Challenges of Being an Advocate and Neutral Facilitator Essay Example for Free

Challenges of Being an Advocate and Neutral Facilitator Essay Dual Relationship Challenges A mediator is an impartial third party who meets with two or more people to encourage and facilitate communication in order to reach an agreement or conclusion over a conflict that exists between the two parties. The mediator is not the decision maker. The two parties and not the mediator will make the final decision. It is the legal and ethical job of the mediator to keep all communication confidential unless otherwise specified (The Association of Attorney-Mediators, 2001). The mediator should never choice anyone side or force one party to agree with the other. Because mediators are neutral, their personal beliefs and values can be a challenge. There are legal, moral, and ethical issues that mediators have to tackle when they deal with the parties conflicts. The mediator has to assure that each party is comfortable and know that their issues and thoughts are heard. It is important the mediator remain bias. Personal Perception Mediators and advocates are the vital to the human services field. Their clients depend on the mediator to inform them of their rights. They do not know the laws and the procedures that protect them. That is why mediators and advocates there to assist them. Personal Philosophy and Approach The services that are provided at the Planned Parenthood Agencies, I feel are important. Most soon to be, parents are teen who have no idea on how to tell their parents or guardians that they are expecting. The mediator at Planned Parenthood (the counselor) will be the one that will assist them on informing their parents or guardians and be the neutral party that will help them to determine the next step. Whether it be abortion, adoption or to keep the baby. The mediator is has no personal interest in the family but they do have to accept the decision of the family no matter what their personal beliefs are. Planned Parenthood is trusted health care providers, informed educators, passionate advocates, and a global partner helping similar organizations around the world. Planned Parenthood delivers vital sex education and information to millions of women, men, and young people worldwide (Parenthood) . They are mediators must remain neutral if they really want to help the families through their difficult ordeal because it takes a person who can help the two parties come to a civilized decision about their issues. Conclusion It is important that human service professionals who are mediators and advocates remain neutral when assisting parties with their issues.

Male Role in Female Empowerment

Male Role in Female Empowerment This paper looks at the issue of womens empowerment, the role of men in empowering women, women and feminist reaction to their involvement, their own reaction as men, how they can be efficiently and effectively involved and the way forward. Until the 19th century, women accepted their mediocre status in society as they lacked the educational and economic resources that would enable them challenge the prevailing social order. Attempts to right the inequalities between men and women necessitate the empowerment of women economically, socially, politically and culturally. Women must be given the educational and economic resources that will free them from mens domination, patriarch, oppression, violence and servitude. Like the case of vaccines where weakened or dead microbes of the kind that cause a disease is administered to stimulate immune system to produce antibodies against that disease, if men are seen as the perpetrators and the cause of women problems, then it is simply wise to effectively and efficiently involve them in solving societal inequalities that exist between men and women. Once feminists, advocates, activists and women in general view men everywhere as inherently part of the problem, efforts at empowering women must involve and engage men, hence the proliferation of an interest in men and masculinities in recent years. The lives of men and women are interdependent and any benefit from women empowerment will go a long way to benefit both. Hence, there was a call on countries in 1994 at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) to promote mens support in the struggle for gender equality and encourage their involvement and shared responsibility in all areas of family life and reproductive health. Research has shown that, partnering with men is an important strategy for advancing womens empowerment. Again, the need for the involvement of men has been precipitated by a series of global processes such as the 48th session of the United Nations Commission on the status of Women (CSW), which discussed the role of boys and men in achieving womens empowerment and gender equality. This need for mens involvement is underscored by the fact that mens power over women in many contexts necessitates working with men to change the conditions of womens life; for mens power in society is exercis ed from personal decision regarding family size to the policy and programme decisions taken at all levels of government. Again, men as perpetrators arouses the need for their involvement, that is in treating the disease of womens disempowerment, ignoring the cause will only make the fight, a back and forth unprogressive agenda and as such to remedy the situation , the real cause-men, must be involved in the whole process. Also empowering women, calls for the pulling together of many resources for its accomplishment and these resources unfortunately are largely controlled by men who determines its distribution, beneficiaries and accessibility and hence it makes greater sense to pull them along on the pathway of womens empowerment to be able to assess and enjoy the resources needed in the process. Last but not the least, it is important to involve men due to the fact that, they are largely the leaders in society serving predominantly as decision makers, opinion makers as well as publi c figures who the younger generation both male and female emulate as part of their socialization and as such for womens empowerment to be achieved, men as leaders must be reached, encouraged and mobilized to become committed to gender equality in all aspects of human interactions and relationships to serve as good examples to the younger generation to acquire a wholesome socialization that view both men and women as equal and not as one being superior and the other inferior. It is worth noting that the exemplary life of men as leaders in the socialization of boys and girls is very vital in achieving and ensuring gender equity on the backdrop that they (boys and girls) are more susceptible to change and mental restructuring. It is therefore against these backgrounds that mens involvement in womens empowerment is deemed as very crucial and influential. On the assumption that humans in general are resistant to change, particularly to their norms values and belief systems, it is not surprising that some men have and are still fighting against the notion of womens empowerment based on the hidden reason of trying to defend their privileges and power because of fear of the loss of authority and economic benefits that they perceive womens empowerment would involve and also their resentment of what they see as attention and resources being given disproportionately to women. For some other men, the blame-game strategy of some feminists and seeing them as so evil deters them from changing their personal masculinities and also join in the struggle for women empowerment. On the other divide, the attention being paid to men on their involvement in addressing their superiority ideologies, over-emphasized masculinities, violent and abusive behavior in stimulating changes in their relationships with girls and women has been met with the feminist ideology of on our terms/conditions indicating a limited space for mens involvement and tangible participation. Although male involvement in womens empowerment has been of recent concern, many women working in the field remain unconfident, uncertain, antagonistic and very hostile to the idea that men might be or are partners in the fight for gender equality. Thus the emergence of men as advocates for womens empowerment has been received with a lot of suspicion, within some feminist circles; they are viewed as competitors for the limited funds available for womens rights and not as a supporting initiative. Some argue that men were coming to take over with the aim of wiping out feminist movement whilst others see men as competitors in empowering women rather than complimentary to their efforts and advocacy. Interestingly, in the mens fraternity, men working as aids to womens empowerment are seen as betraying their fellow men and sometimes referred to as men who are sat on by women in their communities. Mens role in the promotion of womens empowerment has therefore become topical and yet contested in various quarters among feminist and women who work in the field. Many feminist have viewed the involvement of men in womens empowerment with so much suspicion emanating from the distrust for men and their fear that men will try to use subtle and deceptive means to defend and maintain their privileges and power because of fear of the loss of authority and economic benefits thereby undermining the fight for womens empowerment. Men have been seen as the cause and perpetrators of the down trodden image of women and therefore it is quite uncomfortable for some feminist at involving them in their fight. Perhaps questions like why these men should be involved in the first place, how are they to be involved, whether they are willingly and will be truly committed to the fight, why on earth will men be interested in empowering women considering the superiority, power and autonomy they enjoy, and what solutions, measures and prescriptions do they have to offer in empowering them as women repeatedly clouds the minds of many feminist. This suspicion also arise s from the issue of whether men will really welcome the idea and state of women being equal to them in terms of status, power, and leadership and decision-making, are men really determined to work with women without setting or prescribing boundaries and limitation to how, which form and the extent to which women can be empowered. It is therefore against this background that many if not all women view mens involvement in their empowerment with much suspicion, hostility and hesitations. For some their hostility arises from the fear that the involvement of men in their empowerment would overshadow their efforts with them selling out to a watered down agenda. Again, in working with men to empower women, most development institutions lack the needed determination and focus of working towards a more equal world where men will not be seen as superior to women. Certainly the way in which work with men has been taken up by development institutions has often been lacking in ambition and devoi d of political intent, preoccupied with creating more equitable men, rather that galvanizing mens activism for a more equal world.( Cornwall et al, Dialogues on womens empowerment). Gender equality work with men cannot expect to participate in efforts to secure gender justice simply on the basis of men being the other half of gender but an interdependent part. Personally, for the empowerment of women to be achieved, the role of men can never be overemphasized due to the fact that the lives of men and women are intertwined such that whatever affects one directly or indirectly affects the other. It is worth noting that men even in the most traditional and patriarchal societies believe and support womens empowerment and would want to see their mothers, sisters, daughters and wives live in a society where equity and justice is paramount. Many more men in our view are ready to lace with their women folk in their empowerment- this can clearly be seen around us with the increase in the number of feminist men who have joined in the battle. However if women and feminist want men to be truly committed and involved in their empowerment, then these men should be seen as allies and not competitors, thus men should be seen as complimentary to their efforts rather their challengers or rivals. Again, the tagging men as evil and destructive must stop; othe rwise men will continue to be defensive and resistant to the changes that women desire in them for their empowerment. If we want to reach out to men to influence change, we cannot portray men as evil, since no man identifies himself as such Instead, non-judgmental messages which can provoke thinking and reflection among men for change must be employed. Also, feminist suspicion of men on their involvement in the fight for womens empowerment must give way to trust through restructuring of their thought pattern and channeling their energies in reaching, encouraging, empowering and mobilizing men to become part of the movement which is committed to womens empowerment. Furthermore it is important to educate and sensitize boys in their formative years through both formal educational system and in informal setting through peer programmes and also efforts must be made to incorporate attention of men and boys in legislation, policies and programmes on womens empowerment and to develop ways t o ensure active participation. Last but not the least, many more men can be brought on board if they are encouraged, expose and educated on the need to empower women by their peers. It will be an easier effort if men speak to men on womens empowerment because men feel more comfortable discussing such issues with their peers and are more convince when their peers informs them on issues. Despite all the drawbacks and challenges outlined above, no responsible man would love to see the children and wife become paupers or marginalized. Considering the important role women play in the development agenda, it is only proper men get involved irrespective of how some women activist view it. Women have the primary task of child rearing and therefore need all the resources to execute this task in other to break the cyclical transmission of poverty from generation to generation. Women transmit values to the next generation therefore, to make the biggest impact on development; society must empower and invest in its women. The lives of men and women are interdependent and any benefit from women empowerment will go a long way to benefit both. Hence, it is no wonder that when the call was made on countries in 1994 at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) to promote mens support in the struggle for gender equality and encourage their involvement and share d responsibility in all areas of family life and reproductive health many men accepted. With mens power in public and private life, their cooperation is indispensable in the domestic and community spheres, national politics, finance and governance. Consequently, the empowerment of women is very crucial for the development of any society considering the roles they play in society and the fact they form more than half of the human resource of a nation but their empowerment cannot materialize without men being involved. Men have been at the centre stage of the issue of societal inequalities and hence remedying the situation requires their involvement. However, some feminist have met this development with much suspicion, hostility and distrust for these men. On the other hand, some feminist are advocating for the involvement of men as a way of addressing gender inequalities and mobilizing resource for womens empowerment. Accordingly, there is the need for those who work in the field to reach, encourage, empower, and mobilize men to become part of the fight to achieve greater success.

Newtons Method :: Newton-Raphson Method

Finding roots of a function is often a task which faces mathematicians. For simple functions, such as linear ones, the task is simple. When functions become more complex, such as with cubic and quadratic functions, mathematicians call upon more convoluted methods of finding roots. For many functions, there exist formulas which allow us to find roots. The most common such formula is, perhaps, the quadratic formula. When functions reach a degree of five and higher, a convenient, root-finding formula ceases to exist. Newton’s method is a tool used to find the roots of nearly any equation. Unlike the cubic and quadratic equations, Newton’s method – more accurately, the Newton-Raphson Method – can help to find roots of nearly any type of function, including all polynomial functions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Newton’s method use derivative calculus to find the roots of a function or relation by first taking an approximation and then improving the accuracy of that approximation until the root is found. The idea behind the method is as follows. Given a point, P(Xn,Yn), on a curve, a line tangent to the curve at P crosses the X axis at a point whose X coordinate is closer to the root than Xn. This X coordinate, we will call Xn+1. Repeating this process using Xn+1 in place of Xn will return a new Xn+1 which will be closer to the root. Eventually, our Xn will equal our Xn+1. When this is the case, we have found a root of the equation. This method may be unnecessarily complex when we are solving a quadratic or cubic equation. However, the Newton-Raphson Method compensates for its complexity in its breadth. The following examples show the versatility of the Newton Raphson Method.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Example 1 is a simple quadratic function. The most practical approach to finding the roots of this equation would be to use the quadratic equation or to factor the polynomial. However, the Nowton-Raphson method still works and allows us to find the roots of the equation. The initial number, Xn, 3, is a relatively poor approximation. The choice of 3 illustrates that the initial guess can be any number. However, as the initial approximation worsens, the calculation becomes more laborious.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Example 2 demonstrates one of the advantages to Newton’s method. Function 2 is a Quintic function. Mathematician, Niels Henrik Abels proved that there exists no convenient equation, such as the cubic equation, which can help us find the function’s roots.

George Orwell and Winston Smith in Nineteen Eighty-Four Essay -- Ninet

George Orwell and Winston Smith in Nineteen Eighty-Four    "On each landing, opposite the lift shaft, the poster with the enormous face gazed from the wall. It was one of those pictures which are so contrived that the eyes follow you about when you move. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, the caption beneath it ran." (Orwell 4 "Nineteen"). George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four presents a negative utopian picture, a society ruled by rigid totalitarianism. The government which Orwell creates in his novel is ruled by an entity known as Big Brother and consists of three branches. The Ministry of Truth, overseeing the distribution of propaganda and other printed materials, the Ministry of War, the millitary unit, and the Ministry of Love, the law enforcement division, make up the government. The main character, Winston Smith, does not completely accept the ideology that is fed to him by the government, through the concept of Big Brother. When one examines George Orwell's life, it can be clearly seen that he personifies his political perceptions, social and aesthetic characteristics, and self-examination of his own writing, through Winston Smith, in Nineteen Eighty-Four. Orwell's political perceptions, especially his skepticism of mass media, are given life through Winston Smith. Spending time working for the British Broadcasting Company (BBC), Orwell experienced many distorted truths and propaganda (Woodcock 9). This led to an intense distrust of those in power and their influence on the information distributed to and recieved by the general public. Orwell explains how history is altered by whomever is in power. In Orwell's essay "Revising History" he examines the credibility of history and finds that it is... ...cyclopedia of Modern World Literature. New York: Hawthorn Books Inc. 1963: 343. Kollar, Maros. "George Orwell Biography." 4 pgs. Online. America Online. 18 Jan. 1999. Available: www.suldal.vgs.no/engelsk/orwell/bioorw.htm. Magill, Frank N. ed. Survey of Science Fiction Literature. Vol. 3. Englewood Cliffs: Salem Press, 1979: 1532-1533. Orwell, George."Revising History." As I Please 4 Feb. 1944. Online. America Online. 2 Jan. 1999: 1-2. ---.Nineteen Eighty-Four. Ontario: Penguin Books, 1949: 10, 61. ---."Why I Write." 1947: 5pgs. Online. America Online. 2 Jan. 1999. Available: www.resort.com/~prime8/orwell/whywrite.html. Reilly, Patrick. Nineteen Eighty-Four: Past, Present and Future. Boston, MA: Twayne Publishers. 1989: xv, xvi. Woodcock, George. The Crystal Spirit. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. 1966: 9, 57, 219, 258.

Its Time to Stop Human Trafficking and Slavery in America Essays

Since its establishment, the United States has always had an industry where humans have sold other humans for profit. Although the United States abolished slavery and human trafficking with the thirteenth amendment in 1865, the human trafficking industry has not even begun to disappear, despite all the efforts made against it. Human trafficking is an issue that affects various people. As author Kevin Bales said in The Slave Next Door: Human Trafficking and Slavery in America Today, human trafficking is of â€Å"equal opportunity† (18). It can affect all kinds of people regardless of age, sex, or ethnicity. Victims of human trafficking are sold for the purpose of being exploited through labor sexual acts. It is estimated that there are between 14,500 and 17,500 individuals trafficked into the United States annually (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). Many criminals throughout the world often traffic humans with the intent of sending them to America. The United S tates is one of the top ten global destinations of human traffickers. Because of this, the country’s issue has a significant influence over the amount of people being trafficked worldwide as well (U.S. Department of State 359). In effort to reduce and prevent human trafficking, the United States has passed several laws such as the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 and the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (U.S. Department of State 1). Although passing these laws was a significant hit against human trafficking, the issue still persists. Because of this, the United States should modify its current system against human trafficking by creating more laws to fight the issue. This should be done to ... ...-troubling-shortage-of- organ-donors-in-the-u-s/2/>. United States of America. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. Human Trafficking Into and Within the United States: †¨A Review of the Literature. By Heather J. Clawson, Nicole Dutch, Amy Solomon, and Lisa Goldblatt Grace. Aug. 2009. Web. 05 Mar. 2013. . United States of America. U.S. Department of State. Office To Moniter and Combat Trafficking in Persons. Trafficking in Persons Report. U.S. Department of State, 19June 2012. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. . United States of America. U.S. Department of State. U.S. Laws on Trafficking in Persons. Web. 05 Mar. 2013. .

Middle-Class Homelessness in America Essay

Can you imagine yourself standing in line in hope for a cot at a shelter to share with your family, or waiting for a warm meal in a soup kitchen? This is what many middle-class American citizens have succumbed to. Has the American dream been lost, has the middle-class lost its position in the American economy, and has the inequality of income cause the demise of the middle-class? By focusing on the health care reform and record low unemployment rate we overlook the underlying problem; the dwindling middle-class, the backbone of our country. Many studies have been conducted to define middle-class without much success. It has been attempted to relate it to annual income. One study states that yearly incomes between $32,900 and $64,000, another between $50,800 and $122,000, and the U. S. census bureau middle 60% of incomes is the largest range of all lies between$ 20600, and $102,000 as what defines middle-class. Dan Horn notes in the Cincinnati Enquirer â€Å"Psychologist Ken Eisold, a contributor to Psychology today, said, though, that the way people describe their social status has more to do with what’s going on in their heads than their wallets. † Eisold goes on to say that â€Å"it’s really more about identity†. Horn adds that Julie Heath, director of the University of Cincinnati’s Economics Center agrees with Eisold that saying, â€Å"We’re a middle-class family has more than a financial connotations to it, it has a salt-of the earth to it. That’s the bed rock. Essentially this shows that Americans do not base their social status on their income alone, but also on their personal accomplishments and views of where they have come from and where they are going. That being said, the bed rock of the middle-class comes from one of the most common descriptions what living in America is all about; the great American Dream. History tells us that this emotion connected with being middle-class started showing up in the 1830’s. In these times people came to America hoping for the best, and they clung to ideas of how they would make it. They believed that if those ideas and values were kept, that they were middle-class, even if they were not financially. This is how the idea of the Leave it to Beaver life style came into being. In the 1950’s men took white collar jobs while women stayed home and maintained their house and families. They bought homes in the suburbs, nice family cars, and made safe investments. This provided them a sense of stability and many believed this is what the American dream is all about. Today, in pursuit of the dream, to maintain their middle-class status many Americans have higher incomes than their parents did but both parents are working. Yet while doing the best that they that they can possibly do, many are watching their dreams shatter. Erin Currier, director of the Pew Economic Mobility Project, said â€Å"stability is one of the biggest threats to the middle class today. † She goes on to say, â€Å"Though born into middle-class, many fall out by adulthood. † This is due to inflation of basic needs such as health care, day care, college funding, and the rise of the inequality of income. One term often referred to when relating to the middle-class crisis is Income Gap. As defined on the internet by investapedia. om, the income gap is the unequal distribution of household and individual income across the various participants in an economy. A sociology and political science professor at the University of Arizona who studies income inequality and poverty, says that over the past three decades â€Å"is slow income growth compared to general economic growth†¦ a bigger and bigger portion of economic growth has occurred to the wealthiest 1 %, whether the measure is basic wages or total compensation,† says Lane Kenworthy. (CQ researcher 3) There is political risk involved with this shift that is greater than economics and family finances. A large middle class, especially one that is politically active, tends to be a kind of anchor that keeps our country from swinging back and forth. There are typical values that middle-class families acquire and pass on to their children and those values tend to be good for democracy,† states Teresa Sullivan, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at the University of Michigan, and the co-author of The Fragile Middle Class: Americans in Debt. (CQ Researche r 2) The new millennium looked very hopeful for the war on poverty in America. The federal poverty rate was the lowest it had been since 1974 according to CQ Researcher. The next 4 years even better with Housing prices doubling in many cities and increase in home equity loans that brought the Home-ownership rate up to an all time high of 69 percent. In 2008 we would not only see the sand shift out from the false growth of the economy led by the banks and lending companies but our government bail the banks out with $700 billion rescue bill, They did not however bail out the borrower and many lost their homes. Leading to the current middle class crisis. These issues, the rise of the inequality of income and the shattering of the American dream, have led us to the downfall of the middle class. In more recent years the middle-class are finding themselves not only having a decrease in their income due to layoffs and downsizing, but while not able to maintain their dream are losing their homes due to foreclosures. They are now finding themselves sleeping in their cars, if fortunate to still have one. They are waiting in lines for food and shelter, and bathing in gas station rest rooms, standing on street corners and highway exit’s begging for money or work. I have a personal interest in this research because I consider myself a middleclass American who lived through these years of the housing crisis and recession, I have lost a business, I am dealing with the short sale of my home and a threat of foreclosure, I have suffered through divorce and currently I am a struggling single mother. In conclusion the decline of the middle-class has hit very close to home. Although the hope of the American dream dies a slow death in my own heart, because of the continual economic status and burden of the cost of living rising, many like me are losing hope.

Fashion Trends

Fashion Trends of Youth in Pakistan Consumer Behavior Chapter 1 Introduction * Fashion It’s not just an outfit that is the offer of fashion. Rather it resides in every corner of the present landscape. Our mobile phones, our cars, our kitchens, our choice of media, the places where meet our friends- all add to the meaning of fashion. Its not enough to wear the clothes, you have to don the lifestyle too. Fashion is a conceptual term though it covers almost all aspects of our daily life.Dress is very important facet of our personality and fashion in our dress and clothes have taken its step towards international market. The retail and wholesale sector in Pakistan was worth about $40 billion in fiscal year 2012, and has been growing at 5. 3% in real (inflation-adjusted) terms for the past five years, much faster than overall economic growth during that period. Parallel to this trend in consumerism,  Digital Marketing in Pakistan has also been on the rise which has resulted in th e  Fashion Industry (specifically formal and informal lawn brands), fast accepting this unique phenomenon.Also, with the Ramazan on the go; Eid approaching in the near future and summers near their destined end, many new clothing brands have gone active and are advertising their Eid collection and Summer Sales on Facebook vigorously. So much so, that as per my calculations, one in every ten recommendations/sponsored stories or ads I see, are related to a clothing brand. Whether it be established brands like Kayseria, Khaadi  and Gul Ahmed, or newly launched premium brands like Sana Safinaz or Asim Jofa, or relatively smaller designer names like Rang Ja, The Working Woman, Mariam Aziz and Echo ll can be found actively on Facebook. Fashion industry of Pakistan has made quite a lot of progress in just a few years. Ten to fifteen years from now, this industry was still unknown to actually exist to the masses. Late with the formation of fashion councils and education centers under th e enthusiastic few who wanted to make a difference and promulgate this very institution of fashion, * Quick glance at fashion back in TIME The Swinging 60's The focus of the time was on fittings. Bell bottoms, hair pieces, narrow fitted shirts, narrow dupattas, heavy eye makeup for girls and side burns for men was order of the time.People in those times took influence from the actors whom they idealized. The Political 70's In 70's the political times changed. People turned towards patriotism. Cotton came in vogue and people were seen in loose kurtas called Awami Suits and Saris. The Materialistic 80's The 80's emerged from the drabness of the 70's and ushered in disco, glitz and glamour. People were indulged in their material instincts. In Pakistan, loose was â€Å"in† and tight was â€Å"out†. Glitter and glitz was trendy and simplicity took a back seat. Back To The East With 90's It was a time for the rival of our culture.Traditional costumes made a comeback. A lot o f embroidery, gharara, Sheirwani and Paishwaz were seen. Everyone wanted to look sleek and thin. The New Millennium â€Å"The Y2Kâ€Å" The year 2000 came with a bang moving people towards hi-tech and fast-paced living. The clothes too have become more streamlined and structured. The defined boundaries of eastern and western fashion have collapsed people wear no fuss Chinese trousers, cargo pants, iron easy cloth and manageable preferably short hair. Fusion is the call of this time * Interview with designers Maria B:Fashion is an extension of self ,an ___expression of individuality, of art and modernism- It has no borders or divides- Its passion and It is the constant evolution of society. Fashion is a form of ___expression on an individual as well as a social level—The general shift in Pakistan thank God! is towards intelligent broad-minded ideas and its now starting to reflect in the way that people are dressing up HSY: Fashion for me is your sense of living. It’s not only about dress, but it’s about you and what you live with. It can be your values and ethics, it can be everything around you. Nida ali:I think the average customer is price conscious, style conscious, trend conscious and the element of brand consciousness comes right at the end. Chapter 2 The Consumer Segmentation & Targeting In a broader view and unbiased analysis, the Pakistani fashion industry has certainly played a very constructive and optimistic role in building the fashion sense and fashion trends amongst all the age groups The target we have selected to conduct a survey on the changing trends in fashion scenario is a combination of both the genders from the age range of 15 to 35 years of age regardless of any income bracket from the educated community.This range can be justified with the projection of the following statistics. The income ranges depict that our target market is almost equally from all income groups and people do follow fashion regardless of incom e brackets in one way or the other. Our target market of research comprises of a major chunk from the age range of 21 to 25 years being 76%. While having smaller portions of age 15-20 and 26-30 with sizes of 14% and 10% respectively. The youth mainly the fashion seekers and followers are in the continuation of their education period.As, this is the age when fashion becomes a craze for them. 63% females are fashion conscious willing to participate in a fashion survey while 37% are from the male category of consumers. * Media of Approach The fashion consumer of today is constantly bombarded with different types of stimuli in different forms of advertising. Today’s fashion consumer is more sophisticated and demanding than the consumer of the past. Looking at history, fashion runways and fashion shows have been the biggest inspirations for the fashion industry.We have assessed from these facts that regardless of the rapid growth in new mediums of information search like online so urces of 13%, The traditional media is still more trustworthy for the consumer to attain the information they require for their shopping like Fashion shows & Exhibitions having 20%, Fashion Magazines 24%, TV Commercials 40% and Billboards 10% chunk respectively. Fashion magazines are an extension of the marketing departments of large fashion companies. For a designer, the fashion show is a way to broadcast ideas. It is a medium. The growing Online trend The growing trend of online queries and locating stores, if not e-purchases, have also seen a tremendous rise which is understandable considering  Ã‚  females make up 31% of Pakistan’s Facebook population of almost 7 Million and the age group from 18-34 years makes 76% of the said population. These stats quite clearly infer that  Digital has most certainly become an effective medium of  transforming  information and communicating with this industry’s target group. In addition to the remarkable customer service m ost of the fashion brands inPakistan are providing online, it is worthy to note that digital media has leveled the playing field for all brands, irrespective of their sizes. It has given all sorts of brands the leverage to promote themselves and explore social media marketing for their advantage, especially if traditional mediums like billboards, print ads, TVCs etc are out of budget. This graph represents the presence of facebook fans of various brands locally in Pakistan and worldwide as well. The appreciation of facebook and other social media networks as a tool of marketing is growing very rapidly in a very short time among our young generation.Considering these statistics, we can appraise the standing of these various brand among the consumers and their level of appreciation in the market. Keeping these stats and trends in mind, one can evidently conclude that digital and eventually mobile marketing has an immense potential for the Fashion Industry. If the growth trends continu e to move in the same direction and at a similar pace, there should certainly be no stopping social media marketing from making brands re-allocate  their budgets from traditional to online mediums. Chapter 3 Market Research * Problem StatementHow does the behavior of a fashion consumer changes with upcoming fashion trends? * Research Methods * Questionnaire We have gathered information from our target market with 30 questionnaires duly filled by the prospects from our target market at various places with different set of ideals for a broader perspective and analyzed the results. The questionnaire is attached. * Focus Group We conducted a focus group of 8 attendees from our target market and concluded healthy discussion on the concerned issue. The moderator guide of the focus group is attached at the end. Online Focus Group on FaceBook We have conducted a focus group online through the platform of facebook as we do realize that the major chunk of our target study is active on socia l media networks. * Interviews Our search also consists of the interviews from the fashion industry to gather an over view about fashion from the producers of this wave. * Mall Intercepts We have visited quite a few stores, brand outlets and malls surveying for practical encounters and recorded the views of some consumers in video and others in writing.Our surveys destinations included Suzy, Shirt & Tie Shop, Hyperstar at Fortress Stadium while some interviews were conducted on the streets there. * Boutique Survey We also encountered the people running those boutiques and assessed their perceptions briefly. Chapter 4 Consumer Behavior Consumer behavior is deeply influenced by the demographics and household structures, needs, emotions, values and personality, group influences, information processing and decision making along with purchase behavior. Consumers are becoming more demanding, which is forcing fashion retailers to provide the right product at the right time.Information and trends are moving around the globe at high speed, resulting in more options and thus the consumers shop more often. The consumers need for uniqueness forces fashion retailers to constantly renew their styles. * Culture In case of cultural preferences, we often see people with different style statements living in the same area or same people having same appearances living at areas with vast distances. This is a fact which projects the importance of presence of culture in our lives which we tend to follow in almost all walks of our life.The most followed culture is equally distributed among regional and family preferences with the health of 37% each. Most of the population tend to follow what is being pursued in their region for ages, for instance, in Pakistan, with many differences in lifestyle, we all still follow some basic similar values. On the other hand, if we take Family culture into account, it refers to the values we share with our family, the way we present ourselves based on our family background, living standards and lifestyle. 19% incorporate multiple cultures in their attire and appearance while 4% opts for Western style of dressing.Social Class Fashion reflects our society and our culture. likewise it reflects how people define themselves People tend to follow what is in and what is the wave of the present current in fashion. 44% of our participants from consumer market are inclined towards the ongoing trends, while another major chunk is attracted towards the designer cuts or brand for their choice of attire. Former categories comprise of the majority while small parts of the market follow Celebrity with 6%, 6% towards price, 6% of advertisements while 10% people go for friend’s advise and attire. * Consumer Behavior Model Involvement of senses (Touch, sight) When we judge the quality of an apparel, the foremost concern for the consumer is the quality of the product which is preferred by 50% even for the youngsters who do not really care for the long life of the products. Some follow View of the fabric and its name share the same standing of 17% while a greater appreciation of Brand name of 24%. * Personal Selection Factors * Hedonic consumption Value of a garment is being defined as an interactive partiality experience, and distinguishes a person’s experience of interacting with an object or event.Enjoyable experiences in a store reflect different types of hedonic values. Values are defined as consumer behavior that regards the emotional and fantasy aspect of consumers’ interactions with products. Comparing to its utilitarian counterpart, the hedonic shopping value is more personal and associated with playfulness and fun. For instance, it is fairly common that people shop for both utilitarian and hedonic grounds, as well as a positive mood can come from consumers following either type of shopping. A reason for consumers to go shopping can also be the possibility to socialize with their friends.An indi vidual’s set of values is very important regarding consumption activities. Many purchases are made because consumers think that purchasing products will result in reaching value-related goals. Shopping for clothes is considered recreational, satisfying and rewarding. Impulse buying is important to fulfill hedonic desires. There is an evident link between impulse buying behavior and hedonic shopping. Clothes purchased to satisfy hedonic needs seem to be chosen without planning and characterize an impulse buying event as can be witnessed like 50% of the buyers.Consumers are driven to hedonic shopping experiences by new fashion styles and brand image salience, which in turn motivates fashion-oriented impulse buying behavior. On the other hand, people who are rational in their decisions and finalize their action after going through all pros and cons. * Consumer Involvement * Motivation Clothing is referred to as specialty good since consumers often make the effort of seeking out the garment that they require. Motivational need can be both utilitarian and hedonic. The end state that the consumer has the intention to reach is the goal.How urgent the consumer wants to reduce the need depends on whether the need is hedonic or utilitarian, this is called the consumer’s drive. One indication of a need is a person’s want, which is created by a combination of cultural and personal factors. These statistics project the motivational elements which encourage a consumer to make a purchase. The most prominent motivator is an occasion or event which motivates 43% of the targeted sample. While, 20% are for Friends and 20% for family suggestions. Celebrity styles and icons attract and motivate 17% of our audience.Fashion-oriented impulse buying happens when consumers find a new fashion product and buy it due to the motivation to buy new products; products they did not plan on buying. Here we can see the level of motivation and the elements which influences a person to make a purchase. 40% are the impulse buyers who immediately opt for purchase with the product and the internal drive. The other major category observed in our survey was that of people who are motivated with advice of friends and family. This 46% require someone to support their choice.Two small classes of 7% being those who spent more tie and opt to search for further alternatives or more information about the item before making a purchase. * Motivational Conflict Approach-Approach According to our survey results, consumers often face Approch-Approch conflict when they have to choose between two dresses appealing them at the same level. Approach-Avoidance Another conflict of Approach-Avoidance also exists when a design attracts to a consumer at a designer shop but meanwhile price element restricts a particular customer. Level of Involvement Inertia: Inertia basically describes the low level of involvement towards the chosen product that either the consumer is willing to p ay an effort before purchase or not? In fashion industry, according to our survey some respondent’s level of involvement was low because they just go to any shop; strongly use their heuristics and mental short cuts to buy apparel. Cult: The second concept which also prevails in the fashion industry is that, a part of consumer’s level of involvement is also very high in terms of shopping clothes.Because they put a lot of exertion in choosing and purchasing outfit having a feel of passion and consider their apparel as a symbol of their individual personality. * Need Theory Implementation * Self Concept * Self Concept When clothes leave the fabric they are merely garments. It is not until the marketers get hold of them that they become fashion. Clothing and accessories express how we feel, how we see ourselves and how we wish to be conceived by others. When we buy clothes we buy an identity. Fashion constitutes an important societal part of the individual’s well-be ing.Through the right choice of clothing it is possible for an individual to improve his or her self-esteem and acceptance by other people. Identities and social roles appear through people’s choice of clothing and accessories. Clothes function as symbols that indicate status, gender, social group allegiance and personality. Fashion is a way of expressing oneself and it says a lot about the person. * Fantasy Clothes shopping is considered to be more attractive. It is a break from the normal routine and it is an opportunity for fantasy and self-expression.What we wear is a complete expression of who we are. The appearance is the first indicator of personality to be judged. We portray ourselves what we fantasize about our own personality following our ideals through our accessories, our choice of movies, the interior of our house and most prominently our attire. We judged from our sample that majority of our sample portrays themselves to be decent yet fashionable being 54% of t he whole sample depicting a major part of our culture. Secondly, 30% fashion consumers tend to portray themselves to be lively and energetic.Some 14% try to explicitly present themselves as an open personality and extrovert. A few demonstrate themselves to be shy and submissive. It’s not enough to be fashionable-one wishes to appear intelligent as well. * Gender Orientation â€Å"Modern marketing has relied on gender to help understand and explain consumers and their behavior. † Women see clothes as a mean for self-identity, whereas men focus more on functional benefits. Women see shopping as something recreational, it is important to emphasize the hedonic and experiential attributes of shopping.Women spend twice as long time in a shop as men and the typical window-shopper is a woman. Men and women think differently, and these gender-specific brain differences show a significant effect on how the individual absorb, process and retain information. The following Pivot Ta ble exhibits the relation of gender with the style they follow for their purchase with a graphical representation which is extracted from our Online Facebook survey. | Values| | Row Labels| Sum of Male| Sum of Female| Casual| 4| 8| Celebrity| 0| 1| Formal| 4| 3| Present day| 3| 12| Grand Total| 11| 24| | | Another Pivot Table is extracted from our survey which depicts the relation of gender with the inclination of consumer towards Price or Style conscious personality. | Values| | Row Labels| Sum of Male| Sum of Female| Price Conscious| 7| 9| Style Conscious| 4| 15| Grand Total| 11| 24| Men don’t buy fashion – they buy clothes Men are comparatively less sophisticated consumers of fashion than women. * Extended Self â€Å"Fashion is an extension of self and expression of individuality† All the possessions of a person add an extra glamour to the personality.These can be the clothes, accessories, cell phones or your jewelery which adds an extra charm to what you ide alize and portray about your personality. This extract shows the inclination of people towards various categories to embrace an additional appeal to their personality. This is clearly visible that clothes and shoes are the possessions that exhibits glamour and is the centre of attention for most of the youngsters being 37% each. While 14% go for jewelery, 6% for glasses, 6% for wrist watches and 7% opt for mobile phones as their charming accessory. Personality & Chosen Product MatchYour perception towards fashion is what you personality is regarding this particular field. This graphical representation clearly demonstrates the personality of our target youngsters in terms of fashion trends and their own self. Sober looks and Maturity is the dominant trait occupying 34%. * Product symbolization The Fashion Pyramid * Freudian Theory (diagram interpretation) [Id = Brain attack , Superego = Heart attack, Ego = A balance with heart on one and brain on the other side) (landscape) * Trait t heory Various distinct traits are associated with different fields of life projected by the consumer of that particular segment.Likewise many traits are associated with fashion industry and consumers monitoring and following the changing trends. For instance, it is suggested that people who are more communally oriented (a female trait) will enjoy shopping more because of their psychological identification with the communal nature of the task. * Product congruence & Consumer Lifestyle Loyal customers spend more each shopping trip, and are more time-conscious. Our clothes are often an expression of our spirit and character, so there is nothing wrong with finding a look that suits you and relying on it.Here the question is do consumers calibrate their wardrobe to better illustrate their present mood & personality to therefore show overall congruence and harmony? Well, a direct relation exists between the clothing you choose to wear and your overall personality in terms of congruency. A ccording to our one of the consumers view, â€Å"I have noticed that when I am feeling very energetic, and very outgoing, I will pick out clothing from my closet that resembles my mood: loud, and vibrant. Yellow t-shirts, red watch, etc. Meanwhile, other times, when I’m n a mellower and laid back mood, I will wear more toned down clothing, sometimes just a black tee-shirt and jeans. † Fashion is based on creating a need, where in reality, there is none. Fashion is a factory that manufactures desire. Pre occupation with fashion reveals a level of insecurity. It’s like they are worried about being judged. People obsessed with fashion feel that if they’ve changed their look, they’ve also evolved emotionally. They live in a state of being extremely conscious about their appearance. * Decision Making * Heuristics * Shopping Atmosphere * Post Purchase Satisfaction Product Disposal The product disposal is an important issue to be discussed as we keep on a dding accessories to our wardrobe and stuff it with articles. It is essential to know what consumers opt for after It is deducted that 75% people give their clothes to others which is a good indication of society. While 19% stuff it forever even if not in use. On the other hand. 6% completely destroy them. * Risks associated with new trends The elements of fashion not liked by the target youngsters can backfire and become a risk for the Fashion Brands. As, â€Å"The fashion industry is the ultimate fashion victim†Other Risks include: Chapter 5 Extract Chapter 6 Attachments Survey Questionnaire Fashion Trends in Pakistan I am a student of MBIT from IBIT, PU and this questionnaire is purely for research purpose and the information you provide help me gain better understanding of Changing Fashion Trends in Pakistan. The success of this research depends on honest answers so I assure that your response will be kept confidential. Tick the answer you prefer. SECTION 1: YOU C. Occupa tion? a) Student b) Job c) Business d) Other, Please Specify ___________ 1. A. Age? a) 15-20 b) 21-25 c) 26-30 d) 31-35D. Gender? a) Male b) Female B. Family Monthly Income? e) 15000-25000 f) 26000-35000 g) 36000-50000 h) Above 50000 E. How are you feeling today? c) happy c) excited d) sad d) depressed SECTION 2: YOUR FASHION 1. Fashion to you is: a) Looking cool and hipc) Comfort ability b) Looking sober and matured) A way to express my inner self 2. Which current fashion trend you love the most? _____________________________________________________________________ 3. Which fashion trend you hate the most? ______________________________________________________________________ 4. c) Present day fashion ) Celebrity Which fashion style/trend do you tend to follow when you purchase clothes? a) Formal b) Casual 5. Who is your ideal fashion personality? _____________________________ 6. What does your clothing portray about your personality a) Open Personalityb) Shy person c) Hip Hop d) D ecent e) Lively f) Bold 7. Which of your accessories adds glamour to your overall personality? a) Clothingb) Mobile phone c) Jewelry d) Shoes e) Wrist watches f) Glasses 8. What influences you the most when you buy clothes? a) Ongoing Trendsb) Designer/Brand c)Celebrity d) Pricee) Advertisementsf) Friends 9.How much are you willing to spend on one item of clothing from a new trend of fashion? a)1000-2000 b)2000-5000 c)5000-10000d)10000 & above 10. What would encourage you to try out new fashion and style? a) Celebrity’s Styleb) Friend’s Suggestion c) Family’s Suggestiond) An Occasion | 11. What do you mostly dislike about fashion? a) Changes quicklyb) Expensive c) Not suitable d) Turns into a craze 12. What is the most recently added item to your accessories? ____________________________ 13. Does a new trend influence your wardrobe? a) Yes b) Noc)Oftend) Rarely 14. Do you readily adopt new trends? ) Yes b) Noc)Oftend) Rarely 15. How do you judge a fabric? a)Touc hb) Viewc) Brand named) Fabric name 16. Are your purchases? c) Plannedb) Immediate | 17. What is your action when a dress or an accessory attracts you? d) Immediately buyc) Consult a friend or family member e) Search for alternativesd) Search for more information 18. Which kinds of shopping destination you buy most of your clothes from? a) Super markets and shopping mallsc) Fashion shows and exhibitions b) Designer boutiques & Brandsd) Bazaars 19. What are your cultural preferences in fashion? a) Family culturec)Western culture ) Regional cultured) A combination of trends from multiple cultures 20. What do you do after your purchase? i) When satisfied a) Refer others b) Feel achievement c) Repeat purchases from the same place ii) When dissatisfied a) Feel angry b)Tell others to avoid c) Never visit the same place 21. How do you dispose of your clothes a) Keep the item b) Destroy c) Give it to others to use 22. What would you mostly like to see in an advertisement? a) Pictures of the shop and locationc) Products available b) Information about the designer d) All the above 3. Which medium do you trust for your purchases? a) Magazinesd)Fashion Shows & Exhibitions b) Billboardse) TV Commercials c) Online Sources Moderator Guide I Thank you all very much for helping us and participating in our project research. What we are conducting is called a focus group. It is mainly a form of discussion among all of you on our research topic. You can agree, disagree on any point or you can just provide with a comment. You can also propose any new idea regarding the subject and you can freely express your views and opinions. This is just like a routine lounge talk.We request you to convey your point clearly and if possible one at a time to save from any confusion or misunderstanding. If any questions regarding the format of the focus group, you can ask ? Now, I’l explain the topic, we are here to discuss. That is The Changing Fashion Trends in Pakistan. Everybody today, is somehow associated with fashion either in favor or against. . Similarly, you all must be used to of decorating your wardrobe with latest fashion articles. Most of you would be used to of visiting various bazaars and malls for your clothing needs. And must be having your views and suggestions for this very industry.We are going to talk about the same. Before we start, if any one have any queries. Please do ask? Now friends , We’ll continue with our discussion Warm Up Questions:- 1. How much time do you spare for your leisure activities? 2. How much time in a month do you spent on shopping? 3. Do you consider shopping a source of entertainment? Specific Questions:- Current Scenario of Audience 4. Do you visit exhibitions for your purchases? 5. Do you consider fashion shows a source of latest updates for your fashion? 6. May I ask about your favorite places to shop? 7. What is your recently added item in your clothing? 8.Are you price conscious or style conscious? Reason of F ailure 9. What do you think is the main content of our Pakistani fashion currently being promoted? 10. What is that one factor that stops you from adopting a fashion trend? 11. In your opinion, what is the one major difference between ordinary and designer brand items? 12. When I speak of Fashion, What picture comes to your mind? 13. Now, what if the same product is being sold in a local and a designer brand, Which one you’ll prefer to buy? Why? I am really thankful to you all for this valuable effort and specially your time. Bibliography Solomon, M. R. Consumer Behavior. Fashion Trends Fashion Trends of Youth in Pakistan Consumer Behavior Chapter 1 Introduction * Fashion It’s not just an outfit that is the offer of fashion. Rather it resides in every corner of the present landscape. Our mobile phones, our cars, our kitchens, our choice of media, the places where meet our friends- all add to the meaning of fashion. Its not enough to wear the clothes, you have to don the lifestyle too. Fashion is a conceptual term though it covers almost all aspects of our daily life.Dress is very important facet of our personality and fashion in our dress and clothes have taken its step towards international market. The retail and wholesale sector in Pakistan was worth about $40 billion in fiscal year 2012, and has been growing at 5. 3% in real (inflation-adjusted) terms for the past five years, much faster than overall economic growth during that period. Parallel to this trend in consumerism,  Digital Marketing in Pakistan has also been on the rise which has resulted in th e  Fashion Industry (specifically formal and informal lawn brands), fast accepting this unique phenomenon.Also, with the Ramazan on the go; Eid approaching in the near future and summers near their destined end, many new clothing brands have gone active and are advertising their Eid collection and Summer Sales on Facebook vigorously. So much so, that as per my calculations, one in every ten recommendations/sponsored stories or ads I see, are related to a clothing brand. Whether it be established brands like Kayseria, Khaadi  and Gul Ahmed, or newly launched premium brands like Sana Safinaz or Asim Jofa, or relatively smaller designer names like Rang Ja, The Working Woman, Mariam Aziz and Echo ll can be found actively on Facebook. Fashion industry of Pakistan has made quite a lot of progress in just a few years. Ten to fifteen years from now, this industry was still unknown to actually exist to the masses. Late with the formation of fashion councils and education centers under th e enthusiastic few who wanted to make a difference and promulgate this very institution of fashion, * Quick glance at fashion back in TIME The Swinging 60's The focus of the time was on fittings. Bell bottoms, hair pieces, narrow fitted shirts, narrow dupattas, heavy eye makeup for girls and side burns for men was order of the time.People in those times took influence from the actors whom they idealized. The Political 70's In 70's the political times changed. People turned towards patriotism. Cotton came in vogue and people were seen in loose kurtas called Awami Suits and Saris. The Materialistic 80's The 80's emerged from the drabness of the 70's and ushered in disco, glitz and glamour. People were indulged in their material instincts. In Pakistan, loose was â€Å"in† and tight was â€Å"out†. Glitter and glitz was trendy and simplicity took a back seat. Back To The East With 90's It was a time for the rival of our culture.Traditional costumes made a comeback. A lot o f embroidery, gharara, Sheirwani and Paishwaz were seen. Everyone wanted to look sleek and thin. The New Millennium â€Å"The Y2Kâ€Å" The year 2000 came with a bang moving people towards hi-tech and fast-paced living. The clothes too have become more streamlined and structured. The defined boundaries of eastern and western fashion have collapsed people wear no fuss Chinese trousers, cargo pants, iron easy cloth and manageable preferably short hair. Fusion is the call of this time * Interview with designers Maria B:Fashion is an extension of self ,an ___expression of individuality, of art and modernism- It has no borders or divides- Its passion and It is the constant evolution of society. Fashion is a form of ___expression on an individual as well as a social level—The general shift in Pakistan thank God! is towards intelligent broad-minded ideas and its now starting to reflect in the way that people are dressing up HSY: Fashion for me is your sense of living. It’s not only about dress, but it’s about you and what you live with. It can be your values and ethics, it can be everything around you. Nida ali:I think the average customer is price conscious, style conscious, trend conscious and the element of brand consciousness comes right at the end. Chapter 2 The Consumer Segmentation & Targeting In a broader view and unbiased analysis, the Pakistani fashion industry has certainly played a very constructive and optimistic role in building the fashion sense and fashion trends amongst all the age groups The target we have selected to conduct a survey on the changing trends in fashion scenario is a combination of both the genders from the age range of 15 to 35 years of age regardless of any income bracket from the educated community.This range can be justified with the projection of the following statistics. The income ranges depict that our target market is almost equally from all income groups and people do follow fashion regardless of incom e brackets in one way or the other. Our target market of research comprises of a major chunk from the age range of 21 to 25 years being 76%. While having smaller portions of age 15-20 and 26-30 with sizes of 14% and 10% respectively. The youth mainly the fashion seekers and followers are in the continuation of their education period.As, this is the age when fashion becomes a craze for them. 63% females are fashion conscious willing to participate in a fashion survey while 37% are from the male category of consumers. * Media of Approach The fashion consumer of today is constantly bombarded with different types of stimuli in different forms of advertising. Today’s fashion consumer is more sophisticated and demanding than the consumer of the past. Looking at history, fashion runways and fashion shows have been the biggest inspirations for the fashion industry.We have assessed from these facts that regardless of the rapid growth in new mediums of information search like online so urces of 13%, The traditional media is still more trustworthy for the consumer to attain the information they require for their shopping like Fashion shows & Exhibitions having 20%, Fashion Magazines 24%, TV Commercials 40% and Billboards 10% chunk respectively. Fashion magazines are an extension of the marketing departments of large fashion companies. For a designer, the fashion show is a way to broadcast ideas. It is a medium. The growing Online trend The growing trend of online queries and locating stores, if not e-purchases, have also seen a tremendous rise which is understandable considering  Ã‚  females make up 31% of Pakistan’s Facebook population of almost 7 Million and the age group from 18-34 years makes 76% of the said population. These stats quite clearly infer that  Digital has most certainly become an effective medium of  transforming  information and communicating with this industry’s target group. In addition to the remarkable customer service m ost of the fashion brands inPakistan are providing online, it is worthy to note that digital media has leveled the playing field for all brands, irrespective of their sizes. It has given all sorts of brands the leverage to promote themselves and explore social media marketing for their advantage, especially if traditional mediums like billboards, print ads, TVCs etc are out of budget. This graph represents the presence of facebook fans of various brands locally in Pakistan and worldwide as well. The appreciation of facebook and other social media networks as a tool of marketing is growing very rapidly in a very short time among our young generation.Considering these statistics, we can appraise the standing of these various brand among the consumers and their level of appreciation in the market. Keeping these stats and trends in mind, one can evidently conclude that digital and eventually mobile marketing has an immense potential for the Fashion Industry. If the growth trends continu e to move in the same direction and at a similar pace, there should certainly be no stopping social media marketing from making brands re-allocate  their budgets from traditional to online mediums. Chapter 3 Market Research * Problem StatementHow does the behavior of a fashion consumer changes with upcoming fashion trends? * Research Methods * Questionnaire We have gathered information from our target market with 30 questionnaires duly filled by the prospects from our target market at various places with different set of ideals for a broader perspective and analyzed the results. The questionnaire is attached. * Focus Group We conducted a focus group of 8 attendees from our target market and concluded healthy discussion on the concerned issue. The moderator guide of the focus group is attached at the end. Online Focus Group on FaceBook We have conducted a focus group online through the platform of facebook as we do realize that the major chunk of our target study is active on socia l media networks. * Interviews Our search also consists of the interviews from the fashion industry to gather an over view about fashion from the producers of this wave. * Mall Intercepts We have visited quite a few stores, brand outlets and malls surveying for practical encounters and recorded the views of some consumers in video and others in writing.Our surveys destinations included Suzy, Shirt & Tie Shop, Hyperstar at Fortress Stadium while some interviews were conducted on the streets there. * Boutique Survey We also encountered the people running those boutiques and assessed their perceptions briefly. Chapter 4 Consumer Behavior Consumer behavior is deeply influenced by the demographics and household structures, needs, emotions, values and personality, group influences, information processing and decision making along with purchase behavior. Consumers are becoming more demanding, which is forcing fashion retailers to provide the right product at the right time.Information and trends are moving around the globe at high speed, resulting in more options and thus the consumers shop more often. The consumers need for uniqueness forces fashion retailers to constantly renew their styles. * Culture In case of cultural preferences, we often see people with different style statements living in the same area or same people having same appearances living at areas with vast distances. This is a fact which projects the importance of presence of culture in our lives which we tend to follow in almost all walks of our life.The most followed culture is equally distributed among regional and family preferences with the health of 37% each. Most of the population tend to follow what is being pursued in their region for ages, for instance, in Pakistan, with many differences in lifestyle, we all still follow some basic similar values. On the other hand, if we take Family culture into account, it refers to the values we share with our family, the way we present ourselves based on our family background, living standards and lifestyle. 19% incorporate multiple cultures in their attire and appearance while 4% opts for Western style of dressing.Social Class Fashion reflects our society and our culture. likewise it reflects how people define themselves People tend to follow what is in and what is the wave of the present current in fashion. 44% of our participants from consumer market are inclined towards the ongoing trends, while another major chunk is attracted towards the designer cuts or brand for their choice of attire. Former categories comprise of the majority while small parts of the market follow Celebrity with 6%, 6% towards price, 6% of advertisements while 10% people go for friend’s advise and attire. * Consumer Behavior Model Involvement of senses (Touch, sight) When we judge the quality of an apparel, the foremost concern for the consumer is the quality of the product which is preferred by 50% even for the youngsters who do not really care for the long life of the products. Some follow View of the fabric and its name share the same standing of 17% while a greater appreciation of Brand name of 24%. * Personal Selection Factors * Hedonic consumption Value of a garment is being defined as an interactive partiality experience, and distinguishes a person’s experience of interacting with an object or event.Enjoyable experiences in a store reflect different types of hedonic values. Values are defined as consumer behavior that regards the emotional and fantasy aspect of consumers’ interactions with products. Comparing to its utilitarian counterpart, the hedonic shopping value is more personal and associated with playfulness and fun. For instance, it is fairly common that people shop for both utilitarian and hedonic grounds, as well as a positive mood can come from consumers following either type of shopping. A reason for consumers to go shopping can also be the possibility to socialize with their friends.An indi vidual’s set of values is very important regarding consumption activities. Many purchases are made because consumers think that purchasing products will result in reaching value-related goals. Shopping for clothes is considered recreational, satisfying and rewarding. Impulse buying is important to fulfill hedonic desires. There is an evident link between impulse buying behavior and hedonic shopping. Clothes purchased to satisfy hedonic needs seem to be chosen without planning and characterize an impulse buying event as can be witnessed like 50% of the buyers.Consumers are driven to hedonic shopping experiences by new fashion styles and brand image salience, which in turn motivates fashion-oriented impulse buying behavior. On the other hand, people who are rational in their decisions and finalize their action after going through all pros and cons. * Consumer Involvement * Motivation Clothing is referred to as specialty good since consumers often make the effort of seeking out the garment that they require. Motivational need can be both utilitarian and hedonic. The end state that the consumer has the intention to reach is the goal.How urgent the consumer wants to reduce the need depends on whether the need is hedonic or utilitarian, this is called the consumer’s drive. One indication of a need is a person’s want, which is created by a combination of cultural and personal factors. These statistics project the motivational elements which encourage a consumer to make a purchase. The most prominent motivator is an occasion or event which motivates 43% of the targeted sample. While, 20% are for Friends and 20% for family suggestions. Celebrity styles and icons attract and motivate 17% of our audience.Fashion-oriented impulse buying happens when consumers find a new fashion product and buy it due to the motivation to buy new products; products they did not plan on buying. Here we can see the level of motivation and the elements which influences a person to make a purchase. 40% are the impulse buyers who immediately opt for purchase with the product and the internal drive. The other major category observed in our survey was that of people who are motivated with advice of friends and family. This 46% require someone to support their choice.Two small classes of 7% being those who spent more tie and opt to search for further alternatives or more information about the item before making a purchase. * Motivational Conflict Approach-Approach According to our survey results, consumers often face Approch-Approch conflict when they have to choose between two dresses appealing them at the same level. Approach-Avoidance Another conflict of Approach-Avoidance also exists when a design attracts to a consumer at a designer shop but meanwhile price element restricts a particular customer. Level of Involvement Inertia: Inertia basically describes the low level of involvement towards the chosen product that either the consumer is willing to p ay an effort before purchase or not? In fashion industry, according to our survey some respondent’s level of involvement was low because they just go to any shop; strongly use their heuristics and mental short cuts to buy apparel. Cult: The second concept which also prevails in the fashion industry is that, a part of consumer’s level of involvement is also very high in terms of shopping clothes.Because they put a lot of exertion in choosing and purchasing outfit having a feel of passion and consider their apparel as a symbol of their individual personality. * Need Theory Implementation * Self Concept * Self Concept When clothes leave the fabric they are merely garments. It is not until the marketers get hold of them that they become fashion. Clothing and accessories express how we feel, how we see ourselves and how we wish to be conceived by others. When we buy clothes we buy an identity. Fashion constitutes an important societal part of the individual’s well-be ing.Through the right choice of clothing it is possible for an individual to improve his or her self-esteem and acceptance by other people. Identities and social roles appear through people’s choice of clothing and accessories. Clothes function as symbols that indicate status, gender, social group allegiance and personality. Fashion is a way of expressing oneself and it says a lot about the person. * Fantasy Clothes shopping is considered to be more attractive. It is a break from the normal routine and it is an opportunity for fantasy and self-expression.What we wear is a complete expression of who we are. The appearance is the first indicator of personality to be judged. We portray ourselves what we fantasize about our own personality following our ideals through our accessories, our choice of movies, the interior of our house and most prominently our attire. We judged from our sample that majority of our sample portrays themselves to be decent yet fashionable being 54% of t he whole sample depicting a major part of our culture. Secondly, 30% fashion consumers tend to portray themselves to be lively and energetic.Some 14% try to explicitly present themselves as an open personality and extrovert. A few demonstrate themselves to be shy and submissive. It’s not enough to be fashionable-one wishes to appear intelligent as well. * Gender Orientation â€Å"Modern marketing has relied on gender to help understand and explain consumers and their behavior. † Women see clothes as a mean for self-identity, whereas men focus more on functional benefits. Women see shopping as something recreational, it is important to emphasize the hedonic and experiential attributes of shopping.Women spend twice as long time in a shop as men and the typical window-shopper is a woman. Men and women think differently, and these gender-specific brain differences show a significant effect on how the individual absorb, process and retain information. The following Pivot Ta ble exhibits the relation of gender with the style they follow for their purchase with a graphical representation which is extracted from our Online Facebook survey. | Values| | Row Labels| Sum of Male| Sum of Female| Casual| 4| 8| Celebrity| 0| 1| Formal| 4| 3| Present day| 3| 12| Grand Total| 11| 24| | | Another Pivot Table is extracted from our survey which depicts the relation of gender with the inclination of consumer towards Price or Style conscious personality. | Values| | Row Labels| Sum of Male| Sum of Female| Price Conscious| 7| 9| Style Conscious| 4| 15| Grand Total| 11| 24| Men don’t buy fashion – they buy clothes Men are comparatively less sophisticated consumers of fashion than women. * Extended Self â€Å"Fashion is an extension of self and expression of individuality† All the possessions of a person add an extra glamour to the personality.These can be the clothes, accessories, cell phones or your jewelery which adds an extra charm to what you ide alize and portray about your personality. This extract shows the inclination of people towards various categories to embrace an additional appeal to their personality. This is clearly visible that clothes and shoes are the possessions that exhibits glamour and is the centre of attention for most of the youngsters being 37% each. While 14% go for jewelery, 6% for glasses, 6% for wrist watches and 7% opt for mobile phones as their charming accessory. Personality & Chosen Product MatchYour perception towards fashion is what you personality is regarding this particular field. This graphical representation clearly demonstrates the personality of our target youngsters in terms of fashion trends and their own self. Sober looks and Maturity is the dominant trait occupying 34%. * Product symbolization The Fashion Pyramid * Freudian Theory (diagram interpretation) [Id = Brain attack , Superego = Heart attack, Ego = A balance with heart on one and brain on the other side) (landscape) * Trait t heory Various distinct traits are associated with different fields of life projected by the consumer of that particular segment.Likewise many traits are associated with fashion industry and consumers monitoring and following the changing trends. For instance, it is suggested that people who are more communally oriented (a female trait) will enjoy shopping more because of their psychological identification with the communal nature of the task. * Product congruence & Consumer Lifestyle Loyal customers spend more each shopping trip, and are more time-conscious. Our clothes are often an expression of our spirit and character, so there is nothing wrong with finding a look that suits you and relying on it.Here the question is do consumers calibrate their wardrobe to better illustrate their present mood & personality to therefore show overall congruence and harmony? Well, a direct relation exists between the clothing you choose to wear and your overall personality in terms of congruency. A ccording to our one of the consumers view, â€Å"I have noticed that when I am feeling very energetic, and very outgoing, I will pick out clothing from my closet that resembles my mood: loud, and vibrant. Yellow t-shirts, red watch, etc. Meanwhile, other times, when I’m n a mellower and laid back mood, I will wear more toned down clothing, sometimes just a black tee-shirt and jeans. † Fashion is based on creating a need, where in reality, there is none. Fashion is a factory that manufactures desire. Pre occupation with fashion reveals a level of insecurity. It’s like they are worried about being judged. People obsessed with fashion feel that if they’ve changed their look, they’ve also evolved emotionally. They live in a state of being extremely conscious about their appearance. * Decision Making * Heuristics * Shopping Atmosphere * Post Purchase Satisfaction Product Disposal The product disposal is an important issue to be discussed as we keep on a dding accessories to our wardrobe and stuff it with articles. It is essential to know what consumers opt for after It is deducted that 75% people give their clothes to others which is a good indication of society. While 19% stuff it forever even if not in use. On the other hand. 6% completely destroy them. * Risks associated with new trends The elements of fashion not liked by the target youngsters can backfire and become a risk for the Fashion Brands. As, â€Å"The fashion industry is the ultimate fashion victim†Other Risks include: Chapter 5 Extract Chapter 6 Attachments Survey Questionnaire Fashion Trends in Pakistan I am a student of MBIT from IBIT, PU and this questionnaire is purely for research purpose and the information you provide help me gain better understanding of Changing Fashion Trends in Pakistan. The success of this research depends on honest answers so I assure that your response will be kept confidential. Tick the answer you prefer. SECTION 1: YOU C. Occupa tion? a) Student b) Job c) Business d) Other, Please Specify ___________ 1. A. Age? a) 15-20 b) 21-25 c) 26-30 d) 31-35D. Gender? a) Male b) Female B. Family Monthly Income? e) 15000-25000 f) 26000-35000 g) 36000-50000 h) Above 50000 E. How are you feeling today? c) happy c) excited d) sad d) depressed SECTION 2: YOUR FASHION 1. Fashion to you is: a) Looking cool and hipc) Comfort ability b) Looking sober and matured) A way to express my inner self 2. Which current fashion trend you love the most? _____________________________________________________________________ 3. Which fashion trend you hate the most? ______________________________________________________________________ 4. c) Present day fashion ) Celebrity Which fashion style/trend do you tend to follow when you purchase clothes? a) Formal b) Casual 5. Who is your ideal fashion personality? _____________________________ 6. What does your clothing portray about your personality a) Open Personalityb) Shy person c) Hip Hop d) D ecent e) Lively f) Bold 7. Which of your accessories adds glamour to your overall personality? a) Clothingb) Mobile phone c) Jewelry d) Shoes e) Wrist watches f) Glasses 8. What influences you the most when you buy clothes? a) Ongoing Trendsb) Designer/Brand c)Celebrity d) Pricee) Advertisementsf) Friends 9.How much are you willing to spend on one item of clothing from a new trend of fashion? a)1000-2000 b)2000-5000 c)5000-10000d)10000 & above 10. What would encourage you to try out new fashion and style? a) Celebrity’s Styleb) Friend’s Suggestion c) Family’s Suggestiond) An Occasion | 11. What do you mostly dislike about fashion? a) Changes quicklyb) Expensive c) Not suitable d) Turns into a craze 12. What is the most recently added item to your accessories? ____________________________ 13. Does a new trend influence your wardrobe? a) Yes b) Noc)Oftend) Rarely 14. Do you readily adopt new trends? ) Yes b) Noc)Oftend) Rarely 15. How do you judge a fabric? a)Touc hb) Viewc) Brand named) Fabric name 16. Are your purchases? c) Plannedb) Immediate | 17. What is your action when a dress or an accessory attracts you? d) Immediately buyc) Consult a friend or family member e) Search for alternativesd) Search for more information 18. Which kinds of shopping destination you buy most of your clothes from? a) Super markets and shopping mallsc) Fashion shows and exhibitions b) Designer boutiques & Brandsd) Bazaars 19. What are your cultural preferences in fashion? a) Family culturec)Western culture ) Regional cultured) A combination of trends from multiple cultures 20. What do you do after your purchase? i) When satisfied a) Refer others b) Feel achievement c) Repeat purchases from the same place ii) When dissatisfied a) Feel angry b)Tell others to avoid c) Never visit the same place 21. How do you dispose of your clothes a) Keep the item b) Destroy c) Give it to others to use 22. What would you mostly like to see in an advertisement? a) Pictures of the shop and locationc) Products available b) Information about the designer d) All the above 3. Which medium do you trust for your purchases? a) Magazinesd)Fashion Shows & Exhibitions b) Billboardse) TV Commercials c) Online Sources Moderator Guide I Thank you all very much for helping us and participating in our project research. What we are conducting is called a focus group. It is mainly a form of discussion among all of you on our research topic. You can agree, disagree on any point or you can just provide with a comment. You can also propose any new idea regarding the subject and you can freely express your views and opinions. This is just like a routine lounge talk.We request you to convey your point clearly and if possible one at a time to save from any confusion or misunderstanding. If any questions regarding the format of the focus group, you can ask ? Now, I’l explain the topic, we are here to discuss. That is The Changing Fashion Trends in Pakistan. Everybody today, is somehow associated with fashion either in favor or against. . Similarly, you all must be used to of decorating your wardrobe with latest fashion articles. Most of you would be used to of visiting various bazaars and malls for your clothing needs. And must be having your views and suggestions for this very industry.We are going to talk about the same. Before we start, if any one have any queries. Please do ask? Now friends , We’ll continue with our discussion Warm Up Questions:- 1. How much time do you spare for your leisure activities? 2. How much time in a month do you spent on shopping? 3. Do you consider shopping a source of entertainment? Specific Questions:- Current Scenario of Audience 4. Do you visit exhibitions for your purchases? 5. Do you consider fashion shows a source of latest updates for your fashion? 6. May I ask about your favorite places to shop? 7. What is your recently added item in your clothing? 8.Are you price conscious or style conscious? Reason of F ailure 9. What do you think is the main content of our Pakistani fashion currently being promoted? 10. What is that one factor that stops you from adopting a fashion trend? 11. In your opinion, what is the one major difference between ordinary and designer brand items? 12. When I speak of Fashion, What picture comes to your mind? 13. Now, what if the same product is being sold in a local and a designer brand, Which one you’ll prefer to buy? Why? I am really thankful to you all for this valuable effort and specially your time. Bibliography Solomon, M. R. Consumer Behavior.