Saturday, December 28, 2019

Marketing Analysis Coca Cola - 1294 Words

Coca-Cola Statement Over a century of sweet tasting beverages with family and friends. The positioning statement of Coca-Cola needs to project the image in the minds of their existing consumers, as well as potential new consumers, the history of Coca-Cola being a competing global brand in the beverage industry and the association of the brand with fun times such as social events, parties, family activities, etc. According to Kotler and Keller (2016), positioning is the act of designing a company s offering and image to occupy a distinctive place in the minds of the target market. There are factors that must be taken into account to produce an effective positioning statement that will attract the attention of the targeted market†¦show more content†¦It s one of the most fundamental pillars of marketing. Association also plays a very critical role in the creation of a positioning statement: the statement must associate with the needs of consumers in the present, and at the sam e time show the potential of growth in meeting the wants or needs of consumers that will arise in the future. A good positioning has one foot in the present and one in the future. It needs to be somewhat aspirational so the brand has room to grow and improve (Kotler Keller, 2016). As mentioned previously, the ability to associate the qualities of the brand with the cultural dimensions of the targeted market, itself, leads to a successful endeavor of positioning the brand in the minds of the global consumers. Therefore, the statement must adhere to these cultural dimensions in order to establish relationships between the offerings of the brand and the solutions the targeted consumer market is seeking , in order to increase the attractiveness of the brand. The brand statement must market to the culture of their target in order to attract the segment. In order for Coca-Cola to achieve a dominant global brand positioning, the first step is to have the statement appeal to or associate i tself with the cultural dimensions of the local, foreign and global markets. According to Alden, Steenkamp and Batra

Friday, December 20, 2019

Case Study International Business and Globalization

Subject - International Business/Globalization Case Study - Matsushita and Japans Changing Culture Question - How did traditional Japanese culture benefit Matsushita during the 1950s to 1980s? Matsushita, a giant Japanese electronics company, was founded in 1918. Its work largely lay in its supplying Japan with radio equipment and other appliances. Traditional Japanese culture benefitted Matsushita during the 1950s to 1980s by creating a close and dedicated relationship between the company and its employees. Confucianism stressed integrity, ethical conduct, and loyalty, as well as dedicated teamwork. Employees were expected to be loyal to their superiors; and superiors, in return, rewarded and respected their employees. The employees had been guaranteed lifetime employment policy and this discouraged a high turnover and encouraged a consistent work atmosphere with feelings of confidence and security. The generous benefits and attention accorded by the company generated employees motivation. During that period too, Matsushita benefitted by its having an edge over competitors due to its technology and technological products as well as to the sense of family loyalty to the br and. Research warranted dedicated professionals and researchers, and Matsushita founded a cohesive environment where researchers and employees, stimulated by generous advancements and job security, established a reciprocally advantageous nook in the company. Did traditional values become more aShow MoreRelatedMultinational Corporations Based On International Business Essay1730 Words   |  7 Pagesbased on international business, which tend to assign primary responsibility to their subsidiaries for local compensation and benefits, training and labour relations, with regional units assuming secondary responsibility (Reynolds 1992). Productive globalization occurred with the growth and expansion of multinationals. 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Wednesday, December 11, 2019

A Media Portfolio Womens Basketball World Cup

Question: Describe about the Report for A Media Portfolio of Womens Basketball World Cup. Answer: Media plan Considering the fact that the Womens Basketball World Cup tournament will attract a lot of audiences then it will be best to use an effective plan that will ensure maximum media coverage of the event. The factors that will determine my plan are reach and frequency of the media outlet (Belch Belch,2011).Using the indices of the various media outlets then it will be easy to visualize on the plan. The media plan that I will use for this event is publicity because it will create a lot of exposure. Being in the light of the public will ensure that my organization receives constant media attention. Though working with a company such as Havas sport and entertainment I will get a better platform for media exposure through its many divisions of publicity. These companies want to show case events that will attract more audiences to their advertising venues meaning this will offer an opportunity for our team to get free publicity. Using companies such as these I will be able to seek publicity at very low cost because most of the advertisement will be provided by them. The benefits that my netball team will be getting include: a data management and aggregation system, exposure through mobile advertising, social advertising and geomarketing. Objectives Based on the analysis of the event and amount of attention the event will draw me and my team will use the available platforms of exposure that will remain intact with our two main objectives. My first objects for this project will be to engage the audience in this event and making them a part of the event which will make them proud of our national team and in the end attract more media coverage for the team. The broadcast platform will attract the attention of many especially the funs of the net ball game. Though constant adverts the audience will be made aware of such an event and also bring about interest in the event even for those who are not into sports. With the current technology adverts can be set to target a specific audience which means more exposure to the greater audience population. Because broadcast platform such as television offer better sense of touch through their combination of sound, image, motion and text they appeal to many. My second objective will be to employ multi facet campaign through the various social avenues of promotions and advertisements. With the growth in the social connection network many people are spending more time in social media sites meaning that through reaching them first I can be able to make them interested in the team. With support from the audience in social media my team will be on the spot light and the media will be willing to cover the team more. The social media platform offers an opportunity to reach out to target audience specific on the geographical location such as country. Because it offers a wider scope or reach it has the potential of going viral and the cost of advertisement on these platforms is cheaper. Media Opportunities Outlets Timeline Outlet 1 Outlet 2 Outlet 3 Outlet 4 Social media : Many people are using social media to interact Facebook Twitter Instagram You tube 2016-2018 Prints: People prefer to read when they are tired hence create a platform of more exposure to this population. Online Periodicals Interest online prints Direct mails Online journals 2016-2017 Broadcast: this is the most dominant means of reaching out to a large population in a short time. Radio television Live broadcasts podcasts 2016-2018 Product placement adverts: this will help promote the sport organization and also get funding. Movies TV programs Promotions Sports briefs 2016-2018 Justification Media plans are needed to obtain media coverage because they help to achieve the specific objectives in an organization such as creating awareness to target group and also attract potential audiences. Media plans create effective media campaigns through matching the advertisement needs with available advertisement channels. This is supported by (Nicholson et al., 2015, pp. 251) where they show how an effective media plan should be able to address the specific set objectives. My Media plan is appropriate because it would provide a wider audience for the sporting event and also be cost effective to the sport organizers. Fact sheet The sports industry is always aiming to get full media coverage with the aim of promoting an appreciation for talent and fun (Pelsmacker, (2010). The avenues where they can get promotions are through the media platforms. The womens basketball world cup championship is a major event that will attract many funs across the world. The executives of the sporting organizations are always aiming to expand their presence in the global map through impressive performances in order to get sponsorship that will help their teams a great deal. Australian Netball Diamonds team has been performing very well over the past decades and it boosts of being the world champion in the 14th world women netball championship that took place in Sydney, Australia last year. In a recent federation meeting on national women sporting in Australia the executives of the women national teams discussed on how they can increase their awareness in the society especially for the women teams in sporting. From the meeting, the executives decided to support the women teams through allocating funds for advertising budgets. This decision saw the advertising expenditure being increased from 4% in the past 8 months up to 19.5% which is very much commendable considering the fact that it has been underfunded in the past years. The Australian Netball Diamond team had posted impressive results in the past decade by assuming the 1st position in the consecutive periods in the world women netball cup and in the common wealth games. Because of their impressive p erformance they received more funding from the Australias sport board. The women netball team has posted impressive results for the 2 decades in the womens basketball world championship beating the long time takers of cup the New Zealand team. With the Australian Sports Commission aim being to support and inform the world on the potential of Australian sport teams more support has been provided by the government. The commission works in close association with sporting organizations to ensure the prosperity of the team at all levels both locally and internationally. Now that Australian Netball Diamonds are carrying the national flag maximum support is given to the team through adequate funding of its projects. Justification Fact sheets are needed to obtain media coverage because they summarize an organization in a briefly but detailed way in a more factual manner that will attract confidence and interest of the media. Backed with statistics a fact sheet makes it easy to present an organization in an understandable way especially the incorporation of achievements. Figures and statistics help to explain why an organization requires media coverage to promote its operations. This is supported by (Nicholson et al., 2015, pp. 253) where they define the sport marketing frame work as one that incorporates facts into the media proposal to seek maximum support. My fact sheet is appropriate because it shows why my organization requires the media coverage now more than ever in its history. The current position of the Australian Netball Diamond in the world women net ball championship shows the potential that the team holds and the fame its likely to attract in 2018 World women netball championship in Spain, hence i t needs the full support from the media. Media guide I will use target media guide because it will highlight the areas that are most relevant to the media platforms that I will be using to promote the team. With this guide the profiling will be based on the achievements of the team and how it has risen over the years to become the world leaders in women netball. Through the statistics and important milestones to the team I will be able to convince the media to help retain the glory of the team and be associated with it in the coming 2018 world championship. Team Biographies The Australian netball Diamonds team was founded on August 27, 1927 immediately after the Australian Womens Netball Association was formed. The foundation members include: Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia and South Australia. The women netball team operates as a public limited company after its incorporation on 18th September 1986 and it is guided by a memorandum and articles of association that was agreed by the council. The team is run by a board of directors that consists of: the president, finance director, 6 ordinary directors and the chief executive officer who is non-elected. The team is composed of 12 team players that are 4 players on the attack, four players on defense and the other four players on center. The team has received sponsorship from several leading companies and organizations. The sponsors of the team include: SUNCORP, AIS, Samsung, Australia POST, BLK, Swisse, STQ,ZXU, Elastoplast and GILBERT. The team gets its supplies from leading companies such as: Good life, rebel, Virgin Australia and Leading Teams. The team receives government support through partnerships such as South Australia, Government of South Australia and Events Tasmania. Welcome letter from Sponsors The Australian Diamond netball team is grateful for the support from our sponsors, without such support we would never have created historical records in the Womens Basketball world cup over the past years we owe you our success. The Australian Diamond netball team recognizes your contribution through supplying us with financial aid, supplying us with the necessary training equipment. We are dedicated to produce consistent and impressive results in all our games. Milestones Some of the important milestones in the team include:1927- 1st interstate match, Sydney, 1927-the formation of the Womens Basket Ball Association, 1928-1st carnival to be held in Australia, Victoria, 1931-1st AA Umpires Award, 1938-1st International match with New Zealand team in Melbourne, 1956-Australian team defeated England in London, 1963-1st World tournament and Australia became the first world champions, 1970-the sports name changed from Basket Ball to Netball, 1971-the team wins world tournament, 1975-Australia wins world championship, 1988- first world Youth Cup, 1991- Australia holds the world championship and they emerge victorious, 2003-world runners up to New Zealand at the world champions, 2004- world crowd record is set(14,339), 2009-Australia wins the world netball championship, 2010-Australia wins Silver at the common wealth games,2011-Australia wins world netball championship in Singapore, 2014-Australia wins the 12th common wealth games, 2015-Australia hosts the wo rld netball cup and wins the cup with a crowd of 16,849(Australian netball, 2016). Background to the event The Womens Basketball World Cup Championship is a tournament for the women netball teams which is held after every 4 years. The event was started in 1953 and it continues to run to date attracting teams from all over the world. The tournament was initially called FIBA World Championships for Women but it later changed to FIBA netball world cup in 1986. The 18th Womens netball cup will be help in Spain on September. Sixteen teams from all over the world will be battling out to take the cup. Spain had hosted the men World Championship Cup in netball in the year 2014 thus this is not a major challenge to the Spain Sport Federation. Venue information Spain will host the 2018 tournament after it won the bid through a competitive bidding process with other countries such as Israel. The tournament will take place at the arena: Palacio de Los Deportes de la Comunidad where all the preparations will take and the games. The Spain netball federation is preparing the arena through improving the sport infrastructure to the international set standards. The event will be overseen by the government under the Spain Sports Commission who will finance the necessary improvements in the arena. Competition rules In the coming tournament several competition rules have been changed. There will be six windows in every qualification period in each netball world cup. The qualification rules for this coming tournament are: Asia and Oceania team will play together to ensure competitive games and that all the cups will follow the four year cycle. Teams that do not qualify for the group D division will not be allowed to offer their application even after attaining the required points. Justification Media guides are needed to obtain media coverage because they give information about a team its history, team players and statistical records. The information helps to relate a team to the current big event that will take place. This fact is supported by (Nicholson et al., 2015 pp.266) where they highlight that profiling a company through a media guide is a great opportunity to reach the greater audience. My media guide is appropriate because it gives information on the history of the team and milestones it has achieved through time and how the team is financed. The media guide will also assist in broadcasting of the team before the start of the world women netball championship in 2018. Media release Friday 21st October 2016 The Minister for sport and Recreation in Australia will be joining the Australian netball Diamond women net ball team in Madrid during the launch of the 2018 Womens Netball World Cup Championship. The tournament was last help in Sydney Australia in 2014 where the Australian Diamond Netball team took the cup. It will be an honor to escort our national team to victory once again. Netball has placed our women team on the international championship arena for several decades and it has continued to bring impressive results each time. Our Government has worked hard to support our team at such events and sponsoring our team to the World Championship shows total commitment to promoting sports. Those who will be joining the team include the permanent secretary to sports and recreation, the manager of the Australian Sport federation and the former coach to the Australian Diamond Netball team. The year 2018 will be a big year for the country as it will show cases our talents to the world. We have never failed and we wont start now when there is a standard that we have set in the gaming arena. As we are going to meet our longtime rival friend team the New Zealands Silver Fern National team they better know we are preparing for them 2018. We have gotten the necessary financial and moral support from our partners and sponsors and we hope that the netball team will surprise its fun, players, and sponsors and even leave a legacy that will be admired by the generations to come. All are welcome to join us in supporting our local team. Justification Media releases are needed to obtain media coverage because they promote an organization on a wider platform compared to using the conventional methods to reach the target audience. This is supported by( Nicholson, 2015, pp. 283) where they highlight how sport and media are related. In the book they show how media release can be an effective tool of seeking attention from the public. My media release is appropriate because it shows the position of the organization in the field of sports and how the team is more likely to perform in the coming 2018 championships. A media release will catch the audience attention and give them information on the team in a nut shell and create more interest in them. It will also be a cost effective way of communicating to the public. Media advisory The Australian netball Diamond team will be joining other teams from across the world to fight for the Womens Basketball World Cup in Spain. The famous womens Basketball world cup tournament will be held in Spain on from September 12-15, 2018. Considering the well organized and built sport infrastructure in Madrid, the FIBA board selected Spain to host the tournament on a competitive basis. The tournament will take place at the Arena: Palacio de los Deportes de la Comunidad. Our team will be proud to be in the finals to fight for the most envied cup in the basketball game. We will be happy to be part of the final game which will attract over 30 million viewers from across the world not forgetting the 30, 000 audiences who will watch the game live. To be part of this event is an opportunity in a life time and its for this reason that the Australian Diamond Netball team is working hard to prepare for the event. To be part of history the Australian netball Diamond team is asking everyone the young and the old in Australia and all over the world to participate in the event. The tournament will create an opportunity for us as a representative of the Australia to show what we as a country have to show to the world. You can be part of this by being a fun at the Madrid stadium or even view us from the comfort of your setting room. Our goal is to promote sports in a way that we have never done in the past years. Sports identify us to the world and with such a platform we cant deny ourselves the chance. We will show that Australia is a united nation and sport is what defines us. Let us come together for this event and support each other. For more information on the event you can find as on our social media platform such as Facebook, Twitter, In, Instagram and Whatsapp. To find more information you can also visit our official website on details and updates. The Australian Diamond team has fought for the cup for the past 3 decades and managed to hold the 1st position for the past 5 tournaments in the world championship cup in a row. Supporting the team through participating in the event is the best way of showing loyalty. All are welcome. Justification Media advisories are needed to obtain media coverage because they help to brief the media and the public on upcoming events. This is supported by(Nicholson et al.,2015 pp,290) where they show the importance of briefing the public on major events so that the media can be able to get a clear picture of the event and what audience it is going to attract. A media advisory helps the media to plan well and have schedule for the upcoming event especially now that it has been presented to the public who will create the demand. My Media advisory is appropriate because its shows the upcoming tournament as a historic event that they cant miss to cover. With the Australian Diamond netball team already having previous success stories then it will be good for the media to follow up on the team to the world championship in Spain. References Belch, M Belch, G (2011). Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated Marketing Communications Perspective. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Nicholson et al. (2015). Sport management: Principles and applications. Abingdon: Routledge. Australian netball. (2016). About Netball Australia. Netball Australia. Retrieved 22 October 2016, from https://netball.com.au/about-netball-australia/ Pelsmacker, P (2010). Marketing Communications: A European Perspective. Essex: Financial Times / Prentice Hall.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Urban Social Justice the Gentrification Debate free essay sample

However despite all the leaps and bounds that cities have made as far as growth and power, there are more micro-level social and economic issues that have been exacerbated by this progression. The essence of the city has and always will be the people that inhabit it; how they live, work and interact should be the primary focus of any urban environment. Gentrification, social and economic stratification and even unjust organization of space are some of the most pressing problems that many cities are facing. Interestingly enough, depending on whom you ask, you could get an extremely positive or negative view on the direction that the contemporary city is headed. In the mid-twentieth century a number of different factors lead to large-scale migration of middle-class white people in America from the inner city to the suburbs. Some dubbed this the â€Å"white flight† and was caused by a combination of social, economic and spatial influences. Following WWII there was a surplus of housing demand and large-scale suburban development quickly ensued. When coupled with the creation of President Eisenhower’s Federal Interstate Highway and the introduction of GI loans, owning a house in the suburbs became both convenient and affordable. On top of this many middle-class whites were feeling pressured from the increasing minority and immigrant population and felt that the suburbs would be a â€Å"safer† place to raise children. Real-estate developers pushed the image of the â€Å"American Dream† as owning a house with a front lawn out in the safe and peaceful suburbs. On top of that the city was openly painted as a haven of criminal activity and squalor. Ironically, today people have fallen out of love with the classic idea of the American Dream and there is a â€Å"back to the city† movement where many young suburbanites are making the move back to different urban centers as from the suburban neighborhoods they grew up in. The new generation’s desire to be ever more â€Å"connected† and â€Å"in tune† with the unique social dynamics and increased exposure that occurs in modern cities has increased the attractiveness of urban life. However, while this influx of middle-class or as Richard Florida has labeled, the â€Å"creative class† professionals may seem harmless enough, there are some serious direct and indirect social/economic consequences that have occurred with this change in demographic. Gentrification is a hot button term that over the years has been given many different descriptions. Merriam-Webster Dictionary simple defines Gentrification as: â€Å"The process of renewal and rebuilding accompanying the influx of middle-class or affluent people into deteriorating areas that often displaces poorer residents†. While this definition is effective in its simplicity, what gentrification actually translates to within a community is something that has been continuously debated. Economists, sociologists and urban theorists alike have all try to tackle the task of, both quantifiably and qualitatively, assessing the issue of gentrification. However, due to the laxity of the term and the scope of the area of interest different people’s analyses have yielded different findings. One of the most heavily debated tenants of gentrification is the issue of displacement. Displacement is the process by which can most readily be defined by the process through which residents are directly or indirectly forced out of their homes and have to move to another location outside of their neighborhood. However, as with anything regarding gentrification, the cause and the prevalence of it is intensely disputed. Some people claim that with gentrification undoubtedly comes community displacement; when neighborhoods gentrify housing and rent prices go up and often times people cannot afford to live there anymore and have to leave. The elderly and the poor are often cited as those most likely to be displaced by gentrification. Multiple urban scholars have researched and posed theories regarding the relationship between gentrification and displacement and sure enough, the results are conflicting. Kathe Newman and Elvin Wyly examined the theory that gentrification promotes displacement in their 2006 paper: â€Å"The Right to Stay Put, Revisited: Gentrification and Resistance to Displacement in New York City†. The scope of their research was New York City and Frank Braconi, Lance Freeman and Jacob Vigdor are credited as originally having developed the quantitative model they used for their assessment. After analyzing the statistical data of housing and migration trends provided by the New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey and conducting a series of field interviews with local residents in gentrifying neighborhoods, Newman and Wyly determined that the origins of urban displacement are too complicated to attribute solely to gentrification: National and regional housing market dynamics create a variety of displacement pressures at the city-wide level and that these pressures are expressed in complex mixtures of direct and indirect displacement as well as succession and replacement- all intersecting in locally contingent ways at the neighborhood scale† (Newman and Wyly 2006. Page: 25) It is important to note that while they conceded that the direct correlation between gentrification a nd displacement is hard to quantify for a number of reasons, they vehemently oppose the notion that the two are not related. They also refute the blind assessment made by some that gentrification is good for the low-income residents because: â€Å"Gentrification rebalances concentrated poverty while offering the improved tax-base, rub-off work ethic and political power of the middle-class†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Duany, 2001, p. 37). Other scholars have conducted similar studies on gentrifying neighborhoods and come to different conclusions. Mark Davidson concluded in his 2009 paper: â€Å"Displacement, Space and Dwelling: Placing the Gentrification Debate† that the terms gentrification and displacement have become muddied by popular discourse, to the point that one assumes a direct correlation. Furthermore, he states that there are spatial reasons for displacement and that before one even can accurately identify displacement, you need to understand the difference between â€Å"abstract space† and â€Å"places of dwelling†. Davidson cites the philosophy of Henri Lefebvre and Martin Heidegger as the basis of his theory of displacement and the nature of the gentrification debate. Martin Heidegger was a famous German philosopher, who though marred by his ffiliation with the Nazi Party, wrote one of the most influential pieces of philosophical literature: â€Å"Being and Time† in which he developed the notion of â€Å"Dasein† or as it is know: the study of â€Å"Being†. Heidegger’s theories regarding â€Å"Being† and â€Å"self† drastically re-shaped the field of ontology. He would later on to further revise his theory of Dasein to include the relationship man has with his geographic surroundings. It is from this that Heide gger established his concept of â€Å"dwelling† and declared it a fundamental tenet of Being. Dwelling can most closely be defined how man connects with the physical world around him. Through this connection man can both literally and metaphorically build a place to live and better examine the essence of â€Å"self†. The relationship between this branch of ontological thought and displacement is the opinion that: â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢place’ should not be understood as referring primarily to the idea of that in which an entity is located; place is not simply location or position [Platz, Stelle]†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Malpas, 2007, p. 48) What can be implied by Heidegger’s concept of place in regards to gentrification and displacement is there is a difference between place and space. And that migration, even if it is forced, does not necessarily equate a loss of place. The other philosopher whose theories Davidson brings into the gentrification/displacement debate is French sociologist Henri Lefebvre. Lefebvre was best known for his ideas regarding socially constructed space and the â€Å"spatial triad† which consists of: perceived, conceived and lived space. When coupled with Heidegger’s idea of mans relationship with his place of dwelling you have a very relevant lens through which you can examine many contemporary urban dynamics. For Lefebvre â€Å"lived space† is both a mental and physical construct (Davidson, 2009, p. 227). He harmonizes with Heidegger’s philosophy in that he also believes that mans interaction with his physical surrounding is key to establishing a place of dwelling or as he calls it â€Å"habiter†. Lefebvre elaborates further by describing the different modern influences that damage ones sense of habiter. Because of these contemporary economic, political and social pressures, â€Å"human being is limited to a handful of basic acts: eating, sleeping, and reproducing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  [Elden, 2003, p. 81; see Davidson (2007) on gentrification and ‘habitat’]. Davidson’s reasoning for citing the philosophical theories of Heidegger and Lefebvre in a paper on displacement is two fold. For one Davidson concludes that: â€Å"†¦the critique of the loss of space/place associated with displacement requires a philosophical underpinning that asserts the importance of space to Being† (Davidson, 2009, p. 31). In other words, contemporary urban researchers rely too much on quantitative analysis to determine rates of displacement. Another of his main points is that: â€Å"†¦it is impossible to draw the conclusion of displacement purely from the identification movement of people between locations. People can be displaced, unable to (re)construct place, without spatial dislocation just as much as they can with spatial dislocation† (Davidson, 2009, p. 228). According to Davidson, Heidegger and Lefevre’s analysis of space, Being and places of dwelling/habiter, show us that contemporary theories of displacement and its relationship to gentrification have some fundamental holes in them. The matter of gentrification and more specifically displacement is a complex and widely disputed one. However, both can is without a doubt, be dubbed a social justice issue. Some argue that gentrification brings about positive change in previously disinvested areas and displacement is a necessary side effect that may not even be related to gentrification at all. Others claim that gentrification is the epitome of social injustice as long-time residents (most often the elderly and poor) are forced out of their homes by rent hikes, greedy landlords and real-estate developers. When one examines the case studies done in New York by Newman and Wyly, in London by Davidson and the first hand experiences of my father and myself in Atlanta and Cambridge, MA; you can conclude that forced displacement, however you want to define it, is a social injustice prevalent in cities and gentrification is a complex and widespread issue that cannot be so easily qualified. Some of the other social justice issues prevalent in contemporary cities are economic stratification and social exclusion. Both problems that are nothing new to American and even urban society, but with the ramped growth of cities and their increase role in the world economy, the disparity between the haves and the have-nots has grown more pronounced. While gentrification is more of a â€Å"hot-button† issue in mainstream urban discourse, social exclusion is a reality faced by many low-income and minority residents in cities all around the world. As for economic stratification, it is a problem not confined to cities and is in no way a new phenomenon; their has been a sizeable gap of capital and resources between the top and the bottom for as long as their have been civilized societies. However, in recent years, due to a combination of globalization, the spread of capitalism and the recent reintroduction of the upper class back into urban neighborhoods, the inequality is more pronounced then ever. Social exclusion is the process by which individuals and entire communities of people are systematically blocked from the rights, opportunities and resources (e. . housing, employment, healthcare, civic engagement, democratic participation and due process) that are normally available to members of society. The outcome of these deprivations is that individuals or groups are prevented from fully tapping into the economic, social, and political potential of the society in which they live. In parts of Western Europe, social exclusion has replaced poverty (lack of disposable income) as the main area of study in understanding hardship faced by some in modern societies. Examining social exclusion provides a much more in-depth analysis of the different factors that contribute to the daily and often, perpetual, struggle of lower-class urban dwellers (Room, 1999). In his 1995 book, Les Metamorhoses de la question sociale: une cronique du salariat (The Metamorphoses of the social question: A chronicle of the wage) Robert Castel states: â€Å"Society is made up of a number of collectives who are bound together by sets of mutual rights and obligations, rooted in a broader moral order. Social exclusion is the process of becoming detached from this moral order. The task of social policy is to reinsert or reintegrate people back into society†. Several European governments have identified social exclusion as one of the central influences behind the strife of the lower class. While this a positive step toward enacting the proper social policy needed to tackle the cycle of poverty, it is unclear how widely accepted the theory of social exclusion really is. Specifically, it is unknown how extensively it has permeated American urban and social policy making. The other component of social exclusion and injustice in cities is the spatial layouts of many urban neighborhoods. Intentionally or not, the physical layout of many poor inner-city neighborhoods directly induces social exclusion along with a host of other social justice issues. Take for the example high-rise public housing buildings found in cities like New York. That type of hyper-concentration of poor, disadvantaged people not only creates a breeding ground for tension and violence, but also is physically exclusive. Living in a massive building consisting of a homogenous community of lower class residents, spending your time either in your apartment or in the small confined courtyards and playgrounds often found in the projects, is an isolated life. You are not exposed the social capital that a person from a more affluent neighborhood enjoys. Not only public housing, but also entire neighborhoods are becoming homogenous areas of limited social capital. A number of factors: economic disinvestment, social stigmas regarding â€Å"the hood†, along with general community disenchantment with their living situation has turned some city’s neighborhoods into bubbles; dangerous places that outsides avoid and locals cannot leave. The sad reality is because of the myriad of social problems that some urban neighborhoods face they have become highly toxic environments for everyone that lives there. Fast food restaurants, check cashing places (rather than banks), liquor stores and pawn shops, are all staples of many downtrodden neighborhoods. None of these types of establishments are conducive to any type of healthy lifestyle and when coupled with rampant crime and drugs, little economic opportunity, poor schools, and a serious lack of capital investment create a perfect storm of economic and social stagnation. Often times due to the spatial layout of these cities, these areas of concentrated poverty are located directly adjacent or in close proximity to more affluent areas. However, despite the geographic closeness of these different areas, the vast differences in social characteristics prevent any type of intermingling. The contemporary city is a complex and ever changing place. It is a much different entity then it was fifty years ago and chances are it will have evolved even more in another fifty years. Despite all the progress cities have made in becoming economic modules and social hubs, they have developed into innately unjust spaces: socially, economically and even spatially.