Thursday, October 31, 2019
Lit Review and Methodology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
Lit Review and Methodology - Research Paper Example One of the theories has proposed that media play a significant role in providing behavioral roles (Nabi & Oliver, 2009). Most people engage in types of behaviors that they watch or admire in movies. Another important theory called emotional release (Berger, 2007). Aristotle used this theory to argue for the role of drama in preventing warfare. In the recent past, the same theory is used basically to prove the violence that is sometimes displayed in the media. Therefore, the people in this theory were assumed to understand the impacts of violence by witnessing or seeing it being enacted and would seldom take part in such behaviors (Berger, 2007). The fact that media has a role to play in most of the societal issues is also supported by authors. Nabi & Oliver (2009) asserts that audience dependency on media is considerably high in societies where media serve most of the central information functions and in periods of pervasive civil strife or rapid social changes. In the recent few yea rs, the growth of new media platforms including YouTube, twitter, and Facebook has enabled youths, adults and the society in general to take more significant steps to reach and be reached almost anywhere and everywhere at any given time (Nabi & Oliver, 2009). ... Social media play a significant role in most of the relationships in our societies. However, according to Duhe? (2007), some of the roles are not always positive. Research carried by Haythornthwaite (2011) on the strong, weak and latent ties and the impact of new media, indicated that media may have negative impacts on personal relationships. Most of the relationships keep up through some of the latest social media forums including twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and blog comments are more casual and the participants tended to know less about one another (Haythornthwaite, 2011). Other literatures have also raised concerns over the impact of the new social Media (Biagi, 2011). Nesbitt-Larking (2007), for instance, enumerates the dangers associated with making the meaning of conversations clear electronically. He further asserts that Media platforms are used to make confrontations easier and more relationships impacted as a result (Nesbitt-Larking, 2007). Perse (2001) also argues that beca use electronic media’s transmission of emotions is considerably poor compared to physical interactions, people tend to use it as perfect tool to send some of their difficult messages that would otherwise not been conveyed on a face-to-face basis. Although the society may enjoy some of the relationships by use of the new social sites like Facebook and twitter, the difference that exists between these social platforms and the interaction that involve physical presence of people is clearly very vast (Sparks, 2010). Sparks (2010) also argues that although the social media, regarded to have the power to connect the users to some of the people whom they would otherwise not touch, the problem comes when the society find themselves
Monday, October 28, 2019
The Status Of E-Commerce Essay Example for Free
The Status Of E-Commerce Essay Introduction            This chapter present the findings of the survey completed. The survey was conducted through the distribution of questionnaires. Such instrument contained three parts with a total of 21 questions. Each part dealt with a distinct subject matter which is vital and relevant to the aims of this research. All questions are centered on online shopping through Chinese websites and the attitudes and beliefs of people that influence their choices. The discussion will follow the flow of the questionnaire beginning with demographical questions.            A total of 250 questionnaires were distributed. However, only 221 were considered valid. The remaining 29 were either never returned or invalid due to the incomplete answers or information. Demographics of the Sample            Determining the demographic characteristics of the respondents is a vital element of any research. Such demographic information allows the researcher to create a profile of the sample. Furthermore, demographic characteristics may influence certain responses from the sample which may then lead to vital information for the research.            Of the 221 respondents, 125 were male and 96 were female. These figures are conducive to the study as the sample is not dominated by either gender. The ages of the respondents were varied. However, the greatest number of respondents placed their age between 19 and 29. 82 responded that they were between 19 and 29 while 63 responded that they were between 30 and 39. Shown below are the graphs of such findings: It was also determined that most of the respondents held undergraduate degrees. 82 members of the sample placed their educational background at the undergraduate postgraduate level. Likewise, only 18 of the respondents said that they did not finish high school. The graph below shows the breakdown of the sample based on educational background: The following question dealt with the monthly income of the members of the sample. 31.67% of the sample placed their income in the 2000 to 4000 RMB bracket while 25.34% said that the income was in the range of 4000 to 6000 RMB. Only 19 respondents placed their income to be less than 2000 RMB a month. The following chart provides an illustration of such findings: With such demographic information provided, a profile of the sample can then be created. Based on the given demographic data, it can be assumed that majority of the sample is made up of professionals who hold jobs that provide sufficient or more than sufficient income. Also, these individuals are well-educated which would mean that they are up-to-date with the present trends and technologies. The monthly income is highly relevant for it is a determinant of the dispensable income that is used purchase goods and services that are offered through e-commerce websites. The age of the respondents is likewise vital for people between the ages of 18 and 39 have been identified as the most likely to make online purchases. (Pew Internet, 2008)            The demographic profile of the sample reflects the widely acknowledged belief that online shoppers are younger, better educated, and high income earners. As Pew Internet (2008) stated, â€Å"Some expected demographic factors account for some of the differences between online shoppers and other internet users. Online purchasers tend to be younger, better educated, and higher-income than those who have not bought a product over the internet.†Internet Usage and Online Shopping            The next segment of the survey aimed to gather data on the respondents’ internet usage and online shopping. The survey reveals that most of the respondents are seasoned users of the internet. As the graph below would show, most of the member of the sample have been using the internet for more than 3 years. Specifically, all of the respondents have used the internet with almost 78% of them acknowledging that they have used the internet for more than three years.  Not only are the respondents seasoned users of the internet, they are frequent users as well. Question 6 aimed to gather information as to how often the respondents used the internet. Out of 221 responses, 104 indicated that they use the internet daily while 75 answered that they accessed the worldwide web weekly. The responses show that the internet is an integral part of the everyday life of the respondents. For the majority of them, not a week goes by without them accessing the internet. Such data is graphically shown below: Respondents were likewise asked to state whether they have ever made an online purchase. 155 said yes while 66 said that they have yet to complete an online transaction. This means that 70 percent of the respondents have had experience using e-commerce websites. Thus, the information that they would share will be extremely valuable for their opinions would be based on actual experiences. Also, another question in the survey asked those respondents who have made an online purchase to indicate when their last online transaction was. 95 out of the 155 who said yes answered that their last online purchase was a month ago. This figure represents 61% of the total number of respondents who have made an online purchase. Provided below is the graph of the said data: What such data indicates is that online shopping has yet to become a habit for the respondents. Despite their frequent use of the internet, actual online purchases do not occur that often. This likewise shows that online shopping is not the primary purpose of internet usage.  Such finding is further strengthened by the information shown in the following graph. The answers to question 8 indicate that the respondents use the internet for reasons other than online shopping. 45% of the responses show that the participants only have occasional use of the internet to look for products or items to buy. These figures strengthen the earlier assertion made. They indicate that people have yet to fully utilize the internet for online shopping. The responses to question 8 are summarized below: It is evident that online shopping has yet to become a habit for the Chinese. Although they are habitual users of the internet, online shopping is not their primary purpose for accessing the worldwide web.            Having established the frequency of online shopping among the respondents, it is vital to determine how much they like online shopping. Question 10 in the survey specifically dealt with this matter. The responses gathered reveal that the respondents are not very akin to online shopping. 70 respondents rated that they only somewhat like online shopping and only 6 responded that they liked online shopping very much. Also, 34% of the respondents acknowledged that they were not so much fond of online shopping.  The graph below provides a detailed view of the responses: These responses reveal that there is hesitation on the part of the respondents about online shopping. Although they did not clearly reject the idea of purchasing products through e-commerce websites, the majority of them were uncertain as to how much they liked online shopping. There are reasons as to why such hesitation exists. It is critical that such reasons be explored as analyzing such information is vital to the achievement of the objectives of this research.            In question 11, respondents were asked to state the reasons why they purchase online. They were required to rate the given reasons on the basis of importance on a scale of 1 to 8 with options given a rating of 1 being the most important. Respondents were given 8 options and were given the freedom to pick and rate as many reasons as they want. To determine which reason was deemed as the most important reason for shopping online, the researcher devised a scoring scheme. A rating of 1 was given a score of 8. The score decreases as the level increases. Based on this scheme, if an option is given a rating of 8, it will gain a score of 1. The following table summarizes the point system: RATING GIVEN EQUIVALENT NUMBER OF POINTS 1 (Most Important) 8 2 7 3 6 4 5 5 4 6 3 7 2 8 (Least Important) 1 Based on the given point system, the score of each option were determined. This involved multiplying the number of responses for a given option at a given level/rating by the corresponding score/points. The sum of scores of a given option at the different levels is the total score of the said option. This process determined the option that was given the highest rating. The total score determines how important the respondents perceived the reason to be. Such method revealed that the most important reason why the respondents shopped online was the convenience of online shopping. Convenience received a score of 1087. This score was far greater than the rest since the next highest score was 793. This is the score accumulated by the reason that people shop online for items that are not available in local shops. The reason that had the lowest score is curiosity, which only garnered 57 points. The graph below summarizes the results of the said question: It is clear that the people shop online primarily because they find it convenient. Since online shopping does not require them to physically be at the shop, they can make purchases from anywhere and from any store online.            Another important factor that the questionnaire dealt with was the products that consumers commonly purchase from e-commerce websites. The 12th question in the survey aimed to gather such data. Respondents were asked to identify the products or services that they usually buy online. They were free to choose as many products or services as they want. The responses to the said question are summarized in the following graph: From the graph above, it can be seen that two types of products are commonly purchased online. Books and accessories were chosen 132 and 122 times respectively. It must be noted that these were the only two choices which had more than 100 respondents. The product that had the least number of responses was second hand goods, which was picked by only 28 respondents. This result is critical for auction sites which are the common sources of second hand goods. However, elaborating on such finding is beyond the coverage of this research.            Just as the respondents were asked to name the reasons why they choose to shop online, they were likewise asked to state the probable reasons why they would not purchase products or services offered through the internet. The results of question 13, which deals with this subject are vital for it will help explain the hesitation of respondents with online shopping as revealed in the discussion of the 10th question of the survey. (see page 8 of this section) Respondents were given 16 different reasons as to why they would not shop online. They were asked to rate their choice in terms of importance with options given a rating of 1 as the most important reason why they would choose not to complete online purchases. Furthermore, they were allowed to pick and rate as many options as they want. Since this question involves ratings, the results will be evaluated using the same methodology that this researcher utilized for question 11 of the survey. The same point system will be used. Although respondents had 13 different ratings to choose from, only ratings 1 to 8 received at least one response. Therefore, the researcher decided not to include ratings 9 to 13 in the evaluation and the same point system earlier described will utilized. The results of the evaluation, specifically the total points for each of the options given are graphed below: It is evident from the graph that the respondents were hesitant about shopping online because of the uncertainty with the quality of products that are sold in e-commerce websites. Such reason received a score of 1,243, the highest score among the given choices. The results also indicate that part of the reason why people refuse to shop online is their uncertainty over the security and privacy of the personal information they are required to give out when making online purchases. The following choices and their corresponding scores refer to security issues associated with online purchases: I worry about people may misuse my personal details 882 I do not trust online payment systems 862 I worry about someone may steal my credit card details online 714 I feel unsafe to provide personal information online 649 I do not trust e-commerce companies 574 These options obtained 5 out of the top 7 scores. Such finding is highly significant for it pinpoints a critical concern regarding online shopping, the security of personal and financial information. Furthermore, this result reveals the need to address such security concerns in order to better ensure the safety of online shoppers.            Another question that the respondents were asked to answer was whether they have had a bad experience with online shopping. This was succeeded by a question asking those who have had bad experiences to describe such. Of the 221 responses, 83% said that they have yet to have a bad experience with online shopping. The 17% or 38 respondents who declared that they have had a bad experience with online shopping were asked to describe their experience. The results of such question and the preceding question are shown below: Question 15: Please you briefly describe the experience           No response when I required the vender to replace the goods. 19 Network outage issues. 4 Vendor delayed refund when I return the goods. 15 The results indicate that online shoppers commonly have trouble after the sale has been made. Dealing with the vendors after the sale has been completed is the problem that often arises that thereby leads to the online shopper having a bad experience. The results of question 15 are indicative of this finding since 34 out of the 38 responses named vendor-related issues.            The same respondents who said that they have had a bad experience with online shopping were asked, in question 16, to indicate what such bad experience led them to do. It is important to note that not one of the 38 respondents said that the experience led them to stop shopping from the Chinese e-commerce websites completely. Instead, 21 out of the 38 respondents said that their bad experience made them more careful in dealing with and completing online transactions with Chinese e-commerce websites. Such finding indicates that bad experiences with vendors do not deter people from continuing to shop online. Instead, such bad experiences only heighten the shoppers’ awareness of the risks or possible issues that they need to look out for when shopping from such websites. Preferred Payment method = Security            Questions 17 and 18 focused on the payment method preferred and the reason why they preferred such method. The results of question 17 show that payment on delivery was the most preferred payment method by online shoppers as 117 of the 221 respondents chose it. Paypal was the second most preferred method with 56 responses. Respondents indicated that their choice of payment method is influenced primarily by the security that such payment method. 218 out of 221 respondents cited â€Å"Most Secured†as their reason for picking the payment method they prefer. Payment on delivery is indeed the most secure method since the shopper need not worry about paying for the item and not receiving it. It is the most guaranteed method since it does not put the shopper’s money at risk.       In the next question, the respondents were asked to determine how relevant certain factors are to their confidence in Chinese e-commerce websites. For each given factor, the respondents were asked to state how much they agree or disagree with the statement. The table below summarizes the responses to the said question: The table reveals several critical findings. First, it shows that most people are wary of the information contained in websites. In other words, the respondents are uncertain of the website’s contents. Product quality is also a major concern of online shoppers. This finding is consistent with the results of earlier questions in the survey.            The final two questions in the survey dealt with the respondent’s opinion on security and trust issues with regards to e-commerce websites and the relevant steps that they believe should be taken to address such critical issue. All of the respondents agree that the trust issues of Chinese e-commerce sites should be addressed and tackled. All 221 respondents stated that tackling such issues is important for the improvement and development of Chinese e-commerce websites.            The last question of the survey asked the respondents to give their recommendations as to how the trust issues of Chinese e-commerce websites should be addressed. They were likewise asked to determine the rank of their reasons from 1 to 10 with 1 being the most important and 10 being the least important reason. The table below presents the summary of results for the said question: From the data gathered, it is apparent that people see the need for e-commerce laws in China to be established. Furthermore, most of the recommendations that the respondents chose or cited are related to the laws that govern e-commerce in China. Thus, it is evident that they believe that protecting the welfare of online consumers is the duty of the Chinese government. Among the ten recommendations listed, the two that were picked as most important on more occasions are those that concern government duty in the process. Summary            The discussion has shown that Chinese internet users, although seasoned and experienced users of the internet, are not keen on making online purchases. Based on the data gathered, it is evident that their hesitation to purchase goods online is rooted in their concerns over the security of their information and on the possibility that the websites are fraudulent. Furthermore, the survey revealed that trust is a very critical issue to internet users. Finally, the survey showed that Chinese online shoppers believe that it is the China’s government’s duty to protect the welfare of online shoppers through the establishment of relevant laws and policies. References Pew Internet. Online Shopping: Internet users like the convenience but worry about the security of their financial information. Feb. 2008. Retrieved online 18 Aug 2008 from: http://www.pewinternet.org.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Slavery In USA And Serfdom In Russia
Slavery In USA And Serfdom In Russia Slavery, condition in which one human being is owned by another [1] , has been part of countless civilizations since the dawn of Mankind. From the fields and mines of Ancient Mesopotamia, through great Rome and sophistic Greece, and all the way until just but a century ago in America and Russia, slavery was a basic foundation of the society. In its beginning, and several times since, slaves were kept almost as family members, but mostly they were put to do the hard, physical work. Slavery was always weld together with the economy of the owners, be it civilians or the monarch crown. Even today some slavery still exists. We might hear and read about evil criminality referred to as human trafficking, forced prostitution, child soldiers, forced and bonded labour and the use of children in international drug trade, children labour [2] . Also Conservative estimates indicate that at least 27million people, in places as diverse as Nigeria, Indonesia and Brazil, live in conditions of forced bondage [3] . International organizations like the UN, with its Anti-Slavery Commission, still fight to abolish these modern remains of slavery. In our everyday life language we tend to say that we are slaves of our work, our money or some other materialistic need. Fortunately slavery in its ancient and medieval context has been abolished in practically the whole world. Serfdom, condition in medieval Europe in which a tenant farmer was bound to a hereditary plot of land and to the will of his landlord [4] , differs principally from slavery in the fact that serfs obtained their subsistence by cultivating a plot of land that was owned by a lord. The reason for then comparing serfdom in the Russian Empire with slavery in the USA lies in the fact that in 18th- and first half of 19th century Russia the nobility, the Dvoryanstvo, possessed the power to practically do everything they wanted with their serfs. This power was identical to the slave owners in the Southern States of America, also in the 18th- and 19th century. This essay aims at showing how fundamentally different the American and Russian society was, and, ironically, how both contained unfree human beings in miserable conditions. The difficult conditions will be looked at too, and the interesting difference that can be found when comparing the fall of slavery and serfdom will be given so me attention. The research question is then; What were the simmilarities and differences between slavery in the USA and serfdom in the Russian Empire? The topic is worthy of investigation since the effects of slavery and serfdom still affect people living in the USA and Russia today. The United States of America The New World On October 12, 1492, when Columbus (1451-1506) reached land in the West Indies for the first time and met the indigenous people there, he made especially many notations in his log book. (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦)they [native people] indicated that people from other nearby islands come to San Salvador [Columbus named the island so] to capture them; they defend themselves the best they can. I believe that people from the mainland come here to take them as slaves [5] . Columbus log indicates that the Native American civilizations already consisted of some sort of slavery, unless Columbus own wish to make slaves of them made him misunderstand what they were trying to tell him. Columbus thinking like this is not unreasonable, considering what we can read further in the log: They ought to make good and skilled servants, for they repeat very quickly whatever we say to them and, perhaps most surprisingly I could conquer the whole of them with 50 men, and govern them as I pleased. This was day o ne, not counting the days it took to sail to this new land, and already some sort of prediction about the future of the new continent could be drawn, like in a novel consisting of foreshadowing. This was the beginning of the colonization of the West Indies, and later, the whole Northern- and Southern American continent. Portugal, Britain and France soon joined the scene, and successfully conquered and established themselves in the New World. Because of the cruel enslavement and barbaric behavior of the Spanish conquistadors, but mainly due to the unexpected European diseases like smallpox, typhus, influenza, diphtheria and measles, thereby killing millions upon millions of people [6] of the Indians. The tragic result of these biological genocides was the need for more workers, workers that would be found in Africa, and from there be brought to America. The Transatlantic Slave Trade The Bible says that the root of all evil is the love [lust] for money [7] . This was the case with the Transatlantic Slave Trade, a fundamental part of the Triangle Trade. This trade moved slaves from Central and Western Africa across the Atlantic Ocean to the West Indies [current Caribbean Islands], Brazil and North-America. It is estimated that about 9.4-12million Africans arrived in the New World from Africa. These were from Ghana and Nigeria, Congol and Angola. They were sold by West African kings and leaders, who often were put on the throne by the European traders themselves: The principal European traders took active part in installing kings who they judged would favour their activities irrespective of whether such kings were acceptable to their subjects [8] . Kings sent military expeditions against nearby tribes, captured their people and sold them to the Portuguese. The Portuguese acted out of personal, but also Spanish, need for slaves [9] . 10 A group of Africans captured by African slave market suppliers. After being captured, most Africans were separated from their families, men, women and children alike. They were then forced to walk hundreds of kilometres in order to reach the Slave Coast in West Africa, and the Atlantic Ocean. After arrival there, they were stowed together on ships like animals, with almost no place to even turn around, travelling for weeks among the filth of vomit-filled tubs, blood, urin, children crying, women shrieking and the dying groaning in despair. They could feel the stench of death spreading throughout the whole ship. These were the horrors of the Midlle Passage. 11 At any attempt of mutiny or resurrection terrible reprisals were carried out, like on the American ship Kentucky in 1844 where 46 men and one woman were hanged, tortured and mutilated and shot in the breast and the bodies thrown overboardà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦sometimes they shot at the body while it still hung living, and all kinds of sport was made of the business [12] . One can imagine that the poor survivors of these atrocities asked themselves if the situation could get worse. Nations like Holland, Britain, France and Spain followed up the Portuguese in the triangular trade. When arriving in America the slaves, who were in much smaler numbers than at departure, were sold profitably in auctions and the money was used to by sugar , tobacco and cotton. These raw materials were transported back to the individual countries of Europe and manufactured there. Sugar became rum, cotton textiles, and the tobacco used. To maintain this buisness slave transport ships were sent to West Africa again with products from Europe that were desirable for the merchants and leaders that were settled there. The 13 colonies and slavery Britain, one of the greatest colonising nations, had several colonies all around America from British Honduras [Honduras] in the south to Newfoundland in the north. 13 of these colonies had settled together like neighbours on the North-American continent. These colonies did not differ from others in the matter of slavery. Also here a master could enjoy absolute rights over his property [13] . Two of the earliest established colonies, Virginia (1607) and Maryland (1632), were especially determined to repress the blacks, both free and slave. This was mainly due to fear of slave insurrectons, like e.g at St. Domingo [Haiti]. Laws and codes were created, restricting assemblies of black slaves, forbidding escape and travel without pass (Virginia,1705). Any kind of violence against the white owner(s) (or any other white person for that sake) allowed the owner to correct such a slave very physically, and also, if the slave died during this correction, no punishment towards the owner e xisted. It was ()as if such accident never happened. [14] (Virginia,1705). Anti miscegenation laws were established (Maryland, 1664), not allowing sexual relations or marriage between people of different races [Declared unconstitutional in 1967]. The penalty for such inter-racial marriages was that the white women who had succumbed to this terrible act, would lawfully become a slave herself, and so any children that she might give birth to. To bear firearm (unless allowed by the owner for protection against the Indians) and witness in court proceedings against any but other blacks was illegal too (Virginia,1639 and Virginia,1705), as well as any excercisement in any ecclesiastic [church], civil or military office (Virginia,1705). Convertion to Christianity through baptism did not change civil rights either (Virginia,1667). Noteably, greatest influence was played by the above partly mentioned Slave Codes of 1705. These subsequently came to serve as models for the other colonies. It was because of these Slave Codes that slaves would be considered by the law as real estate, property, a thing. Due to lack of co-operation and stubborness from the British Parliament and King in former taxual matters concerning the 13 colonies, militia of the New England colony surrounded the city of Boston on April 18th 1775. The attack was a result of a confiscation and arrestation attempt in Concord [15] . Armed clashes between the British troops and the colonies began the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783). The Second Continental Congress met the same year. This Congress formed the Continental Army and fought the British Army. What is highly relevant to my research question is what the Second Continental Congress did but a year after its gathering. They wrote and signed the most important act in American history, on July 4th 1776. It was the United States Declaration of Independence. Second Continental Congress [16] In the second sentence of this document we find the famous words:We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. One could assume that this clear separation from Imperial England and forming of a new nation based upon such beautiful words and honorable ideals must have contributed directly towards abolishment of slavery in the United States of America. The great paradox is that it didnt. Yes, the Revolutional ideas helped the Quakers together with Tomas Jefferson and Luther Martin in their pro-abolishment fight, resulting in illegalisation of slave trade in New York and Pennsylvania, but not much more. South Carolina temporarily illegalized the trade, while Massachusetts were hypocritical in their law by only prohibiting slave trade directly from Africa. Eli Whitneys cotton gin invention strenghtened the economic foundation of slavery in the Southern states and restored the African slave trade in North-America. Apparantly the former made changes affects did not last long. Officially only South Carolina had restored the slave trade, but the rest of the States smuggled in slaves and used them as well. The Bill of Rights (1789), the first 10 amendments to the US Constitution from 1787, guaranteed the white people in the United States that The Congress shal make no Law respecting the Establishment of Religion, or prohibiting the free Exercise thereof; or abridging the Freedom of Speech, or of the Press, or to the Right of the People peaceably assemble [17] . Through this they layed down a democratic foundation and example for the whole modern world. The United States should have been quite perfect, only that the great paradoxal and moral problem of slavery due to racism persisted. The Russian Empire Part of the culture Russia as a nation has gone through many changes throughout its history. The Kievan Rus state, which started in the 880s, contained the predecessors of several Slav people and is the oldest Russia we know of. Prince Vladimir (978-1015), a successor of the Kievan Rus crown, converted to Christianity and Eastern Orthodoxy. It was through this conversion and acceptance of Eastern Orthodoxic religion that the Byzantine culture, statecraft and art came to Kievan Rus. These three were mixed with the Slavs culture and thereby created traditions which influenced the rise of the Russian autocratic state [18] . Russias autocratic system in the 19th century was therefore quite old. The medieval state of Kievan Rus disintergrated in the end though, starting to divide into principalities in the 12th century because of domestic conflicts. The Mongol-Tartar invasion, starting with an attack in 1223, did not improve the situation. The Mongol-Tartars destroyed Kiev along with many other cities at the time, so that many of the Slav people, mainly peasants, became homeless and had no choice but to move and settle on the land of wealthy Russian princes and nobles. A starting serfdom was therefore partially one of the consequences of the Mongol-Tartar invasion. The peasants-serfs, became attached and dependent upon the mercy of higher ranked Russians. As the Mongol-Tartars power diminished, especially with the defeat at the Battle of Kulikovo (1380), the grand princes of Muscovy [Moscow], had created a strong and wealthy Grand Duchy. Ivan III (ruled 1462-1505), one of the most successful grand princes there, was the first Muscovite ruler to use the titles of tsar and Ruler of all Rus. He had the right to claim it, Muscovy trippled in size under his rule. In order to keep strict order and reject any smaller princes who claimed to rule specific territories, Ivan the III forced all lesser princes, the nobility, to acknowledge him the sole and unquestionable ruler of Muscovy. This would also count for his heirs. Ivan IV [19] The formation of the very powerful and autocratic tsardom came to exist. With Ivan IV, grandson of the III, the word autocratic was no longer only a property of an independent ruler, it came to mean unlimited rule. Between 1565 and 1572, under Tsar Ivan the IV [the Terrible], none in Muscovys prosperous and important district was safe. The Tsar, for uncertain reasons, started killing advisers, government officials and the aristocrats (boyars/nobles) The peasants started moving away in fear their problems with unpayed taxes. In order to prevent them from moving, the Tsar started binding them to the land, bringing the russian peasantry closer and closer to legal serfdom. Boris Godunov [20] The consequence of such a fools rule was constant chaos from 1598 to 1613. Despite the frequent change of tsars, tsardom itself survived and was consolidated as peasantry went through a gradual enserfment. Boris Godunov (1551-1605), brother-in-law of Ivan IVs mentally ill heir to the throne, practically became the Tsar of Russia from 1584-1605. In 1597 a decree made by him to attach peaseants to the land on which they lived and worked with was set out. Peasants could no longer move from one landlord to another as they wanted. This was done in order to keep rural stability in Russia. Godunov formed serfdon in its most oppressive form, while at the same time the rest of Europe was getting rid of domestic serfdom. The Legal Code of 1649, which further legalised the attachment of serfs to the land, came about because the state prepared the serfs with land as presents of compensation for the new nobilities, the Dvoryanstvo, but also presents for acts of loyality and military service [21] The main factor in this development was the governments central bureaucracy, which had expanded significantly by the 1650s. There were many peasants who tried to run away, becoming fugitives. Anyhow, thousands upon thousands of Russians became enserfed and controlled by other Russians. It was in racial aspects different than the situation of the African slaves in the US. But, like slaves in America, the now legimite serfs also started making riots, some more serious than others. The tsar and the government managed to keep their power though, through the nobility, the Russian Orthodox Church and autocracy. Backwardness Peter the Great (1672-1725) indirectly separated the Russian serfs culturally from the Dvoryanstwo through his westernisation of Russia. He forced the nobility to wear Western dresses, tastes and social customs, splitting the Dvoryanstvo with serfdom even more. In 18th century Russia metallurgical and textile industries used serf labour, and practically all of agriculture used serfs. It was possible to maintain the country with this system of serfs, but from then on Imperial Russia would be backwarded compared to Western Europe with its Industrial Revolution. Russian serfs Russias westernisation was based upon the governing elites of Western Europe like e.g in France, but in 1789 with the French Revolution at hand, the Russian Tsar would not and could not keep contact with countries like France. When Tsar Nikolas I came to the throne he thought that all contact with Western Europe had to be sensured or stopped. The central tool of the Tsar was His Imperial Majestys Private Chancery. The Third Section was in charge of state security. Tsar Nicholas I (1825-1855) was especially afraid of revolts against him because of the Decembrist revolt in 1825. This was a military protest in St. Petersburg by Russian army officers and intellectuals who had been affected by liberalism in Western Europe, deriving mainly from France through the Napoleonic Wars. These officers had realised the backwardness of Tsarist autocracy, and now sought to abolish serfdom, as an obstacle to economic prosperity, and modernize Russia through western technical and philosophical ideas. This was, ironically, the same thing that Peter I had wanted to do. The problem this time was that the Tsars autocracy was at stake. Nikolas I regarded the West as his personal enemies, and therefore ordered the Third Section of his Chancery to use censorship and surveillance methods in order to strictly limit reports of events in Western Europe and to suppress criticism of domestic social conditions. The criticism revealed itself through works of people like Alexander Pushkin and Pyotr Chaadaev, but also through the plays of Nikolai Gogol, who satirised the institution of serfdom in his novel Dead Souls. This is highly similar to what was happening in the USA, where Slave narratives like Uncle Toms Cabinand other literary publications were written by the pro-abolitionists. These works were not censored like in Russia, due to the First Amendment in the United States Constitution Bill of Rights where it is written: Congress shall make no law(à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦)abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press. This also clearly shows how completely different the American and Russian society was. In 1858 there were 22.5 million serfs in the Russian countryside. Another 19 million where tied to lands owned by the state. 41.5 million out of a 74 million population [22] . The everyday life of a slave and serf in the 19th century While the white americans in the last part of the 19th century enjoyed a better standard of living than any other people on earth [23] , the black americans suffering was below criticism. In Russia conditions were of the medieval kind. The North of the USA was more industrialised, while the South continued their traditional farming. Of course, there was much farming in the North as well, but due to the industry they posessed, they produced almost 90% of the nations manufactured output in the 1850s. Slavery therefore existed only in the South, were there was a supposed need for it. In some defence of the South, only 25% of Southern families owned slaves. In Russia on the other hand, the whole country was based upon the vast countryside. Little industry existed, thus keeping Russian serfs intact on the fields. The number of serfs was naturally greater than the number of slaves. At least in the beginning of the 19th century auctioning was less brutal. Now dealers and owners advised against splitting up families. It still happened though, and many family members never saw each other again. The splitting up of families ended in Russia with a law of 1833. Most of the slaves were put to do the hard physical work on the cotton fields and farms. The white owners were most often performing hard work themselves, but the slaves were always inferior to them because in need for money slaves could be sold. In Russia the nobility didnt have to do the hard physical work. The simple and inferior serfs where to do it. Many slaves turned to Christianity and faith in God. In Russia, where the serfs were mainly Orthodox, the Church told people to withstand their hard conditions patiently. Still many, quite understandably, protested against their owners both through resistance to work and violence against them. In the US this often resulted in a visit to the Lashing House. The Lasher was a legally-appointed functionary to whom slaves were sent with just a letters notice from the owner as to how many lashes the slave was to recieve. This show that even though few people owned slaves in the South, most of them accepted it to rather big extents. Emancipations compared The abolishment of slavery in the USA and the emancipation of the serfs in Russia happened as a consequence of two wars. The American Civil War (1861-1865), where the blacks proved themselves through great acts of courage and valour, and the Crimean War (1853-1856), where Russian serf soldiers, even though brave, could not defeat the Western modern troops of Britain and France. The Civil War was to a significant extent the result of tensions between pro- and anti-slavery states, and as the war progressed slavery became the main theme. The Crimean War was the war of one supposed very strong power, Russia, verses Britain and France. Autocracy and serfdom against democracy and industrialisation. I find it very interesting to at this moment observe how the Civil War was about the neccesity of victory to abolish slavery, while the Crimean War resulted in defeat and pre-unintendedly led to emancipation of the serfs as the beginning of tremendous reforms. Note also that both wars and emancipations occurred at approximately the same time. Conclusion When we look upon how the United States of America and the Russian Empire came to be, there are practically no similarities, except the law making which defined slaves and serfs. By the mid-19th century slaves and serfs possesed almost the same identical status in their societies, which meant not possesing anything at all. The ethnical difference between slaves and serfs thus loses any significance. Both groups where human beings being oppressed by other human beings who acknowledged themselves as being superior. The everyday life of slaves and serfes were both characterised by bad conditions with practically no legal protection. Both slaves and serfs tried some form of riots, both groups consisted of runaways, and physical punishment happened if the owner wasnt satisfied. Suspicion and mistrust was an everyday reality. Both groups experienced auctioning and splitting up of families. Slaves and serfs alike were needed for agricultur in the rural parts of their respective countries. Slave and serf were understood to be inferior to their owners. There was, in quantity, more serfdom in Russia than there was slavery in the US, but in quality they experienced the same discrimination and unrightousness. Even though the slaves came from Africa, and lived as a minority in the USA, they ended up fighting like true heroes for their freedom in the American Civil War. The serfs of Russia where no minority, but actually the majority. They were Russians in bondage. A final comparing of slavery and serfdom would be to try to find out wheter it was worse in the USA or in Russia. I have come to the conclusion that it would be unwise to do so. Both systems consisted of people doing terrible acts against fellow people, black or white doesnt matter. This is also what we should learn from this history, and enlighen ourselves minds to fight this kind of atrocity to ever happen again.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Limbo, Nothings Changed, and Blessing Essay -- Poetry Tatamkhulu Afrik
Limbo, Nothings Changed, and Blessing â€Å"Write about the various ways in which the poets present their ideas and give the reader an insight into different cultures.†The three poems that will be studied are: Limbo by Edward Kamau Braithwaite Nothings changed by Tatamkhulu Afrika Blessing by Imtiaz Dharker The cultural location and inspiration (for the writers) of these poems is of great curiosity (to many readers) and also of high deviation, thus the way in which we are given an insight into the different cultures will be considered very carefully. Limbo Edward Kamau Braithwaite, the writer of Limbo is creating tension and anxiety, while at the same time expressing his view of slavery in the poem, he is trying to create the effect of a ship filled with evil and is trying to make the reader see that slavery is far from good but actually very, very cruel, he tells the story of afro Caribbean slavery in a rhyming & rhythmic dance. He has made it a very motivating and complex poem. I feel that there are two meanings or storylines to the poem the first and main narrative being a play being acted out on the ship showing the cruel and evil history of Afro Caribbean slavery, and the second being a more upbeat and blissful side to the poem which is portraying the actions of the limbo dance. The first three quarters of the poem deal with slavery and the limbo dance combined together while the last quarter of the poem is like the sun breaking and light coming out, it only deals with the happiness that there is around the limbo dance in much more detail and describes how their is light at the end of the tunnel for the slaves. The poem has a very strong beat, signifying the dance that is being po... ...heme that has been incorporated into the poem. Rhythm has not been used in the poem, it is very brief, and gives the effect of ordinary speech. We have a clear sense of Imtiaz Dharker’s culture; water is valued very highly, (as people’s lives depend on this supply). Personally I feel that In Britain we constantly take water for granted and should not and that the poet maybe trying to convey to us a very important message. The poem ends with a picture of the littlie children naked and screaming. The sense of their beauty is overshadowed by the idea of how weak, fragile and helpless they are. Overall I feel this poem is the best poem (of the three) to give the reader an insight into different cultures in a brief and logical way, however I feel that Tatamkhulu Afrika Who wrote â€Å"Nothings Changed†present his ideas in the most vivid and original way.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Competitive and internal information Essay
Write an essay on the typical main sources of business information generated both internally and externally for public companies. How is such information used to establish a company’s place in the market? Illustrate your answer with examples from one or more business sectors of your choice. INTRODUCTION Information consists of data that have been retrieved, processed, or used for informative purposes, argument or as a basis for forecasting or decision making. Without information, a business cannot survive. A recipe for a good decision is 90 percent information and 10 percent inspiration. Information is the catalyst of management and the ingredient that coalesces the managerial functions of planning, operating controlling. Managers depend on information for making decisions. Any organization is held together by the possession of means for the acquisition, use, retention and transmission of information. The purpose of management system is to develop plans for achieving objectives, to organize for implementing plan and to control performance so that plans and actions occur on schedule. The place of information in performing these three basis processes is shown in the following. MANAGEMENT PROCESS AND INFORMATION NEED 1) Performance against plan 2) Environmental, Competitive and internal information concurring problem and opportunities. Evaluation of 1 and 2 in order to Make a prediction of estimate of Alternative courses of action Alternative source. Prediction of results for alternative Courses of action. Communicate details of plan and Control standards. Performance against PK In the above figure for information needs 1) In the the first step, recognition of problem or an opportunity is prompted by information from the control process concerning a deviation from standard or by search and evaluation of those system (environmental, competitive, Internal) 2) Definition of problem, determination and evaluation of alternative course of action. 3) Once a decision is made, it is necessary to implement and control a solution. Among the above steps, planning information needs of an organization can be classified into three broad types. 1) Environmental 2) Competitive 3) Internal 1) Environmental information It can be classified as (A) Political and Government consideration Some information on political stability is important for forecasting plans. (B) Demographic and Social trends Some information is necessary to forecast the Social Trends and consumer buying behavior for both the long and short run. (C) Economic Trends. Employment, Productivity and numerals other economic indicators provide valuable planning information for the firms whose output is a function of these important variables (D) Technological environment Some information is necessary to forecast the technological changes in their industry and probable effect on the firm. (2) Competitive information. Information concerning factors that affects the operation of the firm within an industry includes data concerning industry and firm demand as well as the data on the competitors. The information can be classified into three types. They are (a) Industry Demand. Information is needed for forecasting the demand for the Sale and the corresponding level of operation of a single firm. (b) Firm Demand The demand for products of an individual firm is a function of the Industry demand and the capabilities and activities of the individual firm relative to the capabilities and action of competing firms. (c) Competition Data on competing firms are very important for forecasting the individual demand and making decisions and plans to achieve the forecast. (3) Internal information They are vital for subsidiary planning at all levels in the organization. Internal data are aimed at an identification of the organization’s strength and weakness.. The types of internal information are (A) Sales forecast: Some information is necessary for forecasting the Sales. (B) The financial plan It is the system that links all activities of the company together. (C) Policies Some information is necessary to frame the basis policies for long run purpose. Data and information come from many sources – both internal (inside the business) and external. This revision note summarizes the main sources: Business data and information comes from multiple sources. The challenge for a business is to capture and use information that is relevant and reliable. The main sources are: INTERNAL INFORMATION Accounting records are a prime source of internal information. They detail the transactions of the business in the past – which may be used as the basis for planning for the future (e. g. preparing a financial budget or forecast). The accounting records are primarily used to record what happens to the financial resources of a business. For example, how cash is obtained and spent; what assets are acquired; what profits or losses are made on the activities of the business. However, accounting records can provide much more than financial information. For example, details of the products manufactured and delivered from a factory can provide useful information about whether quality standards are being met. Data analyzed from customer sales invoices provides a profile of what and to whom products are being sold. A lot of internal information is connected to accounting systems – but is not directly part of them. For example: – Records of the people employed by the business (personal details; what they get paid; skills and experience; training records) – Data on the costs associated with business processes (e. g. costings for contracts entered into by the business) – Data from the production department (e. g. number of machines; capacity; repair record) – Data from activities in direct contact with the customer (e. g. analysis of calls received and missed in a call centre) A lot of internal information is also provided informally. For example, regular meetings of staff and management will result in the communication of relevant information. SAMPLE SOURCES OF INTERNAL INFORMATION: Balance Sheet of ICICI PERIOD ENDING 31-Mar-00 Assets Current Assets Cash And Cash Equivalents 1,479,000 Short Term Investments – Net Receivables 194,000 Inventory – Other Current Assets – Total Current Assets – Long Term Investments 1,185,000 Property Plant and Equipment 48,000 Goodwill – Intangible Assets – Accumulated Amortization – Other Assets 81,000 Deferred Long Term Asset Charges – Total Assets 2,987,000 Liabilities Current Liabilities Accounts Payable – Short/Current Long Term Debt – Other Current Liabilities 2,454,000 Total Current Liabilities – Long Term Debt 57,000 Other Liabilities 215,000 Deferred Long Term Liability Charges – Minority Interest – Negative Goodwill – Total Liabilities 2,726,000 Stockholders’ Equity Misc Stocks Options Warrants – Redeemable Preferred Stock – Preferred Stock – Common Stock 45,000 Retained Earnings 44,000 Treasury Stock – Capital Surplus 171,000 Other Stockholder Equity 1,000 Total Stockholder Equity 261,000 Net Tangible Assets $261,000 Source: Yahoo Finance Stock movement of I-Flex solutions Series Date Prev Close Open Price High Price Low Price Last Price Close Price Total Traded Quantity Turnover in Lacs EQ 03-Mar-2008 1,078. 95 1,037. 00 1,080. 00 1,020. 00 1,029. 90 1,042. 55 17954 190. 31 EQ 04-Mar-2008 1,042. 55 1,020. 00 1,075. 00 1,017. 00 1,047. 65 1,048. 25 36723 382. 44 EQ 05-Mar-2008 1,048. 25 1,070. 00 1,070. 00 1,030. 15 1,045. 00 1,039. 20 22219 231. 63 EQ 07-Mar-2008 1,039. 20 1,021. 00 1,032. 00 983. 00 1,004. 95 1,001. 50 22103 220. 45 EQ 10-Mar-2008 1,001. 50 955. 00 1,040. 00 946. 40 1,005. 00 1,015. 50 19099 192. 55 EQ 11-Mar-2008 1,015. 50 992. 50 1,065. 00 992. 50 1,045. 00 1,054. 65 21805 226. 22 EQ 12-Mar-2008 1,054. 65 1,100. 00 1,100. 00 1,000. 00 1,004. 00 1,007. 45 13398 139. 14 EQ 13-Mar-2008 1,007. 45 987. 05 1,010. 00 952. 00 954. 00 959. 10 15931 155. 65 EQ 14-Mar-2008 959. 10 962. 00 992. 00 920. 00 990. 00 983. 15 21685 210. 01 EQ 17-Mar-2008 983. 15 925. 00 970. 00 925. 00 965. 00 942. 95 12307 116. 99 EQ 18-Mar-2008 942. 95 931. 00 958. 50 925. 10 927. 00 936. 50 21230 200. 13 EQ 19-Mar-2008 936. 50 970. 00 978. 00 922. 00 925. 00 925. 55 21245 199. 40 EQ 24-Mar-2008 925. 55 948. 00 950. 00 895. 00 905. 00 908. 25 21626 197. 55 EQ 25-Mar-2008 908. 25 913. 50 1,008. 00 913. 50 990. 10 992. 55 58576 571. 10 EQ 26-Mar-2008 992. 55 988. 90 1,027. 00 974. 00 974. 00 986. 85 33402 335. 28 EQ 27-Mar-2008 986. 85 975. 00 1,003. 00 935. 00 951. 05 947. 10 118566 1,140. 60 EQ 28-Mar-2008 947. 10 970. 00 994. 00 956. 00 976. 00 984. 40 21658 210. 89 EQ 31-Mar-2008 984. 40 970. 25 985. 00 935. 00 948. 20 941. 10 39622 376. 60 Source: NSEINDIA EXTERNAL INFORMATION As the term implies, this is information that is obtained from outside the business. There are several categories of external information: – Information relating to way a business should undertake its activities E. g. businesses need to keep records so that they can collect taxes on behalf of the government. So a business needs to obtain regular information about the taxation system (e. g. PAYE, VAT, Corporation Tax) and what actions it needs to take. Increasingly this kind of information (and the return forms a business needs to send) is provided in digital format. Similarly, a business needs to be aware of key legal areas (e. g. environmental legislation; health & safety regulation; employment law). There is a whole publishing industry devoted to selling this kind of information to businesses. – Information about the markets in which a business operates This kind of external information is critically important to a business. It is often referred to as â€Å"market†or â€Å"competitive intelligence†. Most of the external information that a business needs can be obtained from marketing research. Marketing research can help a business do one or more of the following: 1. Gain a more detailed understanding of consumers’ needs – marketing research can help firms to discover consumers’ opinions on a huge range of issues, e. g. , views on products’ prices, packaging, recent advertising campaigns 2. Reduce the risk of product/business failure – there is no guarantee that any new idea will be a commercial success, but accurate and up-to-date information on the market can help a business make informed decisions, hopefully leading to products that consumers want in sufficient numbers to achieve commercial success. 3. Forecast future trends – marketing research can not only provide information regarding the current state of the market but it can also be used to anticipate customer needs future customer needs. Firms can then make the necessary adjustments to their product portfolios and levels of output in order to remain successful. The information for marketing research tends to come from three main sources: Internal Company Information – e. g. sales, orders, customer profiles, stocks, customer service reports Marketing intelligence – this is a catch-all term to include all the everyday information about developments in the market that helps a business prepare and adjust its marketing plans. It can be obtained from many sources, including suppliers, customers and distributors. It is also possible to buy intelligence information from outside suppliers (e. g. Mintel, Dun and Bradstreet) who will produce commercial intelligence reports that can be sold profitably to any interested organization. Market Research – existing data from internal sources may not provide sufficient detail. Similarly, published reports from market intelligence organizations cannot always be relied upon to provide the up-to-date, relevant information required. In these circumstances, a business may need to commission specific studies in order to acquire the data required to support their marketing strategy. – http://tutor2u. net/business/ict/intro_information_sources. htm SOURCES OF BUSINESS INFORMATION Details of following types of organizations are required to be maintained by NCTI for guiding entrepreneurs/exporters to approach to the right organization for getting the desired information, assistance and help. †¢ Foreign Embassies/High Commissions/Consulate in India †¢ Indian Missions/Consulate abroad †¢ Chambers of Commerce & Industry †¢ Trade Promotion /Import Promotion Organizations †¢ Export Inspection Agencies †¢ Export Processing Zones in India and Abroad Details of these organizations are readily available with NCTI. – http://archives. nic. in/ncti/ncti8. htm SAMPLE SOURCES OF EXTERNAL INFORMATION: AMR Research Releases ERP Market Report Showing Overall Market Growth of 14% in 2004, Tuesday, June 14, 2005, Kevin Reilly As Market Consolidation Continues, Top 5 ERP Vendors Account for 72% of Revenue Today, AMR Research released its annual report on the state of the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) market. The Market Analytix Report: Enterprise Resource Planning, 2004-2009 revealed that ERP market revenues increased 14% in 2004. The report indicates that approximately one-third of the growth in the overall market was due to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. While the ERP market has grown in revenue, consolidation continues to change the industry. In 1999, the top five vendors (J. D. Edwards, Baan, Oracle, PeopleSoft, and SAP) in the ERP market accounted for 59% of the industry’s revenue. AMR Research expects the top five vendors in 2005 (SAP, Oracle, Sage Group, Microsoft, and SSA Global) to account for 72% of ERP vendors’ total revenue. â€Å"The ERP market showed solid organic growth in 2004 as IT spending improved,†says Jim Shepherd, vice president of research at AMR Research. â€Å"The market was also affected by consolidation within the segment, as well as ERP vendors acquiring best-of-breed players to broaden their portfolios. †While many ERP vendors struggled in 2004, SAP AG increased overall revenues by 17% and license revenues by 20% – without any acquisitions. SAP’s ERP market share increased to more than 40%. Oracle nearly doubled the size of its application business through the acquisition of PeopleSoft, but AMR Research expects SAP to finish 2005 with more than twice the revenue and market share of the combined Oracle-PeopleSoft. Report Findings and Analysis The report delivers revenue and growth rates for the top ERP players as well as growth forecasts through 2009. ERP vendors ranked by 2004 ERP license revenue can be seen in the chart below. The top ten ERP vendors by revenue include the following companies: The report revealed several trends that affected the ERP market in 2004, including: The ERP market is entering another major technology transition phase. Service Oriented Architectures (SOA) may have the same disruptive effect that other technologies have had on the market, such as the emergence of client-server systems had in the 1990’s. The pace of acquisitions shows no sign of slowing down. Oracle’s purchase of Retek and vendors like Sage Group, SSA Global, Infor Global Solutions, and Epicor have all been very active in the M&A space and have grown more rapidly than the overall ERP market. The midrange ($50M – $1B in annual revenue) and SMB (less than $50M in annual revenue) markets continue to be a major focus area for many of the ERP vendors. Midrange solutions and channels are critically important for penetrating China, India, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. ERP buyers have moved away from large, upfront purchases. Now most tend to license user seats and functional ERP modules incrementally as they deploy a product. Along with widespread discounting, this has led to smaller average deal sizes. BANK’S REPORT BY FDIC Dollar Amounts in Billions Fourth Quarter 2007 All Insured Institutions Commercial Banks Savings Institutions Credit Card Lenders Mortgage Lenders Number of FDIC-Insured 8,533 7,282 1,251 27 786 Number of FDIC-Supervised 5,197 4,772 425 10 317 Total Assets $ 13,039 11,176 1,863 479 1,334 Total Loans $ 7,906 6,626 1,280 369 944 Domestic Deposits $ 6,912 5,807 1,105 142 737 Net Income (QTR) $ 5. 816 10. 540 -4. 724 3. 027 -3. 230 Percent Profitable (QTR) % 82. 3 83. 2 77. 0 88. 9 79. 1 Average Return on Assets (QTR) % 0. 18 0. 38 -1. 00 2. 61 -0. 94 Average Return on Equity (QTR) % 1. 74 3. 76 -8. 70 11. 96 -10. 51 Net Interest Margin (QTR) % 3. 30 3. 38 2. 86 8. 97 2. 52 Equity to Assets % 10. 37 10. 24 11. 17 21. 26 8. 61 Noncurrent Loan Rate – Total Loans * % 1. 39 1. 30 1. 86 2. 00 1. 87 Real Estate Loans % 1. 71 1. 62 2. 01 1. 81 1. 94 C&I Loans % 0. 66 0. 64 0. 92 2. 21 0. 88 Consumer Loans % 1. 43 1. 48 0. 98 2. 10 0. 96 Coverage Ratio ** % 92. 54 102. 84 55. 35 207. 47 45. 74 Net Charge-Off Rate – All Loans (QTR) % 0. 83 0. 86 0. 68 4. 23 0. 66 Real Estate Loans (QTR) % 0. 44 0. 43 0. 49 2. 61 0. 54 C&I Loans (QTR) % 0. 87 0. 85 1. 24 5. 13 1. 35 Consumer Loans (QTR) % 2. 75 2. 77 2. 54 4. 39 3. 16 Source: http://www. fdic. gov/bank/statistical/stats/2007dec/industry. html REFERENCES ? James O’ Brien, Management Information system, Tata Mcgraw Hill, 2007, Pg. 245-267. ? AMR Research Releases ERP Market Report Showing Overall Market Growth of 14% in 2004, Tuesday, June 14, 2005 Kevin Reilly ? Yahoo Finance ? www. nseindia. com ? http://archives. nic. in/ncti/ncti8. htm ? http://tutor2u. net/business/ict/intro_information_sources. htm http://www. fdic. gov/bank/statistical/stats/2007dec/industry. html
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Printable PDFs for Learning R-Controlled Vowel Words
Printable PDFs for Learning R-Controlled Vowel Words The vowels that are controlled by r are often difficult for children to learn. All too often, learners are taught the long and short vowels and the learner then has no idea what to call words like: cord, far, bird, taller, dirt. Reading or basal texts will often offer individual lessons rather than systematic instruction in using the r controlled vowels. Word building activities will help support students to recognize word patterns, such as changing the first letter or letters in the r controlled vowels, i.e. change car to far and far to jar, etc. by listening for the initial sound. This is why we need to focus on the 44 sounds in spelling instead of just the consonant sounds and long and short vowel sounds, which is what teaching spelling is really all about. Here is a sample of great word study words to use to help learners learn the patterns and anomalies of some of the R-controlled vowels. Activities to Build Decoding Skills With R-Controlled Vowels Word Building: Using individual letter cards and small personal pocket charts, have students build r controlled words from the list below, modeling the first word and then dictating the next words, for examples: more, store, pore, chore - bark, park, lark, stark, etc. Word Sorting: This is an especially good activity for r controlled sounds that can be made in different ways, such as the or in oar, store, floor, door, etc. Silly Poems: Give students a set of r controlled words and have them write silly rhyming poems, such as: heart, smart, chart, part, start. Jim made a picture of a heart And put it on the classroom chart. Oh please, dont let me start . . . Jim thinks hes just so blessed smart! Word Cards for the Word Wall You can print the word cards below and have the students physically sort the words by putting Velcro or magnets on the back of words to sort. You could also use word families that are already prepared, which involve cutting out the words and pasting them into the correct column. Do the word sorts in small groups, or make it an activity in a reading center that two or three children can complete together. The sound of ar as in car: arebarcarfarjarscardarkmarklarkparkjarsharkstarkremark The sound of air as in stare, care, fair: barecaredareglarefairsharetearpearsquarestaresharebewareprepare The sound of or as in pork, board, award: corkforkporkstorkborncornformhorntornforfourawardboredboardcordfordlordswordwardadoredtoward The sound of ir as in bird, heard, skirt: birdwordherdheardpreferredheardthirdoccurreddirtblurtshirtsquirtskirtconcertdesertdessertalert The sound of r as in fatter, taller, longer: butterbetterhammershutterspidermotherfathereasterearlierflowerpowerolderyoungerslowerfasterlongershorterbiggertaller
Monday, October 21, 2019
Princess Elizabeth and Descartes Essays
Princess Elizabeth and Descartes Essays Princess Elizabeth and Descartes Essay Princess Elizabeth and Descartes Essay Essay Topic: The Prince In his book Discourse on Method and Mediations on First Philosophy . Descartes mentioned the composing of the organic structure and head. When Princess Elizabeth read his book. she had many inquiries to give to Descartes. particularly about the mind-body interaction. She said in her missive wrote to Descartes how the psyche can find the liquors of the organic structure to bring forth voluntary actions. ( Elizabeth. 11 ) They wrote missive to each other to inquire inquiries and to reply each other’s inquiries. As we read along the missive. we can see the inquiries and replies of both Elizabeth and Descartes are resistless. Descartes pointed his theoretical points that This I’ – that is. the psyche. by which I am what I am. is wholly distinguishable from the organic structure ; and would non neglect to be what it is even if the organic structure did non be. ( Descartes ) In his account. Descartes believed that head and organic structure are all together. When the head thinks. it makes the soul reacts as its idea. That is why the theory enters society I think ; hence. I am. ( Descartes ) After reading that theory. Elizabeth responded that I beseech you tell me how the psyche of adult male ( since it is but a intelligent substance ) can find the liquors of the organic structure to bring forth voluntary actions. ( Elizabeth. 11 ) She was oppugning about how the mind-body can work together and move voluntarily. harmonizing to Descartes’s theoretical point. She besides explained how she comes up with this inquiry You wholly exclude extension from your impression of the psyche. and contact seems to me incompatible with an immaterial thing. That is why I ask of you a definition of the psyche more peculiar than in your metaphysics – that is to state. for a definition of the substance separate from its action. idea. ( Elizabeth. 12 ) Then. on May 21. 1643. Descartes wrote back to her to reply her inquiry that he found three primitive notions which can reply her inquiry. The first thing he mentioned was the organic structure. He said that the organic structure is the lone impression of extension which refer to everything we can gestate. ( Descartes. 13 ) Second. he referred to the psyche which are comprised the perceptual experiences of the apprehension and the dispositions of the will. ( Descartes. 13 ) Last. he mentioned the psyche and the organic structure when it goes together. He said the force f the psyche for traveling the organic structure. and of the organic structure for moving upon the psyche by doing its feelings and passions. ( Descartes. 13 ) Descartes gave three primitive notions : organic structure. psyche. organic structure and psyche in his account of dualism. He said that the psyche is responsible for understanding the will and the force of the psyche will do the organic structure to move since the organic structure can gestate everything. Notwithstanding. Elizabeth responded that †¦it would be easier for me to profess affair and extension to the psyche. than the capacity of traveling a organic structure and of being moved. to an immaterial being. For the first occurred through information’ . the liquors that perform the motion would hold been intelligent. which you accord nil corporeal. And though in your metaphysical speculations you show the possibility of the 2nd. it is. nevertheless. really hard to grok that a psyche. as you have described it. after holding had the module and wont of concluding good. can lose all of it on history of some vapors†¦ ( Elizabeth. 16 ) In general. the full conversation between Descartes and Princess Elizabeth is speaking about the mind-body dualism. Princess Elizabeth keeps inquiring inquiry about the head and organic structure correspondence no affair how Descartes tried to explicate. For her inquiry to Descartes. Descartes explained by naming three primitive notions : psyche. organic structure. soul-body ; but it still does non do Princess Elizabeth to the full satisfy. In my sentiment. Descartes’s reply for Princess Elizabeth’s inquiry is equal. He explained the mind-body correspondence clearly through his theoretical point of primitive notions of psyche. organic structure and soul-body. Each of them has their ain portion in doing the organic structure to bring forth voluntary actions. In his account. he said that the organic structure can gestate everything and the psyche comprehends things to do the organic structure reacts. I think it makes sense. Our organic structure is the combination between head and organic structure. Without the thought and apprehension of the psyche. the organic structure can non execute and frailty versa. Mind-body is a perfect combination to make human and their esthesis. Therefore. his point of position I think ; hence. I am is a perfect reply for Elizabeth’s inquiry. Because of the thought head. the organic structure can execute what the head is believing. On the other manus. if the organic structure does non gestate what it sees. the head can non command the organic structure to move. Both of them have to organize with each other to build esthesis ; and from esthesis. it constructs human with action. Not merely that. the combination of head and organic structure is assisting people to distinguish the right and the incorrect.
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Introduction of Marijuana Essay Example
Introduction of Marijuana Essay Example Introduction of Marijuana Essay Introduction of Marijuana Essay The use of marijuana has been an active past time for thousands of years, however, it did not reach the United States until around 1912. A wave of Mexican immigrants was entering the country in the effort to find work; with them came marijuana. The use of marijuana was a normal custom among the Mexican people, but the White Americans in towns bordering Mexico saw the use of this particular plant in a different light. Fueled with racism and frustration associated with the lack of work for the American people, whites proclaimed that the smoking of marijuana gave the Mexicans super-human strength and transformed those who smoked it into violent murderers. With the increase in rumors of bloodshed and mayhem brought about by Mexicans on marijuana-rampages, the city council of El, Paso, Texas passed a law, the El Paso Ordinance of 1914, banning the possession of marijuana (Grass: The History of Marijuana). As a result, the regulation not only provided a way to control marijuana, but Mexicans as well. THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF NARCOTICS AND UNIFROM STATE NARCOTIC LAW Meanwhile, those Americans who did not reside in states bordering Mexico were quite unfamiliar with the use of marijuana, and were much more concerned with the then current war on opium, morphine, cocaine, and heroin addiction plaguing society. In the early 1930’s the United States government decided that these public health issues of addiction could be handled by the United States Department of Treasury, who in turn established the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (R. J. Bonnie, 1970). Harry J. Anslinger was assigned as the Commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics. Anslinger was an alcohol prohibitionist who believed that â€Å"progress can only be achieved by controlling the deprived impulses of the masses†; he believed that if laws implemented in society were strict enough and if enough people were punished for partaking in prohibited acts, the public would steer away from wrongdoing. Anslinger believed this same philosophy would work in America’s war against dope. However, Anslinger found it hard to regulate drug use in all 48 states; he was only one man and during the Depression, it was difficult to find financial backing for such a feat. Anslinger sought the solution to his problem among the forty-eight states of America; he aimed to influence each state to individually control drug use and trafficking among its citizens. Anslinger planned to do this by getting each state to sign a joint agreement that would commit a portion of each state’s resources to the drug control, the Uniform State Narcotic Law. However, only nine states agreed (New York, New Jersey, Virginia, South Carolina, Louisiana, Florida, and Indiana), the other states believed that the agreement allowed the federal government to interfere with state affairs (Grass, 1999). Meanwhile, New Orleans was a major port city that trafficked marijuana into the United States by way of West Indian sailors. It was known as muggles, tea, or reefer on the streets of New Orleans, and grew extremely popular among the jazz crowd in the city due to the proclamation that music sounded notably better after a â€Å"reefer stick†. Musicians began to bring marijuana from New Orleans to cities farther north up the Mississippi River, increasing the drug’s popularity in larger cities of America. With this growing popularity and awareness, Anslinger saw targeting marijuana as the means to his end; he concluded that if he could convince white America that marijuana was an absolute menace, the frightened voters would push their state legislature to agree to his Uniform State Narcotic Law (R. J. Bonnie, 1970). The media was Anslinger’s primary weapon in leading all Americans to believe that marijuana was the most dangerous social issue that had ever faced the country; the use of marijuana was tied to the likes of murder, insanity and death; mothers were told to protect their children from becoming slaves to the drug and movies were made linking the smoking of marijuana with immediate insanity, murderous rage or committing suicide (Grass, 1999). The negative propaganda eventually obtained a firm grasp on the minds of the American people, one by one, each state signed the Uniform State Narcotic Law; Anslinger’s method of exaggeration and manipulation went according plan. THE MARIJUANA STAMP ACT A frightened America demanded that society be protected by the threat of marijuana, and sought relief within the power of the federal government. On June 14, 1937, the Marijuana Tax Act was signed into law by President Roosevelt without any â€Å"public debate, scientific inquiry, or political objection†(Grass, 1999). The act prohibited the possession of any marijuana unless one also possessed a marijuana tax stamp which was provided by the Department of Treasury, however, in order to obtain a stamp act, one had to present to authorities his or her amount of marijuana, which was illegal in and of itself. Through this extremely misleading form of legislation, the Department of Treasury effectively made marijuana possession illegal, and subsequently lead to hundreds of arrests. LA GUARDIA VERSUS ANSLINGER The enactment of the Marijuana Stamp Act brought with it skepticism from many white Americans, especially in the northeast region of the country. Those who opposed the Stamp Act believed that its implementation brought with it the return of prohibition, an aspect of legislation they did not want to see in existence again (R. Dietch, 2003). Fiorello La Guardia was the mayor of New York during Anslinger’s relentless crusade against marijuana’s use and possession, and he too was against prohibition and the criminalization of marijuana. La Guardia was skeptical of the claims that were made by the federal government in relation to the effects the use has on the mind, and consequently lead a committee of 31 impartial scientists in the investigation of the physical and mental effects marijuana use has on a human being. The La Guardia Committee Report was conducted for five years (1939 – 1944) in which it concluded that the effects of marijuana use did not agree with the perception of the Commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics; a perception forced upon and used to frighten the people of America. The report stated that the use of marijuana did not â€Å"lead to violent or antisocial behavior, did not cause uncontrollable sexual urges, and did not alter a person’s basic personality structure†(Grass, 1999). Also, unlike the claims made by the federal government, the information provided by the La Guardia Committee Report, entitled The Marihuana Problem in the City of New York, was supported by scientific evidence and testimony from marijuana users (R. Deitch, 2003). In response to the threat of his credibility, Anslinger had the report discredited and destroyed all copies that he was able to obtain; he labeled the authors as â€Å"dangerous men†and referred to the evidence in the report as â€Å"giddy sociology and medical mumbo-jumbo†(M. Booth, 2005). The determined Anslinger did not allow the plights of science to diverge from him from his course; he targeted the degenerate moral influence of actors and musician in the entertainment industry, â€Å"the missionaries carrying its evil gospel to the world†(M. Booth, 2005). Anslinger obtained control not only over movie contracts, but pilot and book contracts as well; he gained control over the film industry and spent $220 million in the production of films that supported his views in relation to the dangerous effects marijuana could have on one’s life. Musicians were also targeted, especially black jazz musicians; he believed black jazz musicians were the source of this reefer evil, and white marijuana smokers were merely corrupted by black influence through their mainstream music (M. Booth, 2005). RED CHINA AND THE NARCOTIC CONTROL ACT OF 1956 With the approach of the 1950s, the number of heroin addicts was increasing, especially among young teens. Crimes of theft were high among these strung out teenagers who turned to illegal acts in an effort to support their drug habit. Anslinger and the federal government saw an opportunity in this new heroin craze, and deemed marijuana use the reason for the increase in heroin addicts; â€Å"if you smoke it, you will become a heroin addict†(R. J. Bonnie, 1970). With the new fabricated association between marijuana and heroin, tougher laws and greater penalties were demanded by the public for all drug offenses. Anslinger was quick to play on the growing fear of communism among the American people; he began to proclaim that behind every narcotics drug peddler was a communist â€Å"ready to overthrow the government†(Grass, 1999). Anslinger cleverly linked China as the direct source of the opiates that so many American people were becoming addicted to; it was believed by the public that â€Å"Red China†was trying to infiltrate America via the heroin needle (L. Sloman, 1998). In an effort not to appear nationally weak in the midst of a cold war and during the threat of the Red Menace, and without any physical proof that the Chinese were behind the rise of opiates in the United States, Truman signed the Boggs Act of 1951 which implemented mandatory minimum sentences for all drug offenses. THE DECRIMINALIZATION OF MARIJUANA The passing of the Boggs act was followed by the passage of the Narcotic Control Act of 1956, which placed marijuana in the same category as heroin; the mandatory minimum sentence for possession of marijuana could result in 2 – 10 years in prison (R. J. Bonnie, 1970). Some states placed even harsher punishments for the possession of narcotics; in Missouri a 2nd conviction could place the defendant in prison for life. Anslinger’s ruthless campaign against the criminalization of marijuana finally came to an end in 1961 under the administration of former President John F. Kennedy in which he warned his successor that â€Å"the impending drug revolution is an assault on the foundation of western civilization†. Between the years of 1941 and 1963, the federal government spent $1. 5 billion on the â€Å"war against marijuana†. The use of marijuana was a new craze among college campuses in the mid 1960s, many of those who smoked marijuana no longer held the view depicting it as a dangerous substance, but as a way of declaring their independence. The new commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, Henry Giordano, began to publicize that the use of marijuana will make one an â€Å"unmotivated, dysfunctional loser†(Grass, 1999). Nixon continued to focus on drug crimes by pouring significant amounts of money into the training, equipping, and educating local policemen in recognizing evidence related to marijuana use. Minorities were not the only individuals being convicted for the possession of marijuana; those who were being arrested for marijuana charges consisted mainly of middle-class, white, American teenagers. As a matter of fact, the number of convicted young people was so high that the public began wonder if the legislation against marijuana was too strict; the laws were then seen as the problem in society, not marijuana. The passage of the Controlled Substance Act of 1970 officially reduced the penalty for possession of marijuana (L. Sloman, 1998). Between 1964 and 1969 the amount of money used in the control of marijuana use and possession was estimated to be $9 billion. As Nixon continued spend millions of dollars in the establishment of the Drug Enforcement Agency, many American citizens began to seek the decriminalization of private use and possession of marijuana. This sudden public desire for the decriminalization of marijuana could be tied to its use no longer being a youth phenomenon; middle class adults had begun smoking marijuana during social activities and the push for the legalization of marijuana began. The Ann Arbor City Ordinance of 1972 placed marijuana possession to a minor offense, comparable to a traffic ticket. The control of marijuana use is still significant today, though the laws and regulations for the possession and use of marijuana have become notably less strict in comparison to the laws that were implemented during the 1920s. Between the Jimmy Carter Administration and throughout the Regan Administration, the United States of America spent approximately $290 billion in its efforts to control the drugs on the streets of the country (Grass, 1999). THE WAR ON DRUGS America’s need to abolish the use of marijuana stemmed from the racial prejudice against Mexican immigrants and African Americans, and was fueled by false proclamations and loosely associated consequences. The War on Drugs resulted in a grand total of over $300 billion spent; this battle is surely to go down in history as one of the most lengthy and costly wars this nation has ever experienced with no end in sight.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Tension between Idealism and Naturalism Assignment
Tension between Idealism and Naturalism - Assignment Example Naturalism involves the observation of science and relevant impact of it to the society. Naturalism is an ideology that everything in the universe is a product of physical stuff or nature. It shows that there is nothing supernatural in the world, and everything could be explained using application of hard and soft sciences. It is a method of truth-seeking within the society and has an impact on the public policy. It doesn’t mean the denial of human spirituality but an embrace of real spirituality. Naturalism clashes with idealism in the sense that, it suggests humans are like stardust and their atoms exchanged with the rest of the Earth system. It connects humans to nature and shows the sense of its feeling to the universe. The greatest Greek artist Praxiteles used the idealism to explain the charm of his work to the society by representing the god Hermes holding the young Dionysus on his arm playing with him. The idea shows the Greek art expansion within a short period. In Praxiteles works, there are no traces of rigidity but depicts that god stands before us in a relaxed pose that does not impair his dignity. Praxiteles shows the society the hinges of the body to improve the understanding and clarity of his work. He wants to bring to bring to reality in his idealistic styles the impression of a living body in all its grace and beauty. It is important to understand that Praxiteles and other Greek artists achieved the Hermes beauty through knowledge. Hence a quote â€Å"no living body quite as symmetrical, well-built and beautiful as those of the Greek status†.
Friday, October 18, 2019
Information technology Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words
Information technology - Term Paper Example The areas of responsibility of the IT Manager include but not limited to the IT Project Management, Computer Network and Server Administration, compliance of Information Technology and procedures, Information Security, moreover, the responsibility of automating a company by implementing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) including diverse departments (finance, sales & marketing, procurement, operations, inventory etc.) of a company. However, a lead IT Manager can also be responsible for the developing and implementing information technology policy, strategic direction and planning for implementing information technology standards in a company by utilizing human and technical resources. One of the known definitions of the management is â€Å"getting things done through other people†(The Big Geek, 2010). It would be a great opportunity for me to work as Lead Information Technology Manager in Magnum Enterprises. Keeping in view the diverse roles of the lead IT manager and the pu rpose of Magnum Enterprises for hiring me, I would like to discuss on integrating the software, hardware and business management capabilities. I believe that the role of IT Management includes: the research and development by understanding the IT requirements of the company and implementing software and deploying hardware so that the company should be able to enhance productivity. In order to achieve my objective, I need to work on developing the policies, action plans keeping in view the operations of the company. The IT policy and strategic plans should be in accordance to the company’s priorities so that the company would able to achieve its predefined goals. Actually, the IT is utilized to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the company’s business processes by developing and utilizing software applications / products so that the customer’s of the company should get quality services. Once the company would be able to achieve customer satisfaction, the company would ultimately get increase profitability and competitiveness. It is significant to know the goal, objectives and mission statement of the company before developing any strategy. Therefore, primarily I will review the company’s goals and objectives to keep myself informed of the priorities of the Magnum Enterprise. It will not only give me the right direction but also guide me to take informed decisions. It is important to investigate the business process of the Magnum Enterprises, moreover, the current IT infrastructure, provision of services to the customers, the prevailing IT standards and procedures. One of the important responsibilities of the lead IT manager is to communicate with all the stakeholders. Furthermore, I believe that the lead IT manager is a mediator between the company’s senior management and the team, therefore, it is equivalently significant that I should know the tools required for reporting to the senior management / Chief Information Officer (CIO) – Ms. Rachel Heigl. Furthermore, the current job roles of the team so that I could be able to assign the tasks to my team. It is primarily the responsibility of the lead IT manager to motivate, inform and utilize the team in an appropriate manner so that the team would be occupied to achieve the company’
Luis Valdez and El Teatro Campesino Research Paper
Luis Valdez and El Teatro Campesino - Research Paper Example Valdez was raised in a family of farmworkers who were migrants in the lands of caucasian Americans. He grew up in Delano, California and was exposed to farm work at a young age. He was well educated, despite the fact that his parents were in frequent travels. He finished college and went on to see labor unions and their struggles in a stranger country (Elam Jr. 3). In 1965, he started to participate in a strike organized by a union of farmers called the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee (Elam Jr. 3). He was an apprentice then at the San Francisco Mime Troupe when he convinced leaders of the labor union to create a theater company of their own (Elam Jr. 3). He was successful in convincing UFWOC leaders and staged various plays that expressed the sentiments of the union as well as a cultural expression of Chicanos as a minority group. Themes of the play involved struggles of Mexican farmers, meager income in farm work, among others (Elam Jr. 3). In 1965, Valdez founded El Teatro Campesino, which was worldly-renowned (Huerta 69). Actors who were part of his newly-organized theater group were farmers, who were eager to expose the injustices they suffered in the fields while actively urging other farmers to join their cause, too (Huerta 69). Two years later, Valdez’s theater group abandoned the common portrayal of agricultural issues and began to explore other issues concerning the Chicanos or the Mexicans (Huerta 70). Valdez separated from the union because of the need to improve his craft in terms of standards in an effective theater play. El Teatro Campesino still graced farmers’ invitations to perform during union strikes, but also did portrayals of other worthy issues such as the American educational system and the status of the Chicanos in the particular sector (Huerta 70). The Education System. Valdez created plays that depict his criticisms against the American educational system. No Saco Nada de la Escuel a or He Didn’t Get Anything from School depicts how the education system forced the Americans’ dominant culture into the minds of cultural minorities such as the Chicanos (Valdez 66). Through that play, Valdez was able to convey his message of his opposition against the imposition of the English language as a medium of instruction in class, while discrimination against non-English speakers continued (Valdez 70-71). Murillo, Jr. et al. described language as a symbol of one’s identity; it is the â€Å"blood of the soul into which thoughts run and out of which they grow†(19). Thus, Valdez believed that it is not an easy transition for students who were born and raised with the Spanish language as the mother tongue (66). Moreover, No Saco Nada de la Escuela portrayed how Valdez sees the American education system as a venue for bullying, and the toleration of it among Latino students. English was portrayed as the key to communication, the eradication of discr imination, and the perfect way to pass. Latinos in the Education System: 1950s to 1970s During the 1950s up until the 1960s, only few Mexican students successfully finished high school (I. Lopez 16-17), especially in schools located in Los Angeles. According to Lopez, the quality of education can be considered as the â€Å"
Critically discuss this statement. Provide examples of what techniques Essay
Critically discuss this statement. Provide examples of what techniques or approaches might be part of the province of Strategic Management Accounting, citing relevant research for their inclusion - Essay Example The information about the position of the competitor is, then, used to position the business in the best way to beat its competitors in the industry. Although Managers try to use strategic management accounting to advise their businesses on the competitive issues, there have been claims that the strategic management techniques that they are using, might already be in use in management accounting. This puts no use to the strategic management elements and techniques that the Strategic Management Accountants are busy applying in as far as competitive aspect of the business is concerned since these elements can as well be applied by the management accountants. Some of the authors and researchers who have questioned the use of strategic management accounting on advising businesses on issues of gaining competitive advantage include Beverly R. Lord (1996) and John K. Shank (1989) among others. This essay will majorly be based upon the claims of these two authors: Lord (1996) and Shank (1989), to unravel the clear position of the situation. The main born of contention here is to unravel the truth in their claims and either qualify or disqualify them. To be able to handle this issue, we will evaluate some of the strategic management accounting issues that the management accountants apply in their practice. The research will encompass the background information on the development of Management Accounting from traditional to modern practice. With these, we will then evaluate, using the existing literature, whether these elements and techniques applied by strategic management accountants for competitive advantage reasons already exist in the business operation through management accounting or not, and their relevance in decision making both in the short-term and long term basis. We will then conclude by giving support to a well-established
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