Desperate Housewifes
Saturday, December 5th, 2009 | Humour & Stuff | No Comments
It`s NOT a post about the US-series which is quite popular by some of us…
It IS about modern women who a often torn between their familiy life, household and career. It sounds like another popular topic but I think I can talk about it now more sensitive and analyzing `cause I`m feeling stuck in this dilemma right now. So this is what I`m worried about. I want to pick out just some main subjects to talk about here:
1. Why the technological progress doesn`t really help in the household?
2. Ideas about priorities in modern family-life and a differing reality
It took me some time to realize that a hoover, a washing machine, a dish washer, a microwave and several other household appliances are indeed helpful with our housework, BUT do not really save time at all!! All day long women are operating all those machines knowing about their technical efficiency and asking themselves how our grandmothers could survive without it. At the same time our grandmothers are a remembering the times when they had to do the household with their bare hands and wondering why modern housewives are still complaining about the masses of work they have to do at home. So why? Are we just getting lazy? Are our grandmothers hero’s of housework?
Their next reproach is our reluctance to get just one child instead of 3 or even more! So we often hear our grandma saying:”When I was as young as you are (certainly already married), I had already 5 children and I never complained…!S0, don`t make such a fuss about it!” Are we incapable to get on with just one kid? Are we just too selfish, thinking only about our freedom and self-realization?
I think the main reason for our (women) excessiveve demands is the ongoing individualization in our society and the feminism paradigm which are just pushing us more and more into the dilemma I`ve described above! Telling about their “heroic deeds” our grandmas forget to tell us about the task sharing and the strong family bonds in the past. No woman or mother of 5 children had to wash, cook, clean up, shopping foods, watch her kids and doing homework with them, being perfectly styled and having a part time job at once!!! It`s just impossible! Extended families have been sharing the different responsibilities. Everybody has been conscious of her/his work to do. Grandma`s have been cooking and caring about children all day long, while the younger women (not just one person) of the family did all the homework and the men earned the money. I know, this paradigm is not popular in our modern society but at the same time it`s also not realistic to burden women with all those work! When do Men realize it and don`t ask questions like “What do you do all day long sitting here at home?”, when do Women realize that its no sign of weakness to ask for help and when do Families realize that solidarity and family bonds are essential and necessary to keep it going? Unfortunately women in modern society are often very alone with their tasks and kids, families are at odds with each other, partnerships are unstable and patchwork families are normal.
The pressure on women is growing enormously especially in terms of decision for or against starting a family, being a good housewife or wife and growing up children. Many of us have serious doubts if they have to “give up” themselves for a new life full of problems. Indeed it is quite hard to have the heart to start this new part of life but I think it`s also a new chance for Your family to be awake of those values I talked above. A new family must not to repeat the faults of unrealistic (modern) ideologies or outdated advices of parents. Rather, it is in your hands (women and also men) to brake up our desperation!
Birthday Management
Monday, November 16th, 2009 | Humour & Stuff | 1 Comment
A boy tu
rns 3 – time for his first big B-Day party! The expectations of the child are high, knowing about other kid-parties organized by extremely caring mums. So where and how to entertain a crowd of 10 kids aged between 2 and 4 (the two younger ones don`t count `cause entertained by their mothers)? The answer of the first question – NOT AT HOME, that`s for sure (I think there is no need to explain why)! Best option seems to be a roofed playground with a lot of space, trampolines, monkey bars and min. 10 Bobby Cars (you know, the push powered vehicles). The HOW-question is much more difficult as you have not only to prepare some kid-food as sausages and noodles with a lot of ketchup, some healthy snacks (to salve your own conscience) and certainly a spectacular birthday chocolate-cake. A caring mum has to do the whole show, that is to play creative, funny but also pedagogically useful games to gain recognition by other parents. In addition u have to worry not just about the expensive presents for your own child but also small and useless take-away presents for every guest-kid. All in all the management of a kid birthday party of a 3-year old boy needs at least 3 weeks of preparations, costs a lot of money and creatitvity. But it`s the result that counts – 10 smiling and happy faces smeared over with chocolate! It`s certainly one of those unforgettable joyful moments in our life!
Economic basic conditions of transition in Czech Republic
Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009 | University | No Comments
In this post I`ll continue the series “Retail in Prague” and focus on economic basic conditions of transition in retail in the Czech Republic.
Because of the centralistic economic structures before 1989 it has been a radical turn towards the market economy during the period of transition. The relative stable economical situation as well as the high acceptance in the population made Vaclav Klaus (financial minister of Czechoslovakia from 1989-1992) to choose the radical strategy of the so called “shock therapy”. One in all the liberalization of the prices and markets showed a positive development of the GDP especially in the end of the 90ies and 2000 (see c
hart).
The main reform in the economic restructuring plan has been the privatization. Private ownership should be replaced by public ownership to get the basics for market competition. Coupons and restitution made sure to involve every Czech into this process. By the end of 1992 there have been about 100 000 units of small and medium-sized enterprises being privatized (so called “small privatization”), mainly enterprises of the retail, gastronomy and hotel sectors. Therefore the part of the tertiary sector rose to 68%.
Privatization reform in the retail sector had a strong impact on the commercialization and formation of a city in Prague (in terms of a CBD). The demand of foreign companies for modern office and retail estate in the old town center grew steadily from the beginning of the 90-ies. To preserve and to avoid the modernization of the old city structures the old town has been declared as UNESCO world cultural heritage by the city administration.
In these times the „ decisions of the central government as well as local politicians have been grounded in a neo-liberal approach, which has seen the free, unregulated market as the only mechanism of allocation of resources, that would generate a wealthy, economically efficient and socially just system” (Sykora). This reserved point of view in terms of market regulation as well as the lacking competence of this stakeholder group is typical for the institutional reorganization during transition, which will be discussed in the next posts.
Philadelphia Girl
Wednesday, September 9th, 2009 | Humour & Stuff | No Comments
Surprise, Surprise! Never thought of me making promotion for a breakfast spread…But acctually it was fun! About 600 pregnant women applied for this shooting but just 60 have been choosen to take part (in Hamburg, Berlin and Köln). It`s just amazing how much fun it was to spoil yourself by a make-up artist, a food catering and a masseuse!! And working with the photographer has been really uncomplicated! Didn`t know how easy it is to get “famouse” !!!
Coco Before Chanel (Coco Avant Chanel)
Sunday, August 23rd, 2009 | Film Reviews | No Comments
Coco avant Chanel
See Audrey Tautou in one of her best roles! She has interpreted the French legend of design Coco Chanel in an absolutely amazing way! Her charming nature is flowing though out the film and everybody is a bit disappointed when the story suddenly stops at a quite interesting point – the beginning of Chanel`s career. But obviously, that was the intention of the director Anne Fontaine.
She didn`t want to present Coco`s biography just as a chain of events. In fact her focus has been more on the second phase of Coco`s life when she left the orphanage and started singing in a Varieté. The following acquaintance with Etienne (Benoît Poelvoorde) set an end to her (a little bit embarrassing) performances as singer but let her run into an ambiguous “love” relationship with him. Her strong, determined but feminine character mirrors Chanel`s typical cuts and styles. Her romantic relationship to “Boy” (Alessandro Nivola) is moving and very well interpreted by both actors. Especially their dialogue about the meaning of a marriage against the background of “Boy`s” arranged wedding with an “Englishwoman” reveals and explains Chanel`s further attitude towards men, also after “Boy`s” fatal car accident. He was her “big love” and she never married, though she had numerous love affairs.
The film gives a just small but essential insight into the roots of Chanel`s work and character. A short portrayal about her former collections and the absolutely revolutionary effect on the female world of the 30ies and 50ies still would have certainly fit very well into the film.
Closing of the legendary “Cherkizovskij Market” in Moscow
Thursday, July 30th, 2009 | Journey | 1 Comment
The news about the closing of the legendary market in the eastern part of Moscow near by the international hotel complex “Izmajlovo” spread like a fire. The market of the size of about 200 ha is existing since the early 90-ies and emerged to be the biggest one in Europe with approx. 100 000 persons employed. Most of the people involved into the production and distribution chains come from China and smaller (Central) Asian countries having no legal residence permit. The daily turnover of this market is estimated to be more than 200 000 US-$ per diem. The management of the market remains in the hands of the Izmajlovo clan – Telman Izmajlov, his two sons and his nephew- since 1989. Shortly, Mr. Izmaijlov attracted attention by opening the most expensive and luxurious hotel resort in Turky inviting prominent guests from all around the world.
Cherkizovsij Rynok
The latest news report just a “preliminary closing” of the market because of ” failors of sanitary and dealing norms”. In fact, the market is considered to have a criminal touch in terms of the way of making business and the trading goods. The missing certifications and other documents for many goods are then the simplest delicts. A closing of the “Cherkizovskij market” has been tried several times since 2001, but without any success.
Is the current situation more authoritative then it has been in the past? Now plans to build a sport and entertainment center as well as a modern shopping center, instead of the shabby market hall, the kiosks and the large parking for the trucks with (illegal) goods, becoming more and more realistic. Shortly the Chinese deputy secretary of trade who visited Moscow and showed interest in finding a con-sens regarding the destiny of the over 60 000 Chinese who worked at the Cherkizovskij market as well as the goods to the amount of 5 billion US-$, which are still in the area. He confirmed that the Chinese government is willing to invest about 1 Billion US-$ in building a new shopping-center as well as a large-scale logistic center and customs terminal. This project would take at least two years in case of the final clarification of the matter.
Until then hundreds of police officers are patrolling around the housing estates to prevent a rising of criminal incidents. It`ll take some time to stabilize this tense situation with thousands unemployed Asians who are just hanging around the Metro stations and nearby “Izmajlovo Park” awaiting the issue.
Democratization and Transition from Plan to Market Economy
Tuesday, July 28th, 2009 | Film Reviews, University | 2 Comments
To understand the still ongoing political and economical processes in Eastern Europe (or especially in Czech Rep.) since 1989, we have to know something about the existing transition theories. This post gives you a short overview about the main theories predominating the transition research.
Basically there are four directions, which are of importance. It started in the 60-ies with the Systems-Theory of Talcott Parsons which postulates the development of so called ” evolution universals”. He argued that, like Darwin`s evolution of biological organisms, societies progress through their “capacity for generalized adaptation” to their environment. This is achieved mainly through the development of specialized institutions to perform the social functions necessary to meet increasingly specialized needs (structural differentiation). Evolution is then from traditional to modern societies, and progress can be charted via bureaucratic organization, money and market complexes, social stratification, cultural legitimation and the emergence of generalized universalised norms.
Seymor M. Lipset advanced Parsons` theory and developed a casual connection between economical development and democratization. According to this, a growing GDP entails a better education, growing prosperity, tolerance, moderate working style of policy, a consolidation of civil society and eventually democratic structures. This steps of development are essential for the neoliberal paradigm which focuses the free market economy with its constitutive criteria ( e.g. private ownership, free price formation, freedom of competition).
This so called Theory of Modernization and Parsons` Systems Theory expanded into the paradigm of the neoliberal institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (Bretton-Woods institutions). While this neoliberal model of development has been implemented on several countries of the third democratization wave (like India, Latin-America, Portugal) more and more criticism began to rise. Mainly the over- simplification as well as the missing explanation for the economical development without further democratization such as in several Arabic countries have been criticized.
New approaches in the transition research began to become more and more accepted. The publication of Huntington`s “Clash of Civilization” in the beginning of the 90-ies focused on the cultural aspects of countries in transition. Cultural theorists assume a close relationship between the secularization of a society and its ability and success in developing democratic structures. Therefor some societies just cannot be democratized because of their special religious-cultural roots which cannot be just replaced by new institutions and values.
Another branch of research are the stakeholder theories, which look on the microscopic level at the small elite-groups which seem to control the transition processes in a country. According to this, different stakeholder combinations can be identified as well as possible activities and developments be fore-casted. This is the main advantage over the Systems and Modernizing theories.
All in one the four theories complement one another so that a stakeholder analysis cannot be made without a system theoretical background. The multidimensional question of the success of the Czech transition strategy as well as the initial situation at the retail market will be targeted in the next post.
Transition of Retail in Prague- A Stakeholder Analysis
Monday, July 27th, 2009 | University | No Comments
Thesis is done! Now I`ve some time to write about it…Let`s start then!
The collaps of the old socialistic system ushered the former Eastern Bloc states in a new era. The transition from the command towards a free market economy has been a tour de forces which ment a radical social and political change.
This thesis focuses on the transitional process at the retail market which is supposed to be “most sensitive to changes”.
Due to the political and economical changes in the Czech Re-public in the beginning of the nineties, this market underwent significant re-structuring, which had an impact on the real estate market, the supply and demand situation as well as on the spatial structure of the city of Prague.
The co-operation between the major stakeholder groups – urban planning, developer, real estate and trading companies – is of primary importance for the empirical analysis of the thesis. Several experts have been interviewed concerning the above mentioned context in Prague.
In the first place it`s intresting to look at the theory, which I`ll introduce to you in the first part of this post-series.
Then we`ll have look at some examples of retail projects in Prague to visualize the current situation.
In the third part, I`ll analyse the stakeholder co-coperation as well as the impact on the urban planning in Prague.
Who moved my Cheese? – by Johnson, Spencer
Friday, December 26th, 2008 | Book Reviews | 1 Comment
This is a short, but clever story about two mice and two midgets living in a labyrinth looking for CHEESE all the time. The mice following their basic instinct – hunger – which is motivating them snooping and being teeming in hope to get new and more 
CHEESE. The two midgets, provided with intelligence more conscious in their decisions.
One day, both couples discover a warehouse of CHEESE at a time. The CHEESE is delicious and there is more of it than you need in a life-time! Happy about their finding, the two midgets are resting, eating the CHEESE not thinking about the future - enjoying the feeling of security. The mice are keeping on being on the lookout for CHEESE, not thinking about future and hoping to discover new sorts of more CHEESE!
After a while, the CHEESE warehouses are dispelled – all the CHEESE is gone – nobody knows WHERE and WHY! The mice, as well as the midgets have to fight for their livelihood again!
Now the strategies of the two couples are drifting apart.As usual, the mice are running around trough the labyrinth, looking out for NEW CHEESE. The midgets are sitting around – appalled, frustrated, angry – trying to understand who and why had suddenly taken THEIR CHEESE away from them! Time is passing, the two are speculating and puzzling about the present situation. Nobody is motivated to go out in the large and dangerous labyrinth to look out for NEW CHEESE. This is just too unfair and stressful to start from the beginning, not even knowing about the success of the new quest!
Eventually, one of the midgets takes the risk and goes out into the labyrinth, hoping to find a new warehouse of CHEESE. His partner preferred to stay and wait for CHEESE at the usual place – safe but hungry…- hoping somebody bringing him back HIS CHEESE.
Did you recognize yourself in one of the characters – `cause this is the point of this short-story, which is visualizing and simplifying diverse tricky situation out of our life. It makes us think about our own strategies to deal with problems and to solve them. The CHEESE – a picture of our values in life, our secret disires and hopes. The labyrinth – the difficulties we meet with, while trying to achieve a target.
This book probably helps you to find out the right strategy, offering ten strategic directions to the reader . Read it – and find out!
Retail in Transition – Case Study Prague
Sunday, December 14th, 2008 | University | No Comments
In terms of my thesis, which is in process right now, I`ll introduce the theme to you in this new series of upcoming posts!
During the economic transition in the Czech Republic since 1990 there`ve been started reforms on several levels. Restructuring processes in policy, economics, society as well as administration have been initiated by Vaclav Klaus and the so-called “Shock-Treatment”. This transition methodology should guarantee a fast transition from a centrally planed- into a market economy.
A significant role played the restructuring of the retail sector, which is very sensitive to economic changes. It`s sudden expansion had several impacts on real estate markets as well as the city structures. Most important processes if the transition in retail are first, a creation of a estate market, second, a diversification of city functions, third, a scarcity of land in the city. The logical consequence of this development is a dislocation of retail to the periphery of the city (”Greenfield Site”) and therefore a declining buying power in the city.
Parallel to structional changes in the retail sector, an alteration process started also on the state-administration level. The abolishment of socialistic planning ministries and the formation of new governmental bodies led to several administrative gaps, which diminished just years later. Deficiency of competence and force of achievement as well as the absence of a city development plan gave international investors plenty of rope in their location decision strategies.
In the course of reform consolidation and elaboration of a strategic city development plan for the next two decades until 2020, the line-up of stakeholders in Prague retail began to change.
In the context of those developments the exiting question of distribution of power and competence in terms of location decision processes in Prague retail sector will be analyzed and partly answered in my theses.
By means of 4-5 retail projects out of different phases of transition (break, growing, orientation, modernization) shall be exemplified the formation and change of stakeholder line-up as well as their location decision processes.
Changes of the spacial retail allocation structure (city vs. periphery) and its importance in terms of city planning strategies are further aspects of transition of retail in Prague.
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