Assess the View That the Nuclear Family Functions

Assess the view that the nuclear family functions for the benefit of the individual and society. A nuclear family is universal and consists of two generations of families: a father, a mother and their children, all living in the same household. In this essay, I will be assessing the views that the nuclear family functions to benefit all its members and society as a whole, from a Functionalist, Feminist and a Marxist perspective.In order to assess these views, it is necessary to first establish the functions that the nuclear family performs and then to assess whether these benefit the individual and the wider society. Sociologists such as George Peter Murdoch (1949) claimed that the family was a ‘universal institution'. This is a functionalist view, however Marxists feminists argues that it online met the needs of capitalists. Functionalists see society as playing a major role in achieving social goals such as proving positive norms and values for the individual and society to r eproduce consensus.They believe that institutions such as the family must have a function which benefits society and its members. They believe that without consensus society will collapse into chaos. Consensus and shared values enables the members of society to cooperate with each other providing unity. Functionalist sees society as an institution from which norms and values are shares providing harmony. Functionalists regard society as a system that depend on each other such as the institution of the family, the education system and the economy.They look at what the nuclear family does for the whole of society, not just for certain individuals. Functionalists consider the nuclear family as essential for society’s smooth running. George Peter Murdoch (1949) claimed that the family was a universal institution. He studied 250 different societies and cultures and found that the family existed in one form or another. This suggests that families are necessary in some way whether i t be for societies to survive, for individual well-being, or both. He believed that the family performed four vital functions.Sexual: where adults can enjoy healthy sex lives with their marital parenters preventing disruption to society and conflicts that could arise from sexual desires such as affairs and also allows children to be raised by their natural parents. Reproductive: the family allows the reproduction of the next generation without doing so, society will cease to exist. Economic: the family ensures the survival of its members by providing food and shelter. Education: the family allows primary socialisation without it there will be no consensus about society’s norms and values.Functionalists have been criticised for ignoring the dark side of family life. Many families are places of disruption and violence from at least one of its members suffering from domestic violence, child abuse and divorce. Murdock’s views have been criticised to be conservative rather than universal. In different society’s people have different methods of child rearing influenced by their religious teachings, class and different psychological approaches to the upbringing of children. Talcott Parsons believed that the family performed two functions.Primary socialisation: children’s personalities are moulded in terms of society’s culture; they learn normal and values from their parents for example expressive roles from the mother and an instrumental role from the father. Stabilisation of adult personalities: marital parents provides each other with emotional support, idea that the man can relieve the stress of being insecure in his workplace by allowing himself to relax by indulging in his childish side. Due to this taking place, it relieves adult family members and strengthens social stability.Parsons views can be criticised as his perceptions of society are outdated. Family diversity now exits. Marxists would criticise of the nuclear family a s they see the role of primary socialisation as exploiting the working class which promotes and maintains class inequality. A Hierarchal structure exists within the Nuclear Family, as the man is considered the breadwinner, the head of the household who has the responsibility to go out and work to earn money for the family’s needs.This structure enables men to accept their perhaps low status at work which stops them from questioning the hierarchal nature of capitalism which only benefits the powerful and rich. Marxists Feminist would criticise the nuclear family as benefitting the capitalists system and therefore the ruling class. Men benefit from the Nuclear family and the capitalist system through the exploitation of women. Women are expected to have children and spend a lot of time to raise them. They would argue that primary socialisation means that males will remain dominant and women will remain inferior even in the future generations.

Exxon Mobil

Exxon Mobil: Stakeholders Theory What should be the role adopted by the Government to discourage profiteering by large organizations? ExxonMobil is an American oil and gas corporation and a direct descendant of John D. Rockerfeller’s Standard Oil Company. The mereger of Exxon and Mobil on Novermber 30, 1999 led to the formation of ExxonMobil which is the worlds largest company by revenue. ExxonMobil operate facilities or market products in most of the world’s countries and explore for oil and natural gas on six continents. The case: ExxonMobil has drawn criticism from the environmental lobby for funding organizations critical of the Kyoto Protocol and skeptical of the scientific opinion that global warming is caused by the burning of fossil fuels. According to The Guardian, ExxonMobil has funded, among other groups skeptical of global warming, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, George C. Marshall Institute, Heartland Institute, Congress on Racial Equality, TechCentralStation. com, and International Policy Network. ExxonMobil's support for these organizations has drawn criticism from the Royal Society, the academy of sciences of the United Kingdom. The Union of Concerned Scientists released a report in 2007 accusing ExxonMobil of spending $16 million, between 1998 and 2005, towards 43 advocacy organizations which dispute the impact of global warming. The report argued that ExxonMobil used disinformation tactics similar to those used by the tobacco industry in its denials of the link between lung cancer and smoking, saying that the company used â€Å"many of the same organizations and personnel to cloud the scientific understanding of climate change and delay action on the issue. ExxonMobil has been reported as having plans to invest up to US$100m over a ten year period in Stanford University's Global Climate and Energy Project. In August 2006, the Wall Street Journal revealed that a YouTube video lampooning Al Gore, titled Al Gore's Penguin Army, appeared to be astroturfing by DCI Group, a Washington PR firm with ties to ExxonMobil. The recent scenario: In January 2007, the company appeared to change its position, when vice pr esident for public affairs Kenneth Cohen said â€Å"we know enough now—or, society knows enough now—that the risk is serious and action should be taken. Cohen stated that, as of 2006, ExxonMobil had ceased funding of the Competitive Enterprise Institute and â€Å"‘five or six' similar groups†. While the company did not publicly state which the other similar groups were, a May 2007 report by Greenpeace does list the five groups it stopped funding as well as a list of 41 other climate skeptic groups which are still receiving ExxonMobil funds. On February 13, 2007, ExxonMobil CEO Rex W. Tillerson acknowledged that the planet was warming while carbon dioxide levels were increasing, but in the same speech gave an unqualified defense of the oil industry and predicted that hydrocarbons would dominate the world’s transportation as energy demand grows by an expected 40 percent by 2030. Tillerson stated that there is no significant alternative to oil in coming decades, and that ExxonMobil would continue to make petroleum and natural gas its primary products. A survey carried out by the UK's Royal Society found that in 2005 ExxonMobil distributed $2. m to 39 groups that the society said â€Å"misrepresented the science of climate change by outright denial of the evidence†. On July 1, 2009, the Guardian newspaper revealed that ExxonMobil has continued to fund organizations including the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) along with the Heritage Foundation, despite a public pledge to cut support of lobby groups who deny climate change. ExxonMobil's envir onmental record has been a target of critics from outside organizations such as Greenpeace as well as some institutional investors who disagree with its stance on global warming. The Political Economy Research Institute ranks ExxonMobil sixth among corporations emitting airborne pollutants in the United States. The ranking is based on the quantity (15. 5 million pounds in 2005) and toxicity of the emissions. In 2005, ExxonMobil had committed less than 1% of their profits towards researching alternative energy, less than other leading oil companies. Stakeholder: Stakeholders are entities who are directly or indirectly associated with any organisation. Any decision made by the organisation , good or bad is bound to have some effect on all of these. Stakeholders are either internal to the organisation or they may be external to the organisation. Internal stakeholders are employees, trade unions, customers , suppliers, competitors. External stakeholders are shareholders , government authorities, regulators, NGOs, pressure grps etc . ExxonMobil Statements: Environment It is our long-standing policy to conduct business in a manner that considers both the environmental and economic needs of the communities in which we operate. We seek to drive incidents with environmental impact to zero, and to operate in a manner that is not harmful to the environment. Health ExxonMobil supports programs targeted to worldwide health issues because we believe that good health is a springboard to opportunity, achievement and development. Health support falls into several categories, the fight against global health pandemics, support for medical centers/hospitals, health education and health-care delivery, health and the environment, and health-related research. Safety We are  committed to conducting our business in a manner that protects the safety and health of our employees, contractors, customers, and the public. We strive for an incident-free workplace and have set a global safety and health goal of zero injuries and illnesses. We believe that our commitment to safe, secure, and incident-free operations will contribute to improved operations reliability, lower costs, and higher productivity. Our worldwide spending includes contributions to nonprofit organizations as well as funds invested in social projects through various joint-venture arrangements, production-sharing agreements, projects operated by others, and contractual social bonus arrangements. In 2007, Exxon Mobil Corporation, its divisions and affiliates, and the ExxonMobil Foundation provided a combined $173. 8 million in cash, goods, and services worldwide. (excerpts from the official website of the ExxonMobil Corporation: www. exxonmobil. com ) Hence we observe that what the company say and what they practice in real life are two different things altogether. But recently,it has been a contributor to environmental causes as the company donated $6. 6 million to environmental and social groups in 2007. Stakeholders of ExxonMobil: [pic] Customers: The environment at large suffered due to ExxonMobil’s unethical methods. The company was openly disdainful of the theory that fossil fuels were a major contributor to global warming. The company states that, â€Å"It is our long-standing policy to conduct business in a manner that considers both the environmental and economic needs of the communities in which we operate. We seek to drive incidents with environmental impact to zero, and to operate in a manner that is not harmful to the environment. † But we can conclude that the company isn’t practicing what it says. The company used same methods employed by tobacco companies and hence like the former harmed the environment and the community at large in order to earn maximum profit. Shareholders: The shareholders are the owners of the company and thus have to bare the brunt as well. The shareholders were pressurizing the company to invest more in alternative fuels but the company rejected the idea and hence the shareholders had to face the criticism that the company faced as well due to the company’s use of unethical practices in order to maximize its profit. Special interest groups: The groups which partenered with ExxonMobil (43 gropus) received a lot of criticism from various other groups for misrepresenting their work and aiding in the ruining of the environment by publishing articles that questioned global warming theories. For eg: Sallie Baliunas, an astrophysicist based at Stanford University Hoover Institution (it received 300. 000 USD from the company since 1998) stated in her study that temperatures haven’t changed since significantly over the past millennia and this article was rebutted by no less than 13 other scientists. They said such institutions or people mis-represent or cherry-pick the facts in an attempt to mislead the media an the people. Thus the integrity of such organizations is questioned in the future and the media and people become wary of other studies by other organizations due to a handful of these institutions which aide in misleading the society at large. Competitors: The competitors of ExxonMobil such as Shell and BP followed the Koyoto protocol and dropped out of Global Climate Coalition, an industry group which questioned the Global warming theory. The company faced further criticism cause of its unethical practices and ignorance over such environmental issues and this aided the competitors which received positive reviews from the media in 1998. The role Government can play: The small but effective amount of money invested by the company allowed to fuel doubt over global warming to delay Government action just as Big Tobacco did for over 40 years. Some of the people from the tobacco industries are said to have helped the oil giant in its unethical practices. The government should be more alert and form rules and regulations against such malpractices. Lawmakers who support reduction and limitation of green house gases emissions should be given more authority and stern action should be taken against companies such as ExxonMobil for spreading false information and hence playing havoc with the environment. ExxonMobil has been criticized by major environmental advocacy groups. In 2003, Greenpeace listed Exxon as #1 Climate Criminal. Exxon's alleged crimes include the sabotage of efforts to deal with climate change, the fraudulent manipulation of peer reviewed scientific studies and organizations, misleading and outright lying to the population of the USA, its government officials and the global community in general. The company donated a large sum of money towards environmental issues in 2007 but it will take more than that to uplift the image of the company in the eyes of the environmentalists and the population. The company is still ranks #1 in the world in net income which shows that the government keep a check on such companies or the extent of the malpractices might escalate in the future. bibliography: wikipedia exxon mobil

It205 Week 4 Checkpoint

How does email benefit an organization? I believe that email is a great benefit to most companies because it allows ideas and or attachments to be shared instantly. Why might an organization limit how an employee uses email during work hours? By limiting email usage during work hours it decreases the chance of clients being overcharged for work hours and also decreases the chance of loss of profit due to an employee’s attention being somewhere other than work. What is an emails path once it leaves an organization? Depending on the company it could go directly to the person it is addressed to or it could go through the IT department then to the person it is addressed to. What is the effect of instant messaging on organizational networks? Instant messaging can be a very useful tool as long and it isn’t taken advantage of, it could be used to send mass messages to all employees and or messages to individuals who may not be in the same building when working on projects. What are benefits and drawbacks of using instant messaging in an organization? A benefit would be that it is instant unlike email that may take a while, and has to be checked. A drawback can be used with that same example it is instant so files and or information that is not supposed to be viewed by outside individuals can be transmitted instantly. What are the drawbacks and benefits of webpage and search engine use in an organization? A benefit would be information for research being very accessible via websites and search engines A drawback would be these tools being abused and people using them for reasons outside of work. Should managers monitor employee email and internet usage? Why or why not? I think that management should monitor email and internet usage during work hours because of loss of revenue due to employees being on the web instead of being productive. Also to protect the organization from potential liability of what may or may not be transmitted or received on the organization’s server/ IP.

Movie Comparison Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Comparison - Movie Review Example Similarly, similarities in movies may also be analyzed to see how they implicate the touch and feel of these movies being compared. For the purpose, two movies of similar nature may be compared and contrasted to analyze various elements involved. Thus, a comparison of the movie The Kid with a Bike and Bicycle Thieves may prove futile for the paper. Therefore, the paper will be arguing how both papers are similar in context to the various themes and simple symbolic elements like a bicycle. Yet, the paper will also be talking about how the themes which are similar in nature have been approached in a different fashion with elements of contemporary nature impacting one movie making it different from the other. Therefore, an analysis of these similarities and differences will lead towards conclusive discussion of how these elements drastically impact the movie being talked about. Firstly, both the movies are similar in context to their reflection of harsh realities of time. Thus, both movies tend to reflect on the hard lives of the central characters by depicting their heartbreaking life stories. In this context, the movie ‘The kid with a bike’ takes a naturalistic approach while narrating sufferings of an abandoned child. This theme is similar to the one depicted in the Italian styled movie ‘Bicycle Thieves’. In both the movies, the core point of concern throughout have been the highly difficult moral as well as economic conditions which De Sica had to suffer after his bike gets stolen. Therefore, both movies are exactly similar in explicating the hard struggles which the central characters had to suffer from. The realistic lens, thus, proves to be futile in this context. Another shared theme between the two movies, besides the element of harsh realities of life has been that of the material prosperity. The central character Cyril in the movie, The kid in the Bike’ isn`t born rich and thus, when he

Multinational Business in the Chinese Economy Research Paper - 1

Multinational Business in the Chinese Economy - Research Paper Example The persistence poverty level, especially in Northern Shaanxi and other parts of China, is due to economic disparities. The income disparity has been the key issues in China; thus, here is the need to widen the geographical income gaps, avoid industrial clusters and improve infrastructures, which are barriers to economic growth in the interior geographical locations of China. Dimensions of Distance The distance matters for multinational business because of varied issues. First, the cultural distance is one of the matters for successful business performance and economic growth of China. Differences in language are one of the cultural issues impacting the economic and geographical locations of the multinational companies. The language barrier is still a problem for companies carrying out business activities overseas. This is because the Chinese have their language, which they use in the country, and it is difficult for foreigners to understand. Moreover, different ethnicities and poor social network communication are attributes of cultural distance. Lack of effective and well-developed social networks may hinder the successful business performance of multinational companies. China has many industries, some of which are multinational companies located within the economy. However, due to poor infrastructure development, especially roads and the communication network, many of them are unable to meet their demanding goals because of lack of connective ethnic or social networks. Ghemawat argues that an economy’s cultural attributes such as ethnicity, social norms, different languages or national identity on consumer products matter a lot in business activities.  This is because religious beliefs, ethnicity, language or social norms are capable of creating distance between two economies (Ghemawat 140). Secondly, the administration distance is another matter for multinational business. Historical and political organizations being shared by more than one country may create an impact on multinational business. Ghemawat points out that government policies, political hostility, lack of shared or political connections and institution weakness are among the attributes creating administrative distance (140). These attributes may impact the effective business performance of multinational companies. China is one of the emerging economies that have made efforts to improve the economic growth. However, an administrative distance is still a matter towards becoming a fully developed nation. For instance, individual government policies including environmental, trade and other policies create a barrier for successful multinational business. Thirdly, geographical distances matter for multinational business. This is through creating barriers towards successful business performance because of increased transportation costs, bulk ratio issues and losses encountered in the transportation of fragile or perishable commodities in a long distance. Geographical d istance is not a matter of how far is the place in terms of miles or kilometers – other attributes contribute to geographical distance. These include the physical scene of the nation, topography, access to waterways as well as transportation and communication infrastructures. These are among the attributes that have impacted the effective business performance of the multinational business in the Chinese economy.

The Ways in Which the Stock Market Operated Assignment

The Ways in Which the Stock Market Operated - Assignment Example One of the overarching lessons I learned was with regards to the necessity of diversifying risk. As a function of this newfound information and the fact that I am generally a fiscally rational and somewhat risk-averse individual, I pursued a conservative approach. I bought Alcoa because it is a multinational corporation with a solid industrial basis that has been proven to generate solid revenue over the past several years. Additionally, due to the fact that the stock price was low when I purchased I expected that it would again gain value. I bought Dish Network because the stock has performed well over the past 4 months and I expected that it would continue to be a solid investment. Furthermore, Dish Network has been performing well in its expansion efforts around the United States. I bought Macy’s stock due to the fact that it was a solid retail outlet that has lived a long and storied past. Furthermore, I bought it as it was low priced and had lost some value of late and I expected it to rebound. Coca-Cola was also purchased as a safe bet and a company that had lost a small amount of value when I picked the stock. Similarly, it has gained value, although not much, and represents itself in the way I expected it to within the portfolio. Similarly, UBS, the banking giant, was purchased due to the fact that it was on a massive rebound after the derailment experienced during the global economic meltdown of 2007-2008. This stock, in particular, has been the brightest performer in my portfolio. Intel was chosen due to the fact that it has been a solid performer in computing solutions for decades. Unfortunately, due to some key market forces that I did not anticipate the stock was the lowest investment ratio as it lost around 14% of total value. Apple was chosen due to the fact that it has been one of the brightest performing technological manufacturers within the past several years.As such, this student was not disappointed in the fact that it produced a high degree of revenue.  

Chicano Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Chicano Study - Essay Example occurs after the Falklands war had ended in favour of the British and the military, dictatorial regime in Argentina had been replaced by a so-called civilian Government, but the political background of this films is also one of oppression. Using women as protagonists, both film portray political events as witnessed through the eyes of a relative outsider, to heighten the impact of the political background on individuals and the power those events had to disrupt and change the life of those individuals. Argentina’s dictatorial regime is portrayed through a woman’s perspective, to gradually reveal the oppression of the regime, as the protagonists move from ignorance to full blown awareness of the horrors lying below the surface. The perspective used by both filmmakers to present the repressive political background of both films is that of individual women who are relatively innocent; they are not directly involved in any of the atrocities taking place by the Government, yet each one becomes the victim/target of the Government’s policies. Since Argentina is largely a state where feminism has not taken such a strong hold as the Western countries, men are the prime movers and shakers of political events and women are restricted and confined to certain occupations and are thus relatively immature and unaware in a political sense. From this perspective, they may actually represent the average ordinary citizen who is relatively ignorant in terms of political acumen and is a victim of political events rather than being one of the perpetrators. Political events form the backdrop rather than the major theme of both the films; but by using these innocent female protagonists, both film makers are able to introduce these events to the audiences as if viewed through the eyes of those protagonists – a gradual dawning of knowledge about the events which are transpiring in the background and the gathering horror as they become involved in the fallout of these

Explain why institutional licensure is unacceptable in today's Essay

Explain why institutional licensure is unacceptable in today's healthcare system - Essay Example Under the constant demand from nursing leaders and nursing associations for the need to remove inconsistencies in the quality of nursing care, nursing licensure came into place as the means to provide protection against poor quality in nursing care (Catalano, 2000). Thus the basis of licensure is to ensure competency and quality in nursing care and for which nurses have to qualify through an examination. The current nursing practice licensure examination is the National Council Licensure Examination Computer Adaptive Testing (NCLEX-RN, CAT) for Registered Nurses. Modifications can be shortly expected through the Mutual Recognition Model for Nursing Licensure that is targeted as a moving towards a universal nursing license, which will allow nurses qualifying from one state to practice in any other state. The activity of Licensure for nursing practice on the basis of RN examination thus goes towards meeting the objectives of protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the public thro ugh the establishment of nursing professional standards (Catalano, 2000). Against this backdrop enters into the picture institutional licensure as an option for meeting the objectives of protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the public.

East Asian Financial Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

East Asian Financial Crisis - Essay Example The intention of this study is the East Asian financial crisis of 1997-98 that culminated into one of the most devastating global shocks in the twentieth century. Its far-fetched effect could be compared with nothing less than that of the Great Depression of 1930s which had entwined the US economy into stagflation. In fact, what prevented the 1930s depression from spreading out throughout the world was the lack of ample networking among various economies. On the other hand, the impact of the East Asian crisis by the end of the millennium was more brutal or burgeoned due to a close-knitted financial relationship already been accomplished between them. The link was especially prominent among the underlying economies in South East Asia, bound together by a regional pact ASEAN that aimed at strengthening and shielding at the same time, the international trade position of the East Asian tigers. These economies had secured massive as well as exemplary economic growth rates that awed many o thers. When these economies were recording a growth in real income equal to 7 percent per annum, the US economy lagged behind at a modest 2 percent. Many nations tried to imitate the fiscal configuration of policies being framed by these nations. However, the cheap labor that the economies in the South East Asian region were endowed with, could not be equaled anywhere else in the world. Hence, it was infeasible for others to carry on their production and supply their outputs at competent prices in the world market.

Renewable Energy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Renewable Energy - Essay Example Hydropower has a significant role to play in the advancement of renewable energy around the globe, with a majority of nations relying on it to some extent in the generation of energy (Kaygusuz, 2009). This energy source is environment friendly and produces negligible greenhouse gases. In addition, a system is striking in its cost-effectiveness since it converts 95% of energy inherent in the moving water into electric energy. Compared to sources like fossil fuels, which produce 60% efficiency, the potential for hydroelectric power is enormous. Hydropower was first used by ancient generations for the driving of wheels to make work easier. Over generations, the energy source evolved and was finally utilized for the generation of electricity, with authorities being struck by its renewable nature. The energy source only utilized the flowing water’s energy to produce electricity without decimating the water supply. This was especially significance since the water sources were the lifeline of the populations living along them and down-stream to them (Kaygusuz, 2009). Its development was aided by human’s need to find an energy source that was not decimated over time. Most energy sources at the time were used in large quantities that were obviously not sustainable in the occurrence that technology either remained on its course, or increased to require more energy. The greenhouse gas emitting nature of fossil fuels is the other factor that greatly affected the development of this source. Hydropower showed excellent po tential in the cutting of these gases (Kaygusuz, 2009). Hydropower has come a long way to provide one fifth of the world’s power requirements (Kaygusuz, 2009). These projects were started in rural areas since estimates showed that the world’s rural population would grow by 95%. The highest demand was also forecasted to come from developing countries, which have been highly receptive of the energy. This was driven by the fact that the energy source was not liable to market fluctuations. Most governmental authorities around the world have turned to this energy source due to its combination of water management and its renewable nature. 2. Biomass Use as a Transitional Strategy for a Sustainable and Clean Energy System The greatest factor that made biogas desirable was its contribution to development that was desirable. Its attractiveness was further enhanced by low cost for conversion of resources into usable energy, as well as the availability of the resources, which was local. This made the energy source secure, thus desirable (Kaygusuz & Keles, 2009). Its usefulness in rehabilitation of degraded land via the use of exhausted resources as manure also led to most governmental

Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Law - Assignment Example Answer: the Florida State Court would have jurisdiction over the civil case if the complaint filed was for tort and the amount of damage is $5,001/$15,000 and the parties have sufficient contact with the state of Florida. a.) Answer: The Court acquires personal jurisdiction over the plaintiff through the pleadings filed such as complaint and serve the defendants the summons and copy of the complaint. The court has jurisdiction over the person of the plaintiffs since they are residents of the state and they have connection to the geographic area on which the court sits. b.) Answer: State Court acquires jurisdiction over the defendant by serving him the summons and complaint. Ureta 2 c.) Answer: The court acquires personal jurisdiction over Crete Carrier Corp., the Lincoln, Neb., trucking company by serving it the summons and copy of the complaint and by the application of the long arm statute. 5. Answer: The principal, which is the Crete Carrier Corp., the Lincoln, Neb., is primarily liable because under the agency law, the principal is liable for all the acts of the agent which are within the authority usually confided to an agent of that character, notwithstanding limitations, as between the principal and the agent, put upon that authority. The driver was acting within the authority confided to him by the principal when the accident happened. 6. Answer: As an independent contractor, the driver of the truck is primarily liable because the employer has no control how the work is done provided the result was delivered to him. 7. Answer. a. the plaintiffs can collect the entire judgment from either defendant 8. Answer: Punitive damages are in order in this case for this is a tort case of a highhanded nature. 9. Answer: a. The plaintiffs would divide the punitive damages among themselves. 10. a. yes Explanation: In cases of accident, the defendant may be sued criminally and civilly. In the tort case, the defendant is liable for damages while in criminal case, he is liable for the deaths of the 7 children. b. Answer: No Explanation: The trucking company, which is a corporation may only be civilly sued by the plaintiffs in order to recover damages. A corporation cannot be held criminally responsible for any tortuous act of its employee’s for it cannot be put to jail. Ureta 3 PART B Section 1. Article Identification: Title of the Article: State investigates Slope accident that crushed worker (PINNED: Alaska West Express worker, Fay, suffers crushed chest) Name of Publication: Anchorage Daily News retrieved from http://www.adn.com/2009/11/02/997243/state-investigates-slope-accident.html Date of Publication: November 2, 2009 Article Summary Just before midnight of October 27, 2009, a worker of Arctic Slope Regional, Inc., named John Fay was pinned between a tractor truck and a semi-trailer. An employee of Alaska West Express Inc. a trucking subsidiary of the Anchorage-based Lynden Inc drove the truck. Arctic Slope confirmed that Fay who rem ained in critical care at Providence Alaska Medical Center works for the company. Preliminary information gathered was that the truck either backed into John Fay or ran him over. It operates divisions in petroleum refining and marketing, government technical services, energy services and construction. It was not immediately clear what division of the company Fay worked for but Steve Standley, chief of enforcement at Alaska Occupational Safety and Health, said preliminary reports are that he was a laborer. Section 2: Information About the Type of Case State

Fast Food Transforming American Society Essay Example for Free

Fast Food Transforming American Society Essay Fast food has grown to be a big part of American Society. According to Eric Schlosser, â€Å"Over the past few decades, fast food has infiltrated every nook and cranny of American Society† (3). In a sense, his statement about fast food is not too exaggerated. Today, we see fast food all over America, whether it is through television advertisements, billboards, and magazines. America has grown to be the number one fast food country in the world. The increase of fast food has resulted in good business for the fast food industry: â€Å"In 2000 Americans spent about $110 billion on fast food compared to $6 billion in 1970† (Schlosser). Why are Americans spending huge amounts of money on fast food? How has the fast food industry grown to become a huge influence on American society? Seyhan Sipahi states, â€Å"Recent global economical crisis†¦had a crippling effect on almost all financial sectors in many countries. Surprisingly, the fast food industry had not be adversely affected†¦Ã¢â‚¬  What is keeping the fast food industry alive? Could it be that more families are turning to fast food because recent economic crisis? The fast food industry has grown to be more efficient than when it first started. Making food selling more convenient, fast and for a cheap price has attracted customers. There are multiple ways the fast food industry has transformed American society and what it is to live in America. In this generation, more mothers are in the workforce than there were in the past. Since â€Å"Womens labor force participation is significantly higher today than it was in the 1970s, particularly among women with children† (Labor Force Participation of Women and Mothers, 2008, The Editors Desk) ever since then the rate has been going up. Now that both parents are away from home working it makes it harder for them to make home cooked meals. Due to the lack of home cooked meals, many Americans families have turned to fast food. According to Schlosser, â€Å"three generations ago more money was being spent on food in the United States to make meals at home† (3). Fast food has taken over the diet of many American families. It is more convenient to buy something that is near by, prepared fast, and is reasonably priced for its proportion. Another reason why people choose fast food is because frankly it is delicious. Nothing that is made at home can compare to something made at a fast food restaurant. It is hard to get sick of fast food because there are so many restaurants to choose from that each have their own tastes in foods. The largest class in America is the middle class. Since middle class makes up the majority of the American population it is reasonable to say these families with lower income tend to buy fast food more often. Fast food restaurants have grown to be more efficient in the way that they produce their meals. On â€Å"Dec. 12, 1948, when Richard and Maurice transformed their barbecue joint into the first McDonalds restaurant, focusing on speed, value and high volume. † (Hill). This helped build a kind of assembly line of workers, each worker in charge of one job. For example, in order to make a hamburger, one would be in charge of getting the buns, another in charge of putting the patty, another in charge of putting the lettuce and tomato, and on. In doing this, production of the food becomes much faster. Food being frozen before preparing it is another way that fast food restaurants have grown more efficiently. Schlosser gives an example with guacamole that is made in Mexico, frozen, and shipped to the restaurant (40). Many fast food restaurants do this with the products they serve, although their advertisements may say fresh. Drive-throughs and computerized cash registers have also helped fast food restaurants speed up time for their consumers. An example of how drive throughs are so successful is Victoria’s experience: Theres just one place that Victoria Vollaire stops every day. Its not the supermarket. Its not the ATM. Its the drive-thru. This costs her $400 a month right out the drive-thru window. I dont like getting out of the car, explains Vollaire, who lives in Ontario, Calif. , and works as a hotel guest service aide. More than half the money spent on fast food rolls in through the drive-thru lane. (Horovitz) Drive-throughs give restaurants the ability to take multiple orders and give convenience for customers that are in a hurry. People like the conscience of not even having to get out of there cars to get their food. Computerized cash registers with buttons for every order possible help to make orders quick and precise. These days it is not surprising to see a fast food restaurant almost at every corner in America. A study was made on how fast food restaurants cluster around schools in America. Steven Gortmaker, in charge of this study, states, â€Å"78% of schools had at least one fast food restaurant within 800 meters. Fast food restaurants tend to cluster near schools and offices because it is more convenient, with the idea to gain more business. Many fast food restaurants are close to places where children and adolescent are close by. They do this because these two age groups are the most targeted by the fast food industry (Fast Food Targeted Marketing). Another study, on a high school that sold fast food products concludes that fast food is 70% of all food sold at the school (Calderon. ) As the expansion of fast food companies continues to increase, more restaurants are seen closer together. Before, companies use to stay away from competition, but now they are clustered all over the place. It seems as though fast food restaurant expansion has forced them to cluster even to the extent of having fast food shopping centers. Fast food has greatly transformed popular culture in America. By looking at McDonalds as an example, McDonalds has far surpassed any other fast food chain in America and possibly the world. McDonalds has grown very close to many children: â€Å"A survey for American schoolchildren found that 96 percent could identify Ronald McDonald† (Schlosser). What makes fast food so popular in America? Many people appraise fast food industries for their products because they are delicious and affordable. Did affordability of fast food make it so popular? Fast food transforms popular culture in America mainly through advertising. Whether it is on television, sponsoring professional athletes, or even promoting events like the Olympics or the World Cup. It is said that â€Å"In 2009, teens saw 5 fast food ads each day† (Fast Food Targeted Marketing). The majority of the commercial on TV are based on fast food companies. Fast food has become a trend in American society, eating it is in the norms of society today. Fast food advertisement has a monkey, see monkey do effect on people. If people see famous celebrities on TV eating or promoting the fast food company, it encourages them to go. The constant selling of fast food causes higher demands in agricultural resources. According to Schlosser, â€Å"The fast food chains now stand atop a huge food-industrial complex, taking control of American Agriculture† (59). It is getting harder for farmers outside of this â€Å"food industrial complex† to find business. Many times farmers and cattle ranchers become hired hands for the agribusiness giants† (Schlosser). Although the giant agriculture business may seem powerful, it is still on the bottom of the fast food companies because they are what make their business. â€Å"The fast-food industry changed the nations retail economy, eliminating small businesses, encouraging the spread of chai ns and uniformity, fast food has transformed American agriculture† (Schlosser). Apart from agriculture fast food, companies have also influenced how cattle should be raised, killed, and made into ground beef. The influence of the fast food companies on slaughterhouses has made the work environment a dangerous place. These slaughterhouses sound dangerous for the workers as well as for those consuming the meat. Meatpacking as grown to be one of the most dangerous jobs in America (Gardner). There is a lot of equipment that is dangerous and can cause severe injuries to workers. According to Gardner, â€Å"at least 29. 3% of meat workers suffered injury or illness compared to 9. 7% for the rest of manufacturing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Working Conditions in American Slaughterhouses: Worse than You Thought). Carl Karcher started his fast food business by buying one hot dog cart and then from there he bought another three hot dog carts in Los Angeles. Not too much time past before Karcher had some competition. Recently moved from New Hampshire, the McDonald brothers came to California to find jobs. They opened up a hamburger shop and became famous for their delicious hamburgers. The brothers strived in coming up with new ways to make more money until finally one day they closed down their shop. A few months later the McDonald brothers reopened their shop, with a bigger grill, and a whole new process to make hamburgers. They would divide the food preparations into tasks. This is what started the whole assembly line style to preparing fast food and has been implemented by many fast food restaurants ever since. Two groups that fast food companies look to for hiring are teenagers and illegal immigrants. Having these two types of groups as a workforce allows fast food companies to spend less money on hired hands and more on advertising and expanding (Schlosser. ) Having workers that are not looking for a long-term job lets fast food companies have fewer benefits for their workers. The wages for fast food employees is far too little in ratio to the work that is expected. Fast food companies hire teenagers because they can survive with low pay and most are dependent on their parents. The statistics from the ages, 16-20, alone makes up 25% of the fast food workforce (Food Services and Drinking Places). Immigrants, on the other hand, cannot complain if they get paid so little because they are illegal and will work under most circumstances. The expansion of fast food companies has created many jobs over the years. Out of all food services and drinking places, fast food companies make up 47% (Food Services and Drinking Places). In the past few decades, food-related illness has increased (Schlosser). The way food is processed has affected its quality. Many of the livestock used to produce that typical hamburger patty are mistreated. The most common sickness that the livestock catch is E Coli. In December 2006 â€Å"71 people became sick with E. coli after eating at Taco Bell restaurants in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware† (OShea). It is hard to know for sure what is in fast food because most of the time this side of the story is covered up. Aside from meats getting pathogens, artificial flavoring is another key aspect of many fast food products. Many fast food companies injected their products with artificial flavoring. McDonalds for example â€Å"infuses its fries and chicken sandwiches with essences that mimic beef tallow† (Tamminen). Does the food taste that bad that places like McDonalds has turn to artificial flavoring? Can the chemicals being put in fast food be harmful to humans? Although there maybe some companies using artificial flavors, there many other companies that live up to natural flavors. What is the future of fast food industry in America? Will the fast food industry just keep growing until one day it not only becomes a big part of American life but also other places around the world? Fast food companies are expanding at an increasing rate causing high demands for more food. At this rate, could it be possible that someday the fast food industry will control all of the food distribution in America? They practically do already because they are the greatest contributors in meats, corn, potatoes and more. What will be the future for fast food in America? At its grown rate, the fast food industry seems to be taking over many Americans highways. Having many fast food chains by highways makes it all most impossible to not run into a fast food restaurant. Will the constant expansion of fast food restaurants bring down the big grocery stores and replace them? America has grown accustom to convenience when it comes to food. What do other countries think when they see America? Should America be proud because it is the number one fast food country in the world? It is hard to say where fast food will take America in the future, but one thing is certain: fast food and America can never be separated.

The Global Issue Of Food Shortage Environmental Sciences Essay

The Global Issue Of Food Shortage Environmental Sciences Essay If you have never experienced the pangs of starvation you are luckier than 1.02 billion people that suffer daily. In fact, if you have food in your fridge, clothes on you back, a roof over your head, and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of the world. The idea of food shortages is sometimes hard to grasp for people who have never experienced this before. Evidently, the gap between the rich and the poor has caused a great inequality in life standards. This gap is magnified greatly when looking at the food shortages and general food distributions around the world. Food shortage occurs when food supplies within a region do not provide the energy and nutrients needed for that regions population. The amount of people suffering from huger today is devastating. Especially due to the fact that our Earth is rich with natural resources; in reality, there is more than enough to provide for every single person in every country across the globe. So we ask ourselves, why are so many people starving? With todays technology and advancements in agriculture and food production, what is our excuse? Why can we not provide an African child with more than one tenth of the amount of food that richer countries take for granted? In the 21st century it is a shame to see that young children are still forced to abandon their education so they can have food on the table. It is a shame to see diseases like malaria and rabies still causing deaths. Why are entire countries still left to live on basic staple foods such as bread and rice? Do we have an excuse? Is it greed, war, lack of stability, lack of international unity? Is that the reason that 1 out 6 people are starving everyday? This report will discuss the terrifying statistics of food shortages around the world. It will explain the causes and the effects of food shortage and explore solutions. Even though food shortage has a long rooted history, it is our job to come together to raise awareness, give support, and find solutions that may give at least one person a better future. Statistics: The United Nations reported that the main cause of mortality is hunger, being responsible for the death of 25,000 people every day. Regrettably, the percentage of children suffering is greater than that of the adults. Altogether, 1.02 billion people do not have enough to eat, this number is more than the populations of USA, Canada and the European Union. 907 million people in developing countries alone are hungry. In fact a whopping 65 percent  of the worlds hungry live in only seven countries: India, China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and Ethiopia.   The amount of people suffering from malnourishment increased by 75 million in 2007 and 40 million in 2008 mostly due to rising food prices.(Source:  FAO news release,  2006-2008), (Source: The State of Food Insecurity in the World, FAO, 2006-2008). The following charts demonstrate these facts: A study taken in 2005 observes the combined income of the worlds richest individuals and compares it to that of 416 million of the worlds poorest. This study brings to light the following shocking statistics. 982 million people out 4.8 billion living in developing countries live on $1 a day. An additional 2.5 billion live on below $2 a day. The income of 40% of the worlds poorest totaled up to a mere 5% of the worlds income; whereas 20% of the richest population made up 75% of global income. Food shortages in a population are caused either by a lack of food or by difficulties in food distribution. This huge gap in between the rich and the poor contribute greatly to the unfortunate distribution of food. A Timeline of Food Shortage in developing countries: As reported by Oxfam the current food shortages in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique and Zimbabwe are proof that this problem has not been solved and it is indeed still a major world crisis. The past years we have seen prices rising mostly due to the failing economy, before prices increased there were over 850 million people classified as undernourished. Now, that number has nearly reached one billion. This increase is directly influenced by rising prices, alongside other factors such as political conflicts and instability. The Causes of food Shortage: Another major cause for food shortage is natural causes. Water supply in terms of both heavy rainfall and drought are popular culprits. Hurricanes and tornadoes are also common. Along with tsunamis that can easily wipe out entire populations. The causes of food shortage can be categorized into two major factors: physical and biological, political and economical. Physical and Biological Effects on Food Shortage: To determine the food shortage in any country we look at the production level. The production level is mostly determined by the climate and soil type. Across the globe we see a range of various patterns regarding climates. The difference in temperatures and amounts of ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­ rainfall are indicators of which organisms are allowed to survive and grow in a certain area. Temperature and rainfall directly influence the type, quantity and the quality of the crops. Alongside these climatic factors is the richness of the lands soil. The production of food varies according to soil structure and fertility but these factors can be modified more easily than factors related to temperature or rainfall. For instance, some tropical soils contain fewer amounts of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, which decrease the capacity to absorb fertilizers. One the other hand, other tropical soils contain different amount of nutrients that change its level of absorption or other characteristics. When the agricultural methods and inputs vary, the productivity of the soil differs. Many countries facing the challenge of climate changes overcome this by using techniques that help the soil keep its productivity as required. Some of these techniques are changing the fertilizing rate and monitoring the use of irrigation. When the natural resources in an area are naturally capable of carrying agricultural demands the cost of production is cheaper. None the less, agricultural advancements have made a significantly large difference in the past. In countries where rainfall is rare, such as the deserts of United Arab Emirates, it would still be possible to grow crops that naturally grow elsewhere; however this comes with a high price, including a constant supply of water. In less fortunate countries water would be considered a critical resource and agricultural success would be left to depend greatly on the richness of its soil and the climate. Biological factors are ones which are related to the organisms in an environment. Bacteria, insects, and animals have a significant effect on crops and are often cause yield reductions. Many countries try to make a huge effort to overcome the bacterial and fungal diseases by addressing them through many different procedures and some chemical applications. Also animals are taken care of by blocking inoculations and restorative methods. To avoid insects or pests, many countries breed resistant varieties. This involves strategies revolving around mixing and planting in a certain way that will create a shield for particular species from their characteristic pests. Target populations are commonly killed using insecticidal chemicals. Other animals that negatively effect crops are: rodents, birds, or livestock. These animals are usually scared away due to their damaging effect on food productivity. Political and Economical Effects on Food Shortage: Production levels are not solely determined by physical and biological factors. Political and economical factors also play a significant role. Political and economical factors involve international trade, and government policies for modernizing agriculture as well as the rate of food exchange. This is closely intertwined with cultural factors which include the organization of land and labor use, as well as dietary preferences. Under this umbrella are many inadequate reasons for production levels, trade and import restrictions, structural adjustments, and food aid. Food Distribution: The richest 20% of people in the world consume nearly half the meat and fish in the world, but the poorest 20% consume just 5% (FAO, 2000). Looking within the borders of a certain country, or even a certain city, we often find rich areas and poor areas. In many countries the rich are a small percentage of the population, however they account for large amounts of property and possessions. While, the poor will be left to share the little amount of land that is left and struggle in the intense and rather unfair world of trade. Many small farmers in developing countries will make a significantly low profit compared to the rich when producing the exact same product. In the end, the old saying the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer, proves to be the harsh truth. Insufficient incentives for food production: This occurs when the government activity works in a way that alters consumption patterns only for their benefit, and not the benefit of the community at large. Cash-crop promotions: Governments seeking to increase export earnings, this policy has a negative effect on the production of food crops for local consumption. Opportunity costs and food production: The income that is gained from crops must be high enough to meet opportunity costs of producing the crops. Unfortunately, the government may eliminate these calculations so the cost of production is higher than the benefits. Food aid: Sometimes importing food aid is limited because of the availability of humanitarian aid. Some scientists look at the problem of food shortage from another dimension. In their opinion, there is no global food shortage, but there is disordered political agendas. These political agendas are prioritizing the service of aid for reasons other than strictly humanitarian ends; thus not enough aid reaches the people suffering the most.  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­ A Closer Look: Africa The hunger problem in Africa today cannot be changed unless Africa itself decided to change. The root of Africas problems is the agriculture crisis its facing. According to the International Food Policy Research Institute, this has left 200 million people malnourished. (news.bbc.co.uk). Africa is an area with consisting of desert and low amounts of rainfall. The growth of its population is incredibly high. Unfortunately, Things are moving in the wrong direction, if we look at Sub-Saharan Africa as a whole, all the projections area that poverty and hunger are ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­ going to get worse. (Mar Cohen, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in Washington). There are several conditions that occurred in Africa that lead to hunger and poverty, which are: marginalization of women food farmers, poor leadership, too little investment in building peoples capacity in rural areas, AIDS, and the gender inequality that fuels the epidemic. (Clinton Global Initiative, Sep 2005) Africa is facing political pressure, which only adds overwhelming stress to its already vulnerable population. Poor governance is a major issue in many African countries, and that has serious repercussion for long-term food security, says a statement by the International Food Policy Research Institute. (news.bbc.co.uk) While donors continue to generously donate to the Africans in need, the government (Sub-Saharan) is not helping ease the process. Due to the governments lack of action the Africans will continue struggling to rise above the problem of hunger. We cannot expect to see positive changes unless the government starts supporting zits people in the name of stopping the hunger. A Closer Look: Ethiopia Ethiopia has been ranked 171 out of 182 on the list of poorest countries in the Human Development Index (UNDP HDI 2009). About 50 % of its GDP relies on its agriculture as the single source of food. Unfortunately, its agriculture is very unreliable due to poor cultivation tools, unpredictable rainfall and climate changes in the past two years. Alongside these agricultural struggles, the increase in food and fuel prices that struck hard on Ethiopia, during the 2008 global financial crisis, made it even more difficult for people to get food. A whopping 50% of Ethiopias total 74.7 million are bearing the burden of poverty and 80% live on bread sources. 47% of males and 31% of females are literate. The infant mortality rate (per 1000 live birth) is 109 (2005 UNDP). Some parts of Ethiopia are overwhelmed with diseases. People are highly vulnerable to hepatitis A, hepatitis E, typhoid fever, malaria, and rabies. These fatal diseases are mainly due to malnutrition. The same can be said abou t many countries such as: Niger, The Central African Republic, Bissau, The Republic of Liberia, Somalia and others. I think that the African communities should adopt new methods in policy, education, industry and agricultural activities. Food Shortage here has reached extreme levels. However, if proper action is taken this tragedy can be eased and eventually solved. Some areas have sufficient natural resources and rich soil that are not nearly meeting their productive potentials. The Sadomo region of the Ethiopia is known for producing the best coffee second to Hararà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.Make Trade Fair! mcandrea The Outcomes of Food Shortage: The effects that food shortage has on societies as well as individuals can be very damaging. Children that are malnourished wont grow properly, including their brains. This will make them incapable of receiving a proper education and instead of growing into capable adults that will serve the community they become a burden on society. Adults and children alike may even turn to crime out of desperation. They will not be able to afford a proper marriage, thus they may turn to unlawful and sexual relations. They will produce illegitimate children and then very likely abandon those children; and the negative cycle goes on and on. Malnutrition Poor Health: The countries that suffer from food shortage face many health problems and they have low health standards. One out of 4 children in developing countries are underweight. This puts them a higher risk to a number of diseases and lowers their bodys natural immunity. Malnutrition commonly leads to not only Hunger, but also: AIDS , Malaria , Diarrhoea, Pneumonia, and Measles. In addition there is one more health problem closely associated with food shortage which is Malnutrition. We can define it as an imbalance in the consumption of nutrients. It causes a disorder which affects the overall heath and the functions in the human body. If the body is in this state for too long it stresses the heart, and other organs such as the kidneys, liver, and damages the esophagus. Eventually, malnutrition leads to death from either organ failure, or other diseases that the body could not fight off due to a weak and failing immune system. Thus, we see higher rates of mortality in areas suffering from fo od shortage. UNICEF reported that: Malnutrition and hunger-related diseases cause 60 percent of the deaths. (Source:  The State of the Worlds Children, UNICEF, 2007) Education: In poor countries children have a great deal less healthcare and this ultimately results in many absences from the academic education. They may even prefer working and gaining money than studying. The countries which suffer from food shortage have a population that lacks the motivation to achieve any educational progress. They believe that there are no benefits from education because of the poverty and lacking food. This shifts their direction from education to working. Possible Solutions: What can be done to stop this cycle? Who is responsible for this imbalance in the world? Nobody likes to see others suffer, yet so many are suffering daily. The true solution will take great organization and uniting on a personal level as well as an International and Governmental level. As individuals however, we need to remind ourselves to buy only what is enough for our families and never waste food or throw it away. We need to make conscious efforts to give extra to any needy individuals in our own communities. However, outside of our little community circles, we need to work on an International and Governmental level. Food banks need to be set up. Governments need to help other countries to not only be able to draw out their natural resources, but even to teach them how to maintain and farm their own land. This takes water, man power, and knowledge. Water may even have to be imported as either loans (which are usually impossible to pay back for these impoverished countries) or just as charity. Also countries need to work together to produce a long term program that will assure progression throughout the coming years. They need to ease the immediate problem and take some of the stress off their citizens. If the government can provide a positive atmosphere for its people that will in turn play a large role in advancing the economy. The people will be able to go out and serve their communities by advancing in various fields (education, medicine, technology, agriculture, etc.). Hopefully, once these countries get organized internally and are supported internationally, they can become more independent. In countries that dont have many natural resources, they should be receiving international support. The ratio of rich to poor could all balance if governments would just take it seriously. There is no need for all the suffering and it does affect all mankind. It is our job as citizens of the Earth to take part in finding solutions to the problems we face. Hunger is not a problem limited to the people in developing countries, but it is in fact a problem that we are all facing together. The toll starvation is taking on our human population is a shockingly large number. It is making our fellow neighbors vulnerable to diseases; this will sooner or later catch up to us anywhere in the world. If we all come together, there is much that can be done to assure that needs are met, its called Globalization!

Comparison of Marxism and Capitalism Political Theories

Comparison of Marxism and Capitalism Political Theories Linking Political Theory to Contemporary Politics Alisha N Ancum Abstract A political theory, by definition is the study of concepts and principles that people use to describe, explain, associate, and evaluate events and institutions in society(Girvetz,2013). I will be comparing and contrasting two major political theories, Capitalism and Marxism. Their contrasting ideas are brings about a vast difference in their beliefs. But despite this, they do have some similarities in their varied forms. These two political theories have their advantages and disadvantages as they relate to politics, law, business, history and especially religion. Marxism being the younger of these two, builds on its own socio- economic model, but also offers a critic of capitalism. Both theories have shaped the nature, structure and politics of various nations from the industrial age to present day. Linking Political Theory to Contemporary Politics Political theory is abranch of political science concerned chiefly with the ideas of past and present political thinkers and the doctrines and proposals of political movements and groupsâ€Å"discussion of the proper scope of governmental action †¦ has usually been regarded as a proper part ofpolitical theory†Ã¢â‚¬â€ F.W.Coker (Political). This paper will compare and contrast two major political theories, Marxism and Capitalism. These two political theories are significantly different from each other, but also in the varied forms have some very similar characteristics. Capitalism and Marxism have both shaped the nature, structure and politics of various nations from the industrial age to present day. Marxism developed among the European working class of the 19th century. Marxism is the brain child of German philosopher Karl Marx (1818-1883). Karl Marx started the socialist movement (Roskin,Cord,Mederiros, Jones,2013). Karl Marx was trained in Hegelian philosophy, and produced a complex theory covering economics, social class and history. Marx posited that things dont just happen by accident, and everything has a cause. At the core of Marxism, it is believed that property production and the distribution of wealth are subject to social control. Hence the government has a role in the economy and social life of a nation. In a Marxist system, the means of production is owned by society, with the degree of ownership varying from total control to partial. The extreme form of Marxism is communism, as practiced in Cuba. Less extreme forms take the form of socialism or social democracies as in some countries such as, Scandinavia. Capitalism dates back to 16th century Europe, and became the dominant system in Western Europe. The basis of this system is ownership and control of the means of production by private individuals, with very little or no government intervention. In a Capitalist system, not only are the means of production not subject to government intervention as well as religion, social amenities and property rights. After the industrial revolution in Europe, capitalism was exported to the four corners of the world. At the core of the capitalist system is the free market. Free from societal control, the free market is believed to be self-regulating and privately owned. Capitalism is the brain child of Adam Smith. Adam Smith authored The Wealth of Nations, which is considered today as the capitalist bible. Capitalism creates a laissez-faire economy. These theories posit that the wealth and well-being of any nation is based on the amount of goods and services her citizens produced. Smith argues that go vernment intervention in the economy retards growth. This is so, because whenever one company or person (government) has a monopoly over the means of production, this kills competition, and with it, efforts to produce new goods and lower prices. This theory has taken the name of Liberalism, meaning people living as free as possible from government interference. Modern liberalism is what we called conservatism in America today. At the heart of this theory are still the core tenets of Adam Smiths philosophy. Core values include a strong free market and very minimal government interference in the lives and means of production of the nation. Edmund Burke (1729-1797), an 18th century American philosophy agrees with Adam Smiths theory. He believed the free market economy is the best system (Roskin, et al., 2013). He was also very supportive of the American colonies that were fighting for their basic freedoms. Modern conservatism in America has been reinforced by the writings of Milton Friedman (1926-2006), a Nobel Prize winning economist. Friedman argues that Adam Smith was right, and the free market economy is still the best system. Friedman also believes whenever government intervenes in the free market and society, it messes things up (Roskin, et al., 2013). Some of the major differences between Marxism and Capitalism is their approach to traditional values especially religion. In a capitalistic society, the freedom of religion worship is vigorously protected as an individual natural right. Hence government interference in faith matters is frowned upon. In present day America, modern conservatives advocate a society where government protects the religious freedoms of individuals. They want prayer in public places, the ban of abortion and same sex marriage (Roskin, et al., 2013). Modern conservatives in America also oppose any special rights for women and minority groups especially when they perceive it to be contrary to the dominant religious views of today. As a result, any forms of legislation affecting these spheres of society are viewed as an intrusion by government on the individual freedoms of people. Marxism on the other hand, views religion very negatively. Religion is the opium of society he wrote. Vladimir Lenin, a Bolshevik socialist said religion slows down economic growth. Religion is viewed in Marxist societies as a tool by capitalist elites to control the masses. Hence religion is frowned upon. Some countries which practiced strict forms of Marxism developed varied form of state atheism; for example the former Soviet Socialist Republic and the Peoples Republic of China. Today, most Marxist or socialist countries have eased the ban on Religious worship. While the stigma still exist, only in extreme cases like North Korea, where religion is banned. In present day America, the fight over the role of government in matters of faith runs very deep. This has created a very polarized polity. With Republicans made up of predominantly modern conservatives are vehemently opposed to rights being extended by the government to gay couples (Roskin, et al., 2013). Modern conservatives view marriage as a matter of faith, with no need to digress from its religious definition. They view the extension of marriage rights to gay citizens by the Democratic Party as an infringement of the religious freedoms of the citizen. Modern conservatives view this threat to the individual rights of the citizen as posited by Adam Smith, Edmund Burke and Milton Friedman. The Democratic Party and its socially liberal base, view the intervention of the state to extend the right to marriage to gay couples as an important role of government. This being a core tenet of Marxism which suggests that government must be involved in certain aspects of society, to ensure eq ual rights among the citizens. Another major difference between the two political theories is how they perceive the right to property. In the capitalist system, property is viewed a means of production and should be privately owned and controlled. Government was to protect the right to private ownership of property, with no interference. While capitalism recognizes some form of public property, it forms a very small portion of capital goods. The private ownership of property covers both tangible and intangible property. Hence businesses are privately owned and control, with little or no interference from government. A capitalist society has laws prohibiting the seizure of private property on individuals. In a Marxist system, property is viewed as a public good. While in varied forms, private ownership of property is allowed, the majority of property for the production of goods and services are owned or controlled by the state. This is believed to be the best possible way to transfer wealth from the rich to the poor. In so doing, the Marxist believes, equality, growth and general welfare are achieved. Hence in most countries where various forms of Marxism are practiced, the state controls major sectors of the economy like energy production, health care etc. In 2009, the Obama administration and their Democratic majority passed the Affordable Health care Act, which was vigorously opposed by Republicans and conservatives who viewed this as a government takeover of a major part of the free market. Democrats and their Liberal allies argued the law was necessary to protect and provide health care to over 20 million Americans who couldnt afford health insurance in the free market. This issue is still a major rallying call for modern conservatives in America today. While there are clear differences between these political theories, there are also some minor similarities. For example, in both systems, there is the possibility of social mobility. While the Marxist tries to eliminate class structures, and the capitalist systems survives on a class structure. Individuals have the opportunity to move up the social strata in both systems. Both systems allow government regulation of business, contracts, and markets; however the degree of regulation varies between both. The capitalist favors very little regulation, believing more in the unseen hand of the market to regulate it. The Marxist system, believes in providing more intrusion and regulation by the state (Roskin, et al., 2013). For without state regulation, the markets will run wild driven by profits, this is evident by the world economic crisis of 2008. References Girvetz, H. k. (2013, June 5). Liberalism . InEncyclopedia Britanica. Retrieved March 3, 2014, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/339173/liberalism Political Theory. (n.d.). InMerriam-Webster online. Retrieved from  http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/political theory Roskin, M. G., Cord, R. L., Medeiros, J. A., Jones, W. S. (2013).Political Science An Introduction(Thirteenth ed., pp. 21-49). N.p.: Pearson.

Augustine and Freedom Essay -- Papers

Augustine and Freedom Evil-doing is neglect of eternal things and love of temporal things to the extent of becoming subject to them. This is done by the free choice of the will . . . Free will makes sin possible but it was given that man might live righteously.1 This is a brief summary of what Augustine believed regarding (1) the origin of sin and (2) the purpose for which humanity was endowed with free choice of the will. Though insightful as it may seem, Augustine's statement will not set to rest all the issues raised by the notion of human freedom and divine activity, since with free choice of the will come perplexing questions that continue to rage in philosophical circles. Some questions, however, can be set forth that outline parameters within which to begin understanding Augustine on the issue of human freedom and its origins/causes. If evil originates in the human will, from where does the will come? Are there any limitations to human freedom? Is the human will neutral or does it have a bias toward good? A bias toward evil? Where does free choice of the will come into play when individuals are saved by God's grace alone? What is meant by free will? On these questions, and many more related, Augustine has been an immense help. In this work an attempt will be made to illustrate Augustine's view of free will. Such categories as God's sovereignty in election and salvation, the origin of evil and its impact upon humanity, the justice of God, human responsibility and the providence of God in sanctification of the believer will be utilized. Augustine's understanding of human freedom should corroborate with (1) the nature and character of God, (2) the integrity of... ...God's relationship to time changed when time came into existence see William L. Craig, "God, Time and Eternity" Religious Studies 14 (1978): 497-503. 32.Norman L. Geisler, Philosophy of Religion (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, n.d.), note 10, chapter 14, 331. 33.Cf., Lewis and Demarest, Integrative, vol. 1, op. cit., 310-328. 34. On Free Will," Book II, xv, 48, AEW, 166. 35. Ibid. 36."The Simplican," The Second Question, 3, ALW, 388. 37.Ibid., 12, op. cit., 394-395. 38.AEW, Book III, vi, 18,181. 39."The Simplican," The Second Question, 13, ALW, 395. 40.William L. Craig, The Only Wise God (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1987), 135. Though Craig holds to fallen creatures having power to contrary, it is likely that middle knowledge is still possible given the alternative view of freedom offered here (viz.,

The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea: True Order Exists in the E

The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea: True Order Exists in the Exposed Core The seas refuse to obey any of man's laws. Winds, storms and currents shift and distort the massive waters, shaping the land that lies within them. Unexplored in regions, the black depths mimic dormancy prior to rising up at unpredictable moments of torrential strength. The ocean's murder, rape and disregard of life is not punishable by any law or code of morality, and in Yukio Mishima's The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea, it exemplifies the perfect order of existence. Surviving according to nature's impulse, the ocean is the model of a raw, reactionary being. To the youths in the story, this emotionless lifestyle is the only means by which one can become aligned with the perfect core of existence. To betray oneself to feelings, morals and similar illusions created by adults is "falling from grace" with one's own distinct, perfect role. In The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea, the preceding theories are explored by a group of six young Japanese scholars, and a 13-year old "Chief" leads this band. The story is told from the point of view of the "middle genius," Noboru, who is delineated as "Number #3" of the six scholars. Thus, Noboru's number has a significant reflection on his perception of the Chief's teachings (the necessity of abolishing emotion). Though working to incorporate the Chief's theories, Noboru has yet to detach himself completely from his subjective nature. Once this has been accomplished, his stature will rise in the group, denoted by a higher number. The Chief, or "Number 1," is the giver of knowledge (comparable to the asp in the Garden of Eden). His morbid ideas entail that the perfect core of existence... ... further anchor their own hearts into the current of existence. About the Author: Yukio Mishima was born in Tokyo in 1925. Translations of his works have appeared in over 15 countries, and he has composed plays, novels, short stories and numerous articles. Many of his works, including the one explored in this paper, have been converted into motion pictures. At the peak of his career, Mishima committed seppuku (ritual suicide) on the afternoon of the completion of his masterwork, The Sea of Fertility. Oddly, this compilation of works is a literary drill of Mishima's own suicide; perhaps he had fallen from grace with his role as a writer. Works Cited Mishima, Yukio. The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea. New York: Perigee Books, 1965. The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea. Twentieth Century Fox. Starring Sarah Miles, Kris Kristofferson, 1976.

Cisco Products and Specific Customer Groups

In August of 2001, just months after Cisco System reported its first loss a a public company ($ 2. 7 billion), John Chambers, president and CEO, announced a major restructuring that would transform Cisco from a decentralized operation organized around customer groups to a centralized one focused on technologies. This restructuring not only risked destabilizing the large, complex organization during an economic downturn, but more importantly, threatened Cisco’s ability to remain customer-focused, a hallmark of the company’s culture and success since its first product was created in 1986.In order to maintain communication and stimulate ongoing collaboration among the newly independent functional areas, Cisco introduced coordination mechanisms that enable the companies to remain customer-focused. Introduction John Chambers became president and CEO of Cisco Systems in 1995. Over the course of the next several years, the decisions he made and the changes he implemented chall enged traditional business practices, and resulted in incredible growth for the company. When Chambers first started, Cisco was generating annual revenues of $2. 2 billion; just six years later, the company was generating annual revenues of $22.3 billion.All of those results, however, were threatened in the 2001 market downturn. Earlier in the year, the explosive growth in the sales of hardware supporting the Internet began to show serious signs of slowing down, and Cisco Systems, like the rest of the technology industry, was facing the repercussions of the demise of the Internet boom and the first economic downturn in more than a decade. Start-ups, which had enjoyed the benefits of a buoyant stock market, and telecommunications companies began cutting back their overextended IT and network budgets.As a result of the falling demand, Cisco announced its first loss as a public company ($2. 69 billion) in the fiscal quarter ended April 28, 2001 and cut 18% of its workforce. In August, Chambers announced a major organizational restructuring that would transform Cisco from a decentralized operation focused on specific customer groups to a centralized one focused on technologies. While recognizing that a centralized, functional structure was necessary to avoid product and resource redundancies, Chambers also realized that it risked making the company less customer-focused.At the time of the announcement, Chambers asserted that Cisco’s customer-centric culture would offset this drawback, but he knew that more needed to be done to ensure that an organization as large as Cisco would remain customer-focused—technology companies simply could not afford to lose 1 sight of the customer. Chambers knew then that he needed to implement a formal, crossfunctional structure that would keep the company in touch with its customers. Chambers found himself considering an ambitious idea that, if executed, could transform both his company and conventional organizational strategy.He asserted that if Cisco implemented a crossfunctional system of executive-level committees, or councils, that fostered a culture of teamwork and collaboration that the company could scale beyond what anyone else thought possible. The benefits were clear—the cross-functional councils would bring the leaders of different functions together to collaborate and focus on the needs and issues of specific customer groups. Cisco could enjoy the benefits of being a functional organization while retaining its customer-centricity. Still, implementing such a system would be difficult.Many other companies had previously failed at facilitating collaboration across functions, especially large organizations such as Cisco. Chambers began asking himself questions. Would Cisco’s employees, many of whom were accustomed to a command-and-control system, accept a more collaborative model? Could they function in such a system, even with training? Would a cross-functional system work in such a large functional organization? Furthermore, if Cisco moved forward with this idea, how many councils should be formed? How large should they be? Who would sit on and chair them?Where would the decision making power reside? And finally, how could a system be implemented without creating a matrix organization that would impede decision making and generate conflict? These were all important questions, many of which for Chambers did not yet have answers. They were also questions that would discourage most executives from taking the chance. Still, Chambers understood Cisco’s employees and knew what they were capable of. He also knew that if they could succeed, the company would become even stronger financially and organizationally.With 2002 approaching, and the organizational restructuring already being implemented now was the time to act. Market Transformation Despite the challenges presented by the 2001 market downturn, Cisco overcame the sudden drop in product demand . In fact, the company became even stronger after the downturn. By the end of July 2007, Cisco was generating more than $30 billion in revenue and employing 61,535 employees worldwide. Cisco’s total revenue for FY 2007 ($34. 9 billion) was an increase of approximately 23% over FY 2006 revenue’s of $28. 5 billion.Net Income was $7. 3 billion GAAP and $8.4 billion non- GAAP, while Earnings per Share was $1. 17 GAAP (increase of 31% year over year) and $1. 34 non-GAAP (increase of 22% year over year). Part of Cisco’s post-downturn resiliency and success was the result of a transformation in its market focus and product offerings. Signs of this transformation were evident shortly before the downturn, when Cisco invested in its first comprehensive advertising campaign, including television and print, that asked the question, â€Å"Are You Ready? † with the goal of raising consumer awareness of its networking-equipment business and its plans to connect Internet users with its routers and switches.Because Cisco realized that it could not solely rely upon existing demand, the company began diversifying the products it offered and who it was selling those products to. By 2007, Cisco had successfully expanded into advanced technologies such as unified communications, wireless local area networking, home networking, application networking services, network security, storage 2 area networking, and video systems. These advanced technologies resulted in the growth of Cisco’s enterprise (large business) and service provider segments.For instance, by 2007, more than 8 million unified IP phones had been installed worldwide (Cisco was the market share leader in the enterprise voice marketplace); Cisco’s Catalyst 6500, a highperformance modular switch that converges data center, campus, and wide-area network in a single system, surpassed $20 billion in sales; and Cisco’s enterprise customer installed base recently surpassed the 3 million wireless access points milestone. 3 Cisco was also able to successfully integrate the aforementioned advanced technologies with its core routing and switching technologies in products such as its Integrated Services Routers.Additionally, Cisco announced in June 2007 that it had shipped 900 of its Carrier Routing System (CRS-1), which provided continuous system operation to telecommunications service providers and research organizations, since its introduction in 2004. Cisco claimed that customers understood the leadership, total cost of ownership, flexibility, and investment protection advantages they would receive when they installed a Cisco product, which was designed to allow customers to easily and cost-effectively add marketleading voice, data, security, wireless, and other capabilities to their existing Cisco networks.This strategy differentiated Cisco from many of its competitors, which are usually present in only one or two product categories or customer segments, an d often do not integrate their products from an architectural perspective. In a conference call discussing Q4 and FY 2007 financial results, Chambers commented on the importance of this balance and integration: â€Å"We believe that there are a number of factors that are unique to Cisco’s ability to grow.First is our unique balance across over two dozen product areas, four customer segments, and across major developed and emerging countries†¦From a product perspective, we approach the market with an end-to-end architecture where the products are first loosely then tightly integrated together, rather than focusing on individual routers, switches, security, wireless, storage, unified communications, or other standalone products. In addition to diversifying its product and service offerings, Cisco transformed its market focus by finding new growth opportunities in developing economies.Because Chambers knew these opportunities would not get the attention they needed from st andard geographic sales coverage, he created a new sales â€Å"theater† called Emerging Markets, which included 138 countries around the world, regardless of location. Instead of every theater having several emerging markets in their portfolio viewed as low priorities, all the emerging markets were unified into one theater with the same resources and expectations of the other theaters. While several sales leaders functioned throughout the emerging markets, one sales senior vice president (SVP) was ultimately responsible for each theater.Members of the Emerging Markets sales team met with government and business leaders in various countries to discuss â€Å"how Cisco could help their countries develop a stronger economy through Internet access to education, healthcare, and business opportunities†. These and other efforts throughout the theater paid off—growth for FY 2007 in Cisco’s Emerging Markets theater was 40%, the highest growth rate of all five theat ers (e. g. North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Japan; and Emerging Markets).This performance made Chambers even more confident about the value of emerging markets. â€Å"Our architectural strategy in emerging markets is working extremely well,† he said in the conference call. â€Å"Barring some major economic or political surprises across many of these emerging countries, I would expect this theater to have the potential to grow more than twice the average growth rate of the other four theaters, if we execute effectively. † 3 2001 Organizational Restructuring Cisco also transformed and expanded its market focus through acquisitions.Before the downturn (1993–2000), Cisco was known for its acquisitions; it acquired 71 start-up companies that specialized in both its core and advanced areas, with 41 of those acquisitions occurring between 1999 and 2000. While emerging markets and acquisitions were key in helping Cisco survive the downturn, the company’s 2001 organizational restructuring played an even more important role. In its early days as a start-up, Cisco Systems was organized as a centralized engineering organization. As the company grew rapidly after going public in 1990, it adopted a business unit structure that was organized around primary product groups.This structure lasted until 1997, when the company reorganized itself around three semi-autonomous lines of business, each focusing on a distinct customer type: service providers, large enterprises, and small and medium-sized businesses, which Cisco characterizes as the â€Å"commercial† segment. Within this structure, each of the three lines of business developed and marketed its own products to its specific customer groups. This decentralized organization was created to meet the differing requirements of service providers and SMBs, two groups of customers that were growing rapidly at that time.By creating separate business units, Cisco attempted to meet the needs of e ach without compromise. However, as the market downturn brought about slowing demand and falling revenues, the negative aspects of the segment-centric grouping became clear. Organized behind lines of business focused on the different segments, redundancies in technological development were certainly not surprising—coordination across all technologies relevant to a customer group came at the expense of replicating technology development across customer groups.Still, redundancies became more noticeable at Cisco in the harsh economic environment faced by the company. Each business unit designed and sold its own products to customers in a particular industry, even though each business line produced some similar, if not interchangeable, products. Moreover, differences between customer segments had begun to blur: some enterprise business products suited service provider needs, but the service provider business lacked knowledge of, and access to, them. In some cases, each line of bu siness had a different technology or solution for the same problem.By summer 2001, for example, Cisco had eight different teams developing technology to transmit telephone calls over Internet protocol (IP) networks. As one manager stated, â€Å"Before, we had a service provider customer, enterprise customer, and SMB customer, and we built a complete product line for that customer set. What that did cause was a great deal [of] redundancy of engineering and innovation†¦we had to build the same thing three times over and make things that are 80% the same three times over to satisfy the three requirements. † Facing the realities of the market downturn, Cisco made a change.On August 23, 2001, the company announced a major restructuring that, CEO John Chambers enthused, would bring Cisco closer to its customers, encourage teamwork, and eliminate product and resource overlaps. Cisco shifted from a decentralized operation focused on specific customer groups to a centralized one focused on technologies. Engineering was reorganized around eleven technology groups: Access, Aggregation, Cisco IOS Technologies, Internet Switching and Services, Ethernet Access, Network Management Services, Core Routing, Optical, Storage, Voice, and Wireless.Although the product groups were divided based on 11 technologies, Cisco retained three sales groups based on customer type. Between the technology and sales groups, a central marketing organization was installed to integrate products and technologies into solutions for the customer. A cross-functional â€Å"solutions engineering team† was charged with bringing the 4 different technologies together in a lab, testing them to ensure integration, and then creating blueprints that the customer would use to implement the solution.Marketing and engineering—previously segmented by customer type—were centralized under the chief marketing officer and the chief development officer, respectively. Cisco also expected the new structure to promote more rapid technical innovation by eliminating overlap in R&D. The old structure inhibited the exchange of ideas because engineers worked in separate silos—a solution in one area might have suggested a solution in another, but, claimed one executive, â€Å"You might not hear about it for six months if you are in another business unit.†Implementing the Reorganization While a centralized, functional structure would help Cisco avoid product and resource redundancies, it also carried the risk of making the company less customer-focused because the company was organized around product, and not customer, groups. Whereas before each of the three lines of business developed and marketed its own products to its specific customer groups, each functional unit was now committed to a specific technology, which entailed the risk of dismissing the customer.Despite this risk, however, Cisco moved forward, trusting that its customer-centric approach would offset the effects of a functional structure. Customer advocacy had been imprinted on the company during its founding, when Cisco engineers were building customized products for end users with fairly idiosyncratic needs: â€Å"When we started, we made routers, which were basically software devices, and the sales people would literally go out, talk to the customer, the customer would say ‘I need this protocol,’ and they’d say, ‘We’ve got that.We’ll get the code to you in a week. ’ They would go back, tell the engineering guys that they had to develop it, and the engineers would do it,† said a senior manager. â€Å"That kind of stuff really sets the culture of the company; your job is to figure out what problem you are solving for the customer. And what you do everyday, setting up your activities, your tasks, your programs, your projects, your priorities, is in alignment with that notion of solving the customer’s problem.â € The goal was to try and preserve this customer-focused culture that had been engrained in Cisco ever since its founding. However, managers realized even at the time of the 2001 reorganization that maintaining the same level of customer focus would become increasingly difficult as Cisco grew larger in size. Because the reorganization threatened to push the company away from the customer and towards a more functional structure, Chambers knew that Cisco could not lose its customer-centricity.When asked in 2007 how Cisco was able to maintain its customer focus through the reorganization, he said, â€Å"[Customer focus] has been deeply embedded in our DNA since I came here almost seventeen years ago, and while I’m a very collaborative leader, there are certain aspects of our culture, our vision, our strategy, which are non-negotiable, and customer focus is one of them. † To ensure that this culture would not change, Cisco responded in various ways during the reorganiza tion.