Designing The Fashion Industry ( Mcalpine 14 ) - 1330 Words

According to scratchhard.com, the fashion industry generates an average of $20 billion each year. Fashion designers are the heart of the fashion world. Designing is a form of art that is translated into clothing. Inspiration for the designs comes from trends, art, culture, places, and the media. Fashion designers create ideas which they turn into clothing to sell. The first step of designing is researching current fashion trends and predicting future trends. Trends determine the success of the fashion industry (McAlpine 14). Designers choose a speciality to design. Swimwear, bridal wear, children’s clothing, footwear, and men’s wear are a few examples of design categories. Sketching the original design is the next important step of†¦show more content†¦Fashion designers can create apparel for numerous people or for a select few. Haute couture designers create clothes specifically for a customer. One outfit could cost thousands of dollars. Ready-to-wear designs are produced in large numbers but sold at high prices. Mass produced clothing is constructed in large numbers and sold at reasonable prices. This is where most designers work. Boutique designers work alone or in groups to create their own designs and find outlets to sell their clothing. In 2012, twenty-five percent of the designers were self-employed. Large apparel companies usually consist of a team of designers headed by a creative manager. Very few designers work for high fashion brands. High fashion designers earn the most money and are the most well-known. Many different outlets of design are available as career options (McAlpine 14). Formal education fro fashion designers is not required, but it is recommended. Preparing to become a fashion designer can start in high school by taking art, home economics, math, and chemistry (Morkes 324). When an employer is seeking to hire a designer, a person with a fashion degree, an impressive portfolio, and experience or an internship will be the most likely to receive the job. Many universities offer various degrees pertaining to fashion. Baylor University in Waco, Texas is one of the top twenty schools for

Essay about Cultural Conformity - 1473 Words

By definition, discrimination is the cruel treatment towards a person of a specific group, according to his or her classification or status. For centuries, discrimination has been a big issue in many countries over race, socioeconomic status, appearance and ethnicity. Racism continues to exist primarily not only in the United States, but also in Europe and South America, with attempts to block minorities from any opportunities. In Rick Bragg’s memoir, All Over but the Shoutin, Bragg reveals the influence of racism on the modern world. The effects of these unjust social practices can be felt throughout humanity today. Rick Bragg’s memoir, All Over but the Shoutin, explores his journey to find his identity. Raised in Piedmont, Alabama,†¦show more content†¦This conception eventually influenced the phrase â€Å"White Trash,† a derogatory term in which affluent white men describing the poor whites living in the United States under a substandard lifestyle. Later in his memoir, Bragg provides an account where a local fraternity from Jacksonville State throws a celebration for the children of poor families. Initially, Rick extends his gratitude for the fraternity’s kindness, but then has trouble relating to them because their cultural differences. Bragg describes them as affluent people, not â€Å"rich by Manhattan standards, but Possum trot ones,† (Bragg 97). He finds himself embarrassed and bitter at the ignorance of the individuals who live with their backs turned to society. Bragg wished to capture the â€Å"degree of meanness, degrees of hatred, and of ignoranc e,† that plagued the world (Bragg 62). Just like him, thousands of citizens in United State experience prejudice and social prejudice at least once in their lifetime. What makes it more upsetting is that the dehumanization and ridicule involved due to one’s current condition greatly impacts a person’s likelihood to succeed. To an extent, society has learned to embrace cultural differences. For example, countries like England and China share some common interests such as in music artists like Michael Jackson and Ray Charles. However, this isn’t always the case for everyone. People, like Bragg, lived in a world where those around him would not accept him,Show MoreRelatedCultural Conformity and Race Essay1549 Words   |  7 Pagescitizens in United State experience prejudice and social disparity at least once in their lifetime. What makes it more upsetting is the dehumanization and ridicule involved due to one’s current condition. To an extent, socie ty has learned to embrace cultural differences but that’s not always the case. People, like Bragg, lived in a world where those around him would not accept him, poverty left him with virtually nothing, and his family was forced to make sacrifices to survive. Bragg grasped the discriminationRead MoreThe Effects of Cultural Assimilation: Conformity vs. Unorthodoxdy2124 Words   |  9 PagesThe Effects of Cultural Assimilation: Conformity vs. Unorthodoxdy â€Å"Cultural assimilation is a complex and multifaceted process that first involves immigrants learning the language, cultural norms, and role expectations of the absorbing society, and further changes in attitudes†, or so it is explained by Dejun Su, Chad Richardson, and Guang-zhen Wang, in their article, â€Å"Assessing Cultural Assimilation of Mexican Americans: How Rapidly Do Their Gender-Role Attitudes Converge to the U.S. MainstreamRead MoreA Typology Of Fashion Violence Essay1692 Words   |  7 Pagesincludes diagrams,statistics, and experimental results to prove the impact of luxury brands on adolescence. Klucharev,Vasily, Kaisa Hytonen, Mark Rijpkema, Ale Smidts, and Guillen Fernandez. â€Å"Reinforcement Learning Signal Predicts Social Conformity.† Neuron 61.1 (2009): 140-51. Web. This article published in the Neuron, one of the most influential journals for neuroscientists, explores the brain to figure out why humans conform to society. The authors, a group of scientists from the DondersRead MoreThe Social Influence Of Minority And Minority Influence1491 Words   |  6 Pageswhy people conform and the factors that make them more likely to conform. Conformity is defined as â€Å"a form of social influence in which a person yields to group pressure in the absence of any explicit order or request from another person to comply, as in the Asch experiment† (Colman, or Dictionary of Psychology, 2009). Conformity encompasses majority and minority influence. Kelman (1958) proposed three types of conformity for influence of a majority; Compliance, internalisation and identificationRead MoreA Sorority Is A Subculture Or A Segment Of Society s Population1452 Words   |  6 Pagesbanned the sororities on campus because some of the hazing has gotten so bad on thei r campus. Sororities have become high and pop culture all around the world on many college campuses. High culture are the â€Å"cultural patterns that distinguish a society’s elite† while pop culture is â€Å"cultural patterns that are widespread among a society’s population† (Macionis 63). Sororities are known for only accepting one type of girl into their sororities and they are usually the elite group of girls on campusRead MoreEssay on Conformity and Political Control1353 Words   |  6 Pagesto others. Although there are many explicit forms of conformity, there are also implicit forms of conformity that affect the attitudes and behavior of people on a subconscious level. The major problem with the modern bi-partisan political system is that it is fundamentally built on the idea that people will conform to others that are associated with them socially. Chartrand and Bargh completed one of the more famous experiments on conformity in 1999 where they were able to illustrate that peopleRead More Teen Conformity in Sinclair Lewis Babbitt and in Society Today3030 Words   |  13 PagesTeen Conformity in Babbitt and in Society Today      Ã‚   In society today, people feel the need to belong. They feel as though they have to be a part of something in order to feel special. At times, they will go so far as to lose their individuality and submit themselves into complete ignorance just to be able to know that there is someone or something to which they can always fall back on. Conformity is one of the most common and most apparent forms of Babbittry in the twenty - first centuryRead MoreSocial Influence On Social Psychology1870 Words   |  8 PagesPsychologists focus on the situation. They study the social influences that describe why the same person will act inversely in different situations. Theorists have typically distinguished between three types of social influence which are compliance, conformity, and obedience. Compliance is often referred to as an active form of social influence in that it is usually intentionally initiated by a person where they may choose to comply or not to comply. Yet, the thoughts of social reward and punishmentRead MoreSocial Influence Refers To Changes In An Individual’S Own1776 Words   |  8 Pagesattitude and behaviours in accordance with other individuals or groups thoughts and feelings (Moussaid, Kammer, Analytis Neth, 2013). There are three main forms of social influence, these includes conformity, compliance and obedience which has an impact on the daily lives of people in the society. Conformity can be referred to as when a person changes their attitudes to fit into the social norms of different groups. The concept of obedience takes place when an individual follow the instructions of othersRead MoreConformity And How It Affects People Today2207 Words   |  9 Pagessociety must uphold to. My group decided to conduct experiments on conformity and how it affects people today. So, what exactly is conformity? Our book â€Å"Psychology Perspectives and Connections† defines conformity as the tendency of people to adjust their behavior to what others are doing or to adhere to the norms of their culture. To go along with conformity, social norms are rules about acceptable behavior imposed by the cultural context in which one lives. †¨A couple of weeks ago when the students

Vocational Education Policy of Australia

Question: Discuss about theVocational Education Policy of Australia. Answer: Introduction The students are enabled to achieve qualifications for employment of all types and certain skills with the help of Vocational education and training (VET). VET, as a result contributes in the performance of the workplace on the part of the students. Technical and further education (TAFE) institutes, private providers, community organizations etc. are some of the providers of VET in Australia. In addition to it, some schools and universities are also the providers of VET. Hence this assignment will deal with the aspect of VET in Australia and further emphasize upon the territory governments and eight states network, and the Australian Governments with the help of which VET is provided. 1970s-1980s As already mentioned, with the help of VET in Australia, it acts as a contributing factor for the achievement of all kinds of employment on the part of the students along with certain skills that helps them in terms of functioning in the workplace (Asqa, 2016). As a result of this, it plays a vital role in terms of economy of Australia, in terms of both the national development and for export industry of the nation as well. To get in depth of the matter, with the help of territories governments, eight states network and Australian Government, in addition with providers of private and public training and industry VET is provided in Australia. The main purpose of VET is to provide training nationally consistent in nature. The providers with the help of which VET is offered in Australia are adult and community education providers and agricultural colleges, commercial and enterprise training providers and industry skill centers, technical and further education (TAFE), private providers, centers for industry skills and industry community organizations. Here, it becomes essential to discuss upon the origin of VET in Australia. A vigorous training system was absent in Colonial Australia. In 1971, Australia joined the OECD. In 1974, like various aspects in vocational training and education, research in VET started in Australia. It is further mentionable here that, in 1974, Australia commissioned the OECD study of the transition from school to work. The initiative began with the help of Kangan Committee report of 1974 (Rauner and Maclean, 2008). In 1973, by the Whitlam Federal Government the committee was established. The main purpose for the formation of the committee was to providing with advice to Mr. Kim Beazley, the then Minister of Education, regarding enhancement of technical and higher education in Australia. There were number of arenas on which the proposal made by Kangan emphasized upon. Firstly, establishing Australian Technical and Further Education (TAFE) was recommended by Kangan. Hence with the help of this the significa nce of TAFE as a contributing factor in terms of implementation of social and economic change was recognized. The main purpose put behind the formation of TAFE was adoption of technology in terms of vocational research and education, produce and enhance learning and related other education aids with the help of itself or others (Studiesinaustralia, 2015). Some of the purpose as mentioned in the initial conceptual thinking regarding enhancement of a coordinated national research capacity in relation to VET in Australia were- training researchers, journal publication etc. However, when with the help of the recommendation made by Kangan, no fruitful result could be derived, five years later; with Committee of Injury into Education and Training it was revived. The establishment of National Centre for Research and Development in TAFE was recommended by the inquiry. In this regard it was mentioned that in areas like courses accreditation, the job of conducting projects will be allotted to it. In June 1980, National Centre for Research and Development in TAFE was established. It is mentionable here that in the time period of, 1970s to 1980s the Commonwealth support increased drastically. It was observed, increased pressured in terms of enhanced funding in association with technical education on Commonwealth was prevalent in the beginning of 1970s. As a response to Commonwealth report, TAFE in Australia: a report on needs in technical and further education 1974, for the purpose of new libraries and buildings, curriculum development, staff development and re search the Commonwealth granted significant funding to TAFE (Federation, 2015). A number of labor market programs that bought training at TAFE institutes, was introduced by Commonwealth. These labor market programs bought training at TAFE institutes on the basis of fee-for-service, with the intention to address increasing concern regarding unemployment of the youth. A major factor that promoted Commonwealth to get engaged with the help of National Apprenticeship Assistance Scheme for the first time in the year 1963 was apprenticeships systems criticisms in addition with issues regarding tradespeople skill shortage. Financial assistance was provided by it in order to encourage employers, in terms of allowances for living away from home to country areas apprentices, in addition to taking on first-year apprentices. 1990s In the following period in 1990s, a national VET system was agreed upon on the part of the Commonwealth and States and Territories. A new economic strategy was put forward by the Commonwealth in the year 1992. The purpose of this new economic strategy was to promote growth and employment, named, One Nation. It included an offer with the motive to assume complete funding responsibility for TAFE. The basis of the offer of Commonwealth was the perspective that in the one level of government aspects like educational and efficiency is required to be vested instead of segregating it between the states and the Commonwealth. On the part of the States and Territories the offer was rejected as they wanted to maintain a local control of the systems. However, it is mentionable here that, in establishing a national VET system, the agreement reached a conclusion. It became possible with the help of joint responsibility in terms of funding under the support and sponsorship of the Australian Nationa l Training Authority (ANTA) (Training, 2016). It is a Commonwealth statutory body that started operation in 1994. It was approved that, the joint investment in VET would be facilitated by ANTA by the States and Commonwealth, with the help of synchronized, national approach in terms of funding and planning. The inception of a period of enhanced public investment in national training and VET was marked by the creation of ANTA. Under the agreement of ANTA, it was agreed upon by the Commonwealth to give to the Territories and States an additional amount of $70 million/annum for a period of three years. The purpose behind the fund was expansion of the system. During this period, the foremost features of a national training system were introduced. The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) is included in this. In 1995 it integrated the quality-assured qualifications that were available across Australian schools, higher education and VET (Federation, 2015). In the process of progressing introduction of other features, it was agreed by the ministers to introduce a new National Training Framework (NTF) in the year 1996. It was introduced as a section of implementation of an industry-driven system. 2000-2013 Nationally-equivalent training packages were included in NTF which was developed with the help of industry and the Australian Recognition Framework (ARF). The Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF), later replaced ARF. It is a nationally consented quality framework intended towards VET system of Australia, which was developed in the year 2001 with the help of National Training Quality Council. The main aim of AQTF was providing the edifice for nationally equivalent, enhanced quality VET system. It also included regulatory standards for the purpose of State and Territory recognized bodies and registered training organizations. ANTA was abolished by the Commonwealth in the year 2004. In its place, the responsibilities were transferred to Commonwealth department, in order to ensure continued effective functioning of national system. In 2009, the National Agreement for Skills and Workforce Development came into force, as a portion of the new Intergovernmental Agreement which was as sociated with Federal Financial Agreements (IGA FFR). Following it, the association with SPP became effective. It is mentionable here that, it was a national agreement. In 2012, the agreement was further updated, wherein a new National Partnership Agreement on Skills Reform was agreed upon. The purpose of it was to formulate and execute reforms of the national training system. It also included entitlement of national training and demand-driven contestable funding of the market. The income dependent loan scheme (VET FEE-HELP) was introduced by Commonwealth in the year 2009. Its purpose was to provide the students with VET in Diploma and Advanced Diploma full-free qualifications. The regulatory presence on the part of the Commonwealth was also improved with the help of establishment of Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) which acted as the national regulator (Asqa, 2016). The establishment of ASQA was the aspiration of maintaining VETs quality reputation, the consequence of wh ich was national accord to its establishment. With the help this agreement, all Territories and States other than Victoria and Western Australia, to the Commonwealth, referred their regulatory powers. 2014-Current On May 2015, Australian Industry and Skills Committee (ASIC), was established by COAG Industry and Skills Council. The purpose of its establishment was to provide industry with a formal and vast role in the arena of decision making and policy direction for the purpose of VET sector. On 1st January 2016 new arrangements for the purpose of boosting training products became effective. In this new model, a leading role is given to industry in terms of national CET system (Education, 2016). It also entitles industry to prioritize the review and enhancement on the training packages. The basis of it would be aspects like demand of skills of the industry along with regulatory and technological changes. Basing on new Industry Reference Committees (IRCs), AISC forms on the advice. The advice provided on the part of IRCs ascertains the fulfillment of the training requirements on the part of the modern economy and employers. This recent amendment associated with VET ensured, Trade Support Loans establishment as of July 2014. According to the budget 2015, the allocated budget in association of Trade Support Loans was up to $ 20,000 (Miller, 2015). Conclusion In the conclusion it can be stated that the aspect of VET in the context of Australia, it has undergone a number of evolutions and gradual development. In this process of development Kangan Committee report, Technical and Further Education, Australian Qualifications Framework, Australian Quality Training Framework are some of the major path breaking dimensions that contributed to the development of VET. References Asqa.gov.au. (2016).Agency overview | Australian Skills Quality Authority. [online] Available at: https://www.asqa.gov.au/about/agency-overview/agency-overview.html [Accessed 24 Sep. 2016]. Asqa.gov.au. (2016).Australia's VET sector | Australian Skills Quality Authority. [online] Available at: https://www.asqa.gov.au/about/australias-vet-sector/australias-vet-sector.html [Accessed 24 Sep. 2016]. Education.gov.au. (2016).Australian Industry and Skills Committee | Department of Education and Training. [online] Available at: https://www.education.gov.au/AISC [Accessed 24 Sep. 2016]. Federation.dpmc.gov.au. (2015).1970s to 1980s: Commonwealth support increases | Reform of the Federation White Paper. [online] Available at: https://federation.dpmc.gov.au/1970s-1980s-commonwealth-support-increases [Accessed 24 Sep. 2016]. Federation.dpmc.gov.au. (2015).The 1990s: A national VET system | Reform of the Federation White Paper. [online] Available at: https://federation.dpmc.gov.au/1990s-national-vet-system [Accessed 24 Sep. 2016]. Miller, D. (2015).National Scene. [online] cmd.act.gov.au. Available at: https://www.cmd.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/738588/1_NationalScene_DavidMiller.pdf [Accessed 24 Sep. 2016]. Rauner, F. and Maclean, R. (2008).Handbook of Technical and Vocational Education and Training Research. Springer Science Business Media, pp.32-40. Studiesinaustralia.com. (2015).Technical and Further Education | Study in Australia. Study Abroad with Studies in Australia. [online] Available at: https://www.studiesinaustralia.com/types-of-education/technical-and-further-education [Accessed 24 Sep. 2016]. Training.com.au. (2016).Australian National Training Association - Training.com.au. [online] Available at: https://www.training.com.au/anta/ [Accessed 24 Sep. 2016].

The Rising Production of Oil by Non

Introduction Since its establishment in 1960, the Organization of Oil Exporting Countries (OPEC) has dominated the global oil markets and prices. However, the rising production of oil by non-OPEC countries has become the biggest threat to OPEC’s power. The powerful OPEC was established to safeguard the interest of member oil exporters, a role that the organization had managed to sustain until recently when its market share declined from over 50% to 40%.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Rising Production of Oil by Non-OPEC Countries is the Biggest Threat to OPEC’s Power specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Oil extraction by non-OPEC countries has been on the rise until the recent mid-2014 fall in oil prices. Countries such as the US have intensified their oil extraction in the shale fields. Russia has also increased its oil extraction to the extent of becoming a major non-OPEC oil producer. A s the paper confirms, the increase in oil production by non-OPEC countries has led to the witnessed non-cooperation among OPEC members, disparity in technology and innovation between OPEC and non-OPEC countries, and the issue of non-OPEC countries taking over the role of swing oil producer and price marker, and hence the biggest threat to the power of OPEC. Non-cooperation among OPEC Members The increased production of oil by non-OPEC countries has resulted in reduced oil prices across the globe. According to Yergin (2006), the power of OPEC has been sourced from its ability to regulate oil prices in the world markets by managing the supply and access of oil by other countries. Birol (2007) affirms that the mechanism that OPEC used to cling to this power as a cartel was the cutback in oil production by the dominant Saudi Arabia if oil prices went down. According to Guidi, Russell, and Tarbert (2006), Saudi Arabia accounts for approximately a fifth of all the oil reserves in the worl d. A cut down in its oil production means low supply in the market. Hence, the demand for oil goes up, followed by price increment, which in turn results in high asset prices in the US and other OPEC countries (Ahmadian, Hassan, Regassa, 2013). Since Saudi Arabia accounts for more than half of all the OPEC oil reserve capacity, it acts as the swing producer and regulator of oil prices (Portman, 2007; Guidi et al., 2006). Hence, it can reduce its oil production to raise prices. However, this trend has been threatened by the recent increase in oil production by non-OPEC countries. For instance, Braml (2007) observes that an increase in oil production by non-OPEC countries has resulted in increased oil supply in the market, hence reducing oil prices. Therefore, OPEC members have called for meetings to deliberate on their position concerning the falling world oil prices.Advertising Looking for research paper on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, the meetings have ended in disarray after members fail to agree. OPEC remains a divided organization, owing to competition from non-OPEC countries in terms of oil prices (Birol, 2007). For instance, OPEC members within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) that include countries such as Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia have been willing to let world oil prices fall for them to increase their market share in the world. On the other hand, member countries of OPEC such as Venezuela and Iran have opposed the policy that allows oil prices to fall. They have advocated higher oil prices in the world markets (Mann, 2012). Such countries have also advocated lower oil production, which is opposed to the GCC OPEC members. This deadlock within OPEC saw the November 2014 summit unsuccessful. The impact of the increased threat to the power of OPEC because of the amplified oil production by non-OPEC members became more evident when Saudi Arabia declined to reduce its oil production alone unless other oil producers such as Russia (a non-OPEC member) also reduce their production. Ahmadian et al. (2013) confirm how such intimidation to the OPEC members threatens to split its power and make oil prices shift in terms of regulation. For example, immediately after the failed November 2014 OPEC summit, oil prices fell rapidly (Colgan, 2014). The power to control oil prices is slowly slipping away from the OPEC since Saudi Arabia is even more likely to flood oil markets with cheaper supplies to increase its market share and/or maintain its old markets. Morse and Richard (2002) maintain that OPEC fears that the increased oil supply from non-OPEC countries such as Russia, Canada, and the US will take over the market with lower prices. The increase in oil production from non-OPEC countries has threatened the power of OPEC members by putting the interest of individual countries such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE ahead of that of OPEC as a body (Webb, 2013). Innovation and Technology Issues by OPEC Members Apart from having the highest oil reserves, Saudi Arabia (a dominant member of OPEC) also has the cheapest oil production technology (Yergin, 2006). This situation, which seems to have worked to the advantage of the other 12 member countries in the OPEC since Saudi Arabia is the leader, has led to the adoption of even cheaper expertise by non-OPEC members. Birol (2007) observes that through its cheap production cost, Saudi Arabia has managed to regulate oil supply in the world market since it shields the other members to maximize their profits.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Rising Production of Oil by Non-OPEC Countries is the Biggest Threat to OPEC’s Power specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, the increase in oil production by non-OPEC countries is a threat to the existence of this dominant power syst em. For instance, Braml (2007) asserts that both the US and Canada have employed cheaper technologies in their extraction of oil in the recent past. Since oil prices have been high until mid-2014, these countries have also managed to supply oil to the world markets at lower prices compared to those floated by OPEC members. As a result, OPEC members have no choice but to reduce their oil prices in the world market to secure their traditional markets and/or increase their business share (Dullieux, Ragot, Schubert, 2011). Mann (2012) observes that the efforts to maintain the OPEC member countries’ markets have ended up in more splits than unity in the organization as their market domination powers are threatened. The only way to save the decline of OPEC power will be through increased oil production by countries that have higher oil reserves such as Saudi Arabia and/or reducing oil to out-win the non-OPEC oil producers (Guidi et al., 2006). Critics such as Braml (2007) argue th at this move will work only if the cost of production of oil by non-OPEC countries such as Russia, the US, and Canada is higher than the market prices floated by OPEC members, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and the UAE. However, Colgan (2014) observes that although a reduction in oil extraction activities was witnessed after November 2014 when OPEC summit failed to reach an amicable solution to the falling oil prices, modern technology seems to maintain oil production by non-OPEC members afloat. Non-OPEC countries, for instance, the US, Canada, and Russia have used modern technology in their extraction of oil (Morse Richard, 2002). Innovation and the increased technological expertise have made the extraction of oil in non-OPEC countries more efficient and cheaper (Guidi et al., 2006). This situation has threatened the OPEC markets even more. For instance, Saudi Arabia has vowed not to reduce its oil supply in the world market, unless non-OPEC countries such as Russia also r educe their supply formation. This case illustrates that the efficiency of oil production is a threat to the power and existence of OPEC. The use of innovative technology by non-OPEC countries in oil extraction and production means that major non-OPEC oil producers such as Russia will take over global oil markets that were traditionally dominated by OPEC members (Siddiqi, 2002). The existence of countries such as Venezuela and Iran in the OPEC is pegged on the benefits of being safeguarded by dominant members, including Saudi Arabia, in oil export (Ahmadian et al., 2013).Advertising Looking for research paper on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The fact that Saudi Arabia, which has been the dominant market swinger and dominant regulator, is opting out of its traditional role in OPEC is a threat to its power. Instead of cutting back its oil supply to raise oil prices, the country has opted to increase its oil supply to the global markets with the view of securing and increasing its market share. This case will leave smaller OPEC members exposed to global competition for oil markets with major producers in the non-OPEC countries such as Russia. Portman (2007) asserts that the cost of oil extraction and production has been very high. Countries have opted to let states with high oil reserves such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE supply them with oil. However, Yergin (2006) affirms that modern technology and innovation in oil extraction has made it cheaper and more efficient. Therefore, the power of OPEC in dominating world oil prices is likely to be split or worse still taken over by non-OPEC countries. Non-OPEC Countries taking ov er the Role of Swing Oil Producer and Price Marker An OPEC member, namely Saudi Arabia, has dominated the role of price marker and swing producer (Siddiqi, 2002). Saudi Arabia has managed to play this role, owing to its large oil reserves and its willingness to preserve the reserves for future generations. Saudi Arabia has kept world oil prices high through limiting its output (Birol, 2007). Since it has huge reserves, it has set prices that are followed by the other small members, thus enabling them to maximize their profit through their output at a given price. Since OPEC has failed to set limits on output per member country, most of the smaller countries take advantage and produce above the quotas allocated in an effort to make more profits. Saudi Arabia has also used its large oil reserve that has been spared over the years for the prosperity of future generations as a way of controlling oil prices (Colgan, 2014). For instance, it voluntarily limits its output of oil to the worl d markets with an aim of saving it for the future generations. However, this privilege of being the market swinger is threatened by the increased oil production by non-OPEC countries. Although dominant countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait have no need for immediate revenue that comes from high prices of oil, their market share has been threatened. Citing a similar occurrence in 1986, critics of this school of thought such as Ahmadian et al. (2013) have argued that the increased oil production by non-OPEC countries is not a threat to OPEC power today. However, contrary to the fall of oil prices from $50 per barrel to $30 per barrel in 1986 when Saudi Arabia maintained its position as the oil price marker by letting the oil prices fall as it increased its production and supply, Guidi et al. (2006) assert that the current situation has other factor to consider: innovation and technology. Although the 1986 fall in oil prices was seen as a threat to the power of OPEC count ries just as it is today, Saudi Arabia emerged victorious as a dominant power where it saved the power OPEC for more than two decades (Guidi et al., 2006). It is required that for a country or an organization to remain a cartel or the price marker, its cost of production must be lower than that of its competitors. OPEC and Saudi Arabia have to contend with this major and new factor if their plan is a replica of the 1986. There has been a heightened innovation and technological development in oil and gas extraction technology by non-OPEC countries such as the US (Braml, 2007). According to Webb (2013), oil extraction and production at the shale by the US has managed to reduce the operation cost, thus making the US and other non-OPEC countries remain competitive amidst the falling oil prices. The reduced cost of oil extraction by the US, which is a non-OPEC country, owing to innovations and modern oil production technology is the biggest threat to the power dominance of OPEC (Webb, 20 13). According to Yergin (2006), it is even projected that the US may take over as the new world oil price marker with the fall of OPEC. This outcome has a high likelihood of succeeding since other smaller member countries in OPEC may not sustain high profits, especially when the dominant Saudi Arabia gives in to the fall in oil prices against OPEC members’ will. Colgan (2014) asserts that although Saudi Arabia may remain afloat as a powerful oil producer and supplier and increase its market share, its price marker position is likely to crumble with the fall of OPEC. In fact, the relevance of OPEC is already crumbling, with members having divided opinions as GCC countries go for a fall in world oil prices for them to increase their market share while smaller countries such as Venezuela cling on the traditional high oil prices. Conclusion As evident in this discussion, the rising production of oil by non-OPEC countries is the biggest threat to OPEC’s power. Although Sau di Arabia and the other 12 OPEC member countries have controlled oil prices since 1960, developments such as the current increase in oil production by non-members and the fall in oil prices threaten OPEC’s power. Previous strategies applied by OPEC to control oil prices by having the dominant member reduce its production while allowing smaller members to maximize profits and production have been overtaken by innovation and technology. Countries such as the US, Canada, and Russia have made Saudi Arabia change its traditional role in OPEC, thus resulting in divisions between GCC and non-GCC members within OPEC. The use of modern technology and innovation has resulted in reduced operation cost by the US. This situation has threatened the traditional strategies that OPEC countries have been using to retain their power. Reference List Ahmadian, A., Hassan, A., Regassa, H. (2013). The Impact of Oil Price Fluctuations on the Automobile Industry. 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