Essay on Bullying and Its Negative Effects - 2940 Words

Many kids all around the world are abused by their parents, peers or even by complete strangers. One of these types of abuse is bullying. At a first glance, we might think that it is an older kid beating/teasing a younger classmate however; bullying consists of much more than this. The basic definition of bullying is when your behavior hurts or harms another person physically or emotionally. There are many different types of bullying, which may lead to a victim becoming violent later on. There is teasing and name calling, there is also picking and shoving the kid. However, the most extreme one would be beating up the child, hurting them physically and mainly, emotionally. Now you may ask, how does bullying affect victims? Well, studies†¦show more content†¦In all, if a child is abused in any sort of way, bullied or even teased, they are more certainly to continue their lives within that path, negativity, surrounding their environment with hatred and unconsciousness of love a nd acceptance. We never know what is going through a child’s mind when being a witness of abuse, especially when they are young. When a child grows up at such horrid environment, theyre view in life changes automatically making them believe that this is the way of life. As these abused children get older, they do not know how to control what they feel in the inside and end up expressing it by taking their anger out on others, simply because that’s what they have â€Å"learned† in life†. â€Å"Abused children cannot express emotions safely. As a result, the emotions get stuffed down, coming out in unexpected ways. Adult survivors of child abuse can struggle with unexplained anxiety, depression, or anger† (Child Abuse and Neglect 1).however, though, the child does not evolve into a negative environment by being abused, the path that co uld also lead to a young child’s mind into negativity would be witnessing any kind of abuse within the house. â€Å"It is true thatShow MoreRelatedNegative Effects Of Bullying1188 Words   |  5 Pages Bullying is a serious issue in today’s society. It can affect the well-being of the offender, bystander, and target. It can happen almost anywhere and anytime in privacy, in schools, at places of employment, and even in neighborhoods. Bullying can be classified as being physical, emotional, verbal or social which known as cyber bullying. There are various types of bullying experienced in schools among the students like: teasing, taunting, threatening, hitting, spitting, and embarrassing othersRead MoreNegative Effects Of Bullying1811 Words   |  8 Pages The Detrimental Effects of Bullying In today’s schools, it seems there are always problems arising; one of these problems has become quite an issue and needs serious attention in order for it to be resolved. According to stopbullying.gov, bullying among school-aged children involves a real or perceived power imbalance and aggressive behavior towards other students. Most students will experience, first or second-hand, bullying throughout their time at school. This issue is causing our schools toRead MoreNegative Effects Of Bullying1232 Words   |  5 Pages Bullying is a continuing problem that has affected individuals from their childhood and continuing well into adulthood. Consequences of bullying are vast in their potential to negatively impact the person s physical, emotional, and psychological state of well being. The poor management of stress brought by the onset of bullying affects social health both short term and long term foreshadowing numerous potential risk factors and actions. Prevalent issues in victims include higher chances of mentalRead MoreNegative Effects Of School Bullying1855 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction School bullying continues to be a prevalent problem found in elementary, middle and high schools across the United States and internationally (Slee Mohyla, 2014). Everyday educators are faced with the problem of trying to determine why students bully and what they can do to prevent or dramatically reduce the behavior. Previous research has provided much needed insight into the issue, but as we move forward the nature of bullying is constantly changing. Bullying comes in many formsRead MoreNegative Effects Of Cyber Bullying1528 Words   |  7 PagesWe all know that bullying in any form is horrible for the victims, so why does it happen? Some thoughts on this, are that the bullies are being harmed in some way or have low self-esteem themselves and that they cope by being mean to others to make themselves feel better. Then other ways it may just for them to feel powerful, and to look cool around the other kids. The bullies may not even understand the harm they are inflicting. (Underst anding Cyberbullying: Why It Happens and How To Prevent ItRead MoreNegative Effects Of Bullying Essay928 Words   |  4 Pages What are the effects of bullying on international students- A literature review Introduction Bullying has been a great problem in every workplace over several years (Bauman, Rigby Hoppa, 2008; Smith Brain, 2000; Olweus, 1994). Researchers have shown interest in this topic consistently (Policy, 2014; Sampson, 2009; Einarsen, Hoel Cooper, 2003). This literature review will cover the various definitions of bullying, bullying and emotional abuse in the workplace and school, various possible outcomesRead MoreNegative Effects Of Bullying Essay1175 Words   |  5 Pages Effects of Bullying In the 2014-2015 school years, 292,400 students reported being bullied out of a total of 763,000 students (Student Reports of Bullying: results From the 2015 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey, National Center for Education statistics(NCES)). Bullying does not affect only children in school, but can also happen to adults. Bullying has an immense effect on people of all ages. Whether it is an adolescent at school, or an adult in their workplaceRead MoreDoes Cyberbullying Have The Same Negative Effects On Traditional Bullying? Essay1613 Words   |  7 PagesResearch Question Does cyberbullying have the same negative effects as traditional bullying? Thesis Statement Cyber Bullying has the same negative effects as Traditional Bullying. Introduction The goal of the research reports is to compare and contrast the effects of cyberbullying against those of traditional bullying. The research finds that cyberbullying does have the same effect as traditional bullying, but to a greater extent. Reviewing the researchRead MoreBullying Is A Serious Social Problem911 Words   |  4 PagesBullying is a serious social problem that happens in schools between adolescents. Bullying is not taken seriously and often dismissed. The perpetrator and the victim are expected to work out the situation on their own. There are many forms of bullying such as physical, verbal, social, and cyber. The perpetrators can have a negative effect on the victim for many years and possibly even life. 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headscarf debate in France Free Essays

string(32) " are not willing to assimilate\." Introduction On March 15th, 2004 the government of the French Republic passed a law that banned the wearing of â€Å"conspicuous signs† of religious affiliation in public schools (Bowen, 2007). Whilst this law affected Jewish skullcaps, large crosses, Sikh turbans, many scholars (i.e. We will write a custom essay sample on headscarf debate in France or any similar topic only for you Order Now Wing and Smith, Tarhan) believe that its main purpose was to ban the wearing of the headscarves, known also as hijab by young Muslim girls. Currently there are approximately 5 million Muslims living in France (CIA, 2012). The majority of them are the immigrants from former French colonies in North and West Africa. Muslims constitute 5-10% of the French population, while Islam is the second largest religion in France (Tarhan, 2011). Hence, the law from 2004 led to objections and protests amongst French Muslims. They regarded the decision of the French government as a sign of discrimination and violation of religious freedom in France (Wing and Smith, 2006). In turn, the French government emphasized that French secularism (known also as laicite), assuming separation between state and religion, was a main reason standing behind its decision (Astier, 2004)). The 2004-228 French law is controversial till this day. The supporters of this law claim that a ban on religious symbols confirmed a secular character of French Republic and defended French national identity. They also postulate that a ban contributed to a greater equality amongst women and men within Muslim society. On the other hand, the opponents often also rejected laicite as a basis of the French law 2004-228. Instead, they postulate that a fear of multiculturalism and growing division within the French society, especially after September 11th, had a key impact on the governmental decision. Further, they claim that French society suffers from Islamophobic (Scott, 2005). The following essay aims to examine the French secularism, laicite, was a key factor responsible for the banning of headscarves in France. First, the essay explains the role of female headscarf in Islam in order to understand a strong objection against a ban from the Muslim side. Second, the essay presents shortly a debate on wearing headscarves in France that had its beginning in the 1980s. Further, the essay considers the concept of laicite in France and its impact on passing the French law 2004-228. The essay analyzes other factors that influenced on the banning of religious symbols in France in order to compare their role and the role of laicite in passing the law as well as to prove that laicite had major impact on the banning of headscarves. Finally, the essay considers the ban as an unsuccessful reform and presents policy recommendations. The role of headscarf in Muslim tradition The headscarf is an important religious symbol in the Islamic tradition. The Quran, perceived as the source of Allah’s command by Muslims, states that: â€Å"believing women (†¦) should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what must ordinarily appear thereof; that they should draw their veils[1] over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers, or their brothers’ sons or their sisters’ sons, or their women or the servants whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex, and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O you Believers, turn you all together towards Allah, that you may attain Bliss.† (Quran 24:31)Therefore, following Allah’s law, Muslim women are obligated to remain modest and to cover thei r beauty. Moreover, the Quran says: â€Å"O Prophet! Tell Thy wives And daughters, and the Believing women, that They should cast their Outer garments over Their Persons (when outside): That they should be known (As such) and not Molested† (Quran 33:59). It indicates that there are two purposes of the wearing of headscarves by Muslim women. First, headscarf should protect Muslim women from gazes of strange men and from being an object of stranger’s desire. Second, headscarf should help to distinguish Muslim women from women of other religions (Syed, 2001). It is worth adding that the Quran does not state precisely which parts of woman’s body should be covered. Hence, there are different types of head (and body) coverings amongst Muslim women in various countries, depending on Quran’s interpretation and culture. They range from the simple hijab, covering the head and neck to Afghani burqa, covering the entire body and leaving only so-called mesh screen so that the woman is able to see (Wing and Smith, 2006). With the beginning of decolonization in the 1950s and the 1960s, the European countries, in particular France and the United Kingdom, had experienced massive immigrations from the Middle East and African countries. Most of the immigrants were Muslims. Hence, the Western countries, characterized by Christian roots had to face different religions, cultures and values brought to the Europe by Muslims. The headscarf has become one of the most visible elements of these differences in the European’s public eyes (Wing and Smith, 2006). Headscarf debate in a contemporary France Muslims constitute 5-10% of the total French population (CIA, 2012). Mostly they are immigrants from the regions such as the Maghreb, the Middle East, Turkey and Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Additionally there is an increasing number of people of European descent in France who are deciding to convert into Islam. Since the late 1980s Muslims in France has strongly manifested its cultural and religious separateness. They aimed to â€Å"create an Islamic identity with local institutional, societal and cultural structures† (Wing and Smith, 2006, p.753) and they focused on building new mosques and loud practices of their religion. It led to Islamophobic tendencies in France which were often manifested by hostility, discrimination in employment and housing as well as larger socio-economic exclusion of Muslim society. Currently Muslims continue to be separated from the rest of French society. The main cause of this separation is that Muslims are not willing to assimilate. You read "h eadscarf debate in France" in category "Essay examples" The rules of Islam are not regarded by Muslims not only as religious rules but also as the rules of living. In turn, the former French governments had focused on preventing massive immigrations into France[2] (and hence, spreading Islam across the country) rather than on helping Muslims to adopt French values and norms (Tarhan, 2011). Key indicators of this exclusion are limited access to the education for Muslims, houses in the urban ghettos (known also as the zones of economic and social exclusion) but also lack of involvement in French political life and culture from the Muslim side. The debate on headscarves in France has got its root in 1989 and is known as the affaires de foulard (Scott, 2005, p. 1). At that time, three Muslim girls were expelled from their secondary state school in the town of Creil after they refused to take off their headscarves. Although it was not a first such a case (the director of this school had earlier banned Jewish students from wearing the Kippah in school), it brought an extensive attention of French media. The director of school argued that he made a decision on the basis of French laicite[3], a concept postulating separation between the state and religion (Tarhan, 2011). Muslim society was supported by Catholic, Protestant and Jewish leaders. Together, they postulated that laicite should have been regarded as toleration for other religions rather than condemnation of religion (Scott, 2005). This approach was also accepted by the former Minister of Education, Lionel Jospin (the Socialist Party) He announced that religious symbols and clothing at schools were allowed as long as they did not threaten other religious beliefs (Tarhan, 2011). Despite this governmental announcement, a number of similar cases has dramatically increased between 1989 (400 cases) and 1994 (3000 cases), what led to racial and religious violence in France (Bowen, 2007). It is worth adding that also international events had an impact on growing violence in France. Particularly important seems to be a civil war in Algeria, a former French colony where the secular government struggled with the Islamic fundamentalists. In 1994 the tensions were so intense that education staff were sending letter to the French government, asking for advices on how to deal with the situation. As a result, new Minister of Education, Francois Bayrou (the Democratic Movement) implemented new rules on religious symbols in schools. He allowed only discreet symbols in schools, while he prohibited ostentatious symbols. Discreet symbols were defined as those that â €Å"demonstrated personal religious conviction† (Tarhan, 2011, p.18), while ostentatious – as those that led to discrimination and differences into the educational communities. Bayrou’s claim was controversial and brought the attention of French media. Consequently, the Conseil d’Etat, the highest administrative court in France, decided to investigate the controversial issue. The court rejected Bayrou’s decision and recommended school administrations and teachers to make decision on the actions of their students. The French government appointed an Algerian-born Muslim woman, Hanifa Cherifi, as a governmental mediator responsible for handling the wearing of headscarves. In result, the issue has grown quiet for nine years (Scott, 2005). The issue of headscarves was brought to the public attention again in 2003, when the Minister of Interiors and Cults, Nicolas Sarkozy postulated that Muslim women should take off their headscarves while posing for official identity photographs. As Muslims became an important minority in France with the beginning of the twenty first century, Sarkozy’s claim reflected growing frustration and intolerance towards visibility of religious symbols in public places amongst French politicians and society. It also brought back the issue of headscarves in schools. In effect, French President, Jacques Chirac (the Union for a Popular Movement) formed a commission led by Bernard Stasi in order to investigate the implementation of laicite in French educational institutions. . Students, teachers, intellectuals and also the European Commission got involved in the work of Stasi’s Commission. Some Muslim girls chose to be interviewed undercover, as they wanted to voice their opinions about wearing the hijab anonymously. The report produced by Stasi’s Commission presented an in-depth study on the role that the hijab plays in the Muslim community. In reference to Islam, one of the most important results was that young Muslim girls, that used to grow up in a society dominated by western culture and values found difficult to reaffirm their identities as Muslims by the way they had to dress. Further, it showed that young Muslim girls were often not participating in classes such as P.E (physical education) as they were afraid of violence and assaults from Muslim men’s side. Moreover, Muslim girls often confessed that they were being forced to wear the hijab by their families and peer groups. The Stasi’s Report also drew open other issu es surrounding Muslim women such as female genital mutilation and forced marriages (Vaisse, 2004). The Stasi’s Report pointed out that the existence of religious symbols in schools was not compatible with the concept of laicite. The Report postulated that the veil was responsible for the alienation of women. As secularism and gender equality were regarded as the important features of laicite, the Report recommended banning religious symbols in schools[4] (Wing and Smith, 2006). It is important to add that the critics of the Stasi’s Report aimed to undermine the validity of the report. They postulated that the report was mainly based on western perceptions on the hijab and Muslim women. The link between forced marriages, female genital mutilation and the hijab, were all based upon the commission negative image of Islam, there was no empirical research to back their findings (Schiek and Lawson, 2011). Muslim women argue that the hijab is worn voluntarily and it brings th em a sense of belonging and community (Schiek and Lawson, 2011). Following the Stasi’s Report, on February 10th, 2004, French National Assembly passed the law on the banning conspicuous religious symbols in schools. A huge majority of the Assembly, 494 members, were in favour of the ban, while only 36 members voted against the ban. At the same time, 31 members abstained from voting. Similarly, on March 3rd, 2004, the French Senate also passed the same legislation. 276 voters were in favour of the ban, while 20 of them voted against the ban (Weil, 2009). The implementation of the new law was preceded by three demonstrations, respectively, on December 21st, 2004; on January 17th, 2005; and on February 14th, 2005 that aimed to stop passing the law 2004-228. These numbers underline that most of the French politicians supported the ban regardless their political beliefs and hence, indicate that most of the politicians noticed the problem of growing division within the French society. Mohammed Latreche an Islamist activist mobilized and encourage d French citizens to participate in these demonstrations. He established a political party, Pati des Musulman de France (the Party of French Muslims) with the headquarters in Strasburg. The demonstrations, showed the Muslim publics outrage at the law that was about to be passed. The legislative ban was regarded as an attack on Muslims with the Muslim society. Two girls even went as far as hunger strikes to show their opposition to the ban. Some posters propagated slangs such as ‘Stasi killed me’ and ‘1 veil= 1 vote’ (Bowen, 2007). Officially, the law was implemented on March 15th and it is known as the law 2004-228. Despite the demonstrations, the legislative ban in France has been largely supported by the French society. According to Pew Research Centre (2006) 78% of the French population have supported the ban, while only 22% of the population have regarded the banning as a bad idea. These results might indicate that most of the French society agreed on t he separation between the religion and the public sphere. The concept of laicite and its impact on the banning of headscarves in France Many scholars (i.e. Wing and Smith[5]) believe that the concept of laicite was a key factor behind the decision on the banning of headscarves in France. Laicite has a long tradition in France and hence, it is crucial to analyze its influence on the ban of religious symbols. As it was mentioned above, laicite, known also as a French secularism can be regarded as a unique feature of French politics. It is based on the freedom of thought and the freedom of religion and assumes separation between the state and religion (Tarhan, 2011). It is important to underline that laicite does not indicate the governmental hostility in reference to the religion. Instead, it believes that the political and religious issues should be kept separately and hence, the government and religious organizations should not influence on each other. There are two main interpretation of laicite. First, laicite can be viewed as passive neutrality or non-intervention by the state in the private religious domain. This interpretation suggests that the exercise of religion in the private sphere is p ermissible, and that the French state will not openly support overt religious practices in public spheres (Scott, 2005). Another interpretation of the laicite’ can be viewed as a more active secularism, in terms of which the nation is promoted as a fundamentally political society fiercely independent of any religious authority (Wing and Smith, 2006), and one in which the values of the state can be defended through the concept of L’ordre Public in order to justify interference where necessary with some religious organisations. This definition of laicite’ gives the government more control over public institutions and the amount of religious activity that goes on there, for example schools (Weil, 2009). It is important to add that the concept of laicite has also got its opponents. They postulate that that laicite is a strong form of anti-clericism and should be regarded as a violence against the freedom of religion as it prohibits the right to religious expression. Further, they argue that the countries characterized by secularism actually support the dominant religion of this country and undermine the religious rights of the minorities in this country. For instance, in France the public holiday and school holiday are mostly based on the Christian liturgical year (Weil, 2009). The principle of laicite became predominant and put into practice was during the French Revolution (1789). Initially it concerned the separation between the state and the Catholic Church, which had played a major role in France in the eighteen century. Revolutionaries aimed to redefine citizenship and nationhood and hence, to separate Catholicism from the French identity. New citizenship was meant to be universal, secular and inclusive. Instead, the French Revolution led to ‘xenophobic nationalism’ (Tarhan, 2011, p.4) which targeted foreigners as well as priests, rebels, political opponents and noblemen. Similarly, the Revolution started to reject religion rather than tolerate it. The principle of laicite had been implemented for the first time in public school in France in 1883. This law, passed on June 28th, 1833 entailed that primary school teaching should have no religious affiliation. Further, laicite was implemented in France through the creation of the public scho ol system, in the years 1881-2 with Jules Ferry’s public school laws (Bowen, 2007). However, despite these steps Catholicism remained an important element of French regime until the end of nineteenth century. More significant changes started in 1901 when France passed a new law, Law of Association according to which religious associations became obligated to have a state supervision. Further, in 1904 the religious communities were forbidden to provide education. In result, approximately 30,000 of clergy lost their teaching jobs and stopped taking salaries from the state. Nonetheless, the legislation passed in 1905, known as the Separation Act, is regarded as first meaningful success of secularists in France (Tarhan, 2011). The 1905 law has become the legal guideline for the separation of the state and the church. The word laicite did not appear in the 1905 law. However, the first article of the law emphasized freedom of religion in France, as it stated that: â€Å"the republ ic ensures freedom of conscience. It guarantees the free exercise of religions with the sole restrictions decreed hereafter in the interest of public order† (Tarhan, 2011, p.7). The second article, in turn, declared that â€Å"The Republic does not recognize, fund or subsidize any religion. [†¦]State, departmental and commune budgets, together with all expenses relating to the exercise of religions will be abolished.† (Tarhan, 2011, p.7) and hence, it guaranteed state’s neutrality towards religions. The legislation from 1905 gave a political and legal character to the concept of laicite in France. More importantly, it indicated that laicite was a process that had emerged in France through the confrontation about national identity between Clerics and Republicans (Scott, 2005). The principle of laicite has initially been implemented in reference to Catholicism. However, as France has become a multicultural and multi-religious country, laicite has also affected other religions. The ban on religious symbols from 2004 has particularly affected Muslims. It seems to emphasize an impact of laicite on the French politics and tradition. Nowadays laicite is regarded in France as one of the foundations of French Republic and the French collective (national) identity (The Economist, 2004). It represents a sharp contrast to Anglo-American model of multiculturalism supporting the development of community characterized by multiply cultures, values and traditions. French believe that laicite guarantees tolerance, freedom of religion, peace as well as social cohesion. Further, laicite postulates a sharp division between public and private spheres. Religion and ethnicity can be manifested in the private sphere. However, the only visible legitimate identity in the public sph ere should be French national identity. Further, the laic state has right to interfere in the religious issues if the national unity and common values of the French Republic are threatened (Weil, 2009). According to the concept, Muslim society should accept French norms and culture in order to become a part of French political unity. Nonetheless, Muslims have become a significant minority in France, unwilling to adopt French tradition and lifestyle. Instead, they strongly manifested own culture, tradition and identity (The Economist, 2004). Islam was perceived not only as a religion but also as a rigorous lifestyle that rejected Western values such as liberty, freedom and laicite. Hence, French started to perceive Muslims and Islam religion as the threads to the French national unity that had to be addressed and resolved. The debate on headscarves in France confirms this negative perception of Muslims within French society (Tarhan, 2011). With the exception of laicite, there were also other factors that had an influence on the ban of religious symbols in France. As stated in the Stasi’s Report, the ban aimed to empower Muslim women and to guarantee greater equality amongst the Muslim women and men. However, in this case, the ban was just a symbolic gesture, as it only applied to the young Muslim girls in public schools and did not affect adult Muslim women, working in some public places or just walking on the streets (Bowen, 2007). In contrast, there are several external factors that might have influenced the timing of headscarves debate in France. When the first debate on headscarves took place in 1989, the Communist system in the Central and Eastern Europe collapsed. Europe experienced massive inflows of Muslim immigrants and spreading Islam religion across the European countries. Hence, Islam quickly started to be perceived as a thread to the Western values that replaced an old thread, communism. Further, in 1994 there was a civil war in Algeria, a former colony of France that was caused by the conflict between the secular military government of Algeria and Islamic fundamentalists. The Algerian conflict indicated a possibility of similar problems between the state and its largest religious minority in France. Finally, in 2003 Europe was still strongly affected by the consequences of September 11th (2001). Additionally, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as the worsening of the conflict between Israel and Palestine resulted in sharp divergence between the West and Islam culture. At that time, French Muslims definitely identified with the Muslims in other parts of the world and the wearing of headscarves manifested such identification. French government, on the other hand, faced real threads of terrorism. Hence, the one of the goals of French defense became to prevent French citizens and institutions from potential challenges to their integrity in the face of growing xternal thread s (Scott, 2005). Conclusions To sum up, the ban of religious symbols in schools implemented in France in 2004 was very controversial and led to numerous protests and demonstrations in France. The supporters of the ban underlined the secular character of France and the need to separate religion from the public sector. The opponents, in turn, argued a minor impact of the ban, as it only affected Muslim schoolgirls, constituting relatively insignificant percentage of Muslim female population in France. Without a doubt, laicite had a key impact on the legislative ban. The French government aimed to emphasize a secular character of the French Republic and the importance of separation between the state and the religion, a traditional element of the concept of laicite. In the contemporary France, key elements of laicite have become nation identity and unity. As French society was characterized by a strong division on Muslims and non-Muslims as well as by strengthening Muslim influences, the French government has become responsible for protecting the French national identity. The ban was believed to be a successful tool to achieve this goal. Except laicite, there was a number of international events such as Afghan war, Iraqi war or Israeli-Palestinian conflict that strengthened Islamophobia in Western countries, in particular in secular France that has always been characterized by the opposition to multiculturalism and foreign nations. Although some scholars (i.e. Scott) postulate that gender equality was also a factor influencing French decision on the ban, there is no strong evidence to support this claim. In fact, the ban affected only small number of young Muslim girls being in public education. Nowadays it is certain that Muslims have to accept cosmopolitan values and freethinking if they aim to stay in the Western countries. Currently a number of Western countries such as United Kingdom, Spain or Germany have been characterized by a trap of two conflicting cultures. However, forcing Muslims to go against their religious practices, as applied in France seems to be counterproductive. The ban of religious symbols in France led to the riots (2005) in so-called les cites, ghettos focusing North Africans and Arabs that spread around the major French cities. During these riots two Muslim teenagers were accidently killed. However, the ban of religious symbols could have disastrous consequences. Young Muslims, rejected by the French government and regarded as a second-class society, often accept extremism and violence as the solution of their problems. It is also a sign of their dissatisfaction in reference to French and Western policy. The example of the United States demonstrates prominently the negative consequences of rejecting and underestimating its ethnic minority. The young, radical Muslims trained by the conservative European imams became responsible for the dramatic events from September 11th (Kiersh, 2008). The French government should have learnt a lesson from the international events such as bomb attacks in London or Madrid during which Muslims born in Europe were also involved in these dramas. The French government should stop pushing its Muslim society towards extremism and encouraging violence amongst them. Instead, the French government should establish a long-term strategy in order to incorporate their Muslim minority into the environment they regard as unfriendly. The government must develop new, comprehensive measures that will help Muslims to identify with the rest of the French society and to become involved in various aspects of French lifestyle. In order to achieve these goals, the French government must focus on the reduction of job and housing discrimination in the first place as well as on changing the attitudes within the French policy towards Muslim male immigrants. The French government can expect that other European governments (in particular British, German and Span ish governments) will be also willing to address the problem of separation between Muslims and mainstream society, as they struggle with the same problem. An interesting idea seems to be a cross-countries program involving the governments of these states that would implement common reforms so that the Muslims can assimilate with the rest of the societies. Also the United States could probably get involved in such a cross-countries program in the framework of the War on Terror. Without a doubt, the European governments would be more willing to accept such a form of terrorism fighting rather than military interventions in the Middle East. The following concept requires in-depth analyzes and detailed policy planning. However, it would definitely bring larger and more positive outcomes than the ban of religious symbols in public schools (Kiersh, 2008) List of references: Astier, H., (2004). The deep Roots of French Secularism [online] available from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3325285.stm (Accessed on 25.04.2012). Bowen, J., (2007). Why the French do not like the Headscarves. New Jersey: Princeton University Press. CIA, (2012). The World Factbook: France [online] Available from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/fr.html (Accessed on 25.04.2012). Kiersh, A., (2008). Why the Headscarf Ban is wrong for France [online] Available from: http://www.sikhcoalition.org/documents/AaronKiershEssay.pdf (Accessed on 25.04.2012). Morin, R. and Horowitz, J., (2006). European debate the Scarf and the Veil [online] Available from: (Accessed on 25.04.2012). Scott, J., (2005). Symptomatic Politics: The Banning of Islamic Head Scarves in French Public Schools. New Jersey: Institute for Advanced Study. Schiek, D and Lawson, A., (2011). European Union Non-Discrimination Law and Intersectionality: Investigating the Triangle of Racial, Gender and Disability Discrimination. London: Ashgate Publishing. Syed, I., (2001). Women in Islam: Hijab [online] Available from: http://www.islamfortoday.com/syed01.htm (Accessed on 25.04.2012). Tarhan, G., (2011). Roots of the Headscarf Debate: Laicism and Secularism in France and Turkey. Journal of Political Inquiry, 4, p. 1-32. The Economist, (2004). The war of the headscarves [online] Available from: http://www.economist.com/node/2404691?story_id=2404691 (Accessed on 25.04.2012). Vaisse, J., (2004). Veiled Meaning: the French Law Banning Religious Symbols in Public Schools. Washington: The Brookings Institute. Weil, P., (2009). Why the French Laicite is liberalCardozon Law Review, 30(6), p.2699-2714. Wing, A. and Smith, M., (2006). Critical Race Feminism Lifts in Veil?: Muslim, Women, France and the Headscarf Ban. California: UC Davis. How to cite headscarf debate in France, Essay examples

JOhn Lewis environment forces free essay sample

John Lewis, one of subsidiaries of John Lewis Partnership (JLP), launched its first store in London’s Oxford Street in 1864. The company then has implemented the organic grown approach, pursuing a dynamic business and corporate strategy. It has been successful by making the right strategic decisions thorough effective operation (O’Regan and Ghobadian, 2012). By 2012, the firm becomes the largest multichannel department store retailer in the UK, with 30 department stores and 9 John Lewis at home, providing Fashion, Home, Electronic products and Home Technology assortment. It publicised that profit before tax in 2012 was ? 15. 8 million, almost triple of that a decade ago (John Lewis plc interim report, 2012). However, success cannot only be measured in term of finance, but also in term of stakeholders’ happiness. John Lewis achieved Britain’s Favourite Retailer Awards for the fourth consecutive year in 2011 and many other awards. This paper is about to use environmental forces to explain the achievements of John Lewis over 150 years. The work contains mainly three parts: macro-environmental force focusing on four points, then moving to two elements in micro-environment and conclusion. Macro-environmental forces Macro-environment is also known as external environment which affects business decision in various ways and which can impinge not only on the transformation of the firm, but also on the process of resources acquisition and on the creation and consumption of output (Worthington and Britton, 2009). These forces can shape and moderate the behaviour of all stakeholders in the market including competitors, suppliers, customers and employees. The macro forces are often organised into political/legal, economic, ecological/physical, social/cultural and technology (Kotler et al. , 2010, p. 154). In order to clarify its influence effectively, the economists arrange them into few models such as PESTEL, DEEPLIST. This paper will apply the PEST model to consider: Political, Economic, Social-cultural and Technology impacts on the success of John Lewis. Political and Legal In order to predict and achieve economic objectives, the government attempts to have some control over business environment. To recover the economy from the recession, the Bank of England has historically set up the interest rate at less than 2% since 2008. It aims to persuade consumers that saving money is less attractive as less interest is received and it also reduce the payment on mortgages and other loans. Homeowners, hence, have more discretionary income, resulting in spending on other consumer goods (Bain, 2009). Moreover, the low rate which means little in return, will increase consumer confidence in purchasing because cost of goods bought in credit is poorer. Although the majority products in John Lewis are highly income elasticity like electrical and furniture goods which are more expensive comparing to them of other retailers such as Debenhams, the low interest boosted the sales of the stores, thus greatly help performing during the recession. The electrical and home technological sales in John Lewis rose up by 13% in 2009, mostly from TV sales (Bain, 2009). Since 2012, British government has encouraged companies to practice Employee Share Ownership Plan (ESOP) which is giving shares to employees with the aim of urging motivation, thus growing and improving productivity (BBC News, 2012a). This strategy has been already practiced by Sir John Spedan Lewis, founder of JLP, many years ago and present as a unique figure of JLP. The declaration of Nick Clegg, Deputy Minister of Britain, of JLP as a typical example of excellent employee owned company that is having a great performance and contribution towards the UK economy, has been again strengthened. Since government mention of JLP as a successful model of ESOP, it can augment the reputation of the Partnership. In term of specific effects on John Lewis Department Store, this honour is an enormous promotion on national level, so enabling to maintain customer’s loyalty and attract more potential customers which will benefit its long term growth. Economics The financial crisis in 2008 caused the failure for many companies across many countries in the world, including the UK. However, the very low interest rate, mentioned above, helped John Lewis to survive because the low rate will increase business confidence, hence more investments are made. This is because the returns on the future strategies seem to exceed interest payments that have to be made on borrowed funds. For instance, with the ? 6 million for 6-week TV advertising campaign, the company was able to succeed even in the recession as its gross sales increased by 2. 8% during the campaign. Helping the company survive and expand, a new department store in Cardiff represents John Lewis’s solid position even during the harsh economic environment (John Lewis Partnership annual report and accounts). Moreover, United Kingdom is one of the countries which have high GDP in the world, with the GDP in 2011 of $2. 4 trillion and $37,100 per capita (Central Intelligence Agency 2012). Therefore, it confirms that UK market with its strong purchasing power and living standard creates advantages for every business, particularly in retail sector. Strong purchasing power will increase demand for goods and services in the market, thus the firm can use this advantages to enlarge profitability (Gerth and Kotler, 1999). For that reason, John Lewis is able to benefit from purchasing power in order to produce more sales and increase the profit. In addition, John Lewis’s products are a little higher in price because of its quality, however, it still has ability to make up their price to maximise the profit and compete with other firms. It is because the high income and living standard allow people to have more money in their budget, hence for customers easily accepting a small change in price. As a result, with competitive pricing, total sales at John Lewis rose 6. 7% and 21% rise in operating profit in 2009 (Gordon, 2010). Socio-cultural The success in children sales are affected by the demographic change in the UK, including population and age structure. The population in Britain has been growing constantly over the decade, reaching approximately 63. 2 million in 2011, 4 million more than recorded in 2001 (BBC News, 2012a). This, in turn affects John Lewis toys, nursery and baby sales that soared to 10. 3% in 2012 as John Lewis is famous for its distinct children game, Lego (Holland, 2012). According to a recent BBC News, in 2011 the number of babies born in England was the highest since 1971, expecting another record-breaking in 2012 (BBC News, 2013). Other statistics from BBC News (2012c) displayed that there has been a rise in life expectancy in the UK with 16. 4% of people over aged 65, the highest record in any census, due to high living standard. A research claims that mature people tend to spend more on their grandchildren rather than on them and less on luxury goods (Access economics, 2001). Hence, it is highly proved that the more born babies and high ageing population will lead to greater demand for children’s products such as toys, hence increasing sales on John Lewis in general. On the other hand, lifestyle can clearly affect people’s attitudes and behaviours (Worthington and Britton, 2009, p. 144). The prevalence of internet creates a new lifestyle in which people embrace social networks to communicate. Understanding the rapid spreading ‘culture’ social networks such as Facebook and Twitter in community, John Lewis has leveraged them to catch up with new trend, hence keep in touch with customers. After launching John Lewis’s Facebook page in 2010, today it has nearly 400,000 followers (The Marketing Society, 2013). With such a huge amount of people connecting with the firm, the networks can be used for marketing purpose which is vastly cost-effective instead of other advertising tools. John Lewis, for example, is able to inform its followers easily about promotion and sale period, hoping to encourage sale. Technology The emergence of the internet supports firms to build and maintain customer relationship by online activities which may assist the exchange of ideas, products and services (Mohammed et al. , 2001 cited by Gay et al. 2007, p. 6). Nowadays, people are busier so in-store shopping is less and less attractive or they do not want to be in the multitude during peak times such as Christmas. Online shopping, which can substitute the traditional method, can help buyers to purchase at anytime and anywhere. Therefore, with the convenience, johnlewis. com is an important element of John Lewis’s success. There was just 27. 2% increased sales, compared to that in 2010, on johnlewis. com, accounting for 19% of total in 2011 while the online sales rose by 40% in 2012, accounting for 25% of total company revenue (John Lewis plc interim report 2011, p. 6 and 2012, p. 6). These figures express a significant improvement of online sales for the previous two years. The John Lewis website, additionally, provides all information about products such as price, usage introduction, so it is not necessary for customers to visit stores for advice thus saving time. It achieved the â€Å"Best Online Retail† of 2010 conducted by Verdict Research (John Lewis), hence strengthening the image. Micro-environmental forces Opposing to macro environment, micro-environmental forces are closer to the business and impact directly on its operation. These forces usually consist of employees, customers, suppliers and distributors (Worthington and Britton, 2009). Among those, stakeholders such as employees and customers have played important roles in the success of John Lewis. Knowing that employee, who will deliver products and services to customers, is one of the most crucial factors that influence the victory of the company so John Lewis has applied the ESOP for long time growth, emphasising that employees are its partners. In 2011, when the high revenue was still suffering by the recession’s effects, John Lewis staffs received 17% share of profit, which was equivalent to an approximate payment of nine weeks (The Guardian, 2012). A survey conducted by Bryson and Freeman (2010) implies that many employees desire some forms of ownership in the company where they work, thus this benefit will increase employee loyalty and enthusiasm to work harder. Since employees are also the owners, hence if they are more responsible and dedicated to the jobs, the business not only can increase profitability, but also is able to receive more dividends. Although ESOP may reduce the retained profit of the firm, it helps John Lewis to grow further in long term prospect. Moreover, the loyal customer base is considered as a main contributor to John Lewis’s achievement. Throughout years, John Lewis has gradually become a trusted brand to its customers. The over 88 years motto â€Å"Never Knowingly Undersold† which claims to provide the lowest price comparing to other high street competitors, has recently been altered its promise to match with the warranty service offered by the John Lewis (The Telegraph, 2011). It means the price which John Lewis offers is higher than some other retailers. However, it seems to not have much effect on John Lewis as consumers are looking for a reliable brand, not just cheapest price and they also believe in the value of the firm. Therefore, people are willing to pay more at the Department due to its high quality and outstanding services. This is the reason why John Lewis could perform well during recession, while other competitors, for example, Debenhams and BHS seemed to choose other inadequate solutions such as loss-leader, hence suffering loss (Wood, 2011). Conclusion John Lewis Department Store is executing perfectly with micro and macro environmental forces. This is proved by its survival over recession and the favourable financial statement provided by the firm over many years. The success is reasoned to John Lewis effective management by making the right decisions and comprehending the importance of environmental factors such as the emergence of shopping online. Furthermore, its value in quality from products to services has built a strongly recognized brand to customers, thus becoming the leader in UK retail market. However, the environment forces are very capricious so John Lewis has to be always cautious and be prepared for any contingency plans in order to preserve its prestige in the future.