Cultural representation of Italians in the media. Looking at the MTV Essay

Cultural representation of Italians in the media. Looking at the MTV series Jersey Shore - Essay Example Alternatively, they are momma’s boys. They all have names like Pauly and Joey, and eat spaghetti every night. Of course, this is not the case – Italians are just as nuanced as anybody else. Some may fit the stereotype, and most probably do not. Nonetheless, the cultural portrayals of Italians have been largely negative, and there is no place where this is more evident than the television show Jersey Shore. The show is based upon 10 Italian-Americans living in a house on the Jersey Shore in the first season, and Miami Beach in the second season, and centers around the exploits of the â€Å"Guidos† and â€Å"Guidettes† in the house. The girls are high maintenance, crass, vain and drunk. The boys are perpetually tanned, with blow-out hair, muscular, crass, vain and drunk. They all hook up with random people, and say cuss words every other word. They are all apparently low class, and, with the exception of one of the boys, uneducated. In short, the show takes every negative stereotype of the Italian American and adds a few more. And, unfortunately for the Italian Americans in society, the show is a huge hit. Basic Concepts – Collective Identity, Culture and Cultural Sociology To understand why Jersey Shore is so offensive to Italian-Americans, one must understand the basics of culture, identity and ethnic identity. These are all basic concepts that ties in why television shows that feature stereotypes are harmful to targeted groups. The first concept that needs to be understood is that of culture, as television shows, such as Jersey Shore would be considered to be a part of our popular culture. Culture refers to the way that individuals make sense of their world, and a way to individuals to find meaning (Cushman, 1996, p. 7). Events that occur in the individual’s world are thus interpreted through the culture of the individual, and this is one way that individuals understand the modern world. The social world is what provid es the basis for an individual’s culture, specifically the concrete experiences experienced by this individual. Culture is reflexive, in that people make culture, and culture makes the individual. This is how both individual and collective identities are formed. (Cushman, 1996, p. 7). A person’s life is shaped by culture because culture imposes inherent patterns that are formed by communal life, logic and narrative, and discourse and language. In this way, culture forms the self, as the growth of the self is dependent upon external images and social bonds (Bruner, 1990, p. 42). The internal thoughts, feelings and states of consciousness that an individual has is externalized and shared by concrete representations of culture and are formed into cultural objects, which includes television programs (Cushman, 1996, p. 90). Moreover, culture helps frame the individual’s experiences and acts, because these are realized by the individual when he or she participates in culture’s symbolic systems (Bruner, 1990, p. 33). Culture is how individual meaning becomes communal and public (Bruner, 1990, p. 34). Moreover, there is proof that television series, among other cultural objects, impact the culture because culture is learned, not innate. This was shown by the studies done by Eisenhart (1995). Eisenhart set out to find out what aspects of a given culture influences individuals, and why this would be so (Eisenhart, 1995, p. 4). Eisenhart posited that there would be different ways of transmitting

Why did the united states declares war on Great britain in 1812 Could Essay

Why did the united states declares war on Great britain in 1812 Could this war have been avoided - Essay Example During Britain’s war with France, America chose to be neutral. However, the economic activities that the United States had with the French would not go unnoticed by the British. They, therefore, used the war to capture and seize American ships that were heading to France. Britain affected the trade rights that America had with France. Also, Britain’s lack of respect for the maritime rights that the Americans enjoyed propelled the American congress to vote to go to war. Britain, through the capture and seizure of American ships, were able to force the seamen to join their army and fight. This propelled America to wage war against Britain (O’Neill & Benn, 2011). Patience and deep communication between all the parties could have led to the avoidance of the war. The order to seize and capture all vessels could have been revoked to reduce the pressure on the American congress (Heidler & Heidler, 2004). This order was the main reason why Americans were angry with Britain for trying to trample on its maritime and trade rights. By revoking the order, Britain could have avoided colliding with America. In conclusion, reasons that prompted two nations to war against each other are not solid. As seen, communication and patience would have averted the beginning of the war, thus; protecting resources and saving lives. Looking back, it is difficult to determine what the war represented because; shortly afterwards, Britain and America agreed on a treaty that did not resolve the issues that led to the war (Heidler & Heidler,

Comparison Of Different Types Of Ic Design Computer Science Essay

Comparison Of Different Types Of Ic Design Computer Science Essay The topic of this assignment is to compare on different types of IC design. Therefore, we must first understand the meaning of IC. An IC, integrated circuit, is also known as microcircuit, microchip, silicon chip, or chip. It is a small electronic circuit that consists of semiconductor devices and other passive components. These components are manufactured on a ceramic or plastic container. Internal connections are welded from the chip to different number of external pins depending on the chips function. IC design means that using logic and circuit design techniques to design and produce integrated circuits. It requires pathways so that information can flow properly and small electrical components are organized to maximize space so that computer systems can be as small as possible. Living in this modern age of data information, we need to design faster and smaller IC to increase our daily life quality and to catch up with the technology. IC design is classified mainly into two categories of analog and digital IC design. Digital IC design is the most widely used in daily life such as microprocessor, FPGAs, memories (RAM, ROM, and flash) and digital ASICs. On the other hand, analog IC is used in the design of sensors, power management circuits, and operational amplifiers. The figure of IC is shown below : Figure 1(a) Figure 1(b) (Adapted from introduction to ASIC, http://iroi.seu.edu.cn/books/asics/Book2/CH01/CH01.htm [1]) Figure  1(a) shows an IC chip where the pins will fit into holes in a printed-circuit board or breadboard. Figure  1(b), the silicon chip (more properly known as a die) is fitted in the cavity under the sealed lid. A more detail classification of IC based on digital and analog is as follow : Chart 1 : Hierarchical classification of IC Referring to chart 1, as we are more interested in the branch of digital IC design, I expand more on its hierarchy compare to others. I will first compare between analog and digital IC design. Then I will explain on the advantages of each of them and mixed-signal IC design. Next, I will compare and explain on full custom and semi-custom IC follow by a simple explanation of silicon compilation as it is not discussed in lectures. After that, I will compare gate array, standard cell and PLDs. Content Analog, digital and mixed signal IC design The comparison between analog and digital IC design is tabled as below : Characteristics Analog IC design Digital IC design Noise More susceptible to noise Less noise Precision Less precise More precise Design difficulty Harder to design Easier to design Complexity High Low Power consumption Low High Heat dissipation Low High Design work Demands strong understanding of the principles, concepts and techniques done by copying and reusing the same circuit functions or library Life cycle 10years 1 to 2 years Cost Low High Information storage Noise from aging degrades information noise-immunity makes information not degraded Table 1 : Comparison between analog IC design and digital IC design Analog IC design In analog IC design, the analog signals take any value from a given range, and each unique signal value represents different information. It is often found in op-amps, linear regulators, phase locked loops, oscillators and active filters. Therefore, a slight change in the signal may affect the design. For example, an analog signal is used to represent temperature, with one volt representing one degree Celsius. Therefore, 10 volts would produce 10 degrees, and 10.1 volts would produce 10.1 degrees. Analogue IC design produces noise, which is a random disturbance, variation or random thermal vibrations of atomic particles. Since any changes in an analogue signal is significant, any disturbance will change in the original signal and appears as noise. As the signal is copied and re-copied, or transmitted over long distances, these random variations become more significant and lead to signal degradation. Other sources of noise may include external electrical signals or poorly designed com ponents. These disturbances are reduced by shielding, and using low-noise amplifiers.[2] However, some irreducible noise such as the shot noise in components will make an analog IC design imprecise. When designing an analog circuit, the choice of every single component, size, placement, and connection is crucial. Every small detail such as the resistance, placement and number of resistor, will affect the performance of final result. Therefore, designing an analog IC requires strong understanding of the principles, concepts and techniques. Hence, it is said that analog IC design is much more complex compare to digital IC design. It is harder to design because analogue circuit must be designed by hand, and the process is much less automated than digital IC. However, once an analog IC is designed successfully with high signal to noise ratio, low distortion, low power consumption, high reliability and stability, it can have a life cycle of more than 10 years. As a result of the long lif e cycle, the price of analog IC is low. Digital IC design A digital IC is designed to accept only input voltages of specific values and it uses only two states which are the binary quantities, on and off representing 1 and 0 or true and false. This is achieved by using the logic of Boolean algebra. The three basic logic functions in a digital IC are NOT, AND, and OR. A truth table is needed to design a digital IC. As discussed in the lectures, the design of digital systems is divided into combinational systems, which is a representation of a set of logic functions, and sequential systems, which are state machines. It is often found in microprocessors, FPGAs, memories (RAM, ROM, and flash) and digital ASIC. Digital IC design produces less noise or even no noise. Digitally represented signals are transmitted using binary sequence of 1 and 0. It can be reconstructed, retransmitted or transmitted over long distance without any error provided the noise during transmission is unable to alter the 1s and 0s. Hence, digital IC is more precise compare to analog IC. Even in a compact disc of around 6 billion binary digits, the information or data can be presented precisely because each digit is handled by the same kind of hardware and there is no noise in the handling process. Digital IC is easier to design because it is controlled by software such as electronic design automation tools (EDA) so that functions can be altered without changing the hardware. If consumers detect error, they can simply upgrade the software to rectify the error. As digital IC is almost immune to noise, information can be stored and retrieved completely and precisely without any damage or degradation. However, there are some disadvantages of digital IC. Because digital IC is very dense in circuitry, digital circuits use more energy than analog circuits to accomplish the same tasks, thus producing more heat. In portable or battery-powered systems this can limit use of digital systems.[3] Digital IC emphasizes on speed and cost ratio computing to achieve the lowest possible cost with the highest operating speed. Designers must use more efficient algorithms to process digital signals, or use new process to improve the integration cost. Therefore, the life cycle of digital IC is very short, about 1 year -2 years and the cost is higher than analog IC.[4] Since digital circuits involve millions of times as many components as analog circuits, much of the design work is done by copying and reusing the same circuit functions, especially by using digital design software that contains libraries of pre-structured circuit components. [5] Mixed signal IC design A mixed-signal integrated circuit is any integrated circuit that has both analog circuits and digital circuits on a single semiconductor die.[6] Mixed-signal can be found in ADC or DAC and digital radio chips. Since mixed-signal IC requires both analog and digital design, it is usually designed for a very specific purpose and because of that, their design requires a high level of expertise and careful use of computer aided design (CAD) tools. Therefore this type of design is very complicated andcostly. Full-custom and semi-custom IC design The comparison between analog and digital IC design is tabled as below : Characteristics Full-custom IC design Semi-custom IC design Circuits Customized Predesigned Manufacturing time Long Short Performance Maximize Moderate Area of IC Minimize Moderate Cost High Low Table 2 : comparison between full-custom and semi-custom IC design Full-custom IC design Full-custom design is a methodology for designing integrated circuits by specifying the layout of each individual transistor, logic cells, mask layers and the interconnections between them.[7] Basically, the IC is designed from scratch and tailor-made to meet the requirement of a specific purpose. The main goal of having a full-custom design is to maximize the performance and minimize the area of an IC. Therefore, a lot of researches and studies are needed to produce a full-custom IC which results in very high production cost and long manufacturing period. Usually, full-custom IC is catered for large production so that the high production cost is fully utilized. Full-custom IC is produced from time to time when there is no suitable existing libraries available that can be used for the design. This is because existing libraries are outdated or consume too much power. Semi-custom IC design Semi-custom IC design can be partly customized to serve different functions within its general area of application.[8] It allows a certain extend of modification during the manufacturing process. It has the diffused layer fully defined but the libraries of pre-structured circuit components with the same circuit functions can be reused. This can save a lot of time and cost to in producing a semi-custom IC design. Therefore, the manufacturing cost if low and it is used widely in almost every IC design around the world. Semi-custom IC design is further classified into 3 groups which are gate array, standard cell and programmable logic devices circuits. Silicon compilation IC design Silicon compilation is to use a software system that takes a users specifications and automatically generates an integrated circuit (IC).[9] Generally, a designer is given a description of the system, by using a silicon compiler, mask and test information are produced which is either a simple combinational circuit or a finite state machine. The first step of silicon compilation is Convert a hardware-description language such as Verilog or VHDL or FpgaC into logic. Next, we shall place the logic gates on the IC followed by routing the standard cells together to form the desired logic.[9] A drawback of this method of IC design is that most of the silicon compilers do not utilize the area of silicon efficiently. Therefore, it is usually produced in small volume. It may used to generate simple cells to build up standard cell libraries.[10] Gate array, standard cell and programmable logic devices (PLDs) IC The comparison between gate array, standard cell and programmable logic devices circuits is tabled as below : Characteristics Gate array Standard cell PLDs (FPGA) Flexibility Flexible Very flexible Less flexible Risk Less risky Less risky Risky Manufacturing Cost Moderate Cheap Expensive Manufacturing Difficulty Moderate Easy Very complex Manufacturing time Shortest Short Moderate Silicon size Moderate Small Limited Speed Slow Moderate Fast Heat dissipation Low Moderate High Table 3 : Comparison between gate array, standard cell and PLDs (FPGA) IC Gate array IC In a gate-array-based IC, the transistors, logic gates and other active devices are predefined on the silicon wafer. The only uncompleted part of the creation is the final surface layer, which defines the interconnect between the elements. Connecting these elements allows the function of the IC to be customized. Therefore, it is very flexible and less risky since it uses predefined elements. Furthermore, adding a surface layer of interconnects requires only a small cost and short time to complete. However, the chips designed using gate array techniques are a bit bigger in silicon area than standard cell IC, which makes them more expensive and harder to manufacture.[11] Standard cell IC In standard cell IC, different sizes of predesigned cells are used and a big combination of cells can be formed which is known as mega cells. Mega cells can be found in microcontroller or microprocessor. These cells, which consist of logic functions such as gates, latches, buffers and flip-flops, are known as standard cell library. Designer only needs to define only the placement of the standard cells and the interconnects in a standard cell IC.[12] Standard cell IC is flexible because it uses both digital and analog functions. The transistor sizes can be changed to improve speed and performance. It has a smaller silicon size and therefore a more compact are compare to gate array IC. In addition, it has faster speed which results in higher heat dissipation. (Adapted from Standard-Cell-Based ASICs, http://iroi.seu.edu.cn/books/asics/Book2/CH01/CH01.1.htm#pgfId=1331)[1] Figure 2 shows A cell-based IC die with a single standard-cell area (a flexible block) together with four fixed blocks. Programmable logic devices IC PLD is an electronic component used to build reconfigurable digital circuits an undefined function at the time of manufacture.[13] Before starting to implement PLD in a circuit, it must be configured or programmed to create a part customized to a specific application. This makes PLD a very flexible design to fulfill any custom specification. However, the limited size ( (adapted from Programmable Logic Devices, http://iroi.seu.edu.cn/books/asics/Book2/CH01/CH01.1.htm)[1] Figure 2 shows a PLD die. The macrocells typically consist of programmable array logic followed by a flip-flop or latch. The macrocells are connected using a large programmable interconnect block.

The Breakdown And Rebuilding Of South African Society Within The Novel :: essays research papers

The Breakdown and Rebuilding of South African Society within the novel Cry, The Beloved Country â€Å"...what God has not done for South Africa man must do.† (25)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the novel Cry, The Beloved Country, written by Alan Paton, some major conflicts follow the story from beginning to end. Two of these conflicts would be as follows; the breakdown of the tribal community and the power hope and faith pocesses to rebuild broken relationships. Kumalo, as an indivigual, demostrates the power of this hope which mends the broken relationships of his friends and his fallen tribal community. Throughout the novel one aquires the perfect perspective about the hardships the natives went through as a society. Cry is a story about a Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo and how he sets out to bring his family back to the community in which he resides. Kumalo, dealing with his family and congregation straying away from the church, does show the power of hope and faith and how it can rebuild broken relationships throughout the novel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The tribal breakdown starts to show in book 1, with the land that the tribe must use and how the poeple of Ndotsheni have used up the natural resourses that used to lay within the community. The whites pushed the tribe out of where the community used to reside. The land was so rich that it was decribed as â€Å" holy, being even as it came from the creator†(3). In the rural areas much of this decay came as a result of the tight confinned living areas that the blacks were forced to live upon. With such a mass population and such a small place to occupy it is only a matter of time before the land is no longer able to be farmed. The decay of the tribe was not only confined to the natural resources of the land but also resulted in a moral and physical decline of the entire population. In result of these conditions, many people left the tribe to go to Johannesburg where there’s a false hope for a new start in life. A hope that almost vanished when Komalo left. Without his strong moral belief in God the people where left with nothing but a decaying landscape. Even though it may seem as if all hope is lost for a decent life in the tribal community, it is within this time that the relationships between others are tested and drawn closer through the power of hope and faith.

Parental Involvement, Poverty, and Student Achievement Essay

Current education reform is intended to influence higher student achievement. According to Hanushek (1997), the development of school reform is largely motivated by economic issues. Education reform becomes a meaningful topic on the national agenda when the National Commission on Excellence in Education issued a report, A Nation At Risk (1983). This report focused on the claim that a steady increase in mediocrity had overcome schools which impacted upon the economic competitiveness of the country. One example of this competitiveness was when the Soviet Union 1957 launched Sputnik. It was concluded that declines in educational performance were in large part the result of inadequacies in the way the educational process was conducted. The findings that follow, selected from a much more extensive list, reflect four important aspects of the educational process: content, expectations, time, and teaching. The United States government responded by beginning reform of how its educational system. As part of this process, all segments, including parent committees, were formed to give attention to the implementation of the recommendations of the report. The report further stated that reform should not only come from students, teachers, school boards, colleges and universities, local, state, and federal officials, teachers’ and administrators’ organizations, but also from parents themselves with interested in and responsibility for educational significance begin with the parent. Moreover, you bear a responsibility to participate actively in your child’s education. You should encourage more diligent study and discourage satisfaction with mediocrity and the attitude that says let it slide, monitor your child’s study; encourage good study habits; encourage your child to take more demanding rather than less demanding courses; nurture your child’s curiosity, creativity, and confidence; and be an active participant in the work of the schools. Above all, exhibit a commitment to continued learning in your own life. Finally, help your children understand that excellence in education cannot be achieved without intellectual and moral integrity coupled with hard work and commitment (p. 26) Henderson and Berla (1994) did extensive research linking parental involvement to student achievement. There are a variety of parenting practices that have been associated with positive student outcomes. Despite this research, Desimone (2001) contends that there is still no clear understanding of how patterns and effects of parental involvement differ across ethnic and income groups. Previous studies have shown that parent involvement patterns vary according to parental social, racial-ethnic, and economic characteristics (Catsambis & Garland, 1997), but the findings have been mixed. Several studies have reported that low income minority parents often have different beliefs about parents’ role in school involvement are less involved in school activities than higher income, non-minority parents (Delgado-Gaitan, 1991; Chavkin & Williams, 1993). Other studies, however, have demonstrated that the level of parent involvement by race-ethnicity (i. e. , Asian, African-American, Hispanic, and white) differs for only a few types of involvement and that minority parents have higher levels of involvement in certain areas than do white parents (Catsambis & Garland, 1997). Previous studies have reported that low-income minority parents often have different beliefs regarding parental roles in school involvement and are less involved (Chavkin & Williams, 1993). Comer and Haynes (1991) have hypothesized that low income and inner city minority students may be more positively affected by certain types of parent involvement than other students. According to them, in order for parental involvement programs to be successful, they need to be focused upon a school improvement process that is designed to create positive relationships that support the total development of children and not the traditional bureaucratic or authoritative school environment which is a less collaborative structure. Other theorists (Devaney, Ellwood, and Love, 1997; Lewit, Terman, & Behrman, 1997) suggests that parental involvement may not be as effective in improving student achievement for low income children as for children from middle class homes. Because the large number of risk factors that impact upon children living in poverty, including health, safety, and housing, the role of parental involvement in schools in explaining academic outcomes for those children may be significantly less than for their peers who do not experience as many negative environment influences. Desimone (2001) suggests that race-ethnicity and other background characteristics can be strong mediators in the effects of various types of parental actions and the impact they have on student achievement. While work in this area is limited, there is little information that compares the effects of multiple forms of parental involvement across several racial/ethnic and income groups. McNeal’s (2001) study investigated the relationships between parent involvement and socioeconomic status. Findings indicated that parental involvement was an important factor in explaining behavioral outcomes (such as truancy and dropping out) but not cognitive outcomes (such as science achievement), with the greatest support for parent child discussion and involvement in parent-teacher organizations. He contends that there have been inconsistencies with the findings linking parental involvement to academic achievement. The contradictions likely were related to one of the following weaknesses in research. The first condition was the use of perception measures by teachers rather than direct reports by students and/or parents. Another was a failure to fully conceptualize parent involvement into its constituent parts. The last was not fully assessing the extent to which parental involvement differently affects academic achievement by social class. The three shortcomings can be improved upon but parent involvement has little effect on student achievement because it is a cognitive outcome and parental involvement affects behavioral outcomes. Reginald Clark’s research shares findings from a body of research on closing achievement gaps in urban school communities (Ferguson, Clark, & Stewart, 2002). In Clark documents the importance of five influential factors for improved students achievement, especially among disadvantages urban students. The first factor is described as the teacher’s expectations and actions in the classroom. The second is amount of students’ weekly participation in high-yield in and out of school activities. High-yield out of school activities include: leisure reading, writing, studying, and participation in community and school clubs or programs, and playing organized sports. High-yield in school activities include participating in classroom lessons as well as structured leisure activities. The third factor is the quality of students’ participation in and out of school activities. The fourth factor is parental beliefs and expectations. The fifth factor is parent-teacher communication. Ferguson, Clark and Stewart, 2002 found that the type and amounts of constructive in school and out of school learning activities contribute to a success-oriented lifestyle. More specifically, Clark found that high achieving activities. Some examples of actions in the classroom include reading, working alone on a lesson, listening to a lecture, solving a problem with classmates, or asking questions. Ferguson, Clark and Stewart, 2002 found that high achievers spent more time during out of school high-yield learning activities than low achievers. Some activities include: weekly time dialoguing with adults, hobby or volunteer activities, or organized sports. Regular study and homework routines, with adult monitoring or support, and reading and writing activities also were seen as practices in the home. Some less structured or unstructured activities include hanging out, playing video games, talking on the telephone, and watching television. Ferguson, Clark and Stewart 2002 found that the beliefs and attitudes of parents had a significant role in student success in becoming competent readers. The analysis of data from parents of 459 students about their expectations for their child’s learning and their perception of whether they had been supported by their child’s teacher showed that students benefit when parents set high standards for their child’s performance in school and feel personally supported by partnerships they have formed with their child’s teacher. Lastly, Clark indicates that parent beliefs are likely to be influenced by parent-teacher communication. In other words, parents may benefits from well-organized teacher-led communications. When teachers take specific actions to cultivate instructional partnerships with parents, those parents are more likely to support their children’s learning at home. Clark’s data showed that students’ scores were higher on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment in reading when teachers reported more communication with parents. REFERENCES Bankston, C. L. , & Caldas, S. J. (1998). Family structure, schoolmates, and racial inequalities in school achievement. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 60, 715-723. Braswell. J. S. , Lutkus,A. D. , Grigg,W. S. , Santapau, S. L. , Tay-Lim, B. , & Johnson, M. (2001). Subgroup results for the nation and the states. In The nation’s report card: Mathematics 2000 (pp. 53-181). Washington DC: U. S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Center for Education Statistics.

Recommendations and Scope for Further Research Essay

This research was broad based, involving multi dimensional study of all possible factors influencing the Personal Market in general and Small Car Market in particular. There are very important findings related to influence of socio-economic issues of Indian middle class, infrastructural issues like development of roads, government policies, price and cost of running and maintaining the car etc. Performance of Tata Motors Nano car, which is the smallest car, in the small car segment, and was positioned to meet the requirement of a spatial segment of Indian buyer was also studied extensively. 6. 1 Findings and Conclusions Major findings and conclusions drawn from the study are listed below -1. 71 percent of respondents have shown their preference towards low engine capacity cars to get higher fuel efficiency. It shows that in future only cars giving higher fuel efficiency will be preferred by Indian consumers. . 73percent of the respondents have shown their preference toward small cars as due to increased traffic and congestion on roads. As vehicle population is increasing continuously and size of city roads started appearing narrow, it can be concluded that small cars will prove sustainable in the future. 3. 74 percent of respondents have shown their preference towards small cars due to parking convenience of roads. In cities due to phenomenal increase in number of vehicles, parking is proving to be a big problem. Parking of small cars is a bit easy and therefore, in future people are likely to prefer small cars. 210 4. In recent past car manufacturers have launched a number of models of small cars with comparable features of big cars, consequently small car owners can now enjoy all these features in small cars also. In all 73 percent of respondents have expressed their happiness due to this reason endorsed the purchase of small car. 5. In India still personal disposable income of majority of respondent is not so high that they can afford to buy a big car and therefore, 71 percent of the total respondents have expressed their opinion that their disposable income permit them to buy only a small car and thus small cars are going to be sustainable in Indian car market. 6. In India due to increase in literacy rate and also desire to lead a comfortable life have induced the people to observe small family norm, which can easily be accommodated in small cars, the of choice people is, therefore, shifting towards small cars. 0 percent of total respondents have expressed the view that small car is good for them as they have small family. 7. 70 percent of the total respondents have expressed their opinion that they prefer the small cars as repair facility is available easily and next to their door for the repair of the same. 8. In past few years the number and percentage of women in employment is increasing staidly. Such women employee prefers the small cars due to variety of reasons. 76 percent of the total respondents have expressed their agreement to the fact that increased women employment has boost the sale of small cars. As this trend is going to persist, the future of small car is bright. 9. Increased affluence and easy availability of loans and finance facilities have led to many two wheeler users to buy their first car which is normally a small car. This has made the small cars sustainable in Indian car market. 78 percent of total respondents have endorsed this fact. 10. In past few years urban as well as rural affluence has increased. This has boosted the trend of urbanization. This in turn induces the people to buy 211 ars. In all 77 percent respondents are of the opinion that growing urban population has boost the market of small cars in India. 11. In past one decade a phenomenon improvement has taken place in the road network. This has induced the sale of small cars in India. 81 percent of the total respondents are of the opinion that improved conditions of roads even in small cities have led to increase in demand of small cars. 12. Government of India has formulated such policies which stimulate the sale of small cars. 2 percent of total respondents are of the opinion that favorable government policy has boost the sale of small cars. 13. Price of the cars as well cost of spares, parts and component also govern the choice of a car. Normally price of small cars as well cost of spares, parts and components are comparatively low and affordable. Therefore, people prefer to buy small cars. This fact was endorsed by 74 percent of the total respondents. Thus it appears that small cars are going to be sustainable in Indian market. 14. The cost of repair and maintenance is comparatively very low in case of small cars. This also remains one of the considerations in forming the decision to buy a car. 83 percent of the total respondents are of the opinion that lower cost of repair and maintenance has influenced their decision to buy a small car. 15. Government levies taxes on small cars by low rate and rate of insurance of small cars is also very low as compare to big cars which are higher priced, therefore large number of people opts for purchase of small cars. A majority (68%) of the respondents have shown their agreement towards this. 16. About 3/4th of the total respondents are of the opinion that small cars are still preferred choice of Indian consumers therefore, it can be concluded that small cars will be sustainable in Indian car market. 17. 77 percent of the respondents are of the opinion that constantly rising costs of inputs and fuel prices will contribute to the sustainability of small cars. 18. Small cars prove sufficient to meet the family needs of Indian middle class and therefore, small cars remain preferred choice of Indian middle class. 212 This fact was endorsed by 82 percent of the total respondents. Therefore it can be concluded safely that small cars are going to be sustainable in Indian car market. 19. Over the years a status consciousness has developed among Indian middle class and to fulfill this need they prefer to buy small car as most of them can not afford to buy a big car. Therefore, small cars remain a preferred choice of Indian middle class. 82 percent of the total respondents have endorsed this view and therefore it can be concluded that small cars will be sustainable in Indian automobile sector. 20. Indian middle class consumer is buying a car for either as a necessity or for comfort. The financial constraint therefore does not permit him to have the luxury of expensive, out of reach big cars. 82 percent of the total respondents of this study are of the same opinion. Looking to large base of middle class population in India, it can safely be concluded that small cars are going to be sustainable in Indian car market. 21. Parking of cars at residence is proving a difficult proposition now-a-days. Indian middle class resides normally in compact houses, parking space is in these houses is limited or non existent. In such conditions Indian middle class finds it is more comfortable with small cars. 83 percent of the total respondents acknowledged this fact and endorsed that the parking convenience at residence induces middle class to buy a small car. Thus it is concluded that small car will be sustainable in Indian car market. 22. Family and peer pressure often plays an important role in making buying decision of a vehicle . In case of Indian middle class this pressure induces them to buy small car. 68 percent of the total respondents were of the opinion that this pressure nduces the Indian middle class to buy the small cars. Therefore, small cars will remain a preferred choice of Indian middle class. 213 23. Working women in general and from middle class in particular prefer to buy a small car due to driving and parking comforts offered by such cars. Therefore, small car is a preferred choice of Indian Middle class working women. About 84 percent of total respondents have endorsed this fact. As the number of middle class women employees is on increase continuously, it can be concluded that small cars will sustain in the Indian automobile sector. 4. The focus of current middle class families is more on spending and enjoying life. Their personal disposable income has also increased substantially. The desire to lead a conferrable life is motivating them to buy a car, and with the financial constraint more then often it is small car. Therefore, popularity of small cars is increasing. 80 percent of respondents have shown their agreement that desire to lead comfortable life among middle class will contribute to the sustainability of small cars. 25. Of late Indian middle class has become status conscious. One of the simple ways to exhibit the status consciousness is to buy a car. Therefore, more and more middle class people are embarking upon the decision to buy a car. This fact is going to contribute to the sustainability of small cars in Indian automobile sector. 83 percent of the total surveyed respondents have expressed their agreement to this. 26. Number of middle class people is on continuous increasing in Indian, since small car is a preferred choice of this segment, it can be concluded that small car will sustain in Indian market. This view has been endorsed by 81 percent of the total respondents. 7. A very small car launched by Tata Motors is not sustainable in Indian automobile sector as 82 percent of the respondents have expressed their opinion against Nano it is perceived as not safe and stable. 28. Tata Motors Nano is not preferred by Indian consumers in spite of being low price and more fuel efficient, as almost 97 percent of the respondents have 214 expressed their agre ement to this. Thus price of car and fuel efficiency of it, are not only the factors taken into consideration by Indian consumers while making purchase decision for cars. Their decisions are governed by other factors also like safety, features, driving comfort, status, convenience, etc. 29. Nano is not even preferred by Indian consumers as suitable for â€Å"† Only for City use† car.. 91 percent of the respondents have expressed this view. 30. Nano is not a preferred choice of Indian consumers, neither as a first car nor as a second or additional car. 88 percent of respondents have disown it as their choice as a first car and 93 percent of respondents have disown it as their choice as second or additional car. 31. Tata Motors Nano car was positioned as a better alternative for two wheeler. However those who are using two wheelers for their personal and family use and can afford to buy at least a small car are also having hesitation in buying Nano. 93 percent of the respondents have that they would not like Nano to take out their family instead of scooter or a motor bike. Thus it can be concluded that Tata Motors Nano has lost it’s initial charm and hype created in Indian car market. 32 Out of the total surveyed respondents (1500) , 1271 respondents have acknowledged that they are using small car ,remaining of respondents said they are not using a small car. This implies that Indian car market scene is still dominated by small car. 33. 79 percent of the respondents those using small car have expressed their satisfaction with a small car. Remaining 21 percent of respondents were not satisfied by with the small car. This very high satisfaction level with the users, is clear indication of sustainability of small car in Indian market. 34. 83 percent of the total respondents have acknowledged that they would like to recommend the car currently being used by them to the prospective buyers. This again shows that most of the car users are satisfied with their 215 present car, whether big or small, and they would like to recommend the same to the prospective buyers. This study has already established the fact that the sale of small car is dominating, this response further support the sustainability of small car in Indian market. 35. This study also reveals that 73 percent of the respondents have expressed their opinion that small car will be the preferred choice of Indian Middle Class and will sustain in Indian car market. 6. For this study the questionnaire was so designed to get a clear idea about the preferences, choices, socio- economic issues, financial constraints, influencing factor of government actions and policies, consumer profiles etc. Since the study covers interest of all stake holders of Indian automobile sector, the recommendations are grouped under the following†¢ Recommendations for the car and auto component manufactures. †¢ Recommendations fo r auto finance organizations. †¢ Recommendations for policy planners- †¢ Recommendations for prospective car buyers. One important finding coming out of this study, which can change significantly the dynamics of Indian business, is shift in the consumer profile. Though the urbanization is taking place at a very high rate, it is the consumption of Rural India which is increasing at faster rate then Urban India. There for the recommendations for the basis of shift in consumer profile are grouped together, for the four segments of stake holders as specified above. 216 6. 2. 1 Recommendations for the car and auto component manufactures1. The fuel efficiency is one of the prime concerns of the car users and therefore it is recommended that the future car engine designee should be based on fuel efficiency and note on high horse power. 2. The availability of repair facility is having influence on buying decision, and therefore it is recommended that the car manufacturer should address this requirement before introducing any high technology based models of small cars for Indian market. 3. The study reveals that the small car is preferred by working women. Introduction of some variance of the car models having â€Å"Women friendly accessories† will attract the women customers. 4. The cost of the spare parts is of concern of car users. To boost the sale of their product it is suggested that the auto component manufacturers, open their dealer networks and service outlets to meet customer’s requirements directly. This is already in practice for car batteries, tyers etc. The Auto electrical segment can also use this. 5. The study reveals that there is shift in consumer profile. The consumer in he rural area is having more stakes in consumption. Currently the car designs are for the urban users. It is recommended that to take advantage of this shift some variance of car models can be designed to attract rural customers. 6. The Tata Motors Nano car is having low price and fuel efficient engine, but as the study reveals it is not accepted by consumers due to various issues like safety, durability, not suitable for long distance travel etc. It is recommended that car manufacture should take a note of this in designing the future models. They are advised to conduct the extensive survey of consumers, particularly, of Nano users, that why a small car launched in Indian car market with a big fan fare could not pick-up and lost its charm in a very short span of time, so that they can revive Nano as per expectations of public and can make it a great success in Indian car market. 217 7. Although 79 percent of the small car users have expressed their satisfaction with the small car being used by them, but 19 percent of the respondents have also expressed their dissatisfaction with the small car which can not be termed as insignificant from any yardstick. Small car manufacturers are advised to develop a suitable mechanism to identify such dissatisfaction and must take concrete steps to overcome their dissatisfaction. 6. 2. 2 i. Recommendations for auto finance organizations. One of the findings of the study is that financing of car purchase is key driver of auto industry. In the discussions it is felt that, as the disposable income is low in the beginning of the career and increases with the passes of time the initial Equated Monthly Installments (EMIs) are proved heavy and burdensome on the purchasers. ii. It is therefore, recommended that auto finance companies can adopt a model of financing in which monthly payment in the initial period can be low, with a gradual increase afterwards. 6. 2. 3 Recommendations for government and policy planners(i) The constantly increasing fuel prices on the one hand support the choice of small car but on the other hand the cost conscious consumer may stop shifting from two wheelers to car. The government, therefore, can take suitable policy decision to offset the impact of increased fuel price by reduction of other taxes and duties on fuel. ii) The study reveals the concern of the parking and traffic congestion on roads. It is recommended that â€Å"Town Planers† and policy makers in the government should suitably address these problems. Looking to the shortage of parking area in the city following solutions can be considered(a) Providing high-rise parking setups with lifts. 218 (b) Parking plazas out side city, with rapid transport system conne ctivity to business areas. (c) Making it mandatory to use roof tops for parking, like basement is used of high-rise buildings. (d) The traffic congestion on road, especially in cities, is often because of non adherence to the driving discipline by users. The traffic management system, therefore need to be made more efficient, active and accountable. (iii) To further boost automobile sector, more reforms in this sector are required, Since the Auto Policy published in 2002, is already more then a decade old a working group of experts should be asked to come out a new policy frame work, taking into consideration the current status and challenges. 6. 2. 4 Recommendations for prospective car buyers. (i) From this study one fact has come out clearly that, currently many models with many variances in each model, are available for a buyer. It is therefore recommended that in selecting a car the buyer should carefully evaluate the technical specifications, and match, the same with his needs. (ii) There are different schemes with different auto finance organizations. With a careful study of the schemes available at the time of car purchase, substantial saving in car financing can be obtained. (iii) Tata Motors Nano car is not favored by majority of the respondents, due to their perceptions, related to safety, stability, status symbol etc. However the manufacturer is continuously working to rectify these concerns. For the buyers having low disposable income, it is therefore recommended that at least considering the very low price of this car, the current model available at the time of purchase can be once again technically evaluated (iv) The government policies for protection of environment are also influencing the engine type and the fuel used in a car. It is therefore 219 recommended that buyer should select a model which is having futuristic technology engine. This study reveals the fact that the ‘Rural Market’ of India is growing more rapidly then ‘Urban Market’. The perception of car manufacturing industry as well as policy planers with the government in India has considered car as a commodity for urban population. This sift in the consumer profile if taken into serious consideration can lead to following recommendations6. 2. 5. 1Recommendations for the car manufacturesi. The interior design of the cars for the future models can be reviewed, and new models or at least some variants of new models can have features suitable for rural buyer. To give examples the long front seat of retro models can be reintroduced, the capacity of petrol tank can be increased etc. ii. The topographic requirement of rural area can be considered for technical specifications, of the cars e. g. wheel size, road clearance etc. to make it more acceptable in rural India. It is necessary to provide additional protection against dust to the vital elements, like fuel injection systems, carburetors, ignition system etc. iii. It is recommended that car manufacturers explore the possibility of introducing â€Å"Four Wheel Drive† system in small car as well. iv. The Personal car sales- net work currently focuses more on urban India, a shift is recommended in this approach. v. It is recommended that, after sale service net work is to be extended to rural area. Since the area to be serviced will be very large, a module having a central workshop with mobile service vehicles attached to it can also be considered. 220 vi. For the manufacturer like Maruti having major stake in small car segment, it is recommended that they can develop a system through which some selected fuel outlets can be used for providing authorized repair service by tanning the staff of fuel outlet. . 2. 5. 2 Recommendations for auto finance organizationsi. The current system of Equated Monthly Installments, is meeting the requirements of urban consumers which are generally fixed monthly income employees. The earning pattern of the rural consumers is different as it is seasonal. Therefore it is recommended that schemes where the option of repayment in unequaled installments, with a rider to make the complete repayment in a predefined period can be introduced. ii. The cooperative banks are generally very strong in rural India. It is recommended that captive auto finance companies can start exploring the possibilities of working with these banks. 6. 2. 5. 3Recommendations for policy plannersThe growth in auto industry segment works as a catalyst for the entire manufacturing sector. This growth is meeting the two very important key objectives of the government e. g. Improved GDP and more employment. It is therefore recommended that the policy planners in government should design the policies which can boost the sale of cars (small cars) in Indian ruler market.