Abstract This paper explains that the Cambodian government has begun to make vast improvements to westernize its housing system in terms of design and in distribution of land. The author points out that, while urbanization plays a vital role in free market trade and democratic governments, the lack of purchasing power, financial strength and the legal loopholes required to obtain a new home in Phnom Penh are problems for the general Cambodian population. The paper stresses that Cambodians, who were colonized by the French in the late 19th and early 20th century, are accustomed to the centralized living styles of French flats, which provide more communal areas; whereas, the American investors are insisting on implementing westernstyle condominiums, which differ in the sense that the facilities provide more privacy and space.
Table of Contents:
Historical Background
The Need for Land and Growth
Culture and Foreign Investment
History of Housing in Phnom Penh
Cambodian Fiscal System
The Development of French Style Flats and Western Condominiums
Legal Requirements for Construction of Housing The Cost of Living in the New Phnom Penh
Analysis: French Style Flats versus WesternStyle Condominiums
Conclusion
From the Paper "It is evident that Cambodia has a distinct disadvantage compared to the rest of the Asian countries. Primarily, the remnants of war has left a poverty stricken country with the responsibility of re-shaping its entire government, providing education and health care to needy families and finding adequate professional workers to maintain a new democratic system of public administration. However, there are many advantages to starting over for Cambodia, as the United Nations and the United States have taken a great interest in the rebuilding efforts. With a new, open economy and sufficient developmental programs, Cambodia stands at a crossroads for change."
Abstract This paper explains that Hong Kong's housing, much more than in other cities, is a significant part of the infrastructure thus influencing the macro-economy: High housing costs cause workers to make wage demands and the employers are facing high location costs as well. The author points out that Hong Kong is unique in almost every respect, populated by Asians but has a Western-style economy but the Asian outlook on long-term investment is paramount. The paper concludes that the economic situation in Hong Kong is recovering faster than in other East Asian nations because of the financialized property-based economy, which is poised perfectly to weather economic storms without seeing the economy evaporate: Housing retains some value in any market; whereas, consumer goods and paper-based wealth of all sorts often do not.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Current Conditions
Literature Review
Findings
Discussion
Land Sales and Land-Related Revenue in Hong Kong 1991-2001
Various Asian Growth Projections, Annual GDP Growth in %: Actual and Projected
From the Paper "While Singapore and South Korea share some regional norms with Hong Kong, they are more properly considered newly industrialized countries (NICs) than Hong Kong. Park assessed housing policy in South Korea and Singapore because it is an important aspect of social development in addition to a source of shelter; he noted that it also affects access of the population to other material resources. He notes "In most cases, it can influence consumption patterns and household incomes, affecting what people can do and who they can become. For these reasons, most states in advanced capitalist countries have actively intervened in housing provision, although the degree and mode of state intervention vary according to sociopolitical conditions." In Hong Kong, historically and at the present, that intervention is considerable, a fact that sets it apart from most other 'free' economies."
Abstract The paper discusses where Wright found inspiration for his ideas and techniques and how he enhanced and embellished these lessons to create his own unique style. The paper explains how the societal influences of his upbringing, as well as the Japanese design exhibit at the Chicago Exposition of 1893, profoundly impacted Wright's style. The paper describes his "prairie style" houses that shattered tradition and made architectural history.
From the Paper "Frank Lloyd Wright, always a great showman and popularizer of his own architectural works, did nothing to discourage the legends and mythology surrounding their creation. From his writings, one can easily draw the implication that they sprang "sui generous", germinating in some kind of virgin birth from the mind and spirit of the great master himself. In fact, all of his brilliant innovative works, including his extraordinary Prairie Style houses, are built on a foundation that came before. They are the logical result of antecedents found in the architectural environment and society in which Wright was born and raised, and from lessons he eagerly learned. He was both a product of, and a contributor to, the dynamic and rapidly changing mid-Western society of late 19th Century America."
Abstract This paper highlights and analyzes the impact of globalization on the Arab/Islamic styles of management. The paper further highlights the Westernstyles of management and how these styles have integrated and influenced the Islamic styles of management.
From the Paper "In the vein of the rest of the world, the process of globalization has profoundly influenced Muslim Countries. The lives of their peoples have been transformed, as have their philosophies, relationships, and logic of innovative expression. Some have greeted these transformations with arms wide open, at the same time as others fret on the nature of the changes happening and the aptitude of those affected to react suitably. One of the fundamental reasons of such apprehensions has been a comprehensive management concern: how to protect an exceptional legacy in the face of global stress; to sustain management customs; to protect linguistic cleanliness; to preserve social, political and economic traditions; as well as, eventually, to maintain a practical identity in the center of a speedily transforming global setting. "
Tags: internationalization, growth, allah, instruction, authorities, religion, qur', an, nationalism
Abstract This paper provides an insight to the architectural styles in the United States' Key West and discusses the most predominant type of architecture there; the conch style. The author details the origins of conch houses and how they were adapted to the tropical weather of the Florida Keys. The paper also explains how the Key West architecture now has its roots in the conch houses of the original settlers, but also in the Bahamas, Africa, and even New England. In addition, other architectural styles are briefly described as well as how building codes have affected the landscape.
From the Paper "These homes are also aesthetically pleasing to most people and they have a lot to offer to the right person who is looking for a home to call his or her own in Key West or one of the other islands that make up the Florida Keys. They reflect the heritage of the area and the settlers who came from many other places to make their homes there on Key West. They also reflect the island life and the beauty of a climate that is so very tropical and sunny and warm most of the time. The conch house is not the only game in town, though, when it comes to where a person can live on Key West."
Abstract Architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed houses which were known as "Prairie School" because of their distinct style. This paper traces the history and the reason why this form of architecture came about, and how it was a reflection of a developing American trend of modernism.
From the Paper "One of the most striking things about Wright's houses is their lack of porches. They sink gracefully and beautifully into the ground ? and how can we fault them for this? ? but they also turn their backs on their neighbors. These are houses into which individual families can shut themselves away ? the first sign in at least a psychological sense of the suburbanization of America."
Abstract The paper discusses how the noir style of film and the western genre film share some similarities which unify the films in these categories more than they divide them. The paper describes how the styles of cinematography would seem to suggest that there could be no overlap in these genres; the settings of the western and the film noir are not simply disparate, they are opposite. The paper explains that they are, however, used to a similar effect in that they manipulate the sense of security experienced by the viewer.
From the Paper "It could be argued that stylistically there are not too many genres more diametrically opposed than those of the western and the film noir. The first genre takes place in a rural setting, the second in an urban one. The western genre takes place in an arid climate, while the film noir is characterized by rain and wetness. Both genres, however, have "man's men" as heroes and, generally, strong women as heroines. The style of storytelling is often the same, with characters often reaching conclusions that are not ultimately satisfying. It is true, in fact, that film scholars have already linked the two genres together in naming the western films that were made in the 1940s "Cold War Westerns" or "noir Westerns" (Tyler 178)."
This paper analyzes the close relationship between environment and character as clearly portrayed in Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Fall of the House of Usher."
Abstract This paper focuses on the main characters of Roderick Usher and his sister Lady Madeline as well as the eventual demise of the Usher family in Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher." The writer of this paper describes why the actual Usher home is itself a physical entity and thus becomes a pseudo-character in the plot which Poe uses to both mirror and amplify the story of the principal characters. This paper also discusses Poe's unique writing style by defining the close relationship between environment and character which becomes clearly evident through the narration.
From the Paper "While the character of the estate takes a toll on the narrator, this same character actually seems to be an extension of the Ushers themselves. By the time we are introduced to Roderick and Madeline Usher, we cannot help but notice the parallels between the estate and the characters. The dull, discolored fa?ade of the House seems to closely resemble the complexions of both characters. The otherworldliness of the environment surrounding the household seems to closely parallel the otherworldliness of the Ushers themselves. The phantom like ethereal impression we get of Madeline is the same as the impression we get from the narrator's description of the atmosphere surrounding the estate."
Abstract The paper relates that "The House on Mango Street" is a brief and apparently very simple story, told in the innocent voice of a school-girl who describes the house to which she and her family have recently moved. The paper portrays how the story hides very important meanings about identity and society. The paper illustrates the self-awareness of a girl in a world in which she feels she can choose neither her own space nor her identity. The paper shows how the child narrator serves the purpose in demonstrating the conflict between the personal, private world and the social world.
From the Paper "The school girl begins by telling us of the new house on Mango Street which will be the residence for herself and her rather numerous family, made up of six people. As she informs us, the new house is the first house the family has really owned, after having moved around for a long time from one rented place to another. She talks about the old, dilapidated buildings in which her family lived before and about the new house, which, although their own, is again a disappointment. As opposed to the other ramshackle buildings, the narrator describes the dream house that her family had been fantasizing about for a long time: it should have stairs inside and not on the hallway, three washrooms, a basement, it should be white and surrounded by trees, and have a big yard in front."
Abstract Discusses Russia's transition to a western-style Capitalist country after 1991. Russian socialist system development of a market economy built on legal (collective farm markets) and illegal (underground) market economy. Population statistics. Economic data. GDP. Investing in Russia. Foreign trade. Russian budget deficits. Labor force. Exports/Imports. External debt.
From the Paper "Since the time of the failed coup attempt in 1991, the Russian economy has been in a transition to a Western-style capitalist country. This only partially identifies the goal, since there are several different types of Western capitalist country. Each of the Western models is sufficiently similar, though, that the path taken by the Russian socialist system will be clearly in a new direction (Leitzel, 1995, 1).
Russia developed a market economy and has included capitalist-style behavior for as much as 25 percent of all economic activity in the pre-reform USSR, some of which was even legal. The legal portion was dominated by collective farm markets. Prices at these markets were more or less unregulated. In addition, some 100,000 Soviet citizens engaged legally in small-scale crafts and trades. The rest of the Soviet market ..."
Abstract The paper considers the important aspects of Western European art. It looks at the evolution of art through the ages and the conditions which seemed to encourage artistic growth and achievement. The paper considers periods of time when certain forms of art were popular and reviews some styles in art, with special reference to the nature of realism.
From the Paper "The history of art, worldwide, is a large and daunting subject, one that spans millennia. Yet, the history of art in any one given era or one particular geographic location is equally expansive and daunting. This paper shall take a look at some of the overall evolution, style, and creativity that has occurred during the past few centuries in the realm of Western European art. From the Renaissance to more modern times, certain styles have been championed and fallen out of favor, the quality of art and the thought behind it has come and gone. This essay shall deal with which periods and conditions seemed to encourage artistic growth and achievement, the rise, fall, and nature of realism in art, as well as other styles and levels of quality that have appeared."
Abstract The United Kingdom and the Netherlands have made commendable contributions to social housing over the past century. The successful collaboration of nonprofit builders has resulted in low-cost and efficient social housing in these countries. This paper shows that perhaps the most notable achievement is that housing at affordable prices is easily available to people who need it and, more importantly, at the time they need housing. Many other developed countries, including the Unites States, are struggling to provide acceptable levels of social housing and trying to copy the successful community housing models of European countries.
Paper Outline
Social Housing in Europe
Social Housing in Britain
Housing Associations in Britain
Social Housing in the Netherlands
Housing Associations in the Netherlands
Private Rented Housing Conclusion
From the Paper "In many European cities, low-cost housing is taken for granted; for instance in Tillburg in the Netherlands with a population of 165,000, a single association owns as much as 51 percent of the housing. Rentals charges by this association is only half or maximum two-thirds of market rates. Even in London, one of the high cost cities in the world, housing project developers are required to have 25 to 35 percent of the newly built units in the affordable category. (Johnson, Building a Better City: Europe's Affordable Housing Standard). A unique feature in these countries is the successful integration of "affordable" housing with "market-rate" housing in the same location, which means that people with high and low incomes live together and there is no social stigma attached to such practice."
Abstract The purpose of this study is to examine some of the general policies and history of Housing Connections, a social housing provider in Toronto, Ontario. Those policies are referenced to some of the more basic changes made under the Social Housing Reform Act (2000) before being compared to the policies of another Toronto-based social housing provider, Toronto Community Housing. The end goal is to provide readers with a basic understanding of the role and function of social housing providers within the Toronto area. Specifically, the benefits and limitations of Housing Connections are expanded upon.
Abstract This paper discusses affordable housing and what the involvement of the community and the black church should be on this issue. The writer looks at programs including Habitat for Humanity to define the ways that the community can become involved in providing affordable housing to its residents who are in need.
From the paper:
"There is an ongoing effort to attract African Americans to the affordable housing development industry. In Sacramento California an internship program was piloted that matched minority students to non-profit housing organizations. African American churches and communities could easily use this idea for their own memberships to encourage social understanding and involvement in the ongoing need for affordable housing (Ware, 1998). "
Abstract The objective of this paper is to examine the status and condition of African-Americans as compared to whites in the area of housing. The city of Chicago is used as a specific example, both historically and presently, in relation to access to and cost of affordable housing. The paper includes statistical information which highlights the proportion and number of both groups that occupy public and privately owned housing, the median/average monthly payment for housing. Finally this work reviews how these facts relate to the overall lives of African-American living in the United States.
Table of Contents
Objective
Historical Chicago Housing Facts
Covenants
The Gautreaux Case
Recent Studies and Their Findings
Summary & Conclusion
From the Paper "Seitles claims that integration has been a success in the fight against racial prejudice and states that: "Social consequences of racial isolation intertwine with grim economic realities for minorities. Due to the lack of interaction between racial groups, African-Americans are unprepared to work and socialize in a white majority society, while conversely, whites are not relating to, working with, or living with blacks. Prospects for African-American children raised in such communities are greatly diminished because of the lack of interaction between blacks and whites. Moreover, minority possibilities for advancement consequently decline from the lower quality of education afforded to them in ghetto schools, precluding them from competing for high-income employment. Although these inequalities are not always directly caused by intentional discrimination, residential racial segregation perpetuates these inequalities. Thus, minorities who live in racially homogeneous communities are faced with disadvantages beyond the present economic and social inequalities associated with minority neighborhoods." (Seitles, 1996)"
