Ethical argument Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethical argument - Term Paper Example Discussion Basing our argument on Ethical reasoning in the environmental justice movement it is right to understand the fact that being knowledgeable on environmental justices important as it shows social engagement to surrounding. Recently theologians have developed the term eco-justice to reflect a universal religious aspiration for right relationship between humans and the earth, putting special attention on vulnerable people and the earth's creatures at risk of greed and destructive human activities. At this point, it is good to support the idea of not buying a SUV due to its following negative impacts as argued by ethical scholars on SUVs. They are threat to the environment as they are observed to use a lot of gas, more than most other cars, so there is more gas emissions which adds to the problem of global warming, (Bradsher 23). A case study findings is given of SUV owners who were fined almost $9 billion to $350 for gasoline in the year 2002 in the USA far much compared to if SUVs were as fuel-efficient as average car. Therefore it is not economically fit to buy a SUV. Apart from being harmful to owners, SUVS are also dangerous to other motorists as they are larger and heavier compared to many vehicles on the road. In the event a of a SUV crashing into a relatively smaller car, the passengers in the smaller vehicle would probably lose their lives or get very serious injuries contrary to if the accident involved two small vehicles. Observation have been made that SUVs are also a threat to their children and adult passengers as they likely to rollover crash than in other types of vehicle. A research shows that the currently increasing road accident is because of SUVs dominating car market. SUVs safety is in great multiple questioning and they are made with limited safety standard then cars because they count as a truck and trucks do not need to have certain specifications to protect the passengers, ((Bradsher 23); therefore, not only is it both unethical to buy or sell SUVs. However some reasons has been given as to why one should own a suv, they want the offloading capabilities and a car that is all weather drive and can help in moving around better when touring the area or carrying out business. Additionally, a vehicle that suits their cargo capacity requirement hence feels that SUV is much better for it holds more than a station wagon, and furthermore, people prefer SUV arguing that they are safer because it is larger and heavier built. Individuals like a vehicle with taller seating and want a combination of cargo carrying capacity and passenger seating. Therefore they would go for SUVs owing to the fact that many of them seat five passengers with others offering third row seating. Most people purchase SUV as they are cheap. It may not fully satisfy them but to an extent meets their needs. For example, Americans are in love with cars and appreciate good life which is currently met by affordable SUVs. Basing our argument on the ab ove discussed points on importance of SUVs and their negative impacts a recommendation would be given that people should prefer buying other cars rather than going for SUVs. When we look into the issue of health it has been observed that SUVs have negatively contributed to poor health to drivers, passengers and people in the world. Additionally diesel pollution by SUVs is known to be dangerous to human health, as it has led to increased

Macroeconomics Economics Commentary - patterns in Americas unemployment statistics Essay Example for Free

Macroeconomics Economics Commentary patterns in Americas unemployment statistics Essay Unemployment is defined as â€Å"individuals who are actively seeking for a job but cannot find one.† The rate of unemployment however is the number of employed individuals expressed as a proportion of the labour force. During the recent 2010 recession, the United States (US) faced an incredibly large unemployment rate. Despite the fact that America has mostly recovered from the recession, some sectors of the American economy have not yet left the ‘recessionary zone.’ In this article, the dilemma of American teenagers and blacks discrimination is discussed. The statistics given from the article demonstrate a decrease in the rate of unemployment within the American economy. This is illustrated in the graph below as we can see the aggregate supply of labour closing the gap between itself (in blue) and the aggregate demand in order to achieve market equilibrium. Statistically, this improvement can be seen by the drop in unemployment figures from 9.4% in December 2009 to 9.4% one year later in December 2010. Analysing the situation, numerous factors could have resulted in this dip. Primarily, gender discrepancy should be taken into respect. Females dominated industries have increased in size such as education and healthcare industries. Supporting my analysis, the rate of unemployment for women minimally fell by 0.1% unlike their male counterparts whom suffered greater losses. Males as a result saw a greater decrease in their unemployment percentages, falling by 0.8% in comparison to the female’s 0.1% probably due to discriminating reasons, academic motives or other social aspects. Another yet the most principle core dispute raised in the article is the fact that blacks and teenagers are being discriminated suffering from the highest rates of unemployment. Teens topped a high unemployment percentage of 25.4% whilst blacks a little lower tallied at 15.8%. Logically this makes sense for teenagers (assuming they are in the job searching range of 16 to 19 years old), in this age group most teenagers have had little professional experience as emphasis is placed on completing their high school diploma, meaning that the labour force is fundamentally less productive as these teenagers would have no or relatively no real previous real work experience in comparison to an elder person making them less appealing to employers. A growing number of teenagers choose to work as servers/waiters as a consequence of preference and taste for the job yet more importantly, due to their lack in qualifications to work in offices and large firms. As laws enforcing compulsory education up to a certain age become stricter and a higher number of adolescent individuals choosing to complete their studies exists, these individuals are not counted in the ‘pool of unemployment’ as they do not wish to have a job at that moment in time. By estimating, blacks who seem to comprise largely of adults seem however to be facing discriminatory reasons resulting in their rather high unemployment rate. America could modify a few of its structural policies in order to circumvent such dramatic results if a recession were to occur again. Firstly, better and wider training programmes in all academic fields should be offered to students at schools. If the education became more flexible, offering courses in a wider range of subjects, the creation of a possibly more productive workforce is probable and more importantly, having acquired many skills and talents, these teenagers would be capable of finding new jobs in case of a structural change in the economy that demands different skills. Another policy could be to fundamentally ensure that every teenager is granted some type of access to good education/training programme. Lastly, as teenagers in school are not recorded as part of the unemployment rate, the rate of unemployment could be reduced if the government were to provide some type of incentive for teenagers to go back to/attend school. Not only would this reduce unemployment figures in the short run, it would mean that these same teenagers will be capable to offer society much more as they would have gained professional qualifications According to Alicia Robb,Asians are the most educated, so when you have the largest pool of workers, employers are going to pick the most qualified Robb’s statement explains the situation of the Asian race, having suffered the lowest increase in unemployment yet highest fall un unemployment figures from 8.4% in December 2009 to 7.2% a year later. Recently, a voluminous amount of Asians have flocked to the United States. Not only do they usually obtain higher qualified or greater work experience but Asian labour has been branded to be relatively cheap lowering a firm’s total costs, increasing profits. The later generation of these Asians (20 – 30 years old) are thus already qualified enough due to the development in America after 1980s and most of them are employed in good companies and are very well paid now. The young generation of Asians, which are contributed to the teenagers are now concentrating on education in America and most of them would go back to their countries after graduating.

Advancement Does Not Equal Destruction Essay -- Argumentative Persuasi

Advancement Does Not Equal Destruction It is 7:15 am on a Monday morning. You look outside and see 5 inches of snow on the ground and wonder â€Å"Do I have to go to school this morning?† You can’t waste time waiting for your school’s name to pop up on a TV news broadcast, so you quickly click onto the internet. Within moments, you have determined the status of your school, overjoyed that you can jump back into bed and sleep for a few more hours. Receiving information this quickly and easily is beneficial for everyone; it simplifies tasks and gives people more options for reading and writing information. With an internet connection, anyone can access the vast communications network known as the World Wide Web. People can do practically everything on the web: pay bills, check movie times, schedule classes, chat, email, read online newspapers, etc. One no longer needs to subscribe to a daily newspaper to get the latest local, national, and world news. At the click of a button, one can access numerous news sites that contain up-to-the-minute news from around the globe. This not only changes the way people read the news, but it also changes the way people write about the news. Online news is not presented in the same way as printed news. The operators of online news sites strive to attract visitors with bright graphics, eye-catching color schemes, and many helpful links. These work to help the user feel comfortable with the site, promoting the user’s return. The capabilities of multi-media also complement online sources, giving the user a more connected feel. There are so many news sites available on the web, but most share common designs. Most news sites have a similar layout, which includes a navigation frame at the top... ...ron, Dennis. â€Å"From Pencils to Pixels: The Stages of Literacy Technologies.† Writing Material: Readings from Plato to the Digital Age. Ed. Evelyn B. Tribble & Anne Trubek. New York, NY: Longman, 2003. 35-52. Birkerts, Sven. â€Å"Into the Electronic Millenium.† Writing Material: Readings from Plato to the Digital Age. Ed. Evelyn B. Tribble & Anne Trubek. New York, NY: Longman, 2003. 62-73. Landow, George. â€Å"Twenty Minutes into the Future, or How Are We Moving Beyond the Book?† Writing Material: Readings from Plato to the Digital Age. Ed. Evelyn B. Tribble & Anne Trubek. New York, NY: Longman, 2003. 214-226. New York Times on the Web. 5 Apr. 2004. http://www.nytimes.com. 5 Apr. 2004. â€Å"Woman with dwarfism brings comedy to UK.† BBC News: world edition. 5 Apr. 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/video/40005000/rm/_40005075_dwarfism09_davis_vi.ram 5 Apr. 2004.

Individuality: Ellen Degeneres and Sexual Preference

Stay True to Yourself SaRaya V. Woolridge Towson University Abstract In order to be successful in any aspect of life you must be an advocate. As stated by dictionary. com, an advocate is to speak or write in favor of; support or urge by argument; recommend publicly. Everyone by nature is an advocate for something whether it is being something as minimal as being an advocate for a promotion from your job or an increase in your allowance from your parents. There’s at least one topic that you feel strongly about and you feel should change.For me that topic is individualism. I believe that being your own person and staying true to yourself in any situation will lead you to ultimate success. Often in society people who are â€Å"different† from the norm are deemed weird and often looked down on. Straying from the norm doesn’t make you weird or any less good than the next person. A man who wears hair down to his ankles and shorts all year round with hoodies or someone who is homosexual and decided not to hide their sexual preference just to fit in with what society accepts.Every single person is different from the next no matter their race, age, background or even physical appearance. No two people are the exact same. And with this being said I never understood exactly why everyone is so hell bent on â€Å"Fitting In†. I believe that everyone should embrace every little thing that makes them special and use it to their advantage and become successful. There are many famous people right now that are successful right now that only were able to reach their full potential by embracing the very thing that made them unique and â€Å"different†.Ellen Degeneres revealed she was a lesbian, a rap group out to Brooklyn, NY by the name of â€Å"Flatbush Zombies† embraces their â€Å"weirdness† in rapping and sense of style and the good girl gone bad Rihanna expresses herself through body art and hairstyles. All three used made the m special to get where they are in life. Homosexuality is very common in our society today, so common that the rights for gays are a big campaign topic. There was once upon a time that the people in the limelight whom we often look up to would hide their sexual preference to gain and maintain social acceptance.But more recently there have been more and more people â€Å"coming out the closet†. Ellen Degeneres, Rosie O’Donnel, Lance Bass of N’Sync and Ricky Martin to name a few all are celebrities who have over the years embraced their sexuality. Most of the stars who revealed their sexual preference didn’t come as a surprise. But all can conclude that it made their life much easier and contributed to their career’s success. Ellen Degeneres said in an interview â€Å"†I never wanted to be ‘the lesbian actress. ‘ I never wanted to be the spokesperson for the gay community. Ever. I did it for my own truth. Ellen also went on to find love and marry a woman.This also caused a big stir because of the ongoing debates of same sex marriage. A lot of people do not agree with this and being a talk show host this could have easily harmed her ratings. But she did not let any of this stop her from being one of the top talk show hosts and gaining endorsements from companies such as cover girl. Also on the same website Elton John was quoted saying â€Å"[Coming out] gave me the freedom to be who I was for the rest of my life. I don't have to hide around corners. The worse thing is to be afraid of who you are — it's horrible. They both concluded that ever since revealing their sexuality their life has been easier. And when your life is stress free your success comes with ease because all your focus is on you and not hiding who you are. Another person who has gained much success through being an advocate for individualism is pop star Rihanna. Starting out with a good girl island girl image with her debut song â€Å" pon de replay†, no one would ever think she would be the hardcore, slick mouthed tattooed girl she is today. Often tweeting and posting pictures smoking weed and cursing at critics.Some people think that this is all a mechanism to cope with the domestic violence dispute she was involved in but Rihanna is very adamant about this being exactly who she’s been all along. Now that she’s made her mark and established a very loyal following, she’s able to really embrace her wild side without the concern that she will not be socially accepted. Rihanna has showed her â€Å"I Don’t Care† attitude through vulgar tweeting, tattoos and wild hairstyles. Over the years she’s chopped her hair all off, shaved her sides and dyed her hair outrageous colors such as fire engine red. She has also gotten tattoos f miniature guns and a quote on her knuckles that say â€Å"Thug Life†. Tattoos often communicate something negative in the public eye especi ally when it is in a spot that is very visible. (Doss and Ebesu-Hubbard, 2009) Most people would think her blatant disrespect and good girl gone bad persona would make her lose fans but ever since she’s done this her fan base has grown and her record sales have sky rocketed. She’s since been labeled a style icon and been making #1 hit records. Last but not least, there is the demonic crazily dressed duo Flatbush Zombies out of Brooklyn, New York.This group is compiled of two underground rappers with a theme and a dream. Piggy backing off of what the media named the â€Å"Zombie Attack† the duo has made quite a name for themselves, particularly for their style of dress and rap. They usually dress in loud non matching colors, mixing up prints and even dying their hair outrageous colors. One member of the group by the name os Juice had his hair dyed red at the top and gold on the sides. This was following the previous cheetah spotted hair. They take their â€Å"we irdness† and use it to their advantage.They dress weird, they dye their hair, they do drugs and rap and they don’t care who has a problem with it and it has only contributed to their rising success from underground rappers to mainstream. These are just a few examples of the â€Å"weird† and â€Å"different† people in the world that I admire for staying true to what makes them different. I personally have always had a very different style and I know people stare at me and talk about me but at the end of the day I’ve made a lot of networking connections being exactly who I am.As have many other famous people. This may sound cliche but I never want to be the girl who is trying to fit in when I was born to stand out, because when you try to fit in with the norm you’ll be washed away and blended in with everyone else. All in all, I believe that being an advocate for individuality is very crucial to success. All of the people in my paper as well as in the world who are successful Work Cited De Boer, S. (February 2009). Stars who came out of the closet, Wonderwall. Retrieved September 23, 2012 from

Macroeconomic Aims of a Government Essay

The government and policymakers of a country intervenes in the economy in order to achieve economic growth, price stability, and low rate of unemployment. First and foremost, economic growth can be defined as an increase in the country’s output over a period of time. This means there is an increment in her productive capacity hence a rise in national income. A high economic growth is desirable as it represents an improvement in the material standard of living of the society. A rising real income per head brings about more and better quality goods and services, which are available for consumptions of individuals. However, an improvement in the case of consumer welfare due to economic growth is highly doubtful if the growth is accompanied by undesirable side effects such as negative externalities, leisure time forgone or even a dilution in the society’s tradition & custom. Through redistribution of income, economic growth can eliminate poverty. A higher output allows households to enjoy more goods and services thus generating higher income and through the multiplier effect increases national income by folds. Besides that, the government’s tax revenue will rise too, leading to more benefits for the poor such as education and training. This may even help curb the problem of poverty. The authority also highly regards sustaining a stable price level as a primary objective of economic policy. This is because inflation, defined as a sustained and inordinate increase in the general price level, could have harmful effects both socially and economically. A rising price level creates uncertainties and complicates decision-making, thus may hamper economic growth. Fluctuations in the level of prices makes information conveyed by prices harder to interpret. Consumer, firms, and the government may face a tough time in allocating funds or resources for the future in an inflationary environment. Furthermore, as the society strives to maintain its real value of income by keeping up with rising price level and competing with other social classes, the country’s social fabric could be severely strained. The mere existence of inflation means that the real value of money is falling. Thus, it will be necessary for the government to intervene in  the economy in order to prevent hyperinflation from happening. The countries that experienced the most extreme examples of trotting inflation are Argentine, Brazil and Russia. The slow growth brought about eventually crippled virtually the entire economic system. Every government places a low rate of unemployment at the top of its priority. The percentage of total labor force unemployed makes up the rate of unemployment. Economic costs of unemployment can be devastating, as it could mean a lower Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to loss of potential income to factors of production, whilst social costs such as increased poverty, personal hardships to individuals, decay of unused skills, raise in crime rates and family disputes prove the worthiness of the goal of achieving high employment. On the other hand, stability of a country’s exchange rate in the foreign exchange market (FOREX) is vital, as fluctuations of the exchange rate create adverse effects to the economy. There are mainly two cases which are prevalent in most economies. Firstly, an appreciation of the exchange rate may cause exports to become relatively dearer, and lead to loss of competitiveness (comparative advantage) to a country. Secondly, a depreciation of the exchange rate brings about serious domestic inflation, encourages exodus of capital and thus puts the country under stress of lack of investment and unemployment. On the external aspect, the government aims to achieve equilibrium in the balance of payment, especially the current account. A deficit in the current account drains the savings and reserve of a country significantly, leading to a chain effect of higher national debt and burden to future generations. In view of the above objectives, the government is needed to regulate and rectify situations. Therefore, the conclusion can be arrived that government intervention is fundamental to every economies in the world.

Poverty and Voter Participation

Poverty and Voter Participation Free Online Research Papers A democratic form of government is unique in that all citizens have an equal vote or voice in shaping policy or electing government officials. The population participates effectively in the determination of their lives for themselves either directly or through their elected representatives. Equal opportunity is a central component of democracy. Each individual, whether rich or poor, strong or weak, has the same chance to participate and influence governmental action. Without this participation, a democracy is neither representative, nor efficient. When considering democratic participation, one cannot help but wonder if all people truly do have the same opportunity to contribute. Equality in democracy appears to be a concept that has been buried by the seemingly more important attributes such as wealth, power, and influence. Have the poor become so disenfranchised that they no longer care to play a part in democratic processes? This leads me to my research question: how does poverty affect democratic participation? In searching for the answer to this query, I will examine possible factors that could explain why the poor may not be as capable or willing as the rich to shape public policy or elect officials. A review of the voting trends of poorer peoples as compared to those of the wealthy in various democratic nations throughout the world will help me to understand which economic group is more likely to show up and contribute on Election Day. It is my hypothesis that poverty results in decreased engagement in democratic p rocesses. Certain unfulfilled needs of the poor put them at a disadvantage as compared to the affluent when it comes to democratic participation. Whether it concerns the human body’s most basic needs such as food and shelter or more developed needs such as education, the well-off clearly are steps ahead of the less fortunate. I will spend the next several paragraphs explaining how such essentials impact the political input of those stricken by poverty. Human beings have certain basic needs. Until these are fulfilled, all other needs are not of importance. Food is one such necessity. The poor may not always have ready access to nourishment and thus are less concerned with more distant matters such as elections and policy choice. Without the energy that is provided by food, individuals cannot hope to function effectively. It is in the face of such dire straits that democratic participation is not of great concern. What is worse is the fact that the little access to food the poor have is insecure. The underprivileged must rely on charity, handouts, or begging for their sustenance (Sibanda, 2006, p.7). The constant threat of starvation will draw anyone’s attention away from democratic contribution. The wealthy, on the other hand, have no need to worry about where their next meal will come from and thus can focus their attention towards matters of political importance. On the same level of importance of food is the matter of shelter. â€Å"Not shelter for its own sake, but adequate shelter conducive to a healthy and comfortable pursuit of life. Many people in Africa are living in the most shocking conditions† (Sibanda, 2006, p.7). Poor living conditions do not assist in any way to a desire to participate in any kind of political activity. A disadvantaged man or woman living in the Democratic Republic of Congo is unlikely to travel to the voting station when his or her home is in constant danger of falling apart. An education is vital to any person who wishes to make beneficial political decisions. Being educated not only increases one’s chances of gaining access to all kinds of resources, it allows one to avoid exclusion from the governmental processes of one’s country. If one wishes to exercise one’s rights, one must be educated about those rights. â€Å"It is not enough to teach people how to vote and remind them every so often of their basic rights as relates to the election process, people need to be educated about the entire political system† (Putnam, 2006, p.1). Often times the poor are not privileged to have access to a meaningful education. Consequently, they frequently do not comprehend where they stand in the political system beyond the vote. It is in formal educational structures that this kind of information is made available, resulting in a better informed upper class. This leads one to believe that the wealthy are more likely to engage in democratic participation. It is an unfortunate fact that many of the democratic nations in Africa spend more on defense than they do education. Fortunately, efforts are being made to remedy this problem. In South Africa, for example, there is an ongoing campaign with the goal of informing the public of their rights and how they can actively participate in the democratic processes. (Sowman. 2006. p.6) Health and medical needs are other factors that could lead to less governmental contribution by the poor. The poor in many democratic nations throughout the world are not provided with adequate health services. Issues of distance and cost result in the exclusion of provisions for the financially disadvantaged. Additionally, public hospitals are unable to give necessary treatment to those unable to afford private care. (Abelson. 2002. p. 27) Clearly, people suffering from an ailment or who have questionable health are not likely to take part in democratic functions. Mothers and fathers do not wish to leave their sick and dying children so that they may vote in an election. â€Å"Even as people recognize the failing of their political institutions in providing for their needs and even if they are fully aware of their rights and how to exercise them, they are disinclined to do so if they are sick or their families are sick all the time† (Sibanda. 2006. p. 8) The poor suffer another setback as they may not have access to information on the actions and processes of their government. Government headquarters are typically in urban areas which may be a great distance from the rural poor. For those living in shacks many miles away from major cities, the democratic government may be viewed as a distant entity that does not pertain to their simple lives. This could decrease any and all motivation to make their presence felt on the government. Meanwhile, the wealthy living in or around these urban areas are likely to participate as they feel more directly impacted by elections, decisions, policies, etc. A final setback experienced by those living in poverty that could hinder their democratic participation is a language barrier. In numerous African democratic nations, â€Å"language continues to be the most important vehicle of exclusion in democratic participation in Africa. A significant proportion of the African population does not use the colonial language as a means of communication† (Sibanda. 2006. p.10) This limits participation to those sufficiently fluent in the colonial language. This group tends to be the more affluent members of society. The poor are unable to take an active part in the democratic system as the system is based on a language unknown to the needy. This is a sad truth as these people are excluded from the political process despite being the ones most affected by the governmental actions. All of these setbacks would lead one to believe that the poor in most democratic nations throughout the world participate significantly less than the wealthy in governmental affairs. Nevertheless, this has proven not to be the case. It is true that the poor demonstrate less desire to engage in democratic participation in some nations. In the United States, for example, only 55 to 60 percent of eligible voters visit the voting stations to do perform their democratic duty. (Arnold. 2004. p.1) Of these eligible voters that participate, less than five percent are below the poverty line. (Arnold. 2004. p. 1) This confirms that in the United States of America, the economically wealthy are more active participants in democratic processes. However, this finding does not apply to all democracies on Earth. An example of this is demonstrated by the Philippines, where those classified as lower class comprise 60 percent of all voters. (Coronel. 2004. p. 1) Beginning in 1998, the poor Filipino vote played a significant role in the outcome of the presidential elections. A poll determined that, â€Å"class, rather than age, gender, or geography determined the vote† (Coronel. 2004. p. 1) Why is it that in the Philippines the poor are so eager to participate democratically while those of the same class level in America and African democracies seem to care so little? In the Philippines, elections are viewed as games of chance. Voters can either win or lose. Because they have so little opportunity to win in other facets of life, the poor in this nation choose to take advantage of democratic systems to make their voices heard. (Coronel. 2004. p. 5) Elections to them are the only legitimate means to choose a leader; thus, they passionately engage in the process. â€Å"The voter turnout among the poor in the Philippines has historically been higher than among the more affluent classes† (Coronel. 2004. p. 5). The election game of chance results in both a valid system as well as a source of entertainment. For the poor that do engage in democratic participation, one must wonder what values they embrace, how they are influenced, and what they look for in government and leadership. When it comes to choosing candidates, the poor seek an individual who is educated, has experience, a good track record, and an effective political platform. Wealth and power are not necessarily attractive qualities of candidates. Rather, honesty, responsibility, willingness to help, and an overall goodness of character are desired leadership traits. (Chua. 2004. p. 6) What influences the economically misfortunate in their democratic participation? â€Å"The most important sources of influence of the poor are, in declining order: the media, the family, the church, and political parties. Surveys come last on the list† (Chua. 2004. p. 6) There is a general distrust of surveys and a belief that one’s vote should be based on the qualifications and history of the candidate. The media holds the most influence as it provides information about the candidates on a mass scale. The media allows the poor to observe the behavior, manner of speaking, and get an overall sense of the personality of those running for office. It is typically a trait of poor families to agree on election choices. Hence, the family is of great influence when it comes to democratic participation. Why do the poor in some democratic nations take such an active role in government while the poor in other such countries remain idle? The degree of poverty can provide an explanation. South Africa, a democratic nation, millions of citizens live in conditions unfit for even the lowliest of creatures. All of the factors discussed earlier that could hinder democratic participation combine in such an environment to make it impossible to go protest a policy or listen to a political debate. Thus, democratic participation is particularly unlikely to take place among the poor in such a region. (Everatt. 2003. p. 14) On the other hand, Mexico, another democratic nation experiences higher participation among the poor in terms of voting and seeking policy reform. Although those living in poverty in this country still must endure atrocious living conditions and are in dire need, the state of poverty is not quite as bad compared to a country like South Africa. The average household income in Mexico is greater than that of South Africa and the nation also enjoys a lower percentage of its total population living in poverty as compared to its African cousin. (UNICEF. 2006) The resources that a democratic government provides to its constituency is another possible explanation for the difference in democratic participation among the poor in various nations. Public health, education, and welfare services are all likely to affect the poor’s ability or willingness to contribute to their government. With regards to health, a nation’s life expectancy, infant mortality rate, accessibility to drinking water, and government financed vaccines and immunizations are clear indicators of the services provided to the public. Germany enjoys greater democratic participation among the poor than a nation such as Guatemala. (UNICEF. 2006) Germany also shows a higher life expectancy, lower infant mortality rate, greater access to drinking water, and more government financed health care. Thus, Guatemalans are more concerned about the health status of themselves and their families, reducing their opportunity to participate democratically. The provision of education by democratic governments also seems to influence the poor’s desire or ability to chip in with regards to politics. With a higher literacy rate, school enrollment ratio, and access to internet, it is no wonder Iceland has greater democratic participation among the poor than the nation of Jamaica. (UNICEF. 2006) The Icelandic government’s provision of more efficient public schooling puts this country at a clear advantage when it comes to the ability or desire of the economically disadvantaged to vote, protest, or decide policy. The Jamaicans, with a smaller number of educated poor, experience less democratic participation as a result. I have reached the conclusion that poverty, for the most part, does place individuals at a disadvantage when it comes to participating in democratic processes. Lack of adequate food, shelter, education, and access to information, in addition to language barriers, all act as hindrances to one’s ability to contribute to democracy. There are nations in which the voting turnout and participation of the poor are greater than that of the affluent, but these are rate. The severity of poverty as well as the provision of public services and goods by democratic governments are factors that explain why some democracies experience greater participation among the poor. The more severe the poverty, the less likely the poor are to make their impact felt on government. The more a democracy provides public needs such as education and health care, the more likely the poor are to contribute. It is my opinion that a nation can claim to be a democracy, but until the poor population is equally as capable as the wealthy to participate, the democracy is false. The poor have a voice that deserves to be heard. Research Papers on Poverty and Voter Participation19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoPETSTEL analysis of IndiaAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeBringing Democracy to AfricaInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesQuebec and CanadaThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseResearch Process Part One

Ellen essays

Ellen essays Ellen was born on December 11, 1849, and died on April 25, 1926. Born into a wealthy family, Ellen Key enjoyed the benefits of a good education. When her father became a liberal member of the Swedish parliament, Ellen gained a solid political foundation. She began teaching in Stockholm in the late 1870s and soon after began lecturing on social issues. Ellen's views were decidedly pro-woman, although some early feminists bridled against the great value Ellen attached to motherhood and to issues such as legal protection of women and children. In many ways, Ellen idealized the role of women as mothers. In her view, women had great potential as advocates of peace as they raised and educated the next generation. Believing motherhood to be a fundamental pillar of society, she argued that women should stay at home to bring up their children. Women without children, however, should enter the political arena in the role of peacemakers and peacekeepers. In 1900, Ellen published a ground-breaking book, The Century of the Child that explained her views on education and family. Key promoted a "new school" that would really prepare children for life, by adapting to the children's own world and creating a learning experience through their own activity. An important aspect of The Century of the Child was the book's plea for a more active role of the parents. In Key's view, the school ought not to do what parents could easily do themselves: she argued that in some respects, home education might be preferred to school education. In general, she urged parents to give more attention to their children. In this respect, her views fitted in a long tradition of pedagogical criticism of parents' behavior. The great value she attached to motherhood, and consequently to issues such as legal protection of women and children, brought her in conflict with some other early-1900s feminists, although in fact she shared many feminist ideals such as w...

The Pastry War (French Mexican War, 1838 to 1839)

The Pastry War (French Mexican War, 1838 to 1839) The â€Å"Pastry War† was fought between France and Mexico from November 1838 to March 1839. The war was nominally fought because French citizens living in Mexico during a prolonged period of strife had their investments ruined and the Mexican government refused any sort of reparations, but it also had to do with long-standing Mexican debt. After a few months of blockades and naval bombardments of the port of Veracruz, the war ended when Mexico agreed to compensate France. Background of the War Mexico had serious growing pains after gaining its independence from Spain in 1821. A succession of governments replaced one another, and the presidency changed hands about 20 times in the first 20 years of independence. Late 1828 was particularly lawless, as forces loyal to rival presidential candidates Manuel Gà ³mez Pedraza and Vicente Guerrero Saldaà ±a fought in the streets after a hotly contested election. It was during this period that a pastry shop belonging to a French national identified only as Monsieur Remontel was allegedly ransacked by drunken army forces. Debts and Reparations In the 1830’s, several French citizens demanded reparations from the Mexican government for damages to their businesses and investments. One of them was Monsieur Remontel, who asked the Mexican government for the princely sum of 60,000 pesos. Mexico owed a great deal of money to European nations, including France, and the chaotic situation in the country seemed to indicate that these debts would never be paid. France, using the claims of its citizens as an excuse, sent a fleet to Mexico in early 1838 and blockaded the main port of Veracruz. The War By November, diplomatic relations between France and Mexico over lifting the blockade had deteriorated. France, which was demanding 600,000 pesos as reparations for the losses of its citizens, began shelling the fort of San Juan de Ulà ºa, which guarded the entrance to the port of Veracruz. Mexico declared war on France, and French troops attacked and captured the city. The Mexicans were outnumbered and outgunned, but still fought valiantly. The Return of Santa Anna The Pastry War marked the return of Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna. Santa Anna had been an important figure in the early period after independence, but had been disgraced after the loss of Texas, seen as an utter fiasco by most of Mexico. In 1838 he was conveniently at his ranch near Veracruz when the war broke out. Santa Anna rushed to Veracruz to lead its defense. Santa Anna and the defenders of Veracruz were soundly routed by superior French forces, but he emerged a hero, partly because he had lost one of his legs during the fighting. He had the leg buried with full military honors. Resolution to the Pastry War With their main port captured, Mexico had no choice but to relent. Through British diplomatic channels, Mexico agreed to pay the full amount of restoration demanded by France, 600,000 pesos. The French withdrew from Veracruz and their fleet returned to France in March of 1839. Aftermath of the War The Pastry War, considered a minor episode in the history of Mexico, nevertheless had several important consequences. Politically, it marked the return of Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna to national prominence. Considered a hero in spite of the fact that he and his men lost the city of Veracruz, Santa Anna was able to regain much of the prestige he had lost after the catastrophe in Texas. Economically, the war was disproportionally disastrous for Mexico, as not only did they have to pay the 600,000 pesos to France, but they had to rebuild Veracruz and lost several months worth of customs revenue from their most important port. The Mexican economy, which had already been a shambles before the war, was hit hard. The Pastry War weakened the Mexican economy and military less than ten years before the much more historically important Mexican-American War broke out. Finally, it established a pattern of French intervention in Mexico which would culminate in the 1864 introduction of Maximilia n of Austria as Emperor of Mexico with the support of French troops.

Homeland Security Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Homeland Security - Research Paper Example The author has rightly presented that in America, homeland security has always been a matter of concern long before the September 11 attacks. When George Bush became the president of America in January 2001, terrorism was not a matter of priority in his administrative agenda. His administration was busy coping with many other problems like scarcity of staff in programs of foreign translation, poor and inefficient information systems and cultural differences between various agencies resulting in disruption of sharing of information. In 2011, the FBI requested the government to increase funding for counterterrorism programs in the coming Budget session. This proposal was rejected by the Attorney General just one day before the September 11 attack. The events of September 11 compelled the president to give more focus on terrorism with special priority to â€Å"biological weapons of mass destruction†. The Bush administration went on to establish the department of homeland security within the â€Å"White House Congress†. The department of homeland security was created with many new authorities to prepare the country against any future terrorist attacks. The focus was also on rapid response and recovery to terrorism. The Bush administration developed many new strategies and manuals on guidance for homeland security with extra focus on bioterrorism. The department of homeland security embodies multiple government departments and effectively manages its challenges. National Cybersecurity Initiative One of the most important concerns for the Bush administration was the nationwide cyber security. Cyber networks became a primary area of attack for the terrorists which resulted in unlawful access to the secret information and strategies of the Federal agencies. Electronic system of storing information had become the major support for securing a wide variety of strategy information regarding security and economy in both public and private sectors. Such systems were a primary target for terrorists and attacks on such system had become widespread. The Bush administration suspected that many such attackers were working in coordination with the â€Å"foreign military organisations or the foreign intelligent services.† Thus, among the many new enemies of America after the September 11 attack, the foreign intelligence bureaus attacking the electronic system became new and dangerous kind of adversaries. Cyber security became a crucial matter for the department of homeland security. Bush administration established the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative (CNCI) in January 2008 to strategically focus on protecting the country from all kinds of threats to the cyberworld. The main function of CNCI is to anticipate future technological threats on electronic systems. The CNCI then instructs the Federal government to â€Å"integrate many of its technical and organisational capabilities to better address sophisticated threats and vul nerabilities†

Personal Development as a First Line Manager Essay - 2

Personal Development as a First Line Manager - Essay Example Typically, job description for first line managers include but not limited to; employees’ welfare duties, preparation of work schedules, direction of workflows, upward management of employees, and budgeting among others. Below is a personal development plan as a first line manager. Receive academic training on first line management courses, especially on the use of emerging tools and techniques in planning and delegation of duties. Also, receive coaching on development of upward management skills, especially on adherence to organizational values Attend seminars on topics like personal development planning and role assessment exercises. Also, online academic sessions on team dynamics will be beneficial, especially on the use of technology in assessing and maintaining team effectiveness Participate in online discussion forums and assess my proficiency based on technical rating of responses. Also, assess my competence by practically solving team conflicts through skills acquired in the online sessions In first line management, there are situations when multiple duties require relatively similar levels of prioritization. For example, a managing director may direct a first line manager to plan and direct workflows for completion of a batch production within a period of six hours. At the same time, the managing director needs the first line manager to submit a completed work schedule plan within a period of six hours. In addition, some employees require personal attention from the first line manager, which may consume at least two hours of the manager’s busy time schedule. In such a case, the first line manager is faced with multiple situations requiring immediate attention, all stuffed within a restrictive timeframe. Therefore, it is necessary to employ priority determination methods like the ABC Method. ABC Method enables first

Film theory, Third Cinema, First Cinema Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Film theory, Third Cinema, First Cinema - Essay Example The film contained many symbolisms, which, according to Loomba are necessary in imagining nationhood and building nations (215). In the film, the British were depicted as the savior, keeping Africans from destruction and keeping the colonies from descending in chaos and savagery. The scenes of chaos, savagery and the wilderness of Africa, for instance, all supported the rationalization of Britain's imperialism. The narrative also sought to rewrite many African emblems and history in order to suit what Stam and Shohat called the colonialist norms. The rewriting of Bosambo from a tribal leader and good friend to a good servant in the film is a case in point. It reinforced the notion that blacks are incapable of self-determination. Gender bias was also present. The filmmaker insinuated that the deeply parochial Commissioner Sanders, who considered women as a distraction in his mission, was the ideal character to effectively lead the imperialist agenda in Africa. In Indochine, the imperi alist tone is less pronounced. Its biases were more subtle, perhaps owing to the period it was made. Racist discourses are not overt or contained in the actual language: the roles and visual language insinuated them instead. For instance, while the protagonist – the Frenchwoman Eliane – was strong, independent and capable, such commendable gender treatment was not true in her Indochinese counterparts. It reinforced the suggestion of inferiority. This is also true n the contrast between the visual representation of the French and Indochinese societies as punctuated in sweeping cinematography wherein one basks in a scene of grandeur and the other in desolation. It showed the Eurocentrism, which imply that an being or becoming European is the only way to begin the onward march to reason or an elevation towards better values (Stam and Shohat, 15-16). 2. It is important to highlight first that the Third Cinema differentiates itself from the Hollywood (First Cinema) and the European films (Second Cinema). It focuses on a political position, particularly those about independence, decolonization and imperialism as opposed to cinema as a capitalist product or as an art (Alea, 112-113). The Battle of Algiers is an important example of this tradition. In the depiction of the Algerian struggle for independence from France, three important characteristics of Third Cinema were prominent. First there was the use of cinematic devices to present truth instead of fiction. For instance, there were no embellishments with regards to presenting the story. Although the film was sympathetic to the revolutionaries it also included the atrocities that they committed. There were also no heroes to romanticize. The film gave importance to the contribution of the ordinary people in the success of the revolution. In one scene, there were Arab women dressed in European clothes in a mission to plant bombs. Secondly, the filmmaker presented the film in such a way that created a s ocial experience. As it depicted a social upheaval, the emphasis was given on the masses and their actions. For example, the actions of the main players in the film were often composed in populous places like the Casbah and Algiers. Then, instead of using popular actors, the filmmaker did not hire stars (with the exception of Jean Martin) or professional actors

Electronic Healthcare Record Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Electronic Healthcare Record - Research Paper Example As such, the current standards that exist are focussed on ensuring that the EHR are interoperable and they allow the practice to showcase meaningful use. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology’s (ONC) is on the forefront to seek ways that will propagate interoperability in vendor’s EHR systems. As such, they have backed up the Clinical Document Architecture (CLA) Continuity of Care Document (CCD) of Health Level 7 International (HL7) (EHR Intelligence, 2013). Other standard’s initiatives include: the standardization of healthcare vocabularies; transport through email protocols that are secure; services through transparent and accessible application programming interfaces (API’s); privacy and security through the implementation of standards set out by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It is recommended that EHR systems should be implemented by hospitals and clinics so as to improve on the quality of care. As such, below is the step by step guide while implementing EHR systems (USDHHS, 2013). This step involves: conducting an assessment of the EHR system need; outlining the goals and objectives to be achieved when the EHR system has been implemented and determining the financial capability to implement the EHR system. The second step involves planning how the EHR will be implemented successfully. Moreover, the goals and objectives mentioned in step one should be reviewed so as to ensure that the plan is efficient and effective. Other factors that need to be reviewed include: the information security policy template; EHR workflow process mapping and implementation and the workflow redesign templates. The third step involves selecting the best EHR that suits the practice processes and operations. It is important for the practice to implement an EHR system that has been certified so as to avoid

Victor Davis Hanson's The Civic Education America Needs Essay

Victor Davis Hanson's The Civic Education America Needs - Essay Example He further argues that among the factors, which hinder civic education, is the presence of scholar uncertainty where they have no national pride, thus making them lose the element of social cohesion (Forment 451). The scholars in turn join college without self-assurance, hence vulnerable to all fallacies about the American practice. Victor also has his argument on the catastrophic changes in the privileged society, especially from the universities, which have trickled down to the schools. He puts that civic education in this schools has declined over the last thirty years. He says that the ideas from the elites of these universities are characterized as being anti-moral to civic education. He further asserts that the ideas of multiculturalism, dictatorial, intellectual, and ethical relativism disseminated from the top universities through the fourth estate and politicians, greatly undermine the civic education program. Victor further argues that multiculturalism, allowed to the etiqu ette of the underclass, changed the conduct of the youthful people (Forment 452). He believes that to counteract this elite culture from undermining the process of civic education, there is need to cultivate and re-visit the common values and national story of America. Furthermore, Victor Davies argues that the conceit of the Enlightenment, which threatens to eliminate the available, shared pathologies, is a cause of concern in promoting the civic education in America. The segregation and undermining of women plays a key role in disheartenment of efforts to foster the civic education in America. He puts forward that civility, which to many is merely convection, has to become a tool for liberation of the people (Nelles 264). He observes that civility was an oppressive phenomenon of the 1950s, an era punctuated by subdued sexual issues like inhumane treatment of women, minorities and the young people. These were to remind the women that they were the weaker sex and they had no place i n the society. The treatment, according to Victor also wanted to show the youth that they were tacit. It comes evident when the learners of age 20 claim that they owe nothing in terms of morals to the older generation. They further claim that the old generation need to get astute thoughts from them, which to Victor undermines the role of civic education (Forment 454). Victor argues that gone are the days when a person took concern of the greater humanity, other than the individualistic nature. He advocates for a kind of†citizenship†education where one is guided by the values and not obligated by attachments. Victor further proposes that the American system of education should embrace the idea of â€Å"citizenship,† which will cultivate an individual guided by rights and the broader humanity. This, to Victor can bring up students who are responsible and guided by morals (Nelles 265). Through this, teachers will be able to correct students who mess up and also enabl e students to learn the values, which will promote civic education in the primary schools. On the other end, this will not be fruitful in implementing, especially when the teachers and parents fail to lead as examples to the kids. in addition, teachers may lack the moral and intellectual authority and end up behaving like their learners in their behavior (Nelles 266). The idea of the â€Å"citizenship,† also promotes teamwork especially in sports. This teamwork enhances

Electronic Healthcare Record Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Electronic Healthcare Record - Research Paper Example As such, the current standards that exist are focussed on ensuring that the EHR are interoperable and they allow the practice to showcase meaningful use. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology’s (ONC) is on the forefront to seek ways that will propagate interoperability in vendor’s EHR systems. As such, they have backed up the Clinical Document Architecture (CLA) Continuity of Care Document (CCD) of Health Level 7 International (HL7) (EHR Intelligence, 2013). Other standard’s initiatives include: the standardization of healthcare vocabularies; transport through email protocols that are secure; services through transparent and accessible application programming interfaces (API’s); privacy and security through the implementation of standards set out by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It is recommended that EHR systems should be implemented by hospitals and clinics so as to improve on the quality of care. As such, below is the step by step guide while implementing EHR systems (USDHHS, 2013). This step involves: conducting an assessment of the EHR system need; outlining the goals and objectives to be achieved when the EHR system has been implemented and determining the financial capability to implement the EHR system. The second step involves planning how the EHR will be implemented successfully. Moreover, the goals and objectives mentioned in step one should be reviewed so as to ensure that the plan is efficient and effective. Other factors that need to be reviewed include: the information security policy template; EHR workflow process mapping and implementation and the workflow redesign templates. The third step involves selecting the best EHR that suits the practice processes and operations. It is important for the practice to implement an EHR system that has been certified so as to avoid

Leadership Group Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership Group Communication - Essay Example gives the leadership style used by the interviewee to handle administrative issues, how easily he can influence other workers to be a team and what actions he takes to be able to control these work effort to realize positive results. Management style provides the employer with the idea on how the interviewee would go about achieving the business set objectives as a vital role of a leader in the organization (London, 1999). Conversely, competency based questions outline the performance abilities of an employee and focus on the past behavior of an individual towards solving related problems. In a nutshell, the employer is able to determine the set skills required to hire a worker when the interview is based on subjects. They are considered to leaders because their exemplary skills that enable them to identify organizational goals and objectives put together plans and sensitize people working under them to achieve goals through the execution of plans. I would pick on a leader who is able to identify what to in relation with the objective of the organization, strategize how and who can carry out the strategy successfully (London, 1999). In relation to the â€Å"Jacinda’s’ United Way video, the strengths good leadership qualities were witnessed right from the time the lady left the street and joined the institution. There is team work and good communication skills by the leadership. The staff was able to be mobilized by their leader; they were able to work in a team for the success of their organization. All the programs were coordinated and worked effectively, this was through good communication from the top leadership to other workers; the leader could be clear and succinctly explained to the other employees everything from organizational goals to specific tasks. Nonprofit leadership faces a lot of challenges when it comes to the management for smooth running of the organization (London, 1999). By trying to put in order administrative documents effectively, their

The Village Essay Example for Free

The Village Essay The Village is a film about a village where the people live in fear of creatures living in the woods beyond them. It is explained that the villagers have a truce with, as they call them, â€Å"Those We Don’t Speak Of,† where the villagers do not enter their woods, and the creatures do not enter the Villagers’. M. Night Shyamalan illustrates a small society in The Village, of people who are free and protected through the fear of violence, and an imperfect community. To ensure their village is innocent, the elders made sure their children and grandchildren would be protected from violence and greed. By assuring this, the elders made up the creatures and told stories and tales of those killed and harmed by them to make them fear leaving. According to them, the color red was forbidden because it would attract the creatures and bring them into their part of the woods. If anyone was to enter Covington Woods, which was only granted by permission, they would have to wear yellow. The elders and villagers had to sacrifice knowledge of modern resources and medicine. An oath was made years ago in the village that soon was broken when few were told about the make believe creatures. Many of the villagers were affected by the lack of medicine, which caused Noah Percy, who had a mental illness die and Ivy Walker to go into Covington Woods. The villagers believe the creatures will harm them if someone passes the boundaries, although the elders only believe they could be harmed by exposure to the modern world.

MTV Arabia Entry Strategy

MTV Arabia Entry Strategy 56 local channels airing Arabian music as well as international numbers by entering into agreements with production houses and other TV networks transformed the Arab culture. One can easily describe Middle East as a region in the process of fast development and cultural change with a rapidly changing political and economic system as stated by Moran, R. T., Harris, P. R. Moran, S. V. (2007). Arabs are Muslims with strong cultural ties with the religion and the holy book, Middle East is way backwards then the west, Arab women wear veils and cover themselves and men wear traditional clothes. Middle East also has politically diverse forms of government, where religion plays the main role in many different ways. Middle East has entirely different cultural ties then the west like shame and honour, family, socialization and trust. Without doubt, Islam is the dominant characteristic of Arab culture and society and is used to define parameters for much of what constitutes the beliefs and actions in Arab Society. Middle East, delineates a number of features of their culture and society with following social characteristics as noted by Leidner, D. L. Kayworth, T. R. (2008): Social Diversity Hierarchical Class Structure Patriarchal relations, particularly in the family Primary group relations Continuing dependency and underdevelopment Some of the salient features of Arab culture: low hypometropia, at least by the standards of developing nations, and very high monumentalism. Arab monumentalism is strongest in the world and comes together with the lowest suicide rates as noted by Minkow, M. (2011). Challenges posed to MTV MTVs worldwide image adds to everything they do special entering a country with strong cultural and conventional ties. As the information provided special projects manager at trends magazine Dubai explains that MTV is known in the market for inclining towards airing controversial program. Also it is an American brand hence carrying Americas liberal cultural values around the world therefore it will be a challenge for the brand to enter a religious and conservative market and air controversial material. Strong anti-American sentiments prevalent among a large section of the population, Issues such as US invasion of Iraq and its support to arch enemy Israel had left many Arabs angry consequently presenting another challenge for an American brand. MTV is a brand of MTV Networks (MTVN) and MTV Arabia launched in 2007 in Middle East was a very challenging step for MTVN, which posed bigger challenges like culturally sensitive environment. The biggest challenge faced was to keep the balance between international quality music and culturally sensitive environment of the region. Also Middle East is a very highly regulated and complex business arena comparing to the western world and companies had to follow more stringent rules and regulations to operate in Middle East. Targeting pan-Arab youth audiences were also another challenge posed to the American brand. Young people represent 65 percent of the population in the Middle East, which was also a challenge for MTVN. This large population of youth attracted other local music channels to start operating in the region, even before MTV Arabias entrance hence these channels had developed a better understanding of the local audiences taste and posed a bigger threat to MTVNs growth in the Middle East. MTV Arabia had to compete with 50 Music Channels operating in Middle East, hence the fierce competition in the market also posed a challenge. Another challenge posed to MTVN while entering Middle East market was its international reputation of airing sexually explicit and provocative programmes. MTVN also had western values attached with the brand and representing an image of open Western culture, opposite to the socially conservative culture of the Middle East was another challenge for MTV to enter Middle East. MTV had to find a balance between explicit music culture and the conservative social culture in the Middle East. Cultural differences among Middle East countries were another challenge posed to MTVN. The cultural ties between the countries in Middles East also differ posing another challenge to MTVN. The American managers interacting with managers from the Middle East might misinterpret the late arrival of a potential business partner as a negotiation play or insult, when it is rather a simple reflection of different views of time and its value in the Middle East as noted by Griffin, R. W. (2011). Also adopting local standards and trying to localize they brand may result in over localization and eventually dilute the brand. Too much localization or personalization can obviously breed logistical chaos and dilute the brand, so customization is usually carried out in clusters using local geographical or lifestyle data as noted by Watson, R. (2010). MTVs strategy in Middle East MTVI had an international strategy of creating joint ventures and contracts with channels already native to a new market. In Middle East MTVN had the same strategy and made a deal with Showtime Arabia as part of the deal Show Time Arabia aired MTV English and Nickelodeon with subtitles in Arabic, which helped introducing the American brand in the market with an already established radio network. After an introduction of the brand, MTVN later on made ties with local partner (Arab Media Group) AMG as part of their strategy to entry the Middle East market. Later on MTV Arabia was launched by the end of year 2006 joint ventured with Arabian Television Network (ATN). According to the information provided MTV Networks (MTVN) launched MTV Arabia on November 17, 2007, in partnership with Arabian Television Network (ATN). The core of the MTV strategy was to provide the region with a platform where Arabs can voice their concerns and it would also be an international music platform. Targeting huge youth populace in Middle East was also one of the main constituent of MTVs strategy to enter Middle East. MTV targeted the youth group of age 12 to 24 and presented itself as a fabric of youth culture. MTV Arabia involved itself in extensive research of the market and data collection which enabled the channel to respond audience diversity and different cultures. Understanding the next generation was also at the heart of MTVN, for which it had to engage itself in continuous market research, which was one of the characters of MTVs strategy in Middle East. MTV also pushed itself as cultural unifying force in a region known for its political tensions. The countries in the Middle East are known for having cross border tensions, MTV Arabia market itself in a way to become unifying force between the Middle Eastern countries with the help of an international platform for music. MTVN had to face competition from approximately fifty music channels operating in Middle East. They had to come up with a strategy to market them self in the market in a way which will help them attract audience. This strategy was being unique and different from the existing music channels choosing differentiation. In differentiation strategies, the emphasis is on creating value through sustainable uniqueness as noted by Harrison, J. S. John, G. H. S. (2010). Even after the launch of MTV Arabia they still carried on conquering the market. MTV-AMG launched Nickelodeon Arabia in 2008, as part of the strategy to build a portfolio of integrated kids businesses across the region. MTV Global Expansion Strategy One of the major steps by MTVN was its first overseas channel in Europe in 1987 and the international arm. International arm MTVI, by the mid-1990s launched a strategy of think globally, act locally and then expanding to MTV Australia, MTV Asia, MTV India, MTV China, MTV Germany and other parts of the world. MTV Arabia was a part of MTVNs global expansion strategy the brands known for its global expansion. The core of the global expansion policy was the same slogan think globally, act locally. This enabled the brand to conquer international markets like China, Australia and Europe, but Middle East posed a bigger challenge. In 2006 MTVI served to an audience of one billion and expanded its operations in 179 countries which included operations in Latin America, Europe and other parts of the world. At one time MTVI operated more than 130 channels, websites along with broadband services in more than 25 languages. By the end of 2007 MTVI had become the major network of Viacom Inc. with more than 140 channels around the world catering to a potential 1.5 billion viewers globally. The following table-1 represents their different websites operated by MTV in different parts of the world: Table MTV Worldwide Websites MTV Worldwide 1 MTV Adria 14 MTV France 27 MTV Malaysia 40 MTV Slovenia 2 MTV Africa 15 MTV Germany 28 MTV MENA 41 MTV Spain 3 MTV Asia 16 MTV Hits UK Ireland 29 MTV Netherlands 42 MTV Sweden 4 MTV Australia 17 MTV Hungry 30 MTV Networks Europe 43 MTV Switzerland 5 MTV Base UK Ireland 18 MTV Idol France 31 MTV New Zealand 44 MTV Taiwan 6 MTV Belgium 19 MTV India 32 MTV Norway 45 MTV Thailand 7 MTV Canada 20 MTV Israel 33 MTV Philippines 46 MTV Turkey 8 MTV Czech Republic 21 MTV Italy 34 MTV Poland 47 MTV UK Ireland 9 MTV China 22 MTV Japan 35 MTV Portugal 48 MTV Ukraine 10 MTV Croatia 23 MTV Korea 36 MTV Romania 49 MTV2 UK 11 MTV Denmark 24 MTV Latin America 37 MTV Russia 12 MTV Europe 25 MTV Latin America Revolution 38 MTV Serbia 13 MTV Finland 26 MTV LIVE 39 MTV Singapore Hence shows the strategic management of MTVN to think globally and act locally, catering their website, TV channel and the music according to the requirements and needs of every market. They take each port of the world locally developing different set of strategies for every country with the same core strategy of think globally and act locally. MTVs localization Strategy A localization strategy could be easily explained as the strategy which emphasizes on increasing profitability by catering the companys products or services so that they provide a product which is catered to the tastes and preferences of the local market as noted by Hill, C. Jones, G. R. (2010). MTV has a different localization strategy for every part of the world, the management at MTV understands the cultural differences across borders and they have a different localization strategy catered to according to the culture of the specific country. The company has different websites for each part of the world they are operating catered to the local culture of the community as shown by table-1. MTVs localization strategy also involved tying up with local channels and learning local culture and differences and then over time acquiring local channels. Like in early 2000s MTV entered Australia and joint ventured with Austereo (commercial radio network in the country and later on acquired Austereo. This strategy is also used in the case of Middle East where MTV used Showtime Arabia before entering the market and aired its reality shows and music with Arabic Subtitle. Later on MTVN joint ventured with AMG to launch MTV Arabia. MTV Arabias localization strategy involves following: English programs with subtitles in the local language Arabic version of International Music and Reality Shows Not to export American Culture Meeting political and government leaders MTVN launched programs with subtitles in Arabic with the help of Showtime Arabia and also used the strategy of meeting political figures and higher authorities as they did in China, Israel and Cuba. This strategy always proved successful for MTVN in all their recent entries to all the different parts of the world. Another major constituent of the localization strategy was not to export American culture helping the brand to fight its American image. To strategically develop products localized to Arab culture MTV Arabia had a decentralized structure with commercial and creative autonomy to the local staff, this enabled MTV Arabia to come up with programs catered to the local culture. MTV Arabias launch team had six members and they were Saudis, Palestinians, Emiratis, Iraqis, and Lebanese. This local mix helped MTV Arabia fight their American image and air globally successful music shows but with a local flavour to suit the Arab mindset. Strategy of providing Mixed Content to the Market MTVs mixed content strategy included airing sixty percent international music and forty percent Arabic music, along with the local version of the channels popular international non-music shows. Producing at least forty five percent of the content locally was at the heart of MTVs mixed content strategy. For the same reason MTV Arabia had a local launch team which produced the local content. MTVN had conducted extensive market research by going to colleges and universities and interviewing higher authorities and parents collecting data vital for the channel to reach its target of producing forty five percent of the content locally. MTV has used providing mixed content strategy in India and China and other parts of the world as well hence the company already had the expertise of producing mixed content. Decentralization provided exactly what was required for the local market and it had all the ingredients for MTV Arabia to be successful in Middle East. MTV and its Success in Middle East MTVs extensive experience in the global market enables them to cater their localization strategy and provide localized material which will certainly help MTV Arabia to be successful in the market as the Middle East market has youth as the major portion of the market. MTV Arabia targeting youth and actively engaging youth by providing them a platform to voice their concerns and to promote Arabian music is all what is required a market like Middle East. Another major reason for MTV Arabias success would be its image in the market, during data collection MTVN discovered that majority of the respondents thought that MTV was an Indian or European brand. Hence brand does not have to work as much as was the gimmick in the market that MTVN is an American brand and it will have to face tough cultural complexities in the market. The local launch team has provided answers to all such questions and now the brand is as localized as it could be. MTVN conducted surveys targeting the 18 to 24 age group and travelling around the Middle East to schools and university campuses for data collection, qualitative data also collected by interviewing figures of authority and elderly people, including speaking to government leaders and parents which will be a major reason for channels success in the Middle East Respecting Arab traditions and showing no disrespect to the local culture also providing a platform for Arab Music and culture is another factor in the success of MTV Arabia. Encouraging education and looking for solutions to problems like unemployment was another factor in the success of MTV Arabia and will help in future. Such initiatives help sending a positive signal about the brand in the market and the audiences starts accepting an relating themselves with the brand, which will be a major factor in success of MTV in the Middle East. All the international programmes which are aired by MTV Arabia are edited to cater cultural needs and requirements, music videos and reality shows are also edited to ensure they are aligned with the cultural ethos prevailing in the Middle East. All these factors helped MTV Arabia to be more localized and exceptive for the Muslim audience in Middle East. Too much localisation can dilute the brand MTV Arabia kept the balance in not to dilute the brand entirely by keeping sixty percent of the content international. This strategy also proved vital and it also incorporated respecting local cultures without diluting the brand. MTV Arabia focused on providing the youth with a platform where they can voice their concerns and also show their music talent was something which will help the brand to be successful in the Middle East Market.

The Function of Blogs :: Internet

The Function of Blogs There are so many things one could do with the relatively new medium of blogs. They can be almost anything a person wants: a journal, a compilement of links, a scrapbook of information, or even a discussion board. The only definition I've seen that can encompass it is that they are postings in reverse chronological order. Blogs are the newest Internet craze, but do they serve a purpose? Early on, experienced web users, who knew web-programming language, kept blogs to keep track of their mind’s wanderings. They were like a "Captains log on the quest of discovery" (Brown). For the average Internet surfer, they weeded out sites worth viewing from the rest. Now, sites like blogger.com have taken the work with web languages out of blogging, opening it up to the general public. New age blogs are seen as "vain self publishing" by experienced bloggers (Fitcher). I can see their point, as many inexperienced bloggers seem to ramble on about themselves as if they are to be praised. They only seem to want attention. This has made me wonder, what is the point of personal blogs? All blogs must have some entertainment value; otherwise no one would keep or read them. Entertainment isn’t a very commendable purpose, but it has more value than watching television. It is better to be learning about news events and stating your opinion on it than just hearing it. At least then you’re developing your ideas, and the reading and writing will help develop communication skills. Bloggers learn to put more thought into what they say, or just the act of writing daily can help thoughts flow into words. A blogger’s thoughts may stem from a news article they recently read. In this case they usually link you to the article and state their opinions, or point out different aspects of it. Their comments are kind of a one-way discussion leading you down their train of thoughts. You can usually reply to what the author says, but the time delay in responses may result in the author’s lack of interest to questions posed. Walt Crawford threw an interesting concept my way in his article, Announcing Cubed: Media about Media about Media. Blogs are just another form of media coverage. Our media affects how we think to a great extent. It is always rating other forms of media, and many blogs are no exception (Crawford).

Numerical Problems

Managerial Economics Numerical Problems DEMAND AND ELASTICITY OF DEMAND Problem 1 The following are demand and supply equations of a pen manufacturer. Qd = 5,00,000 – 50, 000 P Qs = -1,00,000 + 1,00,000 P Find 1. At what average price, level of demand is equal to zero. 2. At what average price, level of supply is equal to zero. 3. Calculate the equilibrium price and quantity. Problem 2 Yashika Limited manufactures an automatic camera that currently sells at uS$90. Sales volume is about 2,000 cameras per month in a city. A close competitor, Minolta, has cut the price of a similar camera it makes from US$ 100 to US$80. Yashika’s economist has estimated the arc cross elasticity of demand between the two rival firms’ products at about 0. 4, given current incomes and price levels. What impact, if any, will the action by Minolta have on the total revenue generated by Yahika, if it leaves its current price unchanged? YASHIKA |MINOLTA | |P1y = 90 |P1m = 100 | |Q1y = 2,000 |P2m = 80 | |Q2y = to be determined |Cross elasticity of demand = 0. 4 | Problem 3 Bajaj Appliances Ltd. manufactures a line of microwave ovens costing US$500 each. Its sales have averaged about 6,000 units per month during 2001. In June 2002, Bajaj’s closest competitor LG had cut its oven’s price from US$600 to US$450. Bajaj noticed that its sales volume declined to 4,500 units per month after the price cut by its rival LG. 1. What is the arc cross price elasticity of demand between the two? 2. Would you say that these two firms are very close competitors? 3. If Bajaj knows that the arc price elasticity of demand for its ovens is –3. 0, what price it would have charged to sell same number of units it did before its rival LG resorted to a price cut? Problem 4 Demand for mobile phone handsets by a popular company in Bangalore city is estimated to be Qd = 2,50,000- 35P. If this relationship is approximately valid for next year also, 1. How many mobile phones would be demanded at a price of Rs. 2,000, 4,000, and 6,000 a set? 2. Compute the arc price elasticity between 2,000 and 4,000; 4,000 and 6,000. 3. Calculate point elasticity at 2,000, 4,000 and 6,000. 4. If last year 25,000 units were sold, what would have been the average price? 5. What is the highest theoretical price for the mobile handset in Bangalore for this seller? Problem 5 The demand function for wall clocks in a city has been estimated to be Q= 2000 +15Y-5. 5P Where Y is income in thousand rupees, Q is quantity in units, and P is unit price. When P=150, y =15, find 1. Price elasticity of demand 2. Income elasticity of demand Problem 6 Two goods have a cross elasticity of +1. 2 1. Would describe them as substitutes or compliments? Give examples for supporting the category that you chose. 2. If price of one of the two rises by 5%, ceteris paribus, what happens to the Qd of the other? Problem 7 The demand for lunches in an institute canteen was estimated to be Q= 16,415. 21-262. 743P, where Q= lunches served, P= price in rupees. 1. Compute the price elasticity of demand at a price of Rs. 40, Rs. 50 per lunch 2. What is the arc price elasticity of demand between the prices 40 and 50? Problem 8 Pepsodent sells a toothbrush for Rs. 25. Its sales have averaged 8,000 units per month over the last year. Recently, its close competitor, Colgate, reduced the price of its product from Rs. 35 to Rs. 30 per toothbrush. As a result, Pepsodent’s sales declined by 1,500 units per month. . What is their cross elasticity? What relationship it indicates? 2. If Pepsodent knows that it has a cross elasticity of –1. 5 with Colgate, how much it should now charge to restore previous sales after the price cut by Colgate? (Assume Colgate retains its price at Rs. 30 itself and does not retaliate). 3. What is the total monthly revenue of Pepsodent before and after the price change in (2 ) above? 4. Is the result in part (3) above necessarily desirable? What other factors would have to be taken into consideration?

Global Assignments:Pre-departure Training Program Essay

Introduction Global assignment of managers has been a traditional method of operating far flung commercial empires since the days of Robert Clive and the British East India Company. The importance of transferring knowledge, upskilling remote or local managers and instilling best practice throughout a multinational organization has long been recognized as a source of competitive advantage for those firms able to expand successfully. The failure of rate of global assignments, and indeed international expansion, has throughout history been nothing less than fantastic. The vast majority of firms have been unable to master operations across multiple cultures, political systems or levels of economic development. The need to simply find out what is going on has, in the past, been the major motivator for global assignment. The advent of modern communication and travel technology has arguably reduced the need for â€Å"inspection† style assignments; however this role has been upgraded to the â€Å"mentoring† vocation of international managers whose primary purpose is to transfer knowledge. The plethora of technological marvels that enable cooperative endeavor expanding around the globe do little to change the fact that knowledge is â€Å"person bound† – acquired overtime through interaction with either tacit or explicit sources. Firms must transfer people between host and home countries because it is arguably still the only effective way to exchange culture, knowledge and experiences. A number of issues arise for those individuals who are selected for, or who  choose to embark upon international assignment. These issues may include practical, emotional/psychological or professional hurdles that limit the employee’s effectiveness on assignment, or lead to early repatriation. Options for reducing the risks these potential dangers pose are only limited by finance and imagination, and extend to careful selection of employees for expatriate assignment, pre-departure training, and familiarization visits, mentoring from both the home and the host country, post-arrival training, regular return home visits, repatriation training and extensive communication between home and host. The focus of this training program is on pre-departure training; i.e. preparing potential expatriate candidates and their partners for the experience of global posting before they embark on assignment. Pre-departure training is important because it is at this stage that candidates must determine their personal objectives within the context of the assignment and the firm’s overarching goals. Training at this stage can equip expatriate candidates with the questions they need answered to ensure both the employee and the firm gain from the assignment. The advantages of pre-departure training lie in the safety of the home culture training environment, the ability to catch misapprehensions or poorly formed perceptions before they become costly mistakes. Pre-departure training provides those candidates who do go on to expatriate assignment with a point of reference between their new environment and their home culture – a way to recognize the totally unfamiliar. The Training Program The devised program has been designed for potential expatriate candidates and their partners, to be conducted by independent consultants for multiple firms simultaneously. It is culturally non-specific because it seeks to provide tools that can be applied in a range of cross-cultural situations. Clearly there are limits to the range of non-specific instruction; however the aim is not to provide lists of norms or stereotypes, but rather to teach recognition of unfamiliar cultural circumstances, no matter the national, ethnic or religious environment. The program is intended to be starting point for those employees and firms contemplating global assignment. As such, the program will lay the foundations of service policies, employment contracts and job descriptions, as well as remuneration and repatriation agreements. The program will also provide practical advice for both firms who must manage from afar, and expatriates who must deal with local situations whilst keeping the home office happy. An inescapable factor in global assignment is a change in cultural environment for the expatriate, and the inevitable feelings of unease or stress commonly associated with coping with this change. There is arguably little any course can do to offset this hurdle, yet pre-departure training allows opportunity to raise the candidates awareness of this problem, arguably increasing their ability to cope. The program is not intended to be intensive, nor is it intended to be long. It is structured for 15 to 20 candidates with their partners and will be conducted over the course of a day. The program is divided into three, 2 hour sessions; therefore the participants will also be divided into three equal groups and rotate through each session in turn. Partner’s well be kept together within groups to ensure they gain the same insights. Sessions will be divided as follows: ï ¼Å'Candidate selection and firm / expatriate expectations ï ¼Å'Culture Shock and Practical Problems ï ¼Å'Relocation, on-going support and repatriation. Session A: selection and expectations Part A: Country Briefing The development of overseas business, markets and customers requires multinational companies to adapt to the unique demands of each country. As no two countries are alike, the ability to understand the language and culture of a country can invariably make the difference when building profitable relationships. In contemporary business environment, it is not unusual that an employee mainly based in China has more connections with his colleagues in Paris or Washington DC. The globalization makes the constant transfer of staffs from a culture to another necessary and essential. Not surprisingly, if a company is planning to send staffs overseas, they will find the whole working style not like the one they are used to. In a study of Elizabeth Marx in 1999, approximately 14.3% England and 25% American expatriate managers were not as successful as they used to be. (Elizabeth Marx (1999) Breaking Through Culture Shock) How to prepare for a totally different culture is crucial to an expatriate manager’s performance. Any stereotypical and inaccurate preconceptions may lead to the international assignment a disaster. That means at corporate level, it is important to prepare the expatriate managers for their new, unfamiliar business environment. This training program is aiming to challenge those managers with the culture and social environment they are going to face. The following is a list of the areas our training course may cover: 1.Background of the country History Political System 2.Current Economic System 3.People and Society 4.Population Profile 5.Current Economy Data 6.Working Relations 7.Language 8.Media and Communications 9.Religion 10.Trade and Industry Part B Candidate Assessment Program Source: Pappas Stanoch Will global trotting help your career (http://www.windowontheworldinc.com/pps_1.html) In this part, we are going to help the employee to evaluate their potential for success on an international assignment. By accepting this part of training, it will help to promote assignment success by supporting a candidate and partner in determining their suitability for living and working internationally. The self assessment is important to the business performance as well as the personal life of the expatriate. For many executives, though, whether to take an international assignment boils down to three key issues: personality, timing and motivation. Personality Doing business in a new setting, under different rules and possibly in a different language, requires flexibility. Frequently, employees with Type A personalities are chosen for these kinds of assignments because they’re ambitious, vocal and successful. However, Type B personality are often more adaptive and relaxed about the challenges they’ll encounter abroad. Timing Families adjust better to the difficulties of an expatriate move at certain times in their life cycles than others. A single person might seem ideal for such a transfer because he or she doesn’t have a family to consider. However, single people lack the emotional support other family members provide, which can be important to facing the stresses of working and living in another country. You have to consider the possibility of your children’s education and your spouse’s career before the decision to move abroad. Motivation How strongly do you want to go, and will you be adequately compensated? Given cost-of-living issues, the assignment may not provide a significant monetary gain. Also ask yourself how your company treats returning expatriates? What types of positions are offered? Is their experience valued? Re-Entering Successfully Many repatriates have difficulty readjusting and maintaining career momentum after their return. As a result, 25% leave their original companies within two years of returning from an overseas assignment, according to a survey by Windham International, a New York-based relocation firm, in conjunction with the National Foreign Trade Council Inc. and the Society for Human Resource Management. To avoid problems, planning your re-entry before you leave for an international assignment is essential. Establish ways to stay in touch with your home office while you’re overseas. This can help you to combat â€Å"out-of-sight, out-of-mind† syndrome. Also, find a company mentor to keep an eye on your career path while you’re out of the country. Be flexible about the timing of your re-entry, since the ideal position may not be available when your assignment is scheduled to end. This part of the training will take about one hour. And firstly the tutor will present the four factors affects the decision to relocate. After that, the following questionnaires are handed out to the trainee. Let them discuss the 10 questions in 4-5 people group for 30 minutes. At this stage, tutors will attend the group discussion and try to lead the group discussion to the points mentioned in the bold words following each question. At the end of the discussion, each member will be asked to present the necessity to be relocated. 1 Do I handle stress constructively? Some people feel frustrated, confused or lonely when surrounded by people from other cultures. Expatriates need to manage these sometimes negative and stressful emotions as well as any job-related stress they experience. 2 Do I rebound quickly from disappointments? It’s common to make mistakes and cultural missteps and experience failures in a foreign country. Being able to laugh at yourself and remain focused are important characteristics of successful expatriates. 3 Am I open to risk? Trying new things is inherent in an international experience. Every day there are new people to meet, new foods to try and new places to explore. 4 Am I comfortable during periods of uncertainty? You can’t learn all the new social and business norms immediately. Accept that you’ll learn as you go and that you can’t be expected to figure out everything as quickly as you would in your home culture. It’s estimated that expatriates operate at 65% of their normal level of productivity during the first three to six months of an assignment. This may disappoint or frustrate you, but it’s perfectly normal. 5 Am I flexible and open to new situations and relationships? You’re certain to encounter ways of thinking and behaving that differ from your own. Being open and flexible will help you enjoy interacting with people who think and operate differently. 6 Am I curious about differences in other cultures, and am I discriminate and accepting of other types of people? While on an international assignment, you need to maintain a positive attitude toward the unfamiliar. While living in a host country, you’ll encounter many people unlike yourself. Learn to understand where they’re coming from and try to interact with them in an effective manner. 7 Do I have a strong sense of self, and am I self-directed? As an expatriate, you may not get the reaction and reinforcement you’re accustomed to. During difficult times, your identity needs to come from within. You must maintain a strong sense of self, especially when others aren’t reinforcing your values. Recognize your personal power and set your own goals, so that you can feel at home in any culture. 8 Am I sensitive to how others interpret my behaviour, and do I appreciate others’ feelings? When communicating in another culture, you need to have confidence in your ability to accurately perceive the feelings of others. Verbal language is sometimes a cultural barrier, and another culture’s subtle, nonverbal cues aren’t always obvious. 9 Does my family support accepting this international assignment? Having the support of family members helps you to focus on whether the move will be good for your career and them as well. 10 Is this a good time in my life to be far away from family, friends and my career network, and can I maintain ties with my home office while on assignment? Living away from your native country can be stressful. It’s helpful to be at a phase in life when important relationships can withstand unusual and challenging circumstances. Having a company mentor in the home office to help you stay abreast of any changes and remain visible also is important. Coming home can be harder than leaving, since you’ll have changed a lot, but your company may have stayed much the same. Session B: Preparing expatriates and their families Purpose: To prepare selected expatriates and their families before going overseas. The program is aimed at building trainees’ recognition of culture shock, and providing them with basic knowledge of living and working in a new environment of cultural difference.