Origin of Paper :: Essays

The word paper comes from the Greek term for the ancient Egyptian writing material called papyrus, which was formed from beaten strips of papyrus plants. Papyrus was produced as early as 3000 BC in Egypt, and sold to ancient Greece and Rome. The establishment of Great library at Alexandria put a drain on the supply of Papyrus, so According to the Roman Varro, Pliny's Natural History records (xiii.21), parchment was invented under the patronage of Eumenes of Pergamum, to build his rival libray at Permagum. parchment or vellum, made of processed sheepskin or calfskin, replaced papyrus, as the papyrus plant requires subtropical conditions to grow. In China, documents were ordinarily written on bone or bamboo, making them very heavy and awkward to transport. Silk was sometimes used, but was normally too expensive to consider. Indeed, most of the above materials were rare and costly. While the Chinese court official Cai Lun is widely regarded to have first described the modern method of papermaking (inspired from wasps and bees) from wood pulp in AD 105, the 2006 discovery of specimens bearing written characters in north-west China's Gansu province suggest that paper was in use by the ancient Chinese military more than 100 years before Cai in 8 BCE [1]. Archà ¦ologically however, true paper without writing has been excavated in China dating from the 2nd-century BCE. In America, archaeological evidence indicates that paper was invented by the Mayas no later than the 5th century AD.[1] Called Amatl, it was in widespread use among Mesoamerican cultures until the Spanish conquest. In small quantities, traditional Maya papermaking techniques are still practiced today. Paper is considered to be one of the Four Great Inventions of Ancient China. It spread slowly outside of China; other East Asian cultures, even after seeing paper, could not figure out how to make it themselves. Instruction in the manufacturing process was required, and the Chinese were reluctant to share their secrets. The paper was thin and translucent, not like modern western paper, and thus only written on one side. Books were invented in India, of Palm leaves (where we derive the name leaf for a sheet of a book). The technology was first transferred to Korea in 604 and then imported to Japan by a Buddhist priest, Dam Jing (曇å ¾ ´) from Goguryeo, around 610, where fibres (called bast) from the mulberry tree were used. After further commercial trading and the defeat of the Chinese in the Battle of Talas, the invention spread to the Middle East, Production was started in Baghdad, where the arabs invented a method to make a thicker sheet of paper.

Jean-Paul Sartre Essay

Existentialism focuses on the idea that life has no meaning and is considered absurd. Existential philosophers believe that humans create their own values and determine a meaning for their lives because, from the start, the human being does not possess any inherent value or identity. â€Å"Existence precedes essence† is one of the most well-known existential statements and describes how our concrete being is more important than its purpose. The existentialism movement introduced a new way of perceiving life and was illustrated through poetry, visual art and lecturing. Using these methods poets, artists and philosophers were able to convey the understanding that searching for a meaning to life is futile, and pursuing it can lead to the brink of complete comprehension about one’s purpose for existing, and in turn can cause one to recognize that life is only as meaningful as one makes it out to be. In â€Å"Freedom vs. Determinism† by Tom Greening, the poet rhetorically questions how the universe works in order to show the reader the impossibility of knowing why things happen. Greening uses the line â€Å"While we argue, life goes by† to illustrate the point that no matter how much time and effort is put into fighting over why things happen, life will continuously move forward. He is arguing that if we waste time attempting to understand the meaning of life, we will only reach the edge of understanding. Through the struggle to achieve this â€Å"understanding,† our personal lives can begin to elude us. In â€Å"Untitled† by Jackson Pollock, the artist uses abstract paint dripping and brush strokes to express the idea that life is not meant to be understood. With the painting, Pollock is showing how life is abstract at times, especially when its meaning is pursued. This is similar to the idea in the unifying thematic statement of the futility of searching for the meaning of life. Life’s conceivable meaning is not meant to be understood, much like the painting. In â€Å"Existentialism is a Humanism† by Jean-Paul Sartre, the lecturer defends existentialism from criticisms of being pessimistic and gloomy. He explains that man materializes at birth, and only after this occurs can he make something of himself, creating his own life without any outside force pushing him. He states that man is what he conceives himself to be, and nothing else. Sartre says â€Å"man is nothing other than what he makes of himself,† to convey the idea similar to the one in the unifying thematic statement, that life is only as significant as an individual makes it out to be. All three existentialists used their mediums to come to the conclusion that there is not one concrete meaning to life. Each individual puts meaning to their own lives. Through understanding this principle meaning of existentialism, Greening, Pollock and Sartre exhibited the fact that one should realize the mere existence of life is the only thing that matters, and should not be wasted on vain attempts to understand its meaning.

Audio Visual Technology Essay

When it comes to distance education in middle school, some may think that it is irrelevant for children to learn outside of the classroom. Personally, I believe that distance education is important at every level of school. In middle school, it would be appropriate for students to experience distance education, by requiring your class to log into a class chat room on the weekend, or at a particular time after the normal class hours and discussing the lesson for the day or the week. Also, as the instructor, you can post a topic on a personalized blog, and open it to your student to leave their opinion, or answer certain questions on the blog. These methods, in my opinion, are beneficial for students to explore the many different technologies readily available to them. With every benefit, there can be some limitations. One limitation concerning distance learning is the fact that if a problem was to arise or occur, the teacher would not physically be there to assist and guide the student. A situation like this could result in the student missing out on the assignment or lecture and possibly earning a failing grade. I believe that distance learning is appropriate for middle school students because it teaches them the importance of responsibility. It allows children to think responsibly and complete work on their own without the direct guidance of their teacher. Question 2. The message is the information, attitude, skill, or strategy that we deliver to the students in the classroom. The medium is the tool used in communicating information to the students in your classroom. The method is the way of getting the message across to the students. The message is what is given by the instructor, for someone else, typically the students in your classroom to learn. This message can include words, actions, and in many cases, signals. The message is important in the learning environment because it is what needs to be taught to your students. Teachers must make sure that the message is refined, focusing and compelling to the different types of learners in the classroom. Also, the message must be appropriate for the specific age group of students in your classroom. Using multimedia in your classroom in beneficial because it keeps the interest of the students in your class, as well as it motivates them to become discovery learners. When a teacher uses different types of multimedia in the classroom, it helps to reach the different types of learners that may be in the class. In order for the students to truly understand the information that is being relayed, the method in which it is delivered must be engaging and needs to revolve around the way that the students learn best. For example, some of the students in your classroom may be visual learner, while others may be auditory learners. In order for you to effectively get your message across for the lesson that you are teaching, you may want to present the class with a power point presentation which also has voices and sounds incorporated. Also, another way may be to present the class with an instructional video in order to get the message across. The 3M’s are very important when instructing your class because it ensures that your students are effectively gaining and understanding the knowledge that you are communication to them. Question 3. In today’s society, technology and the different types of media are forever evolving. The incorporation of technology is very important in education, in my opinion, because it motivates students to learn, and engages the student with the lesson that is being taught. Technology and media can be a resource to facilitate instructional strategies in many different ways. For example, a teacher may require her students to use a computer to browse the internet for research on a class project. Another way that technology and media can be used to facilitate instructional strategies is by allowing the student to take notes from a presentation through power point, instead of traditionally taking notes from the black board. Some instructors may have their class view a video on YouTube, in order to give the class a better understanding of a particular subject. These different ways of facilitating instructional strategies are important, in my opinion because they will help students in the classroom with different learning styles to fully understand the information and instruction that is being delivered by the teacher. Question 6. An instructional setting in which I would implement the use of multimedia would be inside of my kindergarten classroom. In order to get my class prepared for a very special trip to the National Aquarium in Downtown Baltimore, MD, I would, first create a weekly lesson plan for my five and six year old students. The daily lesson plans would review the different wild life that could be found at the aquarium. I would allow the students to view videos online of the different habitats the animals and mammals live in. This will give my students the understanding that the animals are not originally from the aquarium, but in fact from different wild life around the world. Also, I would allow the student so play different computer games which would help them to gain better knowledge of the animals they will view at the aquarium. By playing different computer game, the student will learning about different animals and mammals while having fun playing computer games that they are familiar with. Another form of technology that I would implement in my kindergarten class would be different interactive transparencies, in which the class as a whole can view, identify, and label together. For example, the instruction might include the student matching the correct mammal with the correct habitat. Before the actual trip would have even taken place, the students in my kindergarten class would have met the initial objective, which in this case, would be the understanding and the gaining of knowledge of the different animals and mammals in different habitats around the world. My reason for choosing the types of media list is easily accessible by me the teacher, and it is already familiar to the student in my kindergarten class.

American Dream – Of Mice and Men

The book Of Mice and Men follows George and Lennie on their Journey to reach the American Dream. Although the American Dream can vary from person to person, the main goal of the dream is to gain something they desire. George and Lennie's goal is to have their own land and make their own decisions. â€Å"Someday-we're gonna get the jack together and we gonna have a little house and a couple of acres† (Steinbeck 14). To reach their dream, George lies for Lennie because of his mental disabilities.Even hough George is lying, it doesn't compromise his moral character because he is doing this to protect Lennie. Later on in the book, Lennie accidentally murders Curleys wife to prevent himself from getting in trouble. Some may argue it compromises his moral character, but due to his mental disabilities he wasn't able to know his actions were wrong. George and Lennie were not able to achieve the American Dream, but they did try to accomplish it without compromising their moral characte r.Curlers wife also had an American Dream. Her dream is to go to Hollywood and be in movies, but she wasn't able to do this because of her mother. â€Å"I wasn't gonna stay no place where I couldn't†¦ make something of myself†¦ So I married Curley' (Steinbeck 88). On her way to reach her dream, she wasn't always honest. She didn't stay true to her moral character by settling to marry Curley. If she would have stayed true to her morals, she might have had a better chance at reaching her dream. â€Å"A guy needs somebody-to be near him.A guy goes nuts if he ain't got obody' (Steinbeck 72). The stable buck, Crooks, believes the American Dream is to have a best friend. This might seem to be a simple dream, but due to the time period, it was actually rather complicated. Crooks is African American and therefore looked down upon by the other workers. No one wants to be friends with a guy like Crooks. Crooks accepted his fate of never being able to accomplish his dream, but stay ed true to his moral character by not going out of his way to make the guys like him.

Younger and Younger Girls are Obsessed with Looking Good (Being beautiful). Its more Important to them than Anything Else in Their Lives

Advanced technology has contributed increased desire of younger and younger girls who consider being beautiful more important than anything else in the world. Today's society portrays the message that outside beauty is more important than the inner beauty through beauty pageant magazines, television programs, films, advertisement, internet and peer pressure among others. Children films and story books also depicts the importance of beauty for example Cinderella and Snow White among others, thus further idolizing the society (La et al. 2004). This has increased the desire and the pressure of the young girls to look alike with the prominent figures they see everyday and the messages portrayed such as being thin is beautiful and being overweight is ugly (La et al. , 2004). Several surveys that have been conducted reveal that advertisements geared to attract boys rarely reflect on appearance as those geared towards attracting girls for example the Barbie girl doll advertisement which reg ularly changes to meet the fashion standards set by the society (McLellan, 2002). The blame is not entirely on the media, parents too have also contributed to this fanaticism, especially when mothers have low esteem of their images and spend most of their time on the mirror flipping their hairs and pouting their lips to get the most desirable looks (La et al. , 2004). This affects the development of the children because as toddlers they try to imitate the actions of their mothers and when they grow up they aim at having better looks than their parents to improve their tainted self esteem (La et al. 2004). Today most of the parents rarely spend enough time with their children because of working for long hours thus the children spend most of their playing time watching television. Furthermore, the children of today are embraced with a pop up culture that advocates for upgrade of everything including breast implants, liposuctions and sexual competition among others. Parents of these children were teenagers in the 1980s where the beauty industry was strongly evolving resulting to the increased rate of bulling and teasing in elementary schools from those who considered themselves to be beautiful and match the standards portrayed by the over-sexed media. This explains their laxity in controlling and limiting the time and money their children spend on beauty treatments (Lowes & Tiggemann, 2003). According to Bob Reitemeier the Chief Executive of Children's society in UK reports that the two year study that they recently conducted on ten year old girls revealed that they were under pressure to grow up quickly from the society and their parents (La et al. , 2004). Other surveys that have been recently conducted reveal that more ten year old girls are focused on losing their weight because of the anxiety they have of impersonating beauty models who most of the time are their idols (Lowes & Tiggemann, 2003). The young girls spent almost all their pocket money on exercises to lose weight while saving some for future plastic surgery on their breasts or noses. There has also being reports that young diabetic girls skip out on their regularly dose of insulin as it makes them add on weight further worsening their health condition. This is because they consider beauty to be the most important aspect in their lives than anything else, even health. Thill is among one of the many girls that adores this impeccable behaviour. She has damaged her kidneys and has had to undergo surgery on her eyes twice in a period of six months because of blood vessel haemorrhage (McLellan, 2002). According to La et al. (2004), the anxiety and pressure build up in the young girls is attributed to the freedom they are accorded by their parents to access information that is linked with maturity as it perpetuates sexual and relationship behaviours. Young girls own large collection of make-up, shoes, clothes, handbags, are addiction to sexually enticing programs, spend a lot of time on the mirror when preparing themselves and must check their appearance when walking past a mirror to maintain the mature look they have adopted which they believe is beautiful. Most beauty spas report that younger and younger girls are regularly visiting their parlous to get beauty treatments like manicure, pedicure and laser hair removal among other things. Moreover the beauty spa attendants report their astonishment at the tender age of girls even five year old that are predominantly becoming their regular customers (McLellan, 2002). A survey that was recently conducted in London by Lewes & Tiggemann (2003), shows that more kids spas have been established as the youngsters are enticing the beauty industry because they earn over ?40 million per month therefore, they estimate that by the time the ten year old girls will be fifty years they would have spend a minimum of about ?400,000 on beauty treatment. Although women have greatly strive to be beautiful over the years, the trend practiced by girls at their tender age is consuming time that they can utilize to nurture their talents for instance in sports and to further improve their performances in school by reading vastly. The children also have a higher possibility of suffering from health issues in their later lives because of the early exposure to chemicals which mostly are untested. From the above information it is likely that the young girls will end up with depression from the anxiety of looking like their dream models in their later life. Most of them develop anorexia in the event of losing weight. Therefore, parents should set limitation to the kind of television programs, movies, magazines and the amount of time spent on beauty treatments parlours to avert this obsession that is slowing seeping of the pride and confidence of young girls. Parents should encourage their children to watch educational programs that have limited advertisement interruptions and allow them to participate in childhood games and activities. Moreover, they should monitor sleeping behaviour of their children as those who have a habit of sleeping late are more exposed to programs that portray sexuality and fashion as the norm of today. Furthermore, the parents should create time to spend with their children and thus monitor their growth effectively to teach their kids their purpose in life to avoid them developing future insecurities on their beauty. By so doing they will have helped their children to learn that inner beauty is more important than outside body. In conclusion I totally agree with the statement that ‘younger and younger girls today are obsessed with looking good (being beautiful). Its more important to them than anything else in their lives'. This fanaticism is wholly sad because these young children will be the future leaders of tomorrow and if not well nurtured will not effectively perform their roles thus greatly affecting their children and the old generation that will be under their care. Therefore, it is a high time for the society to start respecting children and stop regarding them in accordance to their gender.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (1828 †1910)

Type of Work: Tragic love storySetting Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia; nineteenth century Plagiarism Detection >Principal Characters Robert Jordan, an American fighting with Spanish Loyalists Anna Karenina, a beautiful young woman Alexey, her cold, vindictive husband Count Vronsky, a young military officer who falls in love with Anna Stepan Oblonsky, Annas spendthrift brother Dolly, Stepans frustrated wife Kitty, Dollys sister Levin, Stepans rusticc friend, and Kittys suitorStory Overveiw Stepan Oblonskys wife Dolly had discovered that her husband was having an affair. With her beauty fading and her household a wreck, she had had enough. Stepan fretfully wrote to his sister, Anna Karenina, asking her to come to Moscow and convince Dolly not to leave him.Later, while working at his job in the entrenched Moscow bureaucracy, Stepan received an unexpected visitor: Levin, an old friend from the university, came to discuss Dollys sister Kitty, whom he wanted to marry. After being inform ed by Stepan that he had a rival for Kittys affections, a certain Count Vronskv of St. Petersburg, Levin resolved that he would propose to Kitty that very night.At that same moment, Anna and Count Vronsky were riding together in a train bound for Moscow. Vronsky noticed the charming woman as he made his way to the first-class compartment that he shared with his mother. He had time to take note of the suppressed eagerness which played over her face as their eyes met, and she remained in his mind. However, upon reaching their destination, the two went their separate ways Anna to her brothers home, Vronsky and his mother to a hotel.Approached by Anna, Dolly at first refused to discuss her husbands infidelity. Everythings lost after what has happened, evervthinqs over! she raged. But finally she relented to Annas plea to keep the family together.Meanwhile, Levin had arrived early at a dinner party hosted by the parents of Kitty and Dolly, determined to make his desires known to Kitty b efore the appearance of the rich and handsome Count. But That cannot be forgive me, Kitty replied upon hearing his stammering proposal. Crushed by the rejection, Levin escaped from the gathering at the first opportunity.A few days later, at her coming-out ball, Kitty couldnt help but notice how Anna and Vronsky kept gazing at each other. Vronskys face had a look that puzzled her . . . like the expression of an intelligent dog when it had done wrong. It was clear to Kitty that the two were in love.Nevertheless, with her task of seeing to Stepan and Dolly completed, Anna boarded the next train for St. Petersburg. She thought of her son, Seryozha, and her husband, Alexey.. Mv life will go on in the old way, all nice and as usual she thought. But she found that she could not easily dismiss Count Vronsky from her mind. And stepping along the way, as Anna stepped out for a breath of air, there he was. You know that I have come to be where you are; I cant help it, confessed the officer. Anna was both delighted and flattered by this, but it was simply unthinkable that anything could come of his attraction to her. After all, she was a married woman.Back in Moscow, Kitty was devastated. Not only had Count Vronsky spurned her, but Levin had also left the city to supervise work on his country estate. Humiliated and distraught, Kitty became so ill with despair that she was soon unable to eat or sleep. Her frantic parents, after finding no restorative medical treatment in Moscow, sent her to Europe to consult various doctors.Meanwhile, life for Anna in St. Petersburg remained strangely unsettled. The happiness that in Moscow had fairly flashed from her eyes, [now seemed] hidden somewhere far away. To her further disquiet, the love-struck Vronsky took every opportunity to see her. One night she knelt and begged him to leave her in peace; but still he persisted: I cant think of you and myself apart. You and I are one to me. And at that moment Anna let her eyes rest on him, full of love.Soon afterward, Alexey Karenina walked into a party and found his wife with Vronsky; but Anna denied any impropriety. Still, she and Vronsky met night after night, with Alexey seemingly powerless or unwilling to stop them. Anna by now felt so sinful, so guilty; but still she could not curb her passion for the Count.The following summer, while staving at her husbands villa outside the city, Anna confronted her lover with an announcement: she was pregnant. Though he understood the gravity of Annas position, Vronsky smiled. This was the turning point he had been longing for.Leave your husband and make our life one, he implored. But Anna shook her head. If she left, Alexey would take sole custody of Seryozha and she would not be allowed to see her son. But Anna did promise Vronsky that she would tell her husband the truth about the child she was carrying.When Anna made her confession, Alexey, instead of showing jealousy or indignation, merely warned his wife against public displays of flirtation. His sole concern was to preserve his social and business reputation; a duel or a divorce would only serve to disgrace him. The family cannot be broken up by a whim, a caprice, or even by the sin of one of the partners in the marriage, he informed Anna Our life must go on as it has done in the past.Anna reacted to his words at first with guilt and shame, but this quickly turned to anger: He knows that I cant repent that I breathe, that I love; he knows that it can lead to nothing but lying and deceit- but he wants to go on torturing me . . . Vronsky also was increasingly anxious to begin a new life with Anna, who would not leave her son. And so, the position was one of misery for all three Kitty had by now returned to Moscow, feeling somewhat better. One morning, just after dawn, Levin caught sight of her in a carriage, as it skirted his estate destined for her familys summer home. The pangs of love, long since buried, welled up in him once more. Months late r, taking advantage of a trip to the city, he called again upon Kitty. It was apparent to both that they cared deeply for each other, and, after a proper courtship, they were united as man and wife. Levin, for years caught up in trying to find out who he was and where he fit in Gods universe, had finally and happily found his place.But in St. Petersburg, relationships were breaking up. The nearer Anna came to the birth of her child, the more demanding and cold Alexey became. Then Anna survived a deadly fever to give birth to a baby girl. Oddly, the difficulty of the birth eased the tensions between herself and her husband. At the other extreme, Vronsky saw no end to the barriers separating him from his lover. Desperate at the prospect of living without Anna, he unsuccessfully tried shooting himself. Still torn, Anna finally did move in with him, and soon the couple left Russia to live in Italy for a time.Meanwhile, Kitty and Levin were living on their estate outside of Moscow. Levin felt gratified to be spiritually sustained by a loving wife. Like Anna, Kitty went through a difficult pregnancy, but it culminated in the birth of a fine little boy. Theirs was an idyllic life.Upon returning from Italy to St. Petersburg, Vronsky and Anna, found themselves ostracized. Gossip followed them everywhere. The couple argued frequently, and Anna, in a burst of depression, finally accused Vronsky of being unfaithful. Even after they moved into a newly-inherited estate, Anna felt alone in the world. She revived her habit of taking a little morphine to help her sleep, a legacy from her pregnancy.Summer turned to winter, and the family relocated again, this time to Moscow. There, the badly strained relationship fared no better. Though Anna pled for Vronsky to love her and give her security, at the same time she increasingly insisted on greater freedom. This is becoming unbearable! Vronsky screamed one day. Why do you try my patience? It has limits. Anna could only gaze at him with terror at the undisguised hatred in his whole face. Vronsky checked himself: I mean to say I must ask what it is you want of me? All I want, she replied, is that you dont desert me, as you think of doing . I want love, and there is none. .. Vronsky vainly protested; he would never cease to love her.Suddenly, Anna turned on Vronsky, cursing him for the sacrifices she had made to be with him her marriage, her son, her social position Delirious with bitterness, Anna had no place to turn; Vronsky, she was convinced, had found another, and she could never return to Alexey. Ambling into the train station, she purchased a ticket. Then, standing on the platform, watching the trains, she said to herself.. I will punish him and escape from everyone and from myself.Measuring both the speed of the oncoming train and her resolve to end her suffering, she jumped. Something huge and merciless struck her on the head and rolled on her back. Lord, forgive me all!Anna Karenina was dead.Comme ntary Leo Tolstoy is considered one of Russias greatest nineteenth-century novelists, an honor he shares with Dostoievsky. Tolstoy, however, focuses his novels on the vicissitudes of the upper-classes rather than on Dostoievskys underprivileged peasants or criminals. Plagiarism Detection >Tolstoy foresaw the end of the aristocracy in Russian society. Serfs had already been set free; the working class was beginning to expand in power. Moreover, new mores and morals were being imported from the West, and societys upper crust was the first to feel the strain of these changes a strain running an undercurrent throughout Anna Karenina.The novel reads like a soap opera, with the exhaustive cast of characters continually creating their own problems. Contrast Annas tragic quest for love and personal fulfillment with the spiritual odyssey of Levin. Through hard work and the support of an understanding family, his search is rewarded by happiness. Thus, Tolstoys gripping masterpiece revolves a round the dissimilar paths of these two characters, allowing a forum for the authors commentary on Russias maze-like social system, fraught with unresolved incongruities.

Zara Fast Fashion From Savvy Systems Coursework

Zara Fast Fashion From Savvy Systems - Coursework Example BBC in a business article described Zara’s advancement into the global market as beating expectations in each quarter (BBC, 2010). Tiplady described the rising of the company past the former leader in the industry, H&M (Tiplady, 2006). She dramatically expressed the rise as beating off the pants from the leader and everyone else. Fox described it as a global achievement story (Fox, 2011). The company’s innovativeness has been hailed as the spine of the Spanish success story (CNN, 2001). The image of the firm has looked incessantly looked up in the global stage. This is convoyed by a steady elevation of revenue indexes. The company’s size trebled from1996 to 2000, and then jumped from $2.43 billion in 2001 to $13.6 billion in 2007. By August 2008, sales overtook Gap, making Inditex the global leader in apparel retailing (Hall, 2008). The growth of the company has been proped by seven other brands, and Zara is unquestionably the firm’s crown jewel and growth engine, accounting for roughly 2/3 of sales (Murphy, 2008), opening a store a day and entering new markets in 68 countries so far. The chain’s profitability is among the highest in the industry (Sull and Turconi, 2008). The growth of the company is deemed to emanate from three innovating characteristics. All analysis reviews cite short lead times, lower volumes and more styles, as the drivers behind the company’s achievements. ... Additionally, the company strives to respond with swiftness to the demands of the market. The company’s visions are to be a part of the customer’s life, achieve a customer’s experience inside its shops and achieve a social action perception. Additionally, the company aims to contribute to the sustainable development of the society and the environment. Situational Analysis The apparel industry is a very dynamic industry. What is in demand today may be junk tomorrow. Unlike other industries, apparel manufacturing is work intensive rather than resource intensive. It is highly subjective to political factors; laws are passed which significantly affect the industry. Other dynamics include changing social trends, market development and global economic trends. Environmental Analysis The environmental analysis utilizes the PEST model. This evaluates the political, economic, social and technological factors affecting the apparel industry (Thompson & Martin 2005, p. 86). T he labor-intensive nature of the industry makes it dependent on such factors as employment laws and consumer protection. The employment laws are significantly complicated in developed countries. Regulations within this law which have hit the industry include the minimum wage and health protection laws. Coupled with globalization, this has led to companies shifting their production to developing nations. Investment in PPE has reduced across the industry. Developing countries have in turn opened up their countries in an attempt to boost FDI. There has been an improvement in the nature of international commerce laws which has attracted many companies to offshore production. One of the most devastating economic factors to the industry is demand. In 2007, demand in the