Palm oil stalemate: who is responsible Essay

Summary Palm oil is a plant with various uses in human life (such as: tooth paste, Moisturizer and biodiesel). ïÆ' ¼Malaysia is one of the largest producers and exporters of palm oil. Gajah Berang Oil Palm Estate is one of the largest multinational palm oil conglomerates whose managers offer a balance between efficiency and employee satisfaction. The company has multicultural employee since its workers from Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India and Bangladesh. Melaka Palm Oil project presented one of the biggest ventures for the firm.   To enhance the balance between efficiency of the firms operations and employee satisfaction the company employed Abdul Aziz as the estate manager. Abdul Aziz shared common mother tongue with people of Malaysia thus making him to have a similar culture with the people of Malaysia. Hearing Abdul Aziz (Indonesian) was an advantage to the company since: His ability to control the operations of the company within the region since he possessed the shared culture with the people of Malaysia. He enhanced social responsibility by involving the people of the region to company affairs through hiring them Abdul Aziz used various leadership and communication skills to encourage employees to work effectively in the company. During the course of Abdul Aziz leadership, the workers went on strike asking for clean water and tank covers. He wanted to settle the issue but the Lee Peng who was his superior argued that this could compromise Abdul Aziz as a profession and as a result he looked for his replacement. 1. Describe Malaysian cultural attributes and how they might affect the operations of a multinational palm oil conglomerate doing business within Malaysia. Malaysia has diverse culture following different ethnic groups. Some of the cultural attributes of the people include beliefs, language, politics, and religion. This attributes would affect the operation of the Multinational palm oil positively or negatively depending on how it would satisfy this attributes. For Example, if the company focuses on satisfying all the cultural attributes of the people of Malaysia, then it will be in a good position to enjoy efficiency and wide market for its product. On the other hand, if the company does not satisfy the cultural attributes of the  people, then it would expect low efficiency in its operations. 2. What are some effective leadership and communication skills that lead to the development of a positive worker-manager relationship in international business? Aziz used various leadership and communication skills to enhance efficiency in the company: A)He allowed the employees to take part in decision making process. This acted as a motivation to the employees thus helped to increase their productivity. B)He also showed empathy to employees and shared much with them. He extended his gratitude to employees by listening to their issues. C)He used his troubleshooting skills to solve problems within the company. D)He was able to foster proper communication with employees something that ensured clear communication of information within the company. E)He used his mother tongue language to persuade employees to love the company more and more. 3. Would you describe the respective attitudes of Aziz, Krishnan, and Lee Peng as ethnocentric, polycentric, or geocentric? What factors do you suspect of having influenced their respective attitudes? Aziz, Krishnan and Lee Peng can be said to have polycentric attitude. This is because their decision to put Aziz on the Manager position was a focus to enhance openness towards the culture, opinions and ways of life to the people of Malaysia. Aziz was the main player in ensuring that the employees of the Multinational palm oil felt appreciated and recognized through their culture. Generally, this people ensured that the independence of the culture of the people of Malaysia was respected and appreciated. However, the attitude of Lee Peng can be said to be ethnocentric. This is because he wanted the issue to be solved professionally without focusing on the culture of the people. 4. Was Lee Peng correct in assessing Aziz ‘s controversial actions in the work stalemate? Should a palm oil conglomerate employ someone whose main function is that of liaison between its corporate culture and the culture of its host country? If so, was Aziz the right person for the job in the detailed scenario? Lee peng was not correct in assessing Aziz’s controversial actions. This is because Aziz’s aim was to balance the company’s operation efficiency with employee satisfaction. However, Lee  thought that Aziz would be compromised professionally by the employees for being so close to them. To some extend this could take place but in this situation such relation was very helpful for the company. Palm Oil conglomerate should not employ a person based on the function of liaison between corporate culture and the culture of the host county. However, It should focus on employing someone who is multicultural. This is because culture plays an important role to people of different countries. In this case, such employment was very vital since Aziz was multicultural and could listen to the needs and demands of the people of Malaysia as compared to his collogues (counterparts). In my opinion, Aziz was the right person for the job because he was multicultural and was professionally competent (MBA and he also worked in a small palm project in Indonesia). These two factors are very vital for a company to run smoothly. With these qualities he was able to control and satisfy the employees of the company. Professionally, he could lead employees to enhance efficiency in their work. On the other hand, he could motivate the employees by listening to their problems and allowing them to contribut e towards the company operations.

Feasibility Study on Carbonated Drinks Essay

I. Introduction An effervescent drink that releases carbon dioxide under conditions of normal atmospheric pressure. Carbonation may occur naturally in spring water that has absorbed carbon dioxide at high pressures underground. It can also be a byproduct of fermentation, such as beer and some wines. Many curative properties have been attributed to effervescent waters (e.g., aiding digestion and calming nerves), but few have been scientifically tested. The term seltzer once referred to the effervescent mineral water obtained from the natural springs near the village of Niederseltsers in SW Germany. Today, however, seltzer is simply well-filtered tap water with artificially added carbonation. Club soda is also artificially carbonated but contains other additives as well, including sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride, sodium phosphate, sodium citrate, and sometimes light flavoring. Artificial carbonation was first introduced in 1767 by an Englishman, Joseph Priestley, and was commercialized in 1807 by Benjamin Silliman, a Yale Univ. chemistry professor, who bottled and sold seltzer water. After 1830, sweetened and flavored (lemon-lime, grape, orange) carbonated drinks became popular. In 1838, Eugene Roussel added a â€Å"soda counter† to his Philadelphia shop; by 1891, New York City had more soda fountains than bars. In 1886, John S. Pemberton, an Atlanta druggist seeking a headache and hangover remedy, added kola nut extract to coca extract and produced Coca-Cola. A pharmacist named Hires invented root beer in 1893. Today, heavily sweetened, carbonated drinks, or sodas, are among the most popular beverages in the world. In the last two decades, the introduction of diet drinks containing artificial sweeteners has increased sales of carbonated beverages. Annual Coca-Cola sales alone total more than a billion dollars, and sodas account for one-fourth of the annual sugar consumption in the United States. Soft drinks or carbonated drinks can be found most anywhere in the world, but nowhere are they as ubiquitous as in the United States, where 450 different types are sold and more than 2.5 million vending machines dispense them around the clock, including in our schools. The American Beverage Association says that, in 2004, 28 percent of all beverages consumed in the U.S. were carbonated soft drinks. Beverages are carbonated for various reasons. Many people find the fizzy sensation to be pleasant and like the slightly different taste that carbon dioxide provides. Carbonated beverages, particularly naturally carbonated spring water, were once thought to be health tonics, and the effervescence can help soothe an upset stomach. To keep the carbon dioxide dissolved, cans and bottles of soda must be kept under high pressure. Containers might explode when shaken, because of the build up of the gas, or the beverage might spray out when a shaken container is opened. The carbon dioxide in a carbonated beverage also causes people to burp after they drink it, because the gas is released after being ingested into the body. II. Types of Carbonated Drinks A. Soda – Many people begin to drink carbonated beverages in childhood with a first sip of Coke, Sprite or Dr Pepper at a birthday party. B. Coffee – Although the ventures didn’t succeed, Starbucks tried to introduce a carbonated coffee beverage called Mazagran and Coke attempted the same thing with Kona. C. Carbonated Water – Carbonated water (also known as sparkling water, fizzy water and seltzer) is popular among weight-conscious or other people who want to avoid sugar sodas. It is available plain and in a variety of light flavors, like lemon, raspberry and vanilla. D. Sparkling Wine (Champagne) – Sparkling wine—or champagne, depending on where the beverage was produced—is the drink of choice for celebrations and also pairs well with light dishes like fish or chicken. E. Energy Drinks – Enviga, Red Bull, Jolt and Monster are carbonated drinks that have stimulants that help energize. F. Juices- You can buy juice that has carbonation but check their nutrition labels to see how healthy they are. One example is the Nantucket Nectars line of lightly carbonated juices called Nectar Fizz. III. Technical Feasibility A. Business Location Location to setup a Carbonated Drink Distribution is on a urban area where everybody can have an access buying drinks. Location can be on a beach for summer is coming everyone wants cold drinks. IV. Organizational Feasibility A. The legal status of business play an important role in any setup; the proposed Carbonated Drink store setup is assumed to operate as a Franchise of bigger organizations. V. Conclusion Carbonated Drinks are what most people want. Drinks like this will consumed by most of people especially in urban area where it is now the trend.

Halfway House Essay

‘Aadhe Adhure’ or ‘Halfway House’ has often been described as a cross between Naturalist Theatre and Theatre of the Absurd. Interestingly, both these elements actually undercut each other as theatrical movements and are said to have polarized western theatre. Naturalism argues for heredity and a global perspective on human behavior, which is said to develop out of the social environment in which a particular individual lives. On the contrary, Absurdism believes that there are no solutions to the mysteries of existence because ultimately man is alone, forced to perform repetitive actions in a world without meaning. This play has many elements of Naturalist theatre, including a linear movement, a limited time span, an in-depth psychological characterization and a defined beginning, middle and end. However, the opening line– â€Å"Once again, the same thing all over again†¦Ã¢â‚¬  firmly typecasts it as a part of Absurdist theatre, as from the start itself there is a hint at circularity of events and a hopelessness and banality defined by the repetition of the word ‘again’ in the short sentence. Mohan Rakesh borrowed a common device from the theatre of the Absurd and in ‘Aadhe Adhure’, for the first time in Indian theatre the same actor was used to play five characters. According to Rakesh, â€Å"The woman is the central character and I want the four men to be played by the same actor. What I want to indicate by that is that it’s not the individual who’s responsible for his situation, for he would have made the same choice no matter what, regardless of the situation. Any choice anyone makes has a certain irony in it, for things turn out the same regardless of the choice.† Though it was passed off by some critics as a gimmick employed by the playwright, its thematic relevance came to the fore when Rajinder Nath, contrary to his own views on the importance of the technique, directed the play using five different actors for the roles. The conclusion was felt to be severely lacking as the notion of inherent ‘similarity’ in all the men which underlines the climax of the play failed to have the same impact. Interestingly, though Savitri implies that it is beneath their appearance, that this ‘same man’ exists, the implication is only forceful for the audience because of the simultaneous visual impact of one man playing different roles. According to Nath himself it was a powerful theatrical device â€Å"to show how according to one’s convenience the same man can put on different masks depending on the situation in which he is placed†. That the authorial view corroborates with this statement is clear from the prologue where the ‘Man in the black suit’ equates identity with fluidity and calls himself undefined. Each character, given a certain set of circumstances, can occupy the place of another. This also follows the assumption that there is no real development or evolution of character; the character at the beginning of the play will not be shaped differently by the situation, enforcing the idea of a universality of experience, that â€Å"things turning out the same regardless of choice†. The prologue defines the play as ‘amorphous’. The audience is told that there is a bit of each character in all of them. Those watching the play and even those outside the theatre. The characters are said to be people â€Å"you bump into by chance in the street† stressing the alienation of urban crowd from one another as the source of difference as well as similarity, since they are all nameless, faceless people who can easily get lost in a crowd comprising of the same. Therefore, one man can play five characters because they are, in essence, the same man. This likeness is reiterated by the naming of the characters in their dialogues, not individually, but rather as First Man, Second Man, etc. According to the Hindi version of the play, the Man in the Black Suit â€Å"has a look of civility with a touch of cynicism†; the face of the First man â€Å"expresses the helpless anguish of having lost the battle of life†; the Second Man is â€Å"self-satisf ied and yet a little insecure†; the Third Man â€Å"projects an air of someone who is committed to a life of convenience†; and the Fourth Man â€Å"looks older, quite mature and shrewd†. They have different characteristics, lifestyles and manners of speech, yet according to critics Nita Kumar and N. S. Dharan, this device makes use of the inherent notion of playacting which includes the concept of freedom; to pretend and be whatever one likes. Every man remains an actor and therefore, it is easy for him to put up a faà §ade and to hide his interiority according to the demands of the situation. This concept is emphasized not by the fact that the same man plays all the characters, but rather by the fact that it is possible for the same man to play all the characters. Simply by changing his costume and facial expression, he manages to change into a different person entirely. Therefore, the assertion of the prologue of the interchangeability of these characters is understandable. The problematic element in the play arises out of the contention of the Man in the Black Suit that interchange of roles can take place not only between the men in the play but also between the man and the woman. This strikes a discordant note as, according to critic Arti Mathur, it negates Savitri’s gender-specific struggle against social constraints. One of the biggest contributions to the ‘sameness’ of the multiple characters is that they are all men. And men, by the patriarchal definition especially prevalent in urban middle-class India, have a certain societal role which leads to their convergence into one man. Irrespective of circumstances their position in society is defined while that of the woman is defined in relation to the man. However, the statement is not entirely wrong either as Savitri, as the breadwinner of the household is actually the ‘man of the house’. Every society has an economic base and a cultural superstructure, which is derived from the base. In Halfway House, the base has shifted and it is the wife who is economically independent, however, the tragedy of the ironically named Savitri lies in the fact that the superstructure has not shifted in accordance with the base. Mahendranath has not become the domestic centre just because of his confinement to the house; Savitri is still required to fulfill her ‘womanly’ domestic duties. She is defined by the context of what it means to be a woman and has internalized the patriarchal system. This is also made clear by Savitri’s contempt of what she believes is Mahendranath’s lack of manliness. She despises his dependency on herself as well as Juneja and constantly searches for escape routes through other, more sui table men. An element of unrealism is brought in, in which even the characters seem to be aware of an underlying similarity between the men, a device not available to them as characters. Askok’s sketch of Singhania leads Savitri to ask Binni if the portrait reminds her of someone, and on being asked, â€Å"Whom†, she replies â€Å"Your father.† This intermingling of the play and the outside elements draws attention to this device. There is irony in the fact that one of the ways in which these men are actually the ‘same’ is in their exploitation of Savitri. According to critic Veena Das, these characters are seldom all of a piece, they are the broken images of a decomposing society. Mahendranath is a self-described ‘parasite’ and is later shockingly revealed to be a former wife-beater. His inability to hold the position of the ‘head’ of the family has made him bitter and suspicious; suspecting his wife of illicit liaisons, which, although hinted at are never confirmed by the text. His ‘unmanliness’ makes Savitri lose all respect for him, till their marriage is reduced to a sham of public expectations. Singhania treats Savitri with condescension and his ‘favors’ are granted with an obvious air of patronization. His pompous manner and speech is calculated to make the listener feel inferior, a fact that is explicitly stated by Ashok. However, in Savitri’s eyes his position as her boss and his salary makes him ‘superior’ and she remains silent in face of his thinly-veiled innuendos and his humiliation positioning of her as â€Å"one of his child’s ‘aunties’†. His crude behavior is a caricature of the sexual exploitation that women have to deal with in work places. Jagmohan is introduced almost an antithesis of Mahendra. He is suave, successful, with a man-of-the-world air and is presented as the eleventh hour rescuer. He is the only outcome available to her from the â€Å"hell† that her house has become to her. However, this apparent proactive position loses much of its worth as it is weakened by the fact that she waits for Jagmohan to ‘fetch’ her. She overlooks his barbs at her expense and goes with him willingly, an act in defiance of society which is only rewarded by rejection. Again, this seemingly perfect man is unable to provide her with emotional support or security. Her disillusioned return drives home the point that there is no escape route left available for her. The point of concern becomes the fact that though Savitri is an economically independent woman, her means of ‘escape’ from the house is linked to a man. Savitri, in her search for the â€Å"complete man† speaks in the language of patriarchy, as the concept of ‘masculinity’ is a derivative of society. Even though she is a ‘modern, independent’ woman, she is unable to cut off the suffocating patriarchal bonds of the environment in which she lives. The Fourth Man, Juneja is introduced onto the stage around this point. He gains the sympathy of the audience by showing kindness towards Kinni, a character who is almost absolutely neglected in the play. He comes as a voice of rationality; as an almost omniscient character. He seems to have intimate knowledge of both Savitri and Mahendranath, as well as their circumstances. His seems to be the projected authorial voice in the play. His looks and manner of speech is structured so as to make the audience favor his point-of-view and assessment of character. Juneja espouses the belief that to Savitri the meaning of life is â€Å"how many different things you can have and enjoy at the same time.† He lays the blame for the current situation of hopelessness squarely on her shoulder and her quest for the â€Å"complete man†. According to him the problem is not a social reality, but instead lies in the psychological realm. All of the men she encounters are incomplete and therefore her solution is multiplicity. Her way of filling her void is â€Å"excess†. And she is only attracted to men because, â€Å"they are not Mahendra.† According to Juneja, if she had married one of the men whom she is attracted to she would have still felt she had married the wrong man. Juneja brings in another element of unrealism by accurately recounting the encounter between Jagmohan and Savitri because â€Å"in his place I would have said the same†. Once again this brings forth the ‘sameness’ of these characters, as Juneja’s claim is validated by Savitri’s shattering realization- â€Å"All of you†¦every one of you†¦all alike! Exactly the same. Different masks, but the face†¦? The same wretched face†¦every single one of you!† The tragedy of the realization is heightened by Juneja’s ruthless perusal- â€Å"And yet you felt you had a choice†¦? Was there really any choice? Tell me, was there?† In the above dialogues lies the greatest significance of that particular theatrical device. It brings out a clear dichotomy between the ideal and the real. What Savitri has been pursuing all along, the ‘ideal man’ does not in fact exist. The notion of her having had a ‘choice’ has been illusory all along; she is trapped in a world with no exit. The play shifts focus to lack of freedom for a female in urban, middle-class India. The tragedy is that Juneja’s speech provides a dual closure for Savitri; both in her search for the ‘perfect’ man who can â€Å"fill her void†, as well as an acknowledgment that she shall never gain satisfaction, and related to that, happiness. In naturalism, free will is not denied but is contained and confined within the environment in which the individual lives. Savitri’s free will is her ability to choose but the fulfillment of that choice depends on the context. Her freedom is linked to a man. She is free to choose which man, but it has to be a man. The illusion of choice arises from the four men and her ‘independence’ is related to shifting from one man to the other. In the prologue, the Man in the Black Suit had asked the existentialist question of ‘who am I’. This is now problematized, as the dramatic innovation of using the same man for multiple characters casts doubt on whether there is an ‘I’ at all. ‘I’ refers to individuality, the existence of a self different from the ‘other’, a projection that the men in the play are all different which is negated through Juneja’s speech. Savitri uses the language of social realism to justify her belief that she moves on to other men because Mahendra is not the right man. Juneja uses the language of absurdism to articulate that there is no ‘right man’; her search is futile because such a man does not exist. All the men in her life are essentially the same man and can only satisfy her for a limited period of time. Surprisingly, the text does not lead up to its realist conclusion; that she is trapped because of the prohibitions of the society in which she lives, a world in which a woman has no choice in her own destiny. It, in fact, veers from its apparent initial realist stance of ‘all men are the same in a patriarchy’ and seems to suggest that all men are the same only to Savitri. Halfway House has often been described as a woman-centric misogynistic play. â€Å"Even as the play builds up a dark vision of trapped humanity, it weakens the force of its statement by simultaneously cutting Savitri’s credentials.† (Nita Kumar). The play does not imply that if the only conditions were different or could be changed then Savitri would be able to escape from the ‘trap’, instead her sexuality is morally condemned, she ought not be able to escape. Juneja contends that all the men who had come into her life were different. They were individuals with their own diverse characteristics and, according to critic Veena Das, what made Savitri see them as parts of the same fractioned entities was her own â€Å"diseased imagination†. Juneja, in saying that all men are the same, is trying to define the essential nature of desire. Desire is always in excess of the individual and can never be completely satiated. The frightening aspect of desire lies in its limitlessness. All men are the same because they are looked at through Savitri’s desire, the fact that they will all eventually be unable to satisfy her is the reason for their ‘sameness’. Their amorphousness derives from the fact that they change in accordance with Savitri’s assessment of them. The transcendental nature of desire will always make her move on to other men and search for completeness. It seems to suggest that every being is half-incomple te, it is not a tragedy, but rather a fact of existence, and Savitri, in her search for masculine perfection and inability to accept this fact, is herself responsible for her ruination. Unexpectedly again, the play doesn’t build up even to the absurdist conclusion; it does not suggest that everybody in essentiality is like Savitri, because desire is universal, exceeding every individual. Instead, the elements of Naturalism as well as Absurdism are developed only to lay the blame on Savitri’s inherent nature, which is considered responsible for the destruction of this particular family. She stands the last accused and the play ends before there can be any possibility of defense on her behalf. Interestingly, though certain relationships in life are deterministic, including that of a mother-daughter, sister-brother, etc, the same cannot be said about spouses; however, in this very context the language used by Juneja is the final language of containment, of absolute, rigid determinism. As earlier mentioned, the device of one man playing multiple roles is that of the actor and is not available to the character, and therefore it is significant that the visual of the play itself shows that nothing can be changed. Juneja’s speech corresponds to the structure of the play, which has to come from without and therefore indicates a concurrence with the playwright’s view. According to critic Kirti Jain, this device loses a little of its relevance in the actual stage performance as the focus of the audience is drawn primarily towards the clothes, mannerisms and voice of that one actor rather than the thematic import. However, there is no ambiguity on the fact that the nature of the play cannot be understood without a reference to this particular device. Through this, the area of thrust changes entirely from the ‘universality of human experience’, and the ultimate censure is not of society, or even the circumstances, but rather of Savitri’s desiring nature. Her lack of constraint and implicit sexuality stand accused as the essential reasons for what makes her home an incomplete, halfway house.

Constitution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Constitution - Essay Example Today however, federal budget amounts to billions of dollars and it subsidizes on almost everything that you can think of claiming that it is for the 'general welfare.' According to Moore, this phenomenon is a result of the following incidents: first, when the income tax was enacted, this enabled the federal government to amass wealth. Second, national crisis brought about by wars gave Congress the reason to push constitutional limits in favor of releasing more money for the benefit of the citizenry. Third, the Supreme Court passed a decision declaring that the power of Congress in allocating federal funds for public purpose is not limited by the powers granted by the Constitution. All these led to the over-extension of the general welfare clause - Congress can just allot on anything as long as it alleges that it is for the 'general welfare'. Moore also presented certain political analysts stating that a significant amount of the federal funds have been on charity. However, no matter how good the government's intentions are, apportionment for public charity has no constitutional basis. There is no constitutional provision authorizing such allotment. The article of Moore thus presents the following problems. ... "Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government" (1776) The people's consent to submit to a single government is embodied in a document called The Constitution. There, the people would specify the power it vests in the government and its various departments. Without a power being expressly granted to the government or any of its department in the Constitution, then such government or department does not have it. Now the Constitution provided for different departments in government: the legislative, executive and the judiciary. The legislative department makes the laws, the executive department executes it and the judiciary implements it. This division is designed to prevent the concentration of power in one person. It also provided for checks and balances in government. (Devine, 2004) This way, no one person or department controls the entire government. This is an effective way to ensure that the rights of the people are protected. Now the power of the legislative is specifically stated in Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution. And I must admit that there is no provision for public charity. The only provision that Congress could use to justify allocations for public charity is in Section 8 #1 which grants them the power to levy taxes "for the general welfare of the United States." On the other hand, Section 9 of the same Article provides the limitations and prohibitions with respect to the powers of Congress. And there is no prohibition against allocations for public

Grief and Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Grief and Life - Essay Example At first she thought that the feeling of meaninglessness and the feeling of grief are very different from each other. But she realizes, after being a mother and a wife, and after losing someone she dearly loves, that what she felt as a child was very similar from the grief that struck her as an adult. This essay talks about the journey of Didion through grief, particularly how she describes her experience with grief in terms of the feeling of meaninglessness that plagued her throughout her young life. Didion explains how different our notion of ‘grief’ is from what it really is in real life. She explains how our expectations of grief are too ‘simple’ or ‘easy’. We know that we will lose someone we love. We expect to go through definite changes, and ‘heal’ immediately. We expect that we should be strong during this very tough time (Worden, 40). Didion explains such in the following manner: â€Å"In the version of grief we imagine, the model will be ‘healing’. A certain forward movement will prevail† (Didion, 392). We think that the normal course of grief is toward ‘healing’ or ultimate ‘acceptance’ of a loss of a loved one. That we do not have to exert too much effort in moving on because everything will resolve by itself. She adds that â€Å"we imaging that the moment to most severely test us will be the funeral, after which this hypothetical healing will take place† (Didion, 392). She mentions ‘hypothetical’ to emphasize the fact that this belief is somewhat flawed. However, based on her experience with grief, it is an emotion that does not subside easily; it is an emotion that is very difficult, sometimes impossible, to deal with. As Didion says, â€Å"We have no way of knowing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Grief is something that is uncertain; something that is unimaginable (Didion, 392). Grief is a feeling of

Organizational research on E-commerce Coursework

Organizational research on E-commerce - Coursework Example After going through the education sector, that has vigorous training from the primary level, secondary and tertiary level we gain skills that lead us to seek a way of earning an income. Most of us fall under the employment sector. Others start their own business. From this business ventures, Organization are formed. The investments call for skilled and semi-skilled employees to run their business objective. (Chava & Nachmais, 2008).Research has been carried out to find out the level of job satisfaction in a given a given organization. The bigger and complex the organization is, it calls to different levels of management. In this organizations highest level of management being the Chief Executive Officer to the most junior staff. At these different levels the employees can be at rewarding and overwhelming positions mostly the managers. This paper will critically evaluate the research done on why the employees feel overwhelmed with work demands, workloads and work related stress. On th e last part of this paper, the paper will focus on where we have adequate staff to perform the job properly which allows the organization to provide top quality of patient care. Problem Statement Employees more often than not feel overwhelmed, and may be required to figure out what might be the underlying issue in their organization of work. Most of the time the situation is not as bad as the employees may think. Perception is a key factor while juggling in between the duties allocated and personal life. Many feel they don’ have enough time for their social life. Those who have families and dependents to look after feel that their jobs are too tying. The key factor is fatigue and balance of the world around any given individual. (Creswell, 2003). When you feel overwhelmed you need to figure out ways to rework your schedules and be in a position to accomplish whatever is required of you and re-energize on the areas that need your attention. Prioritizing on the core duties will ease the tension of feeling overwhelmed. As the current situation is solution sort to cap on this burning issue both in the government sectors and in the private sector. Seeking for help in work place is highly encouraged .employees should never feel ashamed to seek for assistance in their department. This can be practiced by the act of delegating, some of their duties to the skilled employees in their department. By failing to complete certain tasks does not necessarily mean the employee is incompetent, it might be the company has overloaded these employee and would need some assistance to meet the business objective. (Chava & Nachmais, 2008). The company at sometimes put too much on the employees shoulders to carry. Open communication needs to be put in place so that whenever such occurrence in the work place. Time management has been an area of success to those who use this asset well. Employees are overwhelmed because they fail to manage time well. Employees get overwhelmed whe n time catches up with them. Inevitable situations do occur in the work place, with the right priorities such situation is solved in a well speculated manner. Employees should focus on important issues at hand and solve them in good time and eliminating the overwhelming factor in the work place. Use of available technology advancement can ease the overwhelming situation towards the employee. A good example would be like when an employee is on leave or not in a position to access the office for some time, the can set auto reply on their outlook and e-mails to notify the fellow colleagues that this particular person is not available for this certain period of time. Use of blackberry handsets and the internet enabled handset can ease communication and task and these are some of the new technologies that can be used to simplify issues. (Spackman, 2002). Literature Review The major principle for growing the employee awareness is for the team to have a complete overview of what their empl oyer is looking for in the survey. Approximate 60 % will be

Judge Sotomayor and the Constitution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Judge Sotomayor and the Constitution - Essay Example Sotomayor is no stranger to delivering such ill conceived decisions. As such, several of her judgments have been reversed by the Supreme Court. For instance, the ruling in the Riverkeepers case depicted the extreme views that she subscribes to. Her decidedly defective decision was set aside by the Supreme Court. According to Jeffrey Rosen, Judge Sotomayor is neither a capable judge, nor is she sufficiently intelligent to function as a judge (The Judicial Confirmation Network, 2009). According to Dr. Charmaine Yoest, President & CEO of Americans United for Life, the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the US Supreme Court by President Obama is in accordance with the latter’s predilections regarding Justices of the Supreme Court. This nomination is consistent with his perception that any ruling should be based on personal feelings and political agenda; rather than the rule of law (The Judicial Confirmation Network, 2009). President Obama has dispensed with all pretence of being a post – partisan president, with the nomination of Sotomayor. She is notorious for her innumerable failures and the patent absence of judicial restraint in her decisions. Judicial activism is essential for dispensing justice, in instances wherein the extant legislation fails to provide justice. However, it has to be borne in mind that judicial activism, per se, pays scant regard for the Constitution (The Washington Times, 2009). The principal drawback with judicial activism is that it emasculates the Constitution and supplants democratic decision making with a judge’s personal penchant. Thus an unelected judge, who is not accountable to anyone, can emerge as a dangerous and powerful despot. This extremely adverse scenario is exemplified by Sotomayor and her ilk. Judge Sotomayor opines that racial and sexual disparities are not genetic anomalies, and that these differences render some people superior to others (The Washington Times,

Business Ethics in the Business World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business Ethics in the Business World - Essay Example Interest in trade ethics accelerated noticeably in the course of the 1980s as well as 1990s, both in major companies and within academia. For instance, at present most main corporations endorse their obligation to non-economic worth under captions like ethics codes along with social accountability charters. In essence, people of equivalent trade hardly ever meet collectively, even for cheerfulness and amusement, but the discussion ends in a scheme against the public, or plot to elevate prices. Governments apply laws as well as regulations to position business conduct in what is seen to be valuable directions. Principles implicitly control areas in addition to details of deeds that lie past governmental direction. The surfacing of large companies with restricted relationships and understanding to the societies in which they function accelerated the expansion of prescribed ethics administrations. Business Ethics in the Business World Business ethical models reproduce the standards of e ach chronological period. As time elapses norms develop, causing established behaviors to become obnoxious. Commercial ethics as well as the resulting conduct evolved also. Business was caught up in slavery, colonialism, in addition to the cold war. The expression business ethics developed into universal use in America in the beginning of 1970s. Firms began highlighting their moral stature in the last parts of 1980s as well as early 1990s, perhaps trying to separate themselves from the industry scandals of the moment, for instance the savings in addition to loan disaster. The proposal of trade ethics caught the notice of academics, media in addition to corporations by the conclusion of the Cold War. Nevertheless, legitimate disapproval of business applications was attacked for disobeying the autonomy of entrepreneurs as well as critics was accused of sustaining communists. This scuttled the discussion of business morals both in media as well as academia. Business ethics ponders the theory of business, a philosophy whose aspiration is to agree on the fundamental principles of a corporation. If a company's rule is to exploit shareholder proceeds, then forfeiting profits to other apprehensions is an infringement of its fiduciary liability. Corporate units are legally measured as individuals in USA as well as in several nations. The company persons' are lawfully permitted to the rights in addition to responsibilities (Ferrell et al, 2012). Corporate managers' responsibility normally will be to create more money as likely while kowtowing their essential rules to the public, both those personified in law along with those personified in moral custom. Additionally, the only units that can have duties are persons, a firm cannot have liabilities (Shaw, 2010). At the same time, there is neither a disconnect ethics of commerce nor is one desirable meaning that codes of personal morals cover all company situations. Nevertheless, it has been observed that the eventual respo nsibility of corporation administrators is not to damage. Another perception of commerce is that it ought to display corporate social responsibility (CSR): a holistic term signifying that a moral business should act as a dutiful citizen of the societies in which it functions even at the expense of profits or other purposes. In America and majority of other

Pricing Strategy and Channel Distribution Essay

Pricing Strategy and Channel Distribution - Essay Example Market penetration pricing strategy will introduce Hall detergent at a lower price than the other detergents already existing in the market. The introduced products will come in different packages, each of which will have its price depending on the amounts packaged. The company is aware that it is exploring a competitive market segment where lowering prices at the entry stage will enable the company to acquire its own market niche. Once the detergent has gained a significant share of the market, the company will pursue other strategies and reduce prices accordingly. Market penetration is going to attract people who have never used the detergent before. The company aims at attracting new customers to use Hall detergent for their daily household activities such as washing and cleaning. The penetration pricing strategy will help the company to create a high market share for the new detergent. By using market penetration strategy, the company is going to create the presence of its produc ts in the consumers’ mind. This pricing strategy will create goodwill for the brand name of the detergent and will consequently make them positively attached to the product for a long time. The strategy will create a room for cost reduction and control right from the initial manufacturing stage to the end user. The increase in cost controls will help the company to increase profit margins throughout the channels of distribution and gain a competitive advantage against other companies manufacturing detergents. The tactics that the company is going to adopt in penetration pricing will include price competition and value pricing. The company will employ competitive pricing strategy tactic to penetrate the market already occupied by other players, as well as to set pieces according to the prices of similar detergents in the market. The competitive tactic is aimed at creating a distinction for the Halls detergent from the other detergents in the market. The Hall detergent is going to have a lower cross price elasticity as well as price elasticity, which will increase the demand for the detergent. Competition pricing strategy will create a room for the customers to explore the features of the hall detergent. This product has been made of high quality ingredients to ensure that cleaning becomes a fun activity. The effortless usage of the Hall detergents is the main feature that the company seeks to market using penetration and competition pricing strategies. The competitive pricing strategy will give the customers the right to choose between varieties of products as the company has a chance of displaying their products with high quality features at a lower price. In competition pricing strategy, a seller offers low products produced with low costs. However, the company will not use less quality ingredients in its bid to sell products at a lower price or control prices. The company will produce the Hall detergent with strict quality control and assurance. Once the product has gained its market share, the company will employ a value based pricing tactic. According to Boone and Kurtz (2010), value based pricing tactic will compare the quality and prices of the competing products in the market. The strategy will only work for goods that that are relatively low priced.

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census Essay Example for Free

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census Essay The media is an industry where the competition is intense and it has been used by the government individuals, organizations, institutions, society, and family etc. for various purposes. However, due to the increasing competition in the industry, many at times the functions and duties which the media owes to the society are significantly overlooked. There are various functions of the media some will be discussed later on in this paper. The aim of the media has to a fearfully large extent shifted from fulfilling its roles to the society, rather their focus is often on how much entertainment they can offer to their audience and how much money they can make and how quickly they can make it. Entertainment and money making is definitely key in the existence, survival and growth of this industry, nevertheless, this should not be achieved by inappropriately portraying a group’s identity in any form. DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS Construction – To make or create, by putting together ideas, components or arguments. Group Identity – This refers to a person’s sense of belonging to a group. Media- Are communication channels through which news, entertainment, education, data or promotional messages are disseminated. Media includes every broadcasting and narrow casting medium such as newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, billboards, direct mail, telephone, fax and internet (business dictionary, 2015). THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK SOCIAL IDENTITY THEORY BY TAJFEL TURNER (1979) This theory was propounded in order to understand the psychological reasons and basis for inter- group discrimination. The components of this theory goes thus: Categorization- This is the process of putting ourselves and others into categories, our self-image is associated with the categories we belong to. Identification – This is the process by which we associate ourselves with certain groups of people. Nevertheless there are some groups we don’t want to be identified with (out groups) and there are some we would want to be identified with (in groups). Comparison- This is the process through which we compare our groups with other groups, thereby creating a positive bias towards the groups in which we are members of. This aspect of this work will focus on two salient functions of the media amidst the various ones there are. Social heritage function- The onus lies on the media to transmit positive racial and ethnic values about every existing race and ethnic group. The act of highlighting and spotlighting the various negativities of races and ethnic groups should be avoided. Surveillance function- This is the duty the media owes to the society in circulating news and information when necessary, the media is responsible for providing information about events. THE CONSTRUCTION OF GROUP IDENTITY BY HOLLYWOOD (A STUDY OF THE LATINO RACE) There are five acclaimed races in the world: 1) Mongoloid (Asian and American Indian) 2) Caucasoid (European) 3) Australoid (Australian and oceanic) 4) Negroid (East African black). 5) Capoid (South African black) The Latinos could be said to belong to the Mongoloid race and most of the 315 million people who live in the United States of America are either immigrants or have ancestry to another country. In actual fact, the only truly American people are the Native ones. This country is based on the idea of migration in pursuit of a better social and economic life. According to U. S. Census Bureau (2012), there are roughly 52 million Hispanics/Latinos living in the United States, representing approximately 16. 7% of the total population of United States of America, and making them the nation’s largest ethnic minority. Among Hispanic subgroups, Mexicans rated as the largest at 63%, followed by Puerto Ricans (9. 2%), Cubans (3. 5%), Salvadorans (3. 3%), Dominicans (2. 8%), and the remaining 18. 2% were Colombians, Guatemalans, Portuguese, Honduras, Ecuadorians, Peruvians, Brazilian. The main reason for their migration has been either that they are politically endangered or have financial problems. For instance the Cubans who ended up in America wanted to escape from the political conditions in their country. Escaping from the communist government practiced in Cuba, they were considered as ‘political refugees’ in America for three and a half decades until 1995. As a result of America’s opposition to the Cuban government, they were treated in America better than almost any other ethnic group. This has also been partly because of their high level of education and professionalism before migration (Martins, 2006 as seen in Mousavi Sadeghi, 2013). Latinos, Mexicans in particular, mostly live in the Southwest; almost half in California and Texas. Puerto Ricans are mostly in the East and Cubans are in Florida. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, legal Hispanic household income is only 75 percent of White American income. There is also a high rate of poverty and unemployment among them, and their socio economic status is at a low level. The cause for this situation is partially their jobs being the lowest paid ones, their low education level, and employment discrimination (Camarillo and Bonilla, 2001). They are present in the news, advertisements, election campaigns, political debates, television and films. The common major feature that is present in all of these portrayals is the problems related to them that should be solved and not to be glorified, exaggerated or exploited by Hollywood. Before now African Americans were more likely to be portrayed as domestic workers in Hollywood. African Americans played major roles in television sitcoms such as â€Å"Beulah† in the 1950’s and â€Å"Gone with the wind† in 1939. In recent times Latinos have increasingly replaced African Americans as Hollywood domestics. Hollywood has presented an incorrect reality of the Latino people to the American people and to the world at large, it has exaggerated a poor image of this particular race. Although the Latinos who live in America get more roles to play in Hollywood, most of these roles are mentioned in the next paragraph. The Latino female is often presented as a temptress, vamp, lustful, promiscuous, unfaithful, manipulative, of loose morals or submissive at times in relation to a white male fantasy, low class, serving the whites. A list of Ten Latino Female artists who have played the role of a maid in Hollywood Movies/series. Jennifer Lopez – Maid in Manhattan, 2002 Aida Linares- Clueless, 1995 Lupe Ontiveros- As good as it gets, 1997 (She has played an estimate of 150 maid roles on television). Consuela-Family Guy, 2005-till present Nadine Valesquez-My name is Earl, 2005-2009 Paz Vega- Spanglish, 2004 Kate Del Castillo- La misma Luna, 2007 Adriana Barraza- Babel, 2006 Catalina Saavedra, The maid, 2009 Roselyn Sanchez, Devious Maids, 2013- till present Pania Ramirez – Devious Maids, 2013 till present THE MEDIA, DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL CHANGE INITIATIVE (MDSCI)’S SIX YEAR STUDY REVEALS SOME STATISTICS. Among the racial and ethnic groups studied in the Media, Diversity, and Social Change Initiative’s report, released August 2014, Latinos made up only 4. 9% of movie characters across 100 of 2013’s top-grossing films. According to the U. S. Census Bureau’s estimates, there are roughly 52 million Latinos in the U. S. as of July 1, 2011, or just over 16% of the current U. S. population. That number is on track to reach 132. 8 million — or about 30% of the U. S. population — by July 1, 2050. LATINOS THAT ARE DEPICTED IN TOP-GROSSING MOVIES ARE MOSTLY NAKED. While the study does note that â€Å"Hispanic females (37. 3%) were more likely to be featured in popular films than were white females (29. 6%) or Asian females (32%),† Latinas are also more likely than females among any of the other groups studied (37. 5%, to be precise) to be shown partially dressed or nude on the big screen. LATINOS ARE ALSO HIGHLY LIKELY TO BE SEXUALIZED. The sexualization of Latinos does not stop with women. Latino men were the most likely among the studied groups (16. 5%) to be depicted wearing â€Å"tight, alluring or revealing clothing. † DANGERS OF THE NEGATIVE PORTRAYAL OF RACE ETHNICITY BY THE MEDIA ? Since there is a tendency to believe what is represented or depicted by the media; as particular races or ethnic groups are often negatively portrayed, others who are not acquainted with such group of people are bound to believe they are actually the way the media has presented them. ?Another danger of negative portrayals of race/ethnic groups by the media is that the younger ones from such groups may not be able to see themselves better than the way the media has portrayed them. For example if a race is continually depicted as a maid or as vulgar murderer the younger generation of such groups may not see anything wrong with being that way and could actually end up as same. ? This particular race have existing challenges of employment, poor education; the continuous depictions as such does not help solve these problems, but only worsens them. ?It could be difficult for people who are negatively portrayed to keep relationships with or amongst other races who are depicted as superior to them. THE NOLLYWOOD CONSTRUCT OF ETHNICITY (A STUDY OF THE YORUBA, AND NORTHERN NIGERIANS) The founding fathers of Yoruba films in Nigeria i. e. Herbert Ogunde, Moses Olaiya (Baba Sala) Based their works on the constructive values of the Yoruba ethnic group without leaving their audience entertained. In recent times Nollywood has neglected the transfer of social heritage function in the production of Yoruba films. More often than necessary abusive statements, raining of curses and the invention of such and rascality has been synonymous with Yoruba films. The very rich Yoruba culture which the world could learn from is often being tarnished by our film industry. However there are various Yoruba producers who focus on spreading the positivity of the Yoruba culture i. e. Tunde Kelani, Tade Ogidan, Yinka Afolayan. Men from the Northern part of Nigeria are also often times portrayed as either a gateman or the security man of a well-established family. The character who could actually be Yoruba speaks like a man from the north to convince the audience that the gateman is a man from the Northern part of the Country. Little does Nollywood know that many of the gatemen in Lagos which I can speak for are not even Nigerians. I have observed that most of the gatemen/security men in reality are actually from Niger Republic many of them look like Nigerian Northerners, are able to speak Hausa language but they are not Nigerians. RECOMMENDATIONS ?Every race has some sort of value and norms that could be positive, the media should hereby seek out such and spread them. The media needs to respect the fact that every human person has dignity and should be portrayed as such. ?They never should never assume that a particular race or ethnicity is less than the other, regardless of the socio economic status of such groups. ?The media should seek to solve the challenges faced by some races and ethnic groups rather than exploit them. The media should be reminded that they are socially responsible to the society, thus they should be mindful of what they feed the society with.

Analysis of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

Analysis of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Modernist Disillusionment in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Unlike the romantic period that preceded it, the modernist literary movement reflected the feelings of a Lost Generation affected by industrialization and war trauma. As such, modernist literature often employs cynical or detached worldviews in angsty tones. The most famous writer of the movement, T.S Eliot, explored modernist themes of disillusionment through poetry. One of his poems,The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, focuses on the theme of indecisiveness as a symptom of modernization in society. T.S Eliots Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is representative of the modernist literary canon through its exploration of the speakers personal feelings of anxiety and stagnation. The repetition of questions and refrains in The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock is used to express the speakers self-doubt and insecurity in a modernized, changing society. The poem primarily focuses on the speakers inability to talk to women, and how this relates to his fragile self-esteem as a whole. Throughout the poem, the speaker repeats,In the room the women come and go Talking of Michelangelo (lines 13-14). This repeated observation of the women coming and going serves as a disruption to the speakers hypothetical dialogue with the woman he loves. He is unable to approach women because they intimidate him, especially in a new society where women are more educated and independent. The speaker also uses repetition by questioning himself ,How should I presume? (line 54). The question follows his memories of past rejections, wavering his resolve to pursue a woman romantically. He is so paralyzed by his insecurity that he cannot even hold a conversation. This repetition is significan t because it shows the speaker questioning his place in society, a common theme in modernist writing. Eliots poem also incorporates multiple allusions to classic literary works, which are indicative of modernist skepticism of tradition. The references come from varied texts, including the Bible, Dante, Chaucer, and Greek philosophers, but Eliot especially focuses on Shakespeare. In one stanza, the speaker laments No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be; Am an attendant lord, one that will do To swell a progress, start a scene or two (lines 111-113). Here, the speaker feels a lack of personal agency, and only sees himself as an extension of others; he will only ever be in a supporting role for those who lead.ÂÂ   J. Alfred Prufrock will never lead a progress like Chaucer, or woo a coy mistress like Marvell, just like he will never be the Hamlet or Lazarus he wishes he was. He is too scared to even try. Classical allusions like this are a signature of the modernist writing, where the traditional is used as a framework for contemplating the contemporary. These allusions are meant to show the speakers weakness, of what he can never attain.They are not used for glorifying the past, but for questioning the present. In the poem, the speakers fear of inadequacy with women is connected to his larger fear of aging and mortality, and shows his existential crisis. When trying to gather the courage to pursue his romantic interest, the speaker resigns I am no prophet and heres no great matter; I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker, And I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker, And in short, I was afraid (lines 83-86). The speaker sees his social awkwardness as more than just situational; it is the story of his life, the only thing that defines his character. In every small failed interaction, he feels that his life has no importance, and that any instance of success is fleeting. He imagines Death, the eternal Footman, mocking him, just as he imagines women mocking him. Through this imagery, the speaker imagines his failure to win over the woman he loves as the literal death of him. By connecting romantic insecurity with existential insecurity, T.S. Eliot explores both the sma ll- and large-scale implications of modernist thought. Modernist literature differed from previous literary movements in its exploration of the internal mind, rather than the external world. Although deeply affected by external societal issues (industrialization, imperialism, war), modernist style primarily focuses on personal psyche. Modernist literary works often take the form of stream-of-consciousness, or in the case of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, dramatic monologue, rarely with any input of interpersonal dialogue. By turning the narrative inward, modernism sought to expose how the world at large can impact the individual body and mind. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock remains a primary example of modernism because of its ability to make the reader connect so personally with the speakers internal conflicts, and consequently understand the external conflicts of the early 20th century. Works Cited Eliot, T. S. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. N.p.: n.p., 1915. Print.

Vocal Sounds That Mean the Same in Every Language

Vocal Sounds That Mean the Same in Every Language Are there vocal sounds that mean the same whatever your language? Discuss, with examples. The presence of vocal sounds, sounds which are produced via the human vocal tract, which convey the same meaning whatever your language will as a result be sounds that are universally recognised, both in terms of the sound being identified and with regard to the message the sound carries. Considering the lack of cultural exposure between certain language groups (Saul, 2014), vocal sounds with cross-linguistic meanings point towards evolutionary adaptations which by their very nature are inherently universal. The following essay shall show that there are vocal sounds that mean the same whatever your language, it shall do this both by discussing studies that provide evidence for vocal sounds with cross-linguistic meaning, as well as explaining these vocal sounds in an evolutionary context; thereby affirming them as sounds which carry universal meanings no matter what the recipients native language is. Evidence of laughter in our evolutionary relatives such as chimps, (Falk, 2004) and even more distant mammalian relatives such as dogs and rats (Panksepp, 2007) clearly points towards its status as an evolutionary adaption; one which would be universal and therefore be considered a vocal sound which means the same whatever ones language. Further studies indicate that laughter in both humans and non-human primates involve similar neural structures, such as parts of the limbic system (Meyer, Baumann, Wildgruber, Alter, 2007; Scott, Lavan, Chen, Mcgettigan, 2014) and mechanisms involved in endorphin activation linked to positive affective states (Scott et al., 2014). Its status as a universal evolutionary inherited trait is further confirmed by its presence in congenitally blind and deaf infants (Meyer, 2007) who are quite clearly born without the ability to hear or otherwise perceive laughter and therefore who have not learnt to laugh via socialisation. Clearly laughters presence in non-human primates involving similar cortical structures and neural mechanisms, in addition to it being observed in the congenitally blind and deaf, pointing towards its presence as a biological evolutionary adaption; one which would quite clearly be universal and therefore is an example of a vocal sound which conveys meaning whatever ones language is. The context laughter takes place in further points to it being an evolutionary adaption; laughter is in itself innately social, we are around 30 times more likely to laugh in a social situation than when alone (Scott et al., 2014), this is mirrored in non-human primates where it frequently takes place in social situations appearing to facilitate bonding and social cohesion (Ross, Owren, Zimmermann, 2009). Whilst non-human primate laughter typically occurs during physical contact (Provine, 1996), it is contextually comparable with human laughter due to this occurrence in social situations. It is this comparison both in terms of context and the underlying neural mechanisms which point towards a universal evolutionary adaption, one that continues to facilitate social bonding. Therefore similarities between human and non-human primate laughter point towards a level of biological inheritance, one which considered in an evolutionary context must be shared by all despite differences in ter ms of language use, meaning that laughter can clearly be seen as a vocal sound which means the same whatever ones language. However, laughter is not the only affective stimuli shown to carry meaning cross-linguistically. It is widely established that cross-cultural recognition of emotions exists (Sauter, Eisner, Ekman, Scott, 2010), although this point is firmly embedded in the literature (Ekman, 1992) it fails to provide evidence for vocalisations that carry cross-linguistic meaning considering the environmental and visual contexts in which they are typically conveyed (Elfenbein Ambady, 2002). Elfenbein and Ambady (2002) performed a meta-analysis on the universality of emotional recognition on 97 studies on 42 different regions, finding that whilst there was an in-group advantage for members of the same nation, region and/or language, emotions were universally recognized at above chance levels. Although their meta-analysis looked at studies using a range of channels to convey emotions, this above chance level remained when considering studies that focussed on vocal stimuli alone (Elfenbein Ambady, 200 2). Elfenbein and Ambadys meta-analysis (2002) provides evidence that there are vocalisations that mean the same whatever your language, by statistically analysing a variety of studies and showing patterns of correlation between them the argument carries greater weight than considering one or two studies in isolation. Furthermore, it suggests that certain emotions are universally recognised and most likely that this is due to biological mechanisms (when one considers the lack of cultural exposure some groups have had with one another). Of course the presence of universal cognitive mechanisms which decode aspects of emotional vocalisations also mean that there are vocal sounds which mean the same whatever your language, as the emotions have been recognised from purely vocal stimuli and the meta-analysis supports the notion that this recognition is universal and therefore not dependent upon specific languages. However removing multiple channels of communication such as facial expression and body language isnt sufficient when one considers the linguistic context in which emotional vocalisations are usually realised (Pell et al., 2009); even to non-speakers a foreign language may convey linguistic features that somehow alter the meaning of vocal cues. In order to circumvented these potentially confounding effects speakers must express emotions through pseudo-utterances which mimic the morphosyntactic and phonotactic properties of the language presented (Scherer, Banse, Wallbott, 2001). It therefore seems sensible to suggest that the recognition of emotions cross-culturally through the presentation of pseudo-utterances, presented independently from other potential cues (such as facial expression and body language) will provide substantial evidence for there being vocal sounds that mean the same whatever your language; after-all all other confounding factors will have been removed other than the vocal sound itself. A number of studies using pseudo-utterances presented with purely vocal stimuli suggest that emotions can be recognised across languages by non-native speakers (Pell Skorup, 2008; Pell et al,. 2009a; Pell, Paulmann, Dara, Alasseri, Kotz, 2009b; Sauter et al., 2010). Although studies report a small in-group advantage when participants listen to pseudo-utterances based upon their native language (Pell et al., 2009b), similar results between non-native listeners suggests the presence of cross-linguistic vocal sounds with identical meanings, (Pell Skorup, 2008; Sauter et al., 2010). This argument is further strengthened when considering studies involving participants from groups with little to no cultural exposure to each other, such as Sauters (2010) study with the Himba people of northern Namibia. Here the correct identification of emotions from purely vocal pseudo-utterances lends weight to the argument of cognitive mechanisms derived from universal evolutionary adaptations, capabl e of decoding meaning from vocal utterances. Clearly with no cultural exposure (which may have enabled the learning of emotional expression in another culture) and with the correct identification away from other potential cues (such as a linguistic framework and body-language), it seems highly probable that the identification of emotions cross-culturally is in part due to universal evolutionary adaptations, which in turn enable the existence of vocal sounds that mean the same whatever your language. Cross-cultural data clearly provides evidence for vocal emotional expressions which exhibit core acoustic perceptual features that promote accurate recognition across languages (Pell Skorup, 2008). The use of pseudo-utterances removes linguistic structure and language itself as confounding variables, meaning that emotions successfully conveyed and recognised must be done so through associated changes in prosody, such as changes in timing, pitch, volume and the rate of speech (Frick, 1985; Scherer, 1986). Furthermore, it appears that the expression of these discrete emotions corresponds with distinct modulation patterns (Pell, 2001), for example vocal expressions of sadness tend to be conveyed with a lower pitch and at a slower speaking rate in comparison to other emotional vocalisations (Pell et al., 2009b). It should also be noted that as well as being the most distinct from other emotional vocalisations (in terms of its prosodic elements), sadness is also frequently cited as being one of the most accurately identified from vocal stimuli (Pell et al., 2009a, 2009b). This increase in recognition along with its high distinctiveness in terms of modulation patterns provides further evidence for accurate recognition as being due to prosodic elements, clearly the correlation lends support to the aforementioned theory that emotional vocalisations are recognised due to the recognition of distinct prosodic patterns. This line of thought is further supported when one considers that emotions with less distinct prosodic patterns have been associated with lower rates of recognition; for example surprise and joy have been shown to possess similar prosodic elements (Pell et al., 2009b) and in turn have been reported at low accuracy rates, with surprise frequently being incorrectly categorised as joy (Pell et al., 2009a, 2009b). The presence of distinct prosodic elements in the vocalisation of emotions further explains our premise that there are distinct vocal sounds which m ean the same whatever your language; this point is further supported by the correlation between the distinctiveness of a vocal expressions prosodic elements and higher levels of accurate recognition. Prosody has also been studied outside of emotional vocalisation, pointing to further universal cross-linguistic meanings such as dominance and submission, confidence and the signalling of a statement or question to the listener. Ohala (1984, 1996) claims that we associate fundamental frequency (f0) with sexual dimorphism, size and as a result dominance; with males lower and larger larynxs leading to a lower f0 and more confident vocalisations (Hurford, 2014, p.77-80). Similarities can be drawn from avian and other mammalian vocalisations with regards to f0, with low f0 vocalisations frequently made by individuals with greater dominance (Morton, 1977). In turn Ohalas (1984, 1996) claim is supported by a variety of evidence which shows low f0 voices to be interpreted as more masculine (Culver, as cited in Gussenhoven 2002; Junger et al., 2013) as well as being associated with dominant attributes such as confidence and leadership (Klofstad, Anderson, Peters, 2012). Whilst these studies predominantly focus on vocalisations from a Western language base (such as English and Dutch), the comparison across species as well as the universal presence of larger, lower based larynxs in human males (Hurford, 2014, p.77-80) suggests a universal evolutionary adaption, in which differences in the larynxs size and location have evolved due to the selective advantage they provide as a result of the meanings low f0 vocalisations confer with regards to dominance, size and aggression. Studies comparing these affective interpretations across a broader range of languages would add further to Ohalas conclusion (1984, 1996); however, it seems improbable that other language bases would offer different interpretations when considering the effect of low f0 vocalisations in our evolutionary ancestors, in addition to explanations concerning universal sexual differences of larynx size and location. The affective interpretations of f0 have been taken further from signals of dominance to signalling the distinctions between questions and statements (Ohala, 1984; Gussenhoven 2002). This seems a logical step when considering the nature of questions being relatively uncertain in meaning, whilst it seems probable that statements will need to confer more certainty in order to convey a more authoritative status. This is confirmed by cross-linguistic studies showing that higher f0 towards the end of vocalisations are frequently perceived as questions (Hadding-Koch Studdert-Kennedy, 1964; Gussenhoven Chen, 2000). Ohala (1994) claims that this pattern is too wide spread to be explained by a common linguistic source, suggesting its existence due to universal evolutionary adaptations. Gussenhoven and Chens (2000) study should be highlighted for its use of three languages (Hungarian, Dutch and Chinese) quite distinct from each other both in terms of structure and due to their status as belo nging to distinct separate language families; the fact that this interpretation of f0 is present in these three languages which have evolved separately removes the suggestion that its presence is tied to linguistic structure rather than universal evolutionary instilled cognitive mechanisms. Therefore cross-linguistic evidence suggests that a rise in f0 towards the end of a vocalisation signals a question whatever ones language, again providing evidence for cross-linguistic meaning in vocal sounds. To conclude, cross-linguistic studies support the claim that there are vocal sounds which mean the same whatever your language. Studies using pseudo-utterances remove the possibility of confounding variables such as linguistic structure or visual stimuli, showing that vocal sounds can carry information on affective states understood by the recipient whether or not they share a common language. Further cross-linguistic studies highlight the effect of prosody on meaning both in the deliverance of emotional vocal sounds as well as in a broader context; sounds which yet again have been shown to carry meaning across languages. Comparative research provides additional evidence for vocal sounds that carry meaning across languages, such as laughter in addition to displays of confidence and dominance. However, it remains important to consider these vocal sounds in an evolutionary context; vocal sounds with universal meanings must be understood as being due to biologically inherited adaptation s when one considers the lack of exposure many language groups have had with one another. References Ekman,P. (1992). Are there basic emotions? Psychological Review, 99(3), 550-553. doi:10.1037/0033-295X.99.3.550 Elfenbein,H.A., Ambady,N. (2002). On the universality and cultural specificity of emotion recognition: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 128(2), 203-235. doi:10.1037//0033-2909.128.2.203 Falk,D. (2004). Prelinguistic evolution in early hominins: Whence motherese? Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 27, 491–541. doi:10.1017/S0140525X04000111 Frick,R.W. (1985). Communicating emotion: The role of prosodic features. Psychological Bulletin, 97(3), 412-429. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.97.3.412 Gussenhoven,C., Chen,A. (2000). Universal and language-specific effects in the perception of question intonation. Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Spoken Language Processing, 91-94. Gussenhoven, C. (2002). Intonation and interpretation: phonetics and phonology. In Proceedings of Speech Prosody 2002, , Aix-en-Provence, France (pp. 47-57 Hadding-Koch,K., Studdert-Kennedy,M. (1964). An experimental study of some intonation contours. Phonetica, 11, 175-185. doi:10.1159/000258338 Hurford,J.R. (2014). The origins of language: A slim guide. UK: OUP Oxford. Junger,J., Pauly,K., Brà ¶hr,S., Birkholz,P., Neuschaefer-Rube,C., Kohler,C., . . . Ute,H. (2013). Sex matters: Neural correlates of voice gender perception. NeuroImage, 79, .275-287. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.04.105 Klofstad,C., Anderson,R., Peters,S. (2012). Sounds like a winner: voice pitch influences perception of leadership capacity in both men and women. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 279(1738), 2698-704. doi:10.1098/rspb.2012.0311 Meyer,M., Baumann,S., Wildgruber,D., Alter,K. (2007). How the brain laughs. Behavioural Brain Research, 182(2), 245–260. doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2007.04.023 Morton,E.S. (1977). On the Occurrence and Significance of Motivation-Structural Rules in Some Bird and Mammal Sounds. American Naturalist, 01/1977(111), 855-869. doi:10.1086/283219 Panksepp,J. (2007). Neuroevolutionary sources of laughter and social joy: Modeling primal human laughter in laboratory rats. Behavioural Brain Research, 182, 231–244. doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2007.02.015 Ohala,J.J. (1984). An ethological perspective on common cross-language utilization of F0 of voice. Phonetica, 41, 1 16. doi:10.1159/000261706 Ohala,J.J. (1996). Ethological theory and the expression of emotion in the voice. Wilmington: University of Delaware, 3, 1812-1815. doi:10.1109/ICSLP.1996.607982 Pell,M.D. (2001). Influence of emotion and focus location on prosody in matched statements and questions. Journal of The Acoustical Society of America, 109(4), 1668–1680. doi:10.1121/1.1352088 Pell,M.D., Monetta,L., Paulmann,S., Kotz,S.A. (2009). Recognizing emotions in a foreign language. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 33(2), 107-120. doi:10.1007/s10919-008-0065-7 Pell,M.D., Paulmann,S., Dara,C., Alasseri,A., Kotz,S.A. (2009). Factors in the recognition of vocally expressed emotions: A comparison of four languages. Journal of Phonetics, 37(4), 417-435. doi:10.1016/j.wocn.2009.07.005 Pell,M.D., Skorup,V. (2008). Implicit processing of emotional prosody in a foreign versus native language. Speech Communication, 50(6), 519-530. doi:10.1016/j.specom.2008.03.006 Provine,R.R. (1996). Laughter. Laughter. American Scientist, 84, 38-47. Retrieved from http://cogweb.ucla.edu/Abstracts/Provine_96.html Provine,R.R., Fischer,K.R. (1989). Laughing, Smiling, and Talking: Relation to Sleeping and Social Context in Humans. Ethology, 83(4), 295–305. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0310.1989.tb00536.x Ross,M.D., Owren,M.J., Zimmermann,E. (2009). Reconstructing the Evolution of Laughter in Great Apes and Humans. Current Biology, 3(2), 191–194. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2009.05.028 Saul,H. (2014, July 31). Amazonian Indian tribe filmed making contact with Brazil village in rare video footage Americas World The Independent. Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/video-shows-amazonian-indian-tribe-making-contact-with-brazil-village-9640077.html Sauter,D.A., Eisner,F., Ekman,P., Scott,S.K. (2010). Cross-cultural recognition of basic emotions through nonverbal emotional vocalizations. Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences, 107, 2408-2412. doi:10.1073/pnas.0908239106 Scherer,K.R. (1986). Vocal affect expression: A review and a model for future research. Psychological Bulletin, 99(2), 143-165. doi:10.1037//0033-2909.99.2.143 Scherer,K.R., Banse,R., Wallbott,H.G. (2001). Emotion inferences from vocal expression correlate across languages and cultures. Journal of Cross-cultural Psychology, 32(1), 76-92. doi:10.1177/0022022101032001009 Scott,S.K., Lavan,N., Chen,S., Mcgettigan,C. (2014). The social life of laughter. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 18(12), 618-620. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2014.09.002

Home Improvement Essay -- essays research papers

TOWNHOME RENOVATION PROJECT Objective In order to enhance and increase the value of my home, renovating and upgrading my town home will increase its value once and if I decide to sell, and provide me with a comfortable place to call home. This statement of work is a narrative description of the work required for upgrading my town home. The selection criterion was based on quality of work, reliability, rapport, and on-time performance. My objective is to keep the cost within my budget to one that I will be comfortable with. Based on research and cost estimates, I will benefit from the company’s work. The customer, Home Depot, and installers must agree on the following: Understand tasks assigned to her/him and commit to realistic specifications and deadlines. The installers must show up on time and be prepared for work STATEMENT OF WORK SCOPE OF WORK The sub-tasked departments of this project are Home Depot’s carpet installers and kitchen cabinet installers. The Home Depot will provide the following specifications to the customer: 1.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Specifications 1.1.1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In-home inspections, measurement and pre-construction conference 1.1.2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Site visit by installer to review project with customer 1.1.3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Removal of cabinets, laminate countertops and sink 1.1.4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Install new cabinets, laminate countertops, scribe and corner moldings filler strips, toe kicks, and cabinet hardware 1.1.5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Disconnect and reconnect plumbing and venting to existing service in same location 1.1.6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Replacement of plumbing (trap, shut-off valves and supply tubes within 3† of existing plumbing) 1.1.7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Daily clean-up of job site, bagging debris to curbside 1.1.8.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Final inspection with customer 1.1.9.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lifetime warranty on labor 2.1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rip-up existing carpet & cushion & haul away 2.1.1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Delivery of merchandise 2.1.2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tack and cushion or glue down carpet 2.1.3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Flat and tap down metal transition 2.1.4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Clean-up of job site and bagging to curbside 2.1.5.  Ã‚  ... ...ate from any specification or term of the Specifications, the Supplier shall deliver to the customer an Engineering Change Request (ECR) setting forth:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Identification of Statement of Work  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The description and justification of the change requested  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An assessment of the impact of the change on the programmatic, costs, functional and performance requirements of the (Work) at any level BUDGET Estimated total cost of work to include merchandise and labor = $6881.87. POINT OF DELIVERY All documents and material shipped as a result of this Statement of Work shall be sent to the Project Office: URLINE M. RICHARDSON   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4606 Colonel Fenwick Place Upper Marlboro, MD 20772   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   CONCLUSION: This project will be flexible to allow tradeoffs for cost, time, and quality. Upfront coordination and planning will alleviate any tradeoffs but we must always be open to conflicts. Address the work that is required, timeframe needed, and make certain the work that is accomplished is agreeable by all to ensure proper requirements and deadlines will be met.

El Nino and its Impact on Coral Reefs :: Geology

El Nino and its Impact on Coral Reefs Introduction When individuals think of El Nino, they think of heavy wind, heavy rain, and the hot and cold temperatures in the wrong seasons. However, El Nino impacts are more than on humans and their surroundings. El Nino impacts the sea as well. The changes El Nino brings to our weather brings changes to ocean temperature. Changes in the ocean impact all forms of life in the ocean. It brings changes to fishes (affecting migration patterns), changes to aquatic vegetation growth, changes in the rest of the food chain , and most importantly changes (even death) to coral reefs. Coral reefs are more than collectable items, but they are a source of food, shelter and protection for most fishes and other forms of life in the ocean. During El Nino, coral reefs are damaged by the change of temperature. This leaves fishes homeless and in danger. What is El Nino El Nino is a disruption of the ocean off the coast of South America. El Nino starts when all the cold water on the bottom of the ocean does not come up to the surface because the trade winds blow differently during El Nino years. Instead, the warm water stays on top and becomes overheated. Then the water warms the jet streams, as well as sending more moisture into the air. El Nino has many important consequences for all the weather around the globe. For example, Illinois might be warm during its winter, and Brazil might be cold during its summer. Rainfall follows the warm water eastward. This is associated with flooding in Peru and droughts occurring in Australia. This kind of weather change is caused by El Nino. An El Nino may occur every three to seven years . It begins with a change in the trade winds. El Nino can last from a few months up to two years . It can be predicted a year before it happens. The warming of the ocean water begins in the Pacific and moves towards the coas t of South America. During a period of time that may last a year. A full blown El Nino starts in early December. El Nino effects continue for many months. (El Nino Theme Page, 1996). History No one knows exactly when the El Nino occurred, but ice core records from the Andes in Peru suggest these climate fluctuations have been part of Earth's weather cycle for El Nino and its Impact on Coral Reefs :: Geology El Nino and its Impact on Coral Reefs Introduction When individuals think of El Nino, they think of heavy wind, heavy rain, and the hot and cold temperatures in the wrong seasons. However, El Nino impacts are more than on humans and their surroundings. El Nino impacts the sea as well. The changes El Nino brings to our weather brings changes to ocean temperature. Changes in the ocean impact all forms of life in the ocean. It brings changes to fishes (affecting migration patterns), changes to aquatic vegetation growth, changes in the rest of the food chain , and most importantly changes (even death) to coral reefs. Coral reefs are more than collectable items, but they are a source of food, shelter and protection for most fishes and other forms of life in the ocean. During El Nino, coral reefs are damaged by the change of temperature. This leaves fishes homeless and in danger. What is El Nino El Nino is a disruption of the ocean off the coast of South America. El Nino starts when all the cold water on the bottom of the ocean does not come up to the surface because the trade winds blow differently during El Nino years. Instead, the warm water stays on top and becomes overheated. Then the water warms the jet streams, as well as sending more moisture into the air. El Nino has many important consequences for all the weather around the globe. For example, Illinois might be warm during its winter, and Brazil might be cold during its summer. Rainfall follows the warm water eastward. This is associated with flooding in Peru and droughts occurring in Australia. This kind of weather change is caused by El Nino. An El Nino may occur every three to seven years . It begins with a change in the trade winds. El Nino can last from a few months up to two years . It can be predicted a year before it happens. The warming of the ocean water begins in the Pacific and moves towards the coas t of South America. During a period of time that may last a year. A full blown El Nino starts in early December. El Nino effects continue for many months. (El Nino Theme Page, 1996). History No one knows exactly when the El Nino occurred, but ice core records from the Andes in Peru suggest these climate fluctuations have been part of Earth's weather cycle for

Cultural Background Paper Essay

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – 2002) defined Culture â€Å"as the set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of society †¦. it encompasses, in addition to art and literature, lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs. † With migrant ethnic groups, they become so far removed from their homeland that their traditions have considerably been altered, are gone, or simply forgotten. It was mostly after World War I, in the 1500s to the 1800s in the Great Migration when most African immigrants were taken against their will to the New World. They were brought in as slaves and their hard work was responsible for the prosperity of the New World. Similarity of African and American Culture. America is a melting pot, where all cultures meet and blend. America is multi-racial because of the continuous influx of foreign migration to American shores. The culturally-diverse population of America makes it a pluralistic society. The Wikipedia (11 Jan 2002) describes Africa as â€Å"one continent with many worlds. † Various ethnic, social and tribal groups make up Africa. Africa is more of a multi-ethnic culture. Contrasts between African and American culture. The difference between Africa and America is on certain significant cultural aspects. African society is male-dominant, where women submit to patriarchal authority. America is more liberal and espouses gender equality. Societal relationship in Africa is familial, very family-oriented even in business. America is individualistic. Food and eating in Africa is a ritual, in America food and eating is a basic need. Behavior, values and norms are often clannish or often dictated by the ethnic group or the clan. America has always been independent. Africa has many languages, America speaks only English. Having been born in America, I have totally embraced the culture that is predominantly American. However, this is not denying my roots and my rich African heritage. On the contrary, I feel that there is something great that people like me can contribute to the mainstream culture. The support system of families, the sharing of trials and triumphs of Africans are cultural strengths that I would rather have than the individualistic ways of America. The equal treatment and opportunities to both sexes of America, to me however is more acceptable than the male-dominant practices in Africa. The similarities in my cultural background and that of the dominant American culture made it easy to integrate to a society that is made up of culturally diverse people. I did not feel isolated or left out because of my color or creed. The similarities and differences of the both cultures had a positive effect on my life. I am shown the strengths and the weakness of each one. The primarily independent-thinking American culture is necessary to make choices and standing by it. It is a trait that I believe in and which I try to be all the time. Food and Eating as rituals and basic needs at the same time are to me necessary for us to enjoy and sustain life. I do not wish to rush all the time and so I take every moment to find meaning in my every action. I believe that my own cultural background has to a certain extent contributed to the mix in the dominant American culture. When the early Africans banded to demand equal rights from a society that was once discriminatory of their race, it showed the world and history what unity can do to push for reforms. That movement has indeed gone a long way. There is respect for cultural diversity and equal opportunities now. In a culturally diverse society such as America, culture exchange flourished. With people of African descent like me in mainstream society, other people became aware of Africa. They got introduced to the sights and sounds, literature, its people, traditions, ways, and everything else. Pretty soon famous African Americans are into government service, entertainment, the academe, the media, and business. I believe that to be the greatest contribution to of the African culture to dominant American culture. I learned of my cultural roots through a conscientious effort on my part. I knew I look different, I knew I belong to a defined group, I knew we had different ways of doing things, practically we have our own culture. I asked my parents about us, about our culture. Our family is one that takes pride on who we are. It became a pleasant, welcomed, and enlightening revelation. I read books about Africa, searched the web for more information and watched movies about Africa. It was a moment of discovery. I connected to our cultural past. I have not let up until today. I still visit sites of Africa and learn more of my forefathers’ homeland. Having lived in America all these years, I know I have developed an entirely new culture that is neither African nor America. It might yet be a blend of both cultures. I may look and sound African, think and act American and I am African American. I have in me the clannish African and the independent American. The influences on me to develop a new culture are varied. Interaction with those people who belong to other dominant cultures, opportunities to experience these other cultures first hand, unconsciously picking up the best in each one and living it are possibly the first ones that come to mind. The world is getting smaller by the day. With the advent of modern means of travel and communications getting in touch is relatively easy. Cultures meet and merge every second, every day. Sources: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/American_culture#Relationship_to_other_countries. 2Fcultures http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Culture_of_Africa

Current Economic Development of Oil Exporting Countries

Current economic development of oil exporting countries. (by the example of Saudi Arabia) Introduction3 OPEC and oil prices. 4 History4 Common development problems of OPEC member countries6 Saudi Arabia8 History8 Economic development9 Main goals9 Role of the government10 New industry sectors10 Private sector11 Foreign labor11 Social and politic structure12 Conclusion14 Literature15 Introduction. The subject of this research is the economy and society of the oil-exporting countries while the topic can be described as current economic development of the oil-exporting countries and their prospects. As the best example we have chosen Saudi Arabia. The oil-exporting countries are important players on the world market. They can set up oil prices reducing or increasing extraction rates, and mostly this is the only way they get money for their budgets, oil deposits have great influence on their economy. That’s what is called Dutch disease and what their biggest problem is. Some measures in many fields should be taken to get rid of this disease, to change economic and social structure, to make a shift to new phase in their development. This statement constitutes the thesis of this term-paper. The general purpose of this research is to find common stages and common problems of oil-exporting countries development, try to explain them and suggest some solutions. The goals can be determined as the following: 1. To look at the OPEC, its history and common problems of the Member Countries; to follow the interconnectedness between oil price and prosperity of the oil-exporters. 2. To consider brief history of Saudi Arabia for better understanding of that country. . To estimate the role of the government, private sector, new industry sectors, foreign labor and social and politic structure in economic development; to show current situation and topical problems in all these spheres. 4. In conclusion try to forecast the possible ways of further development. This term-paper can be used for further research in this sphere. OPEC and oil prices. Today oil is natural resource that has great influence on the development of oil-produ cing countries like Russia or the OPEC countries. If a country exports huge amount of oil its price determines budget of the country, political situation, prices for a wide range of goods. It's so because oil isn't just raw material for gasoline production, also for plastics, construction materials and so on. Many oil-exporting countries can set up oil prices reducing or increasing extraction rates, and in the same time no one in the modern world can live without gasoline or electricity. So, we can say that oil is a race in which the main targets are power and money, huge sum of money. But sometimes oil exporters go to the extremities – their budgets depend only on oil prices, in fact this field is a real money spinner. That's how the Dutch disease begins. A good example could be the OPEC countries. OPEC has the biggest oil deposits in the world (almost 80%) and they play a crucial role in oil pricing. This organization controls extraction rates (what leads to controlling of oil prices), foreign policy and strategy of Member Countries. That's why we'd like to consider OPEC itself, its history and common problems. History. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is a cartel of 12 countries made up of Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. The organization has maintained its headquarters in Vienna since 1965, and hosts regular meetings among the oil ministers of its Member Countries. T he OPEC Member countries came together to form this international organization with several aims. Some of the aims are: †¢To protect the interest of the member countries. To make sure that the price of petroleum products do not change much. †¢To make certain a regular supply of petroleum oil to other countries. †¢To make sure that member countries get suitable income from sale of oil products. †¢To decide policies to follow relating to production and sale of petroleum oil. However, OPEC has not always been able to achieve all these aims. Venezuela was the first country to move towards the establishment of OPEC by approaching Iran, Gabon, Libya, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia in 1949, suggesting regular and closer communication among oil-producing countries. It was a topical question because all oil-exporting countries were exploited by such corporations as British Petroleum, Chevron, Exxon, Gulf, Mobil, Royal Dutch, Shell and Texaco, which controlled crude oil refining worldwide. These corporations organized a cartel and reduced procurement prices. Initially the OPEC wasn't taken into account. Europe and the U. S. didn't believe than Arabic governments could find a compromise and reduce extraction rates. Honestly speaking first 10 years wasn't very successful for OPEC. But in the 1970-s with help of 1973 oil crisis, Arab-Israeli conflict and second crisis in 1979 OPEC transformed into important political and economic force. By the way being part of OPEC is a huge responsibility. High oil prices are the consequence of low extraction rate. But if one country in pursuit of higher incomes tries to sell a little bit more than its quota is, then price goes down even for those countries that did everything right. Nowadays oil prices are still high in comparison with 1990-s (when normal price per barrel was 22-28 dollars), but since June 2008 they have dramatically fallen, as it is shown on the graph below. The war in Iraq and increasing demand in Asian-Pacific Region, especially in India and China that are consuming large amount of fuel, can be named as a reason for such growth. Anyway the OPEC countries still have their problems and many of them are much the same because of cultural, historical, governmental and economical similarity, some countries almost overcame them and others didn't. Most illustrative will be the example of Saudi Arabia as the country having the biggest oil deposits in the world. Common development problems of OPEC member countries. Below is the list of the typical problems which OPEC countries usually face. Not long ago Arabic countries were under the reign of the USA and Europe, which exploited their resources leaving countries themselves underdeveloped. In the end of XX century everything changed. Briefly the scheme of their development could be described this way: 1. Dependence on western countries. 2. 1970-s crises. Inflow of petrodollars. 3. Euphoria, thoughtless investments and projects. 4. Attempt to create a new type of social structure. 5. Admitting mistakes, appearing of new aims like development of different industry sectors, not only oil-extracting. All these periods have their common difficulties. Firstly, Arabic countries fell behind all developed countries and because of their cultural specialty weren’t ready to radical innovations which were so needed. Women are still not interested in education; almost 50% of them are illiterate. By the way it is one of the crucial problems in such countries – the lack of educated people, especially with higher technical education, consequently appears deficit of well qualified workers on the plants and other enterprises. Employees were absolutely not ready to start working on advanced equipment. That's way many executive positions are occupied by foreign specialist, what isn't very good option for the country. Second main problem is the Dutch disease – too strong dependence on one industry sector. Budget, living standards, national projects – all these depends only on oil prices, which are not always foreseeable and controllable. For example too warm winter reduces consumption of fuel, what reduces oil demand and consequently oil price. Many other factors have the same influence, and all of them hit oil-exporters, making them too vulnerable. In Saudi Arabia 85% of budget are petrodollars, so it's clear how important for them oil price fluctuations are. And the last important problem is that government not always can make reasonable investments. Arabic sheikhs started huge constructions and projects â€Å"to the glory of the country† which were usually unprofitable. Only later this wish to spend money became weaker and investments – more useful. Actually, these are main difficulties of OPEC countries. In every oil-exporting country governments more or less successfully tried to find proper solutions to these problems. Saudi Arabia. History. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an Arab monarchical state. It is bordered by Jordan on the northwest, Iraq on the north and northeast, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates on the east, Oman on the southeast, and Yemen on the south. The Persian Gulf lies to the northeast and the Red Sea to its west. It has an estimated population of 27. 6 million, and its size is approximately 2,150,000 square kilometers. Today it is one of the few fastest growing countries in the world with a high per capita income of $20,700 Some figures: Population: 27,601,038 (0. 3% of world population) Density: 11/km2 Urban population: 80% GDP (2007): $555,055 billion Oil resources: 261. 2 billion barrels, 26% of world oil resources (amount that is enough for 86 years of consumption) Extraction rate: 8 million barrels per day. Among Arabic countries Saudi Arabia is the richest, because its oil deposits are the biggest, like its OPEC quota. Country itself isn't very big, but population is growing. Literacy rate is very low – only 63% and it is very serious problem, as was said earlier. Economic development. As it was mentioned, economy of Saudi Arabia depends on oil market and it's impossible to analyze it without taking into account oil industry. Because of oil export and money inflow this country made visible leap in development and today some indexes are just like in Europe or in the U. S. Society is developing too, leaving behind prejudices. Main goals. There are three main goals for the state: 1. GDP growth 2. Diversification of national economy. 3. Development of human resources. These goals were set 30 years ago and still being a topical question. But a lot of efforts were put to reach these goals. For example in 1970 GDP was 22. 9 billion riyals and in 1982 already 524. 7 billion. A diversification is also present. The role of oil sector is reducing. Processing industry was established, and there are a lot of financing projects. What is not less important, financial sector has appeared. But anyway, as of 2007, non-oil manufacturing contributed 10% to Saudi Arabian GDP and less than 6% of total employment. But development of human resources is falling behind. Actually the problem of lacking qualified labor force was solved by inviting foreign specialists. Role of the government. Initially the most profitable oil deposits were exploited by western companies, but today the biggest oil producing company – ARAMCO – was nationalized and oil policy was reviewed. Now extraction rates became smaller and deposits were used in more rational way. Today more than 95% of all Saudi oil is produced on behalf of the Saudi Government by the ARAMCO. In June 1993, ARAMCO absorbed the state marketing and refining company (SAMAREC), becoming the worlds largest fully integrated oil company. But the second problem was how to spend money. Governors were wrong hoping that petrodollars inflow will last forever. Money was invested in useless projects, and some spending was just uncontrolled. It all led to overheated economy. Also there was an effort to copy western system of production, but it also wasn't successful. All these things were a reason to work out a new plan of economic development, attracting more private capital and making more reasonable investments. In the last few years there is a privatization tendency in Saudi economy, of course except ARAMCO. Also government supports oil industry, giving money for development of the new deposits. New industry sectors. In the world Saudi Arabia plays the role of crude oil exporter, and it isn't the best position on the world market. That's why they are trying to find new profitable spheres. And one of them could be petrochemistry. This field grows every year and today Saudi Arabia is the main manurial supplier on the Middle East. Of course today it's impossible to cure the Dutch disease, but maybe someday oil exporting countries will not depend so much on oil prices. Private sector. In 70-80-s government created good conditions for private sector. Such things like transfers, legislative support, special banks and funds were aimed at supporting this sector of economy. Powerful oil industry till now is a good base for economic development. The government is still attempting to promote growth in the private sector by privatizing industries such as power and telecom. Saudi Arabia announced plans to begin privatizing the electricity companies in 1999, which followed the ongoing privatization of the telecommunications company. Shortages of water and rapid population growth may constrain government efforts to increase self-sufficiency in agricultural products. But this governmental support has the second side – private enterprises are still hoping on help and transfers from government and western partners. Without such support it's more profitable to invest money abroad. And that's the problem. But anyway private sector is growing and private capital goes to high-tech development and research. Foreign labor. As was said, there is a lack of well educated specialists on the plants. The government tries to promote so called Saudization – national policy to encourage employment of Saudi nationals in the private sector instead of workers from South and Southeast Asia. Despite these efforts, the country draws a significant portion of its labor force from foreign countries, especially from South and Southeast Asia (notably India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines, Nepal, and Sri Lanka), East Asia, East Africa and from other Middle Eastern countries. There are also some people from North America, South America, and Europe. Hundreds of thousands of low-skilled workers and skilled workers from regions of the developing world migrate to Saudi Arabia, sometimes only for a short period of time, to work. Although exact figures are not known, skilled experts in the banking and services professions seek work in the Kingdom. Social and politic structure. An Arabic country always remains an Arabic country with its own culture, social and politic structure. Saudi Arabian culture mainly revolves around the religion of Islam. Islam's two holiest sites, Mecca and Medina, are located in the country. Also it shouldn't be forgotten that it is the monarchical state. All it leaved an imprint on people and their set of mind. Although huge sums of money were spent on health care and educational programs, the social structure didn't change a lot. It is still important to which family or place you belong; ruling establishment stayed the same, just like the attitude to women. Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where women are banned from driving on public roads. Women may drive off-road and in private housing compounds, that can be very huge. Their attempts to change something usually lead to nothing. Several international human rights organizations, such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the United Nations Human Rights Committee have issued reports criticizing the Saudi legal system and human rights violation in various political, legal, and social areas, especially severe limitations on the women rights. The Saudi government typically dismisses such reports as being outright lies or asserts that its actions are based on its adherence to Islamic law. Political structure also is very traditional – the monarch makes all decisions and any attempts to loosen his power, like advisory board, have failed. There is no freedom of speech and no political opposition, although there are a lot o people abroad who criticize such policy. So, development of Saudi Arabia is very controversial. On the one hand, financial and oil-producing sectors are growing in high gear. On the other hand people's set of mind didn't change and with this excess baggage it's impossible to move forward. Other controversial thing: government wants to keep Islamic values, but in the same time educational system is an exact copy of the American one, and American talk-shows and cartoons are demonstrated on the national television. There is an opinion that all it happened because of too fast growth. The society wasn't ready for petrodollars and all these goods which it gets. That's why people have very vague ideas of what they need today or in the future – new way of life or traditions and Islamic values. Conclusion. To sum it all up, we'd like concern possible future of oil-exporting ountries. In a foreseeable future it is impossible to find alternative energy sources which could fully substitute oil and gas. World demand will grow and there are only four countries which can increase extracting rates. These are: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Nigeria and Gabon. It means that political and economic power of OPEC will grow. But also it's obvious that raw materials like crude oil are cheaper than processed goods like gasoline. That's why huge sums of money must be invested in the development of oil refineries and it's a very important long term investment. By the way this developing process must involve not only industries but also people themselves, because a state can change only after its citizens. Anyway, dependence on oil prices is very unreliable and undesirable, like any dependence, even if it helps to finance social projects. Current economic crisis has shown that. Governments of oil exporting countries must find a compromise between this Dutch disease with massive capital inflows and healthy but maybe not so rich economy.