dont about the kids but yeah, Megaupload. I used to et a lot of other stuff there like films and ebooks so it was great. We can see that the participants have an understanding of file sharing as a concept, if not perhaps the finer points of nodal networking. There is an inference that by purchasing a subscription the subject considers themselves to have bought their downloads. This is however false and the subscription simply provides faster download speeds. The artists had a more sophisticated understanding of how rights related to downloading and sharing content, however it is notable that this greater insight did little to dissuade them from partaking in file sharing. Biometrix: Yeah I do download stuff, not as much as I used to but if theres something I cant find on Spotify or Soundcloud or that stuff then I will just go on a torrent site but I feel bad about it, I reckon, well I reckon because I think about what it would be like if the musicians were like me, just starting out or something. The guilt mechanism in this response shows a belief that the RIAA/BPI position is correct and that the copyright issues surrounding this kind of media access is universally illegal. This shows some support for the industry having a direct influence over peoples online interactions despite their diminished market share. One of the artists in particular also uses p2p sharing to promote and distribute their own material. Biometrix: I try to make a couple of free songs every month and put them on soundcloud for people to download. Its pretty much a thanks to all the people on Facebook, Soundcloud and Youtube who like my music and keep my profile hits high. I know theyre on the torrent sites but I dont mind, they were free anyway. This positive use of filesharing allows the artist greater exposure with virtual nil as an overhead, undercutting the top-heavy music industry and presenting the egalitarian model favoured by McLeod (2005). Responses to Legal Issues Industry Implications; This section aims to build on the responses in the previous section by filling out the subjects understanding of the legal issues involved with file sharing. Particularly noticeable in these answers is the difference between the artist and audience categories. As mentioned earlier there have been many examples of litigations against providers of p2p services, such as the media-circus trial of Ê »The Pirate BayÊ ¼ founders. Whilst the audience groups had little knowledge of such cases the artists seemed far better versed in what was going on within the industry to shape the distribution of music. Biometrix: Yeah, IÊ ¼ve know a lot about it actually The pirate bay have been found guilty of copyright abuse and theyre appealing their jail term now I think. Its a pretty big deal, all of the big film companies have been after them. The site is still going though, so it doesnt seem to have done much good does it? Gecko: Pirate bay is huge. Its not just pirating things, they do all sorts, politics and freedom of speech stuff and all of that. I think it was started by activists but I dont know whos involved nowadays. As soon as something gets taken off it seems to come straight back up. Loads of people use it. Infringement and theft are put forwards by McLeod as tactics to enforce the monopoly of the recording industry. Of the subjects opinions on the significance file sharing has for the music industry, the various subjects displayed an array of responses. The following extracts are taken from the older subjects; Dominic: Small bands dont have a bean basically. Those are the people you are robbing off, not the execs or anything. Emma: They must be getting paid somehow, the music is still out there. Robert: But the money doesnt go to the band. This passage underlines the fact that members in this group believe that the majority of income for musicians, particularly less prolific artists, is provided by their record sales. This understanding of the revenue streams available to music industries also demonstrates a finely tuned understanding of what the Ê »music industryÊ ¼ entails. Williamson and CloonanÊ ¼s (2007) arguments against the wide spread use of the term, based on my findings, suggest older generations are indeed more inclined to understand the term equating to the recording industry. The actions of the recording industries and the responses from audiences can be seen as an example of Michel de CerteauÊ ¼s idea of Ê »strategies and tacticsÊ ¼ (1984). The strategies of the power structures within the relationship, in this case, the industries retention of traditional retail models and the discourse that it equates to the music industry (BPI, 2009), in contrast to the tactics of audiences. This investigation finds between age demographics the response tactics identifiable and noticably different. The older group creates their own space through a sceptical approach to recording industry practices, methods of media access and opinion demonstrate stronger ties with the recording industry discourse crime and punishment. The both the artists and younger group members seemed much more separated from these established means of operation, shown in their symRobhy for file sharing, anti-corporate comments and reluctance to trust established regulations regardin g copyright infringement. Based on the findings outlined above, the suggestion is that audiences are highly aware that there are legal implications surrounding the sharing of files, but their opinions and responses to the validity of these implications are generationally split. The evidence provided by the younger demographic of both audience and artists provides support for the views of McLeod (2005) whereas the older group demonstrated a much more accepting response for the necessity of copyright legislation as a protection against theft. Applying music retail and commerce theories presented by Anderson (2006) and Dubber (2007), most of the participants appeared to be informed of the changes online distribution was experiencing, although there was rejection of the industrys reluctance to develop progressive content access agreements along with them. The divergence of opinion in the application of rights enforcement between the two groups adds weight to the arguments presented by Garofalo (2003), acting to s et the balance between the two sides of the rights argument, preventing the financial exploitation of free music, whilst also managing a free channel of access to consumers. Conclusion It can be established from the results of my investigation that audience and artist opinions are divided on the justifications for rights protection and the enforcement thereof in relation to digital music access. Whilst there is clear evidence of a move towards digital media consumption, there is a distinct generational gap in the manner in which different age groups access music digitally. Older generations seem to fall into line with traditional models of product capitalisation, purchasing physical formats and viewing transgression of copyright online as theft. Younger subjects more immersed in digital media and having grown up during the internet gold rush have a far less strict attitude to the acquisit