Recent orders
MACRO Term Paper
MACRO Term Paper
Name;
Course;
Student No:
Tutorial no,
Tutorial leader:
Time;
• Our banks are oversold
Banks are oversold if their performance is soaring. This is to say they have the following characteristics: The banks have excess capital and reserves; the banking sector is a flush with liquidity, reserves and capital. This makes the banks the most capable of paying a high dividend yield. Another factor that contributes the overselling is that fact that the banks anticipate a high gain in the next quarters. The banks are operating at low prices to earnings multiples. They also take into account the possibilities of low expectations in terms of earnings. The banks are also experiencing improved fundamentals and earnings per share growth project. The banks are attracting value investors due to their oversold natures, the banks are better posed in the markets. This is based on the fact that the banks have a positive performance projection. This leads to the reversion of the general mean. This is based on the premise that prices will finally appreciate towards the mean (Ragan &Lipsey, 2011).
• Old rules versus new rules with respect to bank leveraging.
There are a number of rules intended to govern bank leveraging, however, these rules vary depending on the prevailing market conditions. Lahart, (2007), states that the old rules were developed to create an economic boom in major world economies; however, the new rules are geared at maintaining a stable banking system to cushion banks from the risks that are increasingly building up in the finical market.
• Given the Euro crisis and European bank leveraging, does this inspire confidence in the Euro?
In the short run; yes, in the long run; no
• Does this inspire confidence in the marginal European economies: Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Ireland and now France?
This does inspire confidence in the marginal European economies in the short run, however, this is not sustainable and in the long run, the marginal European economies would have difficulties as the euro crisis ease. The banks leveraging would involve certain measures to ensure that the gearing is stable.
• The housing market in the US is leveraged. Explain the part that tax deductibility and recourse loans play.
According to Manny, (2007), when the interest rates rise and the housing prices fall, everyone would easily get access to a good home. However, the property owners would have problems paying back their mortgage loans, leading to overselling as the property owners start to panic
• What are the results of the US not requiring any down payments with respect to housing purchases?
This is one way of subprime lending, as it involves the provision of loan to those with limited capacity to payback with the intention of having an economic bubble. The effect of this will be an economic crisis as refinancing then mortgages will not be easy. As housing is also on of the leading industries, it will lead to trade deficit and cause panic in the financial system (Levenson, 2006).
• Explain subprime lending.
Subprime lending is the concept that involve advancing loan to borrowers who are likely to experience difficulties paying back the loan, these people do not meet the requirement set by banks, so the loans advanced to them attract high interest rates due to the risk factors involved. This concept was widespread in the early 90s as there was a general belief that subprime borrowers could be managed.
• Compare the affordability of home ownership with subsequent delinquencies and foreclosures between Canada and the US.
There is likely to be a remarkable increase in the level of delinquencies and foreclosures in the US than in Canada due to the expiry of the easy initial terms. There also likely to be an increase in the economic crisis in Canada as the wealth of the consumers in the market would be drained, with less protection of the banks by the government (Laperriere, 2006).
• Comment on Osama’s plan to reduce mortgage interest and property taxes. Does it appear viable?
While president Obama is interested in ensuring that the citizens of America have access to affordable housing there are a number of factors that should be considered. For example, Ragan &Lipsey, (2011), argues that when the mortgage interest’s rates are reduced, the home owners are in a position to save lots of money per year by only refinancing at lower interest rates. On the other hand, many of the home owners may not be qualified t for the refinancing scheme organized by Mr. Obama. However, it is important to note that while most of the owners may not be eligible for the reduced mortgage taxes. This may be attributed to the recent fall in property prices leaving them with very little in terms of equity. On the other hand, the lenders are not likely to approve refinancing for those home owners who have very low equity. These cuts out the home have poor credit rating. This is also true for those who have been paying back their loans (Ragan & Lipsey, 2011).
The plans are not viable as many people would not be able to meet the requirements for eligibility into these programs
References
Ragan and Lipsey, (2011). Economics, 13th Canadian Edition. Pearson Canada Inc.
Lahart J. (2007). “Egg Cracks Differ In Housing, Finance Shells”. WSJ.com (Wall Street Journal).
Krugman, P. (2009). The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008. W.W. Norton Company Limited
Manny F. (2007). “Study Finds Disparities in Mortgages by Race”. New York Time
Levenson, E. (2006). “Lowering the Boom? Speculators Gone Mild”. NY Sage.
Laperriere, A. (2006). “Housing Bubble Trouble: Have we been living beyond our means?”. The Weekly Standard
Lush Company Integrated Communication Marketing Plan
Lush Company Integrated Communication Marketing Plan
Contents
TOC o “1-1” h z u HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425627” 1.0 Background PAGEREF _Toc373425627 h 2
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425628” 1.1 History PAGEREF _Toc373425628 h 3
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425629” 1.2.1 Scope of this Integrated Marketing Communications Plan PAGEREF _Toc373425629 h 3
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425630” 1.2.2 Marketing Objectives PAGEREF _Toc373425630 h 4
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425631” 1.2.3 Communication Objectives PAGEREF _Toc373425631 h 4
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425632” 1.2.4 Issues and Challenges PAGEREF _Toc373425632 h 4
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425633” 2.0 Situational Analysis PAGEREF _Toc373425633 h 4
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425634” 2.0.1 Strengths PAGEREF _Toc373425634 h 4
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425635” 2.0.2 Weaknesses PAGEREF _Toc373425635 h 5
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425636” 2.0.3 Opportunity PAGEREF _Toc373425636 h 5
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425637” 2.0.4 Threats PAGEREF _Toc373425637 h 5
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425638” 2.1 Product History PAGEREF _Toc373425638 h 5
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425639” 2.1.1 Product Background PAGEREF _Toc373425639 h 5
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425640” 2.1.2 Current Problems Facing Products PAGEREF _Toc373425640 h 6
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425641” 2.1.3 Current Marketing Situation PAGEREF _Toc373425641 h 6
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425642” 3.0 Target Audience PAGEREF _Toc373425642 h 6
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425643” Figure 1: Cosmetic Distribution with Co-relation to age PAGEREF _Toc373425643 h 7
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425644” Figure 2: Age Segmentation and Market Positioning PAGEREF _Toc373425644 h 8
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425645” 4.0 Competition PAGEREF _Toc373425645 h 8
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425646” 4.1 Product Comparison PAGEREF _Toc373425646 h 8
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425647” 4.1Barriers to entry PAGEREF _Toc373425647 h 8
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425648” 4.2Competitor Differentiation PAGEREF _Toc373425648 h 9
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425649” 5.0 Branding and Messaging PAGEREF _Toc373425649 h 9
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425650” 5.1 Branding Architecture PAGEREF _Toc373425650 h 9
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425651” 5.2 Positioning Statement PAGEREF _Toc373425651 h 10
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425652” 5.3 Value Propositions PAGEREF _Toc373425652 h 10
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425653” 6.0 Communication and Marketing Strategies PAGEREF _Toc373425653 h 10
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425654” 6.1 Social Networking PAGEREF _Toc373425654 h 10
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425655” 6.2 Direct Product Marketing PAGEREF _Toc373425655 h 11
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425656” 6.3 Customization and Internet marketing PAGEREF _Toc373425656 h 12
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425657” 6.4 Television Commercial and Bonus Schemes PAGEREF _Toc373425657 h 13
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425658” 7.0 Budget PAGEREF _Toc373425658 h 14
HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425659” 7.1 Tactical Calendar PAGEREF _Toc373425659 h 15
1.0 BackgroundLush Company is a limited retail company that has its headquarters in the UK. It was founded in 1994 by Mr. Mark Constatine and his wife Mo Constatine. They pioneered the first store at Poole and named it Cosmetic House Limited. It was however on 10th of April 1995 that Lush Company acquired its current name. Since then they have opened over eight hundred and thirty stores in over fifty one countries. The company manufactures and retails a number of cosmetic and hand made products. These include bubble bars, shower gels, face masks and hair conditioners among others. The company uses synthetic ingredients and bees wax to give their products a touch of authenticity and uniqueness. A notable event was when Mo and Mark were awarded an OBE award during the new year of December 2010 due to their contribution to the beauty and cosmetic industry (Wood 31).
1.1 HistoryThe source of what is considered as Lush Company can be traced to 1970 when the paths of Elizabeth Weir an accomplished beauty therapist collided with Mark Constatine and together they birthed the company called Constatine & Weir. The worked together and began experimenting by making simple beauty and bath recipes and selling them to clients. This attracted the attention of The Body Shop which was a company owned by Anita Roddick and based in the UK, She was contracted as their supplier and since then their success has been on a notable upward trajectory. A background analysis of the company will reveal unique and steady business growth and expansion strategies employed by the company’s management (Thorson and Moore 23).
1.2 Executive Overview
The marketing plan clearly outlines various marketing and communication tactics that help promote Lush Company and its products to give it a wider consumer scope. Lush will be able to do this through internet advertising, website promotions and television advertising among other tactics. The tactics implied by this Integrated marketing communications plan will ensure that Lush company is able to fully tackle any challenges relayed to sales and brand dominance to build client and consumer loyalty (Wood 25).
1.2.1 Scope of this Integrated Marketing Communications PlanThis ICM plan entails the various strategies, tactics and communication objectives required to ensure that integrated marketing is executed and implemented successfully.
1.2.2 Marketing ObjectivesThe overall plan is to ensure that purchase of cosmetic materials by a student base target group increases by a considerable 35 % by the end of the 12 months.
Have a significant increase in our market share before the end of the 12 months to approximately 18% through implementation of strategies and modalities laid out in this plan.
1.2.3 Communication ObjectivesEnsure that approximately 15% of our target audience is aware about Lush Company and our cosmetic products by the end of the 12 months.
We also aim to increase our site traffic by 35% by the end of the year through website promotions and search engine optimization among other strategies.
1.2.4 Issues and ChallengesWomen are our major target demographic and due to increased competition with regard to female cosmetic products we will face some very stiff competition. To help us counter this challenge, we aim to diversify our target demographic to include children and men so that we can have an effective marketing strategy through product target differentiation (Wood 21).
2.0 Situational Analysis2.0.1 StrengthsOne of Lush’s key strengths is the invention of fast cosmetic mixing technology which enables cosmetics to be mixed, graded and quantified very easily. This technology has put Lush as the market leader in this field. The company has also ventured into mergers and partnerships increasing its manufacturing capacities.
2.0.2 WeaknessesOne of the key weaknesses of the company is the fact that the major markets are in the USA. The current economic recessions and fluctuations have impacted the sales negatively and Lush is now venturing into Asia and Africa.
2.0.3 OpportunityThere is a lot of opportunity presented by the African and Asian markets. Inflation in Africa and East Asia has led to an increase in demand for cosmetics which are cheap and economical on pricing.
2.0.4 ThreatsRecalls on some cosmetic products have posed a major threat to the company. There have been cases of dysfunctional cosmetic products resulting to accidents and skin irritation in some cases. The company has recalled some of the products in the market and this has threatened business all over the country and the company is working tirelessly to rectify the problem with the cosmetic products.
2.1 Product History2.1.1 Product BackgroundLush Company Over a period of three years have built a team of highly creative employees with Mo Constantine being the lead and overseeing product development. The products are at times highly individualistic and in some cases it is important to educate customers. New products are launched roughly every week and such a product that became very popular with the company was bath bombs which fizz when dissolving in water. A lively online user community and discussion forum is a very useful source or Ideas and input to the creative process (Wong 24).
2.1.2 Current Problems Facing Products One of their greatest problems right now it the lack of a direct link to consumers in that certain clients cannot easily get Lush cosmetic products. Most of their target group demographic hence cannot easily get and purchase their products leading to a gap in product delivery and development (Smith and Ze Zook 15). Another key problem they are facing is consumer brand indifference. There is no brand loyalty especially from women who are their target demographic since there are many diverse cosmetic products to choose from (Smith and Ze Zook 16).
2.1.3 Current Marketing SituationLush company has a website through which it reaches most of its users and has built quite a sizable online community of clients. This is one of their key tactics and they currently do not have other supporting strong marketing tactics.
3.0 Target AudienceFour factors have been taken into consideration in defining our target market. These are:
Target Identification
Based on research and studies regarding the cosmetic market, we have chosen to employ a new approach and target college and university students as our target audience. We are targeting a segmented age range as a new marketing strategy which will help target a well-balanced and defined consumer population ages 19-29 and 32-50 as seen in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Cosmetic Distribution with Co-relation to age
Source: Smith and Pulford 31
Market Segmentation
Most of our target market includes students and we were able to capture some analytical data to validate our segmentation of this market by asking some questions such as “How would you like to use Lush Cosmetics as your primary products?” and “Would you switch from your current cosmetic products to Lush Cosmetics?”. The response that we have gotten from respondents has given us a baseline to assure us that within the next 12 months we will achieve market segmentation of the said age bracket.
Market selection
By selecting the specified target market, we aim to capture a well- defined and balanced target group that will ensure even our products have age based diversity and appeal to both adults and young individuals.
Market strategies and Positioning
When most of the students were asked what had greater influence in their decision to purchase cosmetic products, about 56% said that price was the dominant factor. About 32% said that quality was the dominant factor. 21% of the respondents said the design and style was a dominant factor.
Figure 2: Age Segmentation and Market Positioning
Source: Smith and Ze Zook 21
4.0 Competition4.1 Product ComparisonCurrently, there are a number of companies producing cosmetic products that target the youth especially college and university students. With our products being refined to suit this age segmentation bracket, we aim to have a competitive edge and capture most of this market segment share.
Barriers to entryLush company is facing a number of barriers that deter it from fully optimizing this market. Key of these is the lack of awareness of this age bracket to Lush products and services. The economic recession and downturn has also proven to be quite a barrier as more and more people are spending less on cosmetics and beauty products contrary to a few years ago.
Competitor DifferentiationCommunity Engagement: We would like to let our members experience an ownership of the products and services. We will involve the community majorly through the membership and management activity through or website.
Activities and events: Regular on our schedule will be activities and events organized by the Lush management, friends and partners, together with featured institutions. These include, launches, marketing, meet-ups, conferences and regular talks aimed at helping us market our cosmetics to a wider spectrum.
Cost Leadership strategy: Lush Company also aims to make cosmetic products available to this market segment at a cheaper and affordable price slated at a 10% discount compared to current prices of cosmetic products within the UK.
5.0 Branding and Messaging5.1 Branding ArchitectureThe company aims at using young women as the pioneering subjects of brand messaging. Lush say that they are trying to “tap” on the moral sense of young women, so that the market will be more supporting and favor them for their ethical movement. Research also shows that 11% of consumers would be interested in paying for beauty products by a new method of ups on Smartphone’s instead of a credit card (Smith and Pulford 26). Lush company seeks to employ a conjunctive model on its branding message since it is likely to appeal more to young women and students (Brannan 26). One is that for the conjunctive model users, the brand messages should highlight the more professional and corporate side of using cosmetic products than its leisurely aspects or strong points. Brand messages for the lexicographic model however, should highlight the leisurely aspect of cosmetic products than the more formal and stringent professional highlights as is the case with the conjunctive model.
5.2 Positioning StatementLush company hopes to build its brand and establish concrete links among the younger populations and its products. Increasing popularity of cosmetic products among the young individuals is the motivation behind this branding and messaging strategy.
5.3 Value PropositionsLush company aims to use a cost leadership strategy and highlight this in their brand messaging so that more young people can become aware of the cost difference between Lush’s cosmetic products and their competitors. This is set to attract a higher number of clientele and their product value is likely to increase significantly.
6.0 Communication and Marketing Strategies6.1 Social NetworkingSocial networking is a key strategy that Lush Company seeks to use to implement their integrated communication marketing strategy. Through social networking, Lush Company seeks to target the younger generation Y especially via social media. This is with the aim of influencing their decision making skills regarding cosmetic purchases and using social media as a platform to reach them. Research has shown that since businesses embraced social media as a major platform for marketing their products, most companies have experienced a steady increase in sells among the younger generation who are frequent users of social networks (Smith and Pulford 29). The place that social networking plays in undoubtedly very impactive in today’s business tactics and economy balancing to diverse clientele from different generations (Smith and Pulford 38). Online marketing is one of the companies’ marketing objectives and they aim to achieve this through social interaction and culturing a consumer objective for cosmetic products to this younger generation through this avenue (Clow, Kenneth and Baack 31). Through social networking Lush Company will be able to broaden their spectrum of influence to the target audience and this will go a long way in ensuring that their goals are met. The social media commands great influence over today’s generation and affects their position as consumers greatly (Sandhusen 34). Lush Company should hence capitalize on this avenue to increase and cement their marketing tactic through social networking (Boone and Kurtz 24).
6.2 Direct Product MarketingLush plans to use direct product marketing where certain characteristics are similar to those of service marketing but unlike in the latter, individual attention to clients is not always practical as it involves large-scale production of goods and products shifting focus to the production aspects for instance, raw materials, quantities, stocks, and prices (Semenik 21). This is because in order to reach their target market, direct product marketing of their cosmetic product is ensured through conformance quality which is more pronounced, as it is more likely to net a large portion of impressed and interested consumers unlike in service marketing where the service requires more flexibility to adjust to meet the varied particular interests of various clients in the service industry (Bothma 33).
6.3 Customization and Internet MarketingCustomization of products for customers is the most critical means of delivering true value to customers (Ogden 47). Lush company aims to customize their products in order to achieve superior competitive advantage in the marketplace. The company implements product configuration system as a way of achieving this practice (Linton and Morley 17). It provides a lead time for product reduction depending on the demands of customers (Schultz and Lauterborn 31). Therefore, the design of products is done in a way that attracts the attention of customers.
One of the corporation’s Internet marketing strategies employed in marketing their products is lowering of prices for cosmetic products any time all the year round. The company keeps on lowering their cosmetic products in order to compete with their competitors producing the same products (Belch and Michael 21). This is crucial because it strategy has enabled it to acquire more customers who order and buy products online. In 2006, the company cut their prices in an effort of maintaining their market share. It also cut profit margins of real products purchased by more than a half (Blythe 39). This is done for the purpose of maintaining existing customers and attracting more customers in the market.
6.4 Television Commercial and Bonus SchemesAdvertisement has been a very dynamic market that keeps on changing with current societal issues (Cateora and Graham 11). Companies have started using measures that are sophisticated, with many buying agencies and clients using combinations of surveys and “optimizer” programs to analyze the demographic and psycho-graphic characteristics of audience groups and then establish pricing parameters that fit the audiences various networks delivered (Sandhusen 34). Lush company aims at using this to their advantage by launching a series of advertisements targeted at television viewers. The output of these commercials would be a recommended advertising placement portfolio for a specific product campaign (Percy 36). Lush Company also aims to use bonus schemes to further the implementation of their integrated communications marketing plan. This marketing strategy aims at providing customers with bonuses for cosmetic products purchased (Pickton and Broderick 27). The company will offer their customers free bonuses for the products purchased, including skin and hair products. This is crucial, because it enables customers to demand more products from their company since they will be incentivized. They will also make promotions of their services and products online offering a wide range of bonuses in order to attract more customers (Varey 26). Lush aims to use the slogan of ‘Looking younger every day’ as a means of making their products known to customers and establishing their branding structure that a younger demographic can identify with.
7.0 BudgetA large percentage of our budget has been allocated to company promotions about 55% because statistics show that a significant 60% of the target market that we have selected prefer events and word of mouth advertising (Blakeman 25). Our second most dominant budget has been slated for television and commercial advertising which is about 25%. This is because results indicate that a considerable 50% of our target market prefer television advertising (Blakeman 36). Print and paper advertising has been allocated 15 % of our budget and lastly internet marketing and search engine optimization has been allocated 5 % of our total budget.
7.1 Tactical Calendar
References
Belch, George E, and Michael A. Belch. Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated Marketing Communications Perspective. Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2009. Print.
Blakeman, Robyn. Integrated Marketing Communication: Creative Strategy from Idea to Implementation. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2007. Print.
Blythe, Jim. Key Concepts in Marketing. Los Angeles, Calif: SAGE, 2009. Internet resource.
Boone, Louis E, and David L. Kurtz. Contemporary Marketing. Mason, Ohio: Thomson South-Western, 2005. Print.
Bothma, Neels. Integrated Marketing Communication. Claremont, South Africa: New Africa Books, 2005. Print.
Brannan, Tom. A Practical Guide to Integrated Marketing Communications. London: Kogan Page, 1995. Print.
Cateora, Philip R, and John L. Graham. International Marketing. Boston, Mass: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2007. Print.
Clow, Kenneth E, and Donald Baack. Integrated Advertising, Promotion, and Marketing Communications. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007. Print.
Linton, Ian, and Kevin Morley. Integrated Marketing Communications. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, 1995. Print.
Ogden, James R. Developing a Creative and Innovative Integrated Marketing Communications Plan: A Working Model. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice Hall, 1998. Print.
Percy, Larry. Strategic Integrated Marketing Communication: Theory and Practice. Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2008. Print.
Pickton, David, and Amanda Broderick. Integrated Marketing Communications. Harlow: Financial Times Prentice Hall, 2001. Print.
Sandhusen, Richard. Marketing. Hauppauge, N.Y: Barron’s Educational Series, 2008. Print.
Semenik, Richard J. Promotion and Integrated Marketing Communications. Cincinnati, Ohio: South-Western Thomson Learning, 2002. Print.
Schultz, Don E, Stanley I. Tannenbaum, and Robert F. Lauterborn. Integrated Marketing Communications. Lincolnwood, Ill., USA: NTC Business Books, 1993. Print.
Smith, P R, Alan Pulford, and Chris Berry. Strategic Marketing Communications: New Ways to Build and Integrate Communications. London: Kogan Page, 1999. Print.
Smith, P R, and Ze Zook. Marketing Communications: Integrating Offline and Online with Social Media. London: Kogan Page, 2011. Print.
Thorson, Esther, and Jeri Moore. Integrated Communication: Synergy of Persuasive Voices. Mahwah, N.J: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1996. Print.
Varey, Richard J. Marketing Communication: Principles and Practice. London: Routledge, 2002. Internet resource.
Wong, Ho Y, Kylie Radel, and Roshnee Ramsaran-Fowdar. Building a Marketing Plan: A Complete Guide. New York, NY: Business Expert Press, 2011. Internet resource.
Wood, Marian B. The Marketing Plan Handbook. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005. Print.
Appendix
* NRS Social grade is a classification system based on occupation:
Population %
A Higher managerial, administrative and professional 4%
B Intermediate managerial, administrative and professional 22%
C1 Supervisory, clerical and junior managerial, administrative and professional 27%
C2 Skilled manual workers 22%
D Semi-skilled and unskilled manual workers 16%
E State pensioners, casual and lowest grade workers, unemployed with state benefits only 9%
Brief explanation of marketing communication strategies, 3ps
Push strategy: Create awareness of the brand with the ultimate goal of sale to the final target audience customer/consumer.
Pull strategy: Use Intermediaries, distribution channels and retailers to create awareness and develop strong distribution network to the final target audience customer/consumer.
Profile strategy: Create awareness and spread the communicational message among stakeholders to the final target audience company’s micro environment.
The History of the Native American
Name
Institution
Professor
Date of submission
The History of the Native AmericanThe nation’s history, as well as culture, is significant to its development and revolution. In America, the Native Americans significantly left a mark that plays an essential role in understanding the nation’s history and culture. Variety of cases regarding the Native American lands and the white acts as a reflection of how life during that era was and the struggle they underwent to gain civil rights. However, the many tend to keep aside the bit of their cultural way of living with regards to the agriculture, the primary lifestyle as well as the weapons the used during the prominent decade. Transformations have been done to the present way of being as changes are inevitable, but the historical information is vital to advancement as well as educational perspective. In this paper, the Native American history is looked into an in-depth extent with regards to the Indian agriculture in America, the native’s culture and its change to present as well as the weapons used during that particular decade.
The Indian Agriculture in America is among the fundamental cultural activities played a significant role in the advancement agricultural sector to where it is today in the nation. Agriculture is essential to source of food, income to the farmer, revenue to the government, raw materials to the industries, market to the final industrial products and it significantly contributes to the nation’s gross domestic product. Therefore, looking at its historical background and its development in America as well as other parts of the world is essential and has sound impacts on the conventional and future generations. The Indian American Agriculture literature by R. Douglas Hurt has its roots since the early 1980s where it significantly takes part in shaping the historical economic novel (Boorstin, page 71).
The Indian agriculture was accompanied by supreme achievement whose effects are experienced up to date. The Indians would try as much as possible to dismiss failure, and the primary objective was commercializing agriculture for economic benefits from their fertile lands. For instance, the early evident achievement was the by the Mesoamerican farmers who first domesticated plants many decades ago. The white tried to acquire the Indian lands without success that led to the reservation land as well as forcing the Indians to adopt white farming techniques. The United States government later enhanced that the nomadic people venture into farming which could be a reliable source of food, income as well as feeds for livestock production.
The well-being of the community and lifestyle standards are determined by the cultural beliefs and their traditional customs. The necessary things that are crucial to the human life include family, food, work, shelter, play, and neighbors. The case is the same with the Native American as the community had their cultural ways of doing things and they were also faced with challenges. The native population was not economically as well as politically stable. Therefore, the civilians had a hard time in establishing their basic needs such as food, shelter, and clothing as high percentage depended on farming (Salisbury, et al. page 11). They did not have the advanced machinery to practice extensive agriculture and on the other hand, did not have the know-how of the use of modern technology in agricultural production.
Racial segregation made their well-being more complicated as they could not even have access to the standard facilities and services such as education and healthcare that were vital. The Native American did not enjoy civil rights in the nation and did not have political representatives as they could only live on their reservations. High population and poor facilities lead to tremendous suffering from communicable diseases economic degradation. However, their efforts of attaining civil rights led by native advocates were not in vain as it postulated significant changes. They made use of various techniques such as boycotting and demonstration. They were granted civil rights, and it effectively improved their participation in social-economic as well as political development. The struggle for equal rights significantly led to changes in the Native American laws into more favorable conditions (Smith, et al. page 15). The shift in policy granted them freedom and prevented their exploitation by the white, and they could have the right to participate in national affairs such as voting which is a fundamental right.
The weapons used in Native America were primarily historical artifacts that are vital up to today especially in the remembrance of the nation’s revolution. The objects are also valuable in the education sector as they play a crucial role in tracing the development of technology from the ancient period. Some of these natural weapons are used in various ways up to date, and they live to be memorable from one generation to the other. Among the commonly Native American armaments include bows and arrow, spears, knife, war clubs, tomahawks and axes, shield and armor as well as coup stick among many others. When one talks about the Native American weapons, the first thing to linger in mind are the prominent bows and arrows. For instance, many tribes Indian American being among them made use of the bows and arrows for hunting as well as for protection during wars. These weapons had been used in America since the stone age era hence many people had come up with the critical technology of achieving their efficiency. Most of the traditional American bows were made wood while the arrows varied from steel to wood as well as other forms of metal.
The spears, knives, and axes among many other Ancient American weapons were used for warfare and hunting purposes. Today the tools are advanced and used for many significant purposes which are sound to the society. For instance, consider the hunting game which is popular in the nation and other parts of the world. The primary weapons used are bows and arrows as well as spears. These games maintain the cultural values as well as a source of income to the participants and clubs who later give back to the community. For example, a significant percentage of the revenue from the hunting games today goes to the conservation and maintenance of forest as well as natural resources where these wild animals live. The art of knives is significantly applicable today as it is among the essential tool available in every household for various purposes. In considering techniques that involve cutting, shaping, and design, the Native American tools are still applicable today even if they are advanced in a more straightforward way that is more comfortable and efficient way to use. The art and skills of designing these weapons in passed from generation to another as many of them are strong and long-lasting (Volo, page 22). Therefore, these ancient tools are prominent and memorable to the history of America, and they are significant in use to the present and future generations.
From the above discussion, the history and culture of the Native American are essential and memorable not only to America but also to other nations of the world. It plays a significant role in the education curriculum as it acts as the primary historical content to the history students and teachers as well as to other related disciplines. The Native American Agriculture paved way to the mechanization and commercialization of agricultural production signifying that agriculture can be a dependable source of income. Preservation of the traditional sound customs as well as passing them to the future generations is vital in maintaining national cohesion and establishment of social-economic development.
References
Boorstin, D. J. The Americans: The Colonial Experience. New York: Random House,
1958; Douglas, H. R. Indian Agriculture in America: Prehistory to the Present.
Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1987; Volo, J. M., and D. D. Volo. Daily
Life on the Old Colonial Frontier. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2002.
Jones, David E., and Project Muse. Native North American Armor, Shields, and
Fortifications. University of Texas Press,
Salisbury, Joyce E., and Peter Seelig. "Introduction to Colonial North America." Daily
Life through History, ABC-CLIO, 2018, dailylife2.abc-
clio.com/Topics/Display/1426544?cid=41. Accessed 19 Feb. 2018.
Salisbury, Joyce E. and Peter Seelig. "Housing in Colonial North America." Daily Life
through History, ABC-CLIO, 2018, dailylife2.abc-
clio.com/Topics/Display/1426544?cid=101. Accessed 19 Feb. 2018.
Smith, John, et al. Captain John Smith : a Select Edition of His Writings. Published for
the Institute of Early American History and Culture by the University of North
Carolina Press, 1988.
Taylor, Colin F. Native American Weapons. University of Oklahoma Press, 2001.
Piatote, Beth H. Domestic Subjects : Gender, Citizenship, and Law in Native American
Literature. Yale University Press, 2013.
Volo, James. “Weapons, European and Native American.” 2017, pp. 558–577.