Classical Sociology

Dustin Jones There were many social theorists from the period of the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This period of time is regarded as the period of the Enlightenment. A few of the major figures of this particular â€Å"movement† were Rene Descartes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Immanuel Kant. They altered the way in which the social world was viewed and helped pave the way for other classical social theorists to explain the individual’s role in society.Karl Marx, Alexis de Tocqueville, Henri De Saint-Simon, and Emile Durkheim are only the names of a few classical social theorists who set out to explore the role of an individual within society. These men believed that Reason, along with the application of a scientific approach, would be able to positively change the world and break through to a new form of power and authority. Although the ideas and theories of these men give rise to far greater advancement in sociological theory, there is a failure in intuiti on, and thus, a failure of the classical sociological element.The first section of this paper includes an explanation of classical sociology along with an overview of the theories associated with some of the greatest sociologists of this time. The next section of this paper explores reasons and explanations for the failure of classical social theory and interpretations to why before-mentioned theories were compromised. The final section of this paper summarizes some of the conclusions drawn about the failure of this particular ideology. I. Classical Sociology/Theories Explained Classical sociology includes the idea that people can change the course of history through developmental progress.The object of study was society itself. The development of modern, industrial, and capitalist societies was believed to have separated people from the traditional way of living. The explanations and theories derived from them were a way to correlate the new society with the structure, organization , and dynamics derived from the social world. One form of classical sociological theory attempts to establish a causal relationship for institutions while another form of sociological theory argues that the causal explanation for these institutions is not justifiable. The approach is not pertinent, but what is ertinent is classical sociology explains the interaction of individuals in society, and paves the way for advancement to an explanation of the contemporary world. On page 2 in Classical Sociological Theory: A Reader, Ian McIntosh states: â€Å"The more optimistic Enlightenment thinkers thought that Reason could guide a process of positive change in the world and individuals could influence the course of history in the name of ‘Progress’. Such ‘Progress’ could, it was hoped, free the individual from the yoke and shackles of traditional forms of power and authority- embodied by religion and the myriad ties of feudal obligation. Karl Marx was one of the se great social thinkers who explains society in terms of social class and the material of the worker. He felt there was great conflict between the capitalists and the working class. The term capitalist is synonymous with the bourgeoisie: these were the people who controlled the land, the factories, and sought the most interest in personal gain. He believed that the value of anything is basically the amount of labor which it takes to produce it. In this way, he felt that profit can only be made by any surplus after the amount of labor it takes to feed, clothe, and shelter a man is produced.From this theory, he believed in the exploitation of labor. He believed that with the rise of industrialization, profits would actually fall because each industry is trying to keep up with the next guy: the cost manufacturers make for machinery goes up while what is being produced drops. Karl Marx also gives a fairly detailed description of the fall of capitalism. He believed that the downfall of capitalism was inevitable. Over time, the decline in the rate of profit would be one of the factors contributing to the downfall of capitalism.The idea is that the productive tools used for industrialization are badly utilized when workers are unemployed and goods produced are no longer meeting effective demands. Capitalism begins to move toward a huge industrial monopoly (Collins, Makowsky, p. 37). This affects the smaller capitalists who are forced to join the proletariat. The unemployment keeps high competition for jobs while those who are looking for change become more and more agitated. He believed that the economy would reach a point where the only obstacle standing in the way is a revolt within the working class and the initialization of socialism.Alexis de Tocqueville, also known as the Last Gentleman, also believed in the working class as a great supporter for the economy, and found much inspiration for the establishment of democracy after his visit to the United States. He was a great pessimist of his time and did not much believe in progress, which is exactly what other sociologists were aiming for in their research. He was one of the first foreigners to recognize the American project for a better life: freedom. He saw the coming of democracy as more than just a social or economic development; he thought that God had his hand in giving democracy to the people.One of the first things that stood out to Alexis de Tocqueville upon his arrival to the United States is the display of equality. One example in this display of equality which he noticed is that the relationship between the employer and the employee was strikingly different. In France, where Tocqueville is from, this type of relationship could be compared to a master and his servant; but in the United States, he notices that the employee is actually under contract to share labor. He also noticed that there was a lack of the simulated bonds of property which he had been so accustomed to back hom e.In the United States, personal relationships were strengthened by bonds of personal affection. This is due to the fact that family members were no longer trying to control one another for the sake of keeping any sort of wealth and ownership within the family. People were allowed to make their own decisions and were free to fall in love with whomever they choose. On page 109, in his Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville states: â€Å"Here and there, in the midst of American society, you meet with men, full of fanatical and almost wild enthusiasm, which hardly exists in Europe. Emile Durkheim was someone who might say that crime in America is the glue with which people are held together. This is represented in his belief that crime helped to bring a society closer together. Meetings were held in which people would congregate to discuss the criminal activity of the community, thus enhancing the relationships within society. When a person is punished for his crime, then the rec ognition of that punishment is a reaffirmation of the law and helps to strengthen the bond of society.He also explains that criminal behavior can help to establish new ideas within a society and in turn, help that society to develop (Marsh, Gaynor, p. 97). Durkheim also came to the realization that all religions have sacred objects and that these sacred objects are a creation of society. If people pursue a high moral character by living up to the codes formed by these religions, this will reflect individualism as well as enhance social unity. II. Failure of Sociological Theories One of the major objections to Karl Marx’s ideology is the criticism brought forth to his labor theory of value.According to John R. Pottenger, in The Political Theory of Liberation Theology: Toward a Reconvergence of Social Values and Social Science, he believes that within the labor theory of value, assumptions based on values must be â€Å"purged† in order to create an objective perspective of social science, but since valued are not able to be â€Å"purged†, as he states, then this particular theory is open to speculation. Once mankind developed an industry strong enough which required the use of machines and tools to produce profit, Marx did not make any distinction between the idea of capital and labor.The use of machines was actually operated by the labor force and was not meant to replace the labor force, but they helped in establishing more wealth. Another problem with which Karl Marx did not discern was his idea that the labor force would use the power of politics to overthrow capitalism and strengthen political gain. The working class actually uses the power of politics to cultivate and modify capitalism in a way which is better suited for society. With the improvement of technology, there came an increase in employment opportunities, thus creating more jobs and strengthening the working class as a whole.This only helped to solidify the establishment of a capitalistic society. One of the biggest problems with Marx’s ideology which supports the failure of classical sociological theory is he underestimated the role that he and his ideas play in shaping history. Through the observation of Marx’s ideology, it is where society finds that supply and demand makes much more sense and that democracy is the basis for a well-rounded economy. Alexis de Tocqueville is a great supporter for this democracy, but some of his ideas about equality were flawed.He used the word democracy as if it were synonymous with equality. In this way, he felt that there was much more equality in the United States than there really was. He did not understand the social classes which were introduced to him in the United States and believed that the middle class were the poor people. This gave him the perception that equality was more wide-spread than it really was. This correlates to the idea that no matter how deeply democracy is rooted within a socie ty, it is not able to help all of those in need.One of the biggest setbacks to Emile Durkheim’s theory for criminal activity is that crime creates constant tension between members of a society. Criminal activity is known to tear families apart, create havoc, and in some instances, is a focal point for the deterioration of a particular society. Also, an increase in crime rate can bring an increase of frightened civilians who live in that society. Although criminal activity is a normal part of society, as Durkheim would say it is, it does not undermine the fact that it brings about a kind of pain and suffering, a lower quality of life if you will.III. Conclusions The most prominent factor in establishing the paradoxical failure of classical sociological theory is the rise in information technology which has brought about a better global economy. (Haferkamp, p. 218) There has been an increase in the sharing of information along with a way to actually restructure the capitalist s ociety. Also, the social theories that have been attributed to this period of â€Å"Enlightenment† were substantiated by societal norms of a period of time that was considered to be modern.What is considered to be â€Å"modern† times has drastically changed between now and then, and as such, theories pertinent to that day and time are no longer relevant. Industry is booming, technology is far more advanced, criminal activity is on the rise, and what is considered to be societal norms is much different. Also, the application of these sociological theories to what was considered to be societal norms does not include any use of an experimental method for testing hypotheses. With an experimental method for conducting research, researchers are able to manipulate one variable while comparing its effects to a different constant variable.The problem with non-experimental methods for conducting research, as is the case for classical sociological theories, is that the hypotheses are difficult to prove, and if or when they are proven, it normally requires a long period of time. In correlation to this idea, the fact that these are â€Å"theories† suggests to the reader that they have not yet been proven, and with the lack of scientific experiential data, may never be proven. Another significant factor contributing to the failure of classical sociological theory is the success in social change in the 19th and 20th centuries.According to Melvyn Dubofsky, in The State and Labor in Modern America, he states that â€Å"reformers and working-class leaders stressed collective action, more individualistic forms of thought dominated national culture, institutions, and legal doctrines. † He goes on to describe the way in which workers began to unite and form collective revolutions for the advancement of class, race, or gender. This shift in social reform has strengthened individualism and accentuated the positive effects of capitalism where people have c ontinued to attribute failure to classical sociological theories. IV. SummaryClassical sociological theory helped to explain social change and structure of society which aided in the establishment of the contemporary world. Karl Marx’s prediction of the fall of capitalism failed to see its day due to the fact that the working class has used the structure of capitalism to better establish their place among society. When reflecting upon the ideas and works of Alexis de Tocqueville, it is understood that no matter how deeply ingrained capitalism might be within a particular society, there are those who do not reap the benefits capitalism attempts to offer for all people.One of the principle notions which stand out after reviewing some of the works by these classical sociologists is that their personal objectives and theories failed to be achieved. Capitalism has continued to flourish, the industrial revolution has come to an end, and a new era of technological advancement has da wned. Bibliography Collins, Randall, & Makowsky, Michael. (2005). The Discovery of Society. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Dasilva, Fabio B. , & Pressler, Charles A. (1996). Sociology and Interpretation: From Weber to Habermas.Albany, NY: New York State University of New York Press. Dubofsky, Melvyn. (1994). The State and Labor in Modern America. North Carolina: Chapel Hill University of North Carolina Press. Haferkamp, Hans. (1992). Social Change and Modernity. California: Berkeley University of California Press. Marsh, Ian, & Melville, Gaynor. (2006). Theories of Crime. New York: Taylor and Francis Routledge. McIntosh, Ian. (1997). Classical Sociological Theory: A Reader. Edinburgh, United Kingdom: Edinburgh University Press. Nielsen, Donald A. (1999).Three Faces of God: Society, Religion, and the Categories of Totality in the Philosophy of Emile Durkheim. New York: Albany State University of New York Press. Pines, Christopher L. (1993). Ideology and False Consciousness: Marx and His Historical Progenitors. Albany, NY: New York State University of New York Press. Pottenger, John R. (1989). The Political Theory of Liberation Theology: Toward a Reconvergence of Social Values and Social Science. New York: Albany State University of New York Press. Tocqueville, Alexis De. Democracy in America. (Book II). Champaign, IL: Project Gutenberg.

Ethics Case Study: Homeless Man Essay

Case Facts: We decided to discuss the case of the homeless man provided in the textbook. Here are the case facts: A homeless man attempted to save a woman that was being attacked in New York City. In the process he was stabbed. He was visibly bleeding on the sidewalk for over an hour, as people walked by, took pictures and stopped to look at him. One man shook him. No one attempted to help him, stay with him, or call emergency services. The homeless man died on the sidewalk. Obligations, Duties and Rights: After reading the initial facts of the case, we discussed the obligations, duties and rights all held by the passersby and viewers of the situation. They are as follows: Every passerby has the right to their personal safety and health, as well as the right to remain silent and anonymous. Given these undeniable rights, every passerby also has the moral duty and obligation to report a witnessed crime to the authorities. They also have the duty to work towards maintaining the safety and well-being of their community. Along with this duty, comes to obligation to support and protect the most vulnerable among this community. Consequences: Our group further discussed the implications of the situation and the associated consequences, both intended and unintended, positive and negative. Following are the consequences that could have occurred if the passersby had chosen to offer aid to the homeless man: First, the man’s life could have been saved. Another outcome would be the finding and persecution of the criminal. Another, would be setting a positive example for the community, in turn promoting the safety of the community as a whole. Another positive consequence could be acting as a catalyst for future laws to be enacted aiding the community. Finally, a positive outcome from helping the homeless man would leave the passersby with altruistic emotions. Negative consequences that could result from refusing to aid the homeless man would include: The homeless man dies and the criminal escapes, potentially continuing to harm more members of the community. Another consequence includes the public losing a sense of security as well as the passersby having the uneasiness and uncertainty of not knowing the outcome of the situation if they chose to walk away before his death. Finally, if the passerby chose to walk away, they face the negative consequence of feeling of regret upon denying their personal morals and obligations. Moral Ideals: Having analyzed the facts, obligations and consequences of the case, the moral ideals that we have extrapolated are: Justice, integrity, loving kindness, and courage. Justice, â€Å"denoting the evaluation of situations according to their merits, fairly and without prejudice, as well as giving each person his or her due.† The best way to carry out justice in this situation would have been to ensure that the criminal was found and prosecuted, and protecting the life of the homeless man. Integrity, the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles regardless of who is watching, is the second moral principle that we have decided best relates to this case. If the passerby had acted with integrity, he/she would have opted to stay with or somehow help the homeless man to insure that his life was saved as opposed to denying their moral obligation in walking away and choosing to ignore the situation. The next moral principle is Loving kindness, â€Å"doing unto others as you would have them do unto you,† or simply the Golden Rule. If the passersby had showed loving kindness, they would have felt empathy towards the homeless man as a fellow human being and would have ensured that he received aid, as they would have wished someone do for them if their roles were reversed. The final moral ideal that we felt most applied to this case was courage, â€Å"consisting only in conquering fear and in withholding the body from flight no matter what the risk of pain. We felt that this moral ideal applied to the case, as it would require the passersby to ignore their rights to safety as humans and allow their obligations to aid the man override their sense of fear and insecurity. If the passerby had maintained this ideal of courage, they would have approached the homeless man and helped to save his life.

How to Write the Pomona College Essays 2018-2019

As one of the five colleges in the Claremont College system , Pomona is often considered as one of the best liberal arts colleges in the country. It boasts a tight-knit community of diverse students both in their background as well as academic interests. Additionally, as a Claremont College, students at Pomona are able to access the resources of the other colleges in the system to expand their undergrad experience. Wherever your interests lie, you can be sure that you will be able to forge your own path at Pomona College . For the class of 2022, only 6.9% of applicants were accepted, making it the most selective year of the school’s history. With so many applicants that apply, having a strong essay that really sets you apart from other students is vital to a successful application. In our guide, we will walk you through all of the supplemental essays offered for this cycle and give you suggestions for how you can approach answering each one. Read on to learn more about how to write a great essay! Before you dive into answering this question, remember that you are only given a 50 word limit. As such, you are not being asked to write another deep piece about your childhood or an issue that matters to you— you should have already covered such topics in your Common Application . Instead, use this space to be straightforward and direct. Perhaps you have a hobby that wasn’t really explored yet or a quirk that all your friends have come to identify you with. Whatever it is that makes you the person you are, this is the space to put it into the spotlight. In terms of formatting, due to the limited space, you may not have enough time to really go into an explanation about what this topic is or give much background. As an alternative, you can answer the prompt in the form of a list or short action-packed sentences. For example, if you love to solve hands-on puzzles like the Rubik’s cube, then you may write something like: It’s one in the morning. Under the luminescent glow of my lamp, my hands are moving furiously. Finally, I glance at the stopwatch and slam the object onto the table. Twenty-five seconds. My new record. The completed Rubik’s cube stares back at me, beckoning me to solve it once more. The â€Å"essay† doesn’t necessarily need to have a resolution like your other essays might, but it allows you to give the reader a small glance into your world and to show them what is important to you simply because it just is. This essay is the classic â€Å"Why Major† essay. If you already have an idea of what major you are interested in, then this is the space for you to explain all the reasons that this specific academic field excites you! That being said, it’s easy for people to fall into the trap where they then spend too much time explaining the nuances of the field and why it is cool in general instead of focusing on why they like it personally . For example, you may be interested in chemistry because the labs are exciting and you like knowing the building blocks of life. While those may both be true, using this reason to justify your choice doesn’t give the admissions counsel any more insight as to why you would choose chemistry over biology. The point is, you need to show that you have actively engaged with the major you have selected, and understand enough of the nuances in the field to make your informed decision. A better response to the chemistry example would be: I am currently interested in learning more about the human body at the cellular level, but in order to gain a full appreciation of the cell, I will also need a good grasp of the physics at play. As the central science, chemistry will allow me to build those connections between the two science disciplines and as a result help me become a better versed researcher. Remember that every essay you write should always circle back to you in some way, and â€Å"Why Major† essays are no different. Some questions to help get you thinking about your response are listed below. 1)   Ã‚  Ã‚  What is your earliest memory of interacting with this subject? 2)   Ã‚  Ã‚  When you are engrossed in this subject, what kind of feelings are evoked? 3)   Ã‚  Ã‚  What have you already done up to this point to pursue your interest in this subject? 4)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Where do you see this subject playing into your life after graduating college? You may choose to answer one or all of the questions listed above, but take them more as prompting guidelines. You can definitely answer this question in a more straightforward manner, but you may also choose to convey your passion for a major in a more anecdotal manner. For those of you who have no idea what to choose, no worries! Colleges are well aware that declaring a major is a huge decision, and it’s very common to see students switching majors even in their Junior year. What Pomona is really looking for in this essay is to see if you have an academic passion. After all, this is a school widely known for the rigor of their classes, so they want to fill up the classroom with students who are driven and curious about the world around them. If you are undecided, you should still choose at least two or three subjects that you are vaguely interested in, and talk about why those fields have been of interest to you in the past. You may want to use these examples more as a way to show off your curious side, and talk about what kind of learner you are. Who knows, perhaps your reason for remaining undecided is simply because you have so many interests that you don’t want to confine yourself to one without getting a chance to explore what’s out there! That is a great sentiment which reveals both conviction in your decision as well as passion. Submit your essay and we’ll get back to you with helpful edits. Though this question asks about a location that is important to you, the trick is that you can actually make this essay about any topic that you want. As long as you can find a connection between the topic you want to write about and the location, you can use the latter as just a jumping off point. To begin, you want to figure out what â€Å"meaningful† means to you. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the first place you think of, but it should be a place where some sort of transition happened. Perhaps you will talk about the trunk of your family’s pickup truck because that is where your mom showed you how to find constellations, thus sparking your continued interest in astronomy. Or maybe you will talk about the soup kitchen that you dedicated your weekends to because your acts of service have led you to become very passionate about social work and gain a deeper appreciation for the opportunities you have in your own life. Whatever you choose, whether that location hold an academic connection or a more personal one, the important part is that you not only describe the place and why it is important initially, but also how you have changed as a result. Think of this essay as one that needs to answer three questions. 1)   Ã‚  Ã‚  What were you like before you formed a connection with this location? 2)   Ã‚  Ã‚  What happened with this location that makes it so special to you? 3)   Ã‚  Ã‚  After your interactions with this location, what have you learned/taken away? If you chose a fictional place, the same three questions apply. Just be careful that you aren’t using too much space providing background for the piece of literature your location comes from. For example, if you write about Hogwarts, the admissions committee don’t want to read a simplified history of Harry’s life. Instead, they want to see what your personal connections with this school of magic is. If you find yourself needing to provide a lot of supplementary information, then what you are actually writing about is a piece of fiction that has shaped you in a meaningful way. First, let’s decode the first three adjectives. Eager in this context can be conflated with driven, thoughtful with aware, and reverent with respectful. While there may be other words that these three adjectives can be synonymous with, the basic idea is that you should avoid listing the qualities of â€Å"driven, aware, and respectful†Ã¢â‚¬â€words that are often overused anyways. Instead, forget about trying to find a quality that can encompass a whole campus of individuals and is very grandiose. Focus on yourself and the people that you look up to most in your life. What are the reasons that you surround yourself with their company? What is something about them that inspires you? The word that comes to mind may not always seem significant, but choosing the fourth adjective is only the first part of conquering this essay. The more important part is your explanation as to why you value this specific trait. When you explain your reasoning, any word that you choose will become important. For example, maybe your fondest memories of your friend group are the weekly Wednesday night study sessions that always end up as a karaoke session. You love your friends because they know how to be goofy even during stressful times, and show you that there is more to life than studying for the next exam. You might also think of your grandfather’s stubbornness in always doing what feels right to him. Many people tend to shy away from the word â€Å"stubborn† like the plague, but the word does not always have to carry negative connotations. Stubbornness can mean believing in doing the right thing despite what the majority of others believe, or even a confidence in one’s own abilities. As mentioned before, any adjective you choose can be used to make a statement about who you are and what you believe in, but with this essay it is so important to be genuine. The reasons you provide in the answer will generally be very personal, so the more truthful you are the stronger your essay will be. Depending on how you choose to interpret the word â€Å"tragedy†, this essay could be a great piece for someone who wants to write a more light-hearted piece. You can use tragedy ironically, or as an over-exaggeration. For example, you could talk about a Halloween where you ate your entire haul in a single weekend and ended up with two painful cavities. You can use this seemingly mundane event to launch into a piece about your self-control and how you have been able to improve on it dramatically over the years. As a more serious example, you could also talk about a time when you let a great opportunity pass you by because you didn’t think you were eligible only to find out that it was well within your reach. While you are sharing a slip-up in this version, it is still a powerful example to use because you can use it to convey that since that time, you are now a very proactive individual and actively seeks out ways to use the resources available to your advantage. As with the first option of prompt 3, this essay is about your growth as an individual surrounding a specific â€Å"tragedy†. Thus, the instance you choose should only be the turning point, and not the whole essay. Once you find your instance, the next step is to figure out what you have learned from it. As you write your Pomona supplements, remember that they should always be working together to reveal more facets of yourself. Think about what message you really want to deliver to the admission committee, and as you read through what you have written, ask yourself if those messages are coming through. Sometimes, it may even be helpful to find a neutral party to read through your responses and tell you’re their impressions. We wish you the best of luck in your writing, as well as the rest of your process! Want help on your Pomona application or essays? Learn about our College Apps Program. Want us to quickly edit your college essay? Submit it to our Rapid Review Program , and we’ll get it back to you quickly with comments from our expert team.

Strategic Marketing Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Strategic Marketing Case Study - Essay Example However, at this stage, other brands, especially those from overseas countries, are in a comfortable position in the market, thereby, posing a challenge to them. Thus, it appears that the time is ripe for the company to transform its product to meet the needs of the market. Obesity is a central focus for countries across the globe as a major public health concern in the present day and, therefore, shifting their market orientation to low-carbohydrate from premium is likely to benefit Fosters to a great extent in attaining higher market share for their product. Earlier when they marketed Pure Blonde, Fosters have focused on the premium quality of the product because the need of the hour has been answering the quest of a specific segment of consumers that have suddenly attained economic prosperity. What this segment has craved at that time has been a product that meets their distinct identity as a class of its own. Fosters have quickly recognized and responded to this expectation. Howe ver, at this stage, when other brands are commanding a better position with the premium concept, Pure Blonde needs to attract more customers by projecting their advantage as a low-carbohydrate product. This will definitely draw more people to consume their product and they can enhance their market share by deploying this strategy. On the other hand, this will preclude them from being considered as a brand focused on premium quality, which may entail the loss of some loyal customers. However, by the end of the day what matters is expanding the customer base and, in this context, an orientation towards the low carbohydrate aspect is a better option for the company to increase their sales. Discussion Question 2: Customer Profile for Female Consumers of Pure Blonde in 2013: Falls within the age group of 20 – 40 years Employed in good position and/or upwardly mobile family Cares ardently for appearances and remains obsessed with fat, sugar and carbohydrate contents of food intake Considers herself as part of the class with the right perspectives Will remain on a diet and conscientiously checks carbohydrate content in food and beverages Will rather avoid a ‘risky’ beer than enjoying it for other attributes and happily forgo a beer to save calories Will socialize with friends as well as spend time in bars, pubs or restaurants Consumes alcohol at home, with friends during lunch or dinner In the present day, the females go to extent in their bid to reduce body weight and attain slimness. Therefore, the primary concern of this segment of customers is the low carbohydrate content and they will definitely expect the product to be of a high quality. The product already enjoys a reputation for its quality and unique taste. However, it will have to add some feature that will be attractive to females and promote this aspect. Discussion Question 3: Pure Blonde’s previous success has come from the fact that they recognized the market potential at that time and modulated their product according to the market needs. Similarly, they have do rethink their strategy now and modify the product accordingly. The current marketing strategy of the company needs to focus on the product’s appeal as a low carbohydrate beer. Therefore, I would suggest the marketing director to align future marketing campaigns

Sustainability and Transational Business Ethics Essay

Sustainability and Transational Business Ethics - Essay Example As a matter of fact, it is as a direct result of global concern over enhanced pollution that this term is becoming more and more relevant. (1) In fact, it was the US and the UK, with their norms of environmentalism, who were the pioneers, with regard to adherence to principles of sustainable development. This term (sustainable development) emphatically states that issues of environment are a highly important part of all cultural, social and economic interactions. The all-important aspect of sustainable development maintains that, manner of production and consumption needs to be modified. This is to make sure that environmental norms are not compromised upon. Likewise, it is equally essential that there is a change in the pattern of all cultural, social and economic relationships, lest the requirements of sustainable development are unmet. ... (1) Globalization and sustainability – Review of Literature and Other Studies It would now very much be appropriate to be succinctly reviewing some literature and researches, which emphasize on the fact that sustainability is indeed a vital element in the contemporary business ethics. In the book â€Å"Business Ethics: Managing Corporate Citizenship and Sustainability in the age of Globalization† the authors Andrew Crane and Dirk Matten elaborate on the vital aspects of sustainability, corporate citizenship and globalization. The book comprehensively enumerates on business ethics, from the point of view of globalization. Using some real instances as the basis, the authors argue that the modern-day business ethics do have sustainability as their integral feature. By highlighting things such as Middle East military companies and the UK’s sector of Islamic Finance, the authors stress that present-day business ethics are strongly linked with globalization. In fact, t his book provides details of several key topics like water, climate change and social enterprise, to cite a few. Crane and Matten also speak about the necessity of being an ideal corporate citizen, as well as the pattern in which this can be achieved. (2) The work â€Å"The Oxford Handbook of Corporate Social Responsibility†, which has been penned down by Andrew Crane, Abagail McWilliams, Dirk Matten, Jeremy Moon and Donald S. Siegel, includes several essays on the crucial topic of corporate social responsibility. These essays throw light on the fact that the definition of this term (corporate social responsibility) has undergone a drastic change, on account of globalization. Corporate organizations are now entailed to aptly address several social

Summary Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 10

Summary - Research Paper Example During those days, Nike had taken a top-down approach to ensure that their products reach to the targeted people through the use of famous sports people and endorsements that were thought to influence their fans to start using the Nike products (Scott). A couple of years back, Nike started experiencing problems with the old marketing strategy of using celebrity sport people as they were subject to scandals that impacted poorly on the company’s sale. Hence, as a new marketing strategy, Nike company opted to go digital and invest heavily in marketing through social media as it involved more word of mouth together with marketing (Panos). Nike managed to create a fan base through a couple of social Medias and get followed who were constantly kept updated with the latest advancements in Nike products. Panos. "Why Nikes Buzz Marketing Strategy Is Riskier Than Red Bulls." 18 September 2012. Forbes.com. 23 April 2014

Research Final Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Research Final Project - Essay Example The sampling technique used in this research is simple sampling. This helps in random collection of samples leading to impartial conclusion as it is easy. On the other hand, the research design used various data techniques such interviews, tape recording and internet sources to determine a number of issues. For instance, the citizens affected by crimes perpetrated by the immigrants and the number of illegal immigrants in the country. Illegal Immigrants and Crime Introduction The problem of illegal immigrants in the US has continued to pose a threat to its citizens in terms of many factors. These include scrambling for scarce resources and engaging in various crimes. For instance, these immigrants engage in murderous activities, robberies, burglaries, and even rape cases. These people who do not have adequate protection of the American law also scramble for the limited hospital services, public schools and the strained local budget. For instance, during the 2007 findings involving the crime rate of the illegal immigrants, it was found that out of 100 cases, 73 illegal immigrants had a chance of repeating a crime. Different reports also say that illegal immigrants who had been previously jailed can easily get back to jail (Pollock, 2011). Hypothesis H1: Illegal immigrants are the main cause of rising crime in most states of America. H2: The law is to wholly blame for the influx of illegal immigrants in America who compete for the limited resources in the US and resort to crime. Core objective The core objective of this research will be to determine if there is a link between rising crimes in most American neighborhoods with the increase of illegal immigrants. Specific Objectives 1. To determine the presence of crimes in different neighborhoods in America. 2. To determine the rate of these crimes. 3. To evaluate the number of illegal immigrants infiltrating into the country. 4. To determine the link between a relaxed police system at the border and the rise of ill egal immigrants who commit crimes. Limitations To accurately measure the rate of crimes among illegal immigrants is a challenging due to their secretive identities. This is because most of these immigrants do not report anything to the police. Another problem is the integrity of the officers at the border system. Some of them illegally smuggle immigrants into the country hence complicating the real number of illegal immigrants. Independent and dependent variables The independent variable in this paper is the rise of illegal immigrants in the US. Alternatively, the dependent variable is the rate of hate crimes among these illegal immigrants in the US. Background and Literature Review Crime experts and sociologists define hate crime as a felony that has a motivation from racial, prejudice or sexual drives and it is associated with acts of violence. These crimes have been mostly perpetrated by illegal immigrants who enter into the country through various borders in Texas, Mexico, Calif ornia and other porous border points (Maxfield, Michael & Earl 2006). These people are known to bully, harass, intimidate and apply other forms of hate crimes that have adverse effects on their victims. These include physical and psychological pains that interfere with the basic rights of the victim. According to Rivera, the existence of illegal immigr

GE-Two -Decade Transformation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

GE-Two -Decade Transformation - Case Study Example However, the company has in the past encountered severe challenges before attaining its current global position. In the late 20th century, the company encountered challenges which threatened its operations and stability. This paper will examine GE, discussing strategies employed by the company’s management in the wake of severe challenges. Welch’s Challenge in 1981 In the year 1981, when Welch took over management of GE from Jones, the company experienced numerous of hardships that threatened its existence. In 1981, the US economy suffered serious recession, which meant that banks lent money at unbelievably high interest rates. The high interest rates were especially disadvantageous to companies such as GE that required borrowed capital to sustain its business. In addition, the US dollar was quite strong at the time making GE’s international business operations quite unprofitable and unmanageable. The tough economic times experienced in the US also meant that GE had to lay off some of its employees and reduce hourly positions (O’Boyle, 1999). This put Welch and the company in a tough position, having to balance the company’s operations among the few remaining employees. Moreover, GE faced serious competition, particularly from Japanese companies. Global competitors had significant competitive advantages over GE as their nations of domicile were free of economic crisis like the US. However, despite the immense challenges, Welch was able to take charge of the company rather effectively through the adoption of numerous strategies. Welch first adopted the number one or two, fix, sell or close strategy that required all GE’s business units to be leaders in their respective industries or face closure. This strategy was effective in eliminating unproductive units of GE and strengthening the remaining units, which became leaders in their industries. The closure and sale of unproductive units provided necessary capital for produ ctive units to strengthen their operations. Welch’s strategy was effectual as it freed capital for strategic investments, which enhanced the company’s bottom line performance (Slater, 1998). Welch’s Objectives and Initiatives When Welch became the CEO of GE in 1981, he established the new company objectives to leverage GE’s performance within the company’s diverse business portfolio. In order to do this, Welch required all company employees to become â€Å"better than the best† in their positions and responsibilities (O’Boyle, 1999). In order to ensure the company achieved Welch’s objectives, the CEO initiated a series of strategies between the late 1980s and early 1990s. These initiatives centered on the spectrum of achieving organizational change through restructuring its staffing, layering and size. Through the adoption of the initiatives and strategic change, GE was able to achieve substantial competitive advantage within i ts markets. Welch’s initiatives were able to revitalize the company’s operations, bolster its image, and achieve massive profit margins. Welch streamlined the company’s staffing, especially in the company’s planning unit to ensure GE was lean and agile. The logic behind Welch’s de-staffing initiative centered on the notion that company or unit productivity does not rely on the number of staff in the unit, but rather the value each staff adds to the unit or company. Welch sought to instill the culture of strength in value addition

Organizational Theory Design and Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Organizational Theory Design and Change - Essay Example This will improve the quality of the decision making as the interests of all stakeholders are considered and hence all aspects of business have been taken into account during decision making. But if there is power imbalance among the stakeholders then the decision making may be influenced by stakeholders with greater power and the interests of the other stakeholders will be jeopardized. The quality of the decision making and in turn the overall interest of the organization is compromised when there is an imbalance of power among the various groups of organizational stakeholders. Organizational politics can have positive as well as negative impact on an organization. Therefore to manage and gain benefits from organizational politics, it is essential to ensure that there is balance of power among the various stakeholder groups in an organization. Balance of power will lead to alternate views and solutions to various organizational problems form various quarters of the organization. The refore balance of power among various organizational stakeholder groups is vital for the overall success of the organization (Jones, 2009). Works Cited Jones, G. (2009). Organizational Theory Design and Change. NJ: Prentice Hall. Print

The Negative Impacts of Credential Inflation Essay Example for Free

The Negative Impacts of Credential Inflation Essay The Negative Impacts of Credential Inflation A market that is flooded with credential laden workers vying for a small number of jobs could tip the economy into a recession (Collins, 2002). This idea put forth by Collins seems prophetic when the current state of the economy is taken into account, and brings to light an underlying additional cause of the slow recovery being witnessed in the job market, credential inflation. This is the process by which educational or academic credentials lose value over time, partnered with lowered expectations of holding a degree in the job market. Credential inflation is increasing rapidly, causing larger debt among the workforce due to over-schooling, leaving college educated individuals with fewer jobs upon graduation, and resulting in employers requiring degrees for jobs where they were once not needed. This weakening of the belief in credentials has been a persistent trend in the last century in higher education, and has come to the forefront in recent decades due to technical job refinement, making its mark upon the job market as well. As students take on higher amounts of student loan debt because of the perceived advantages a degree warrants, the economic burden upon younger generations increases. Even with degrees in hand, students after graduation are continuing to find less well paying jobs that require a bachelors degree. More and more individuals are faced with the choice to gain additional education and incur more debt, or settle for a lower paying job and remain in student loan debt longer. Employers that at one time required high school diplomas now only hire individuals with bachelor’s or even graduate degrees. If this is the direction America’s economic and educational culture is heading without pause and reflections of outcome, than a resulting catastrophe is not just chance, but a real probability. The growth in credential inflation over the last twenty years, has accelerated, and when a moment is reached where higher education is commonplace, it becomes a vicious contest to receive the most amount of credentialing possible If a degree is seen as influential, and is depended upon to get the same jobs as previous non-degree holders, it follows that more education and a degree would benefit the individual in the future. Many studies show this ever increasing trend of the acquisition of higher education. In an analysis by The National Center for Educational Statistics (â€Å"Fast Facts,† 2011) on enrollment numbers in secondary education, † he percentage increase in the number of students age 25 and over has been larger than the percentage increase in the number of younger students, and this pattern is expected to continue. † The students in the 25 and over group between 2000 and 2009 saw an increase of 43 percent and in the next nine years can expect another 23 percent increase in college enrollment. This prevailing situation is compounded by the fact the more of the total population are seeking degrees, and that job creation has stagnated (NECS, â€Å"Fast Facts,† 2011). With an ever increasing number of degree holders entering the workforce with higher credentials, the number of actual jobs available to a credentialed workers declines. The prevailing thought is that an increase in education coupled with higher job entry requirements is necessary, because of heightened job complexity. Contrary to this is that, there is no evidence that the more educated the worker is, the more competent they will be (Collins, 1979). Brown’s argument is that students may simply be getting degrees to increase their chances of landing a job, rather than gaining the expertise, through a degree program, to do the job (2004). The evidence for this rears its ugly head, when degrees are fabricated by individuals to simply gain entrance into a job; a job they would not get without the proper credentials. Experts agree that credential inflation will continue, and the trend that started in the early Eighties and has increased ever since, is now the prevailing norm. Collins, states in his â€Å"Credentials Inflation and the Future of Universities†, that it could continue to increase, and in the future we will have a socialized system supporting education(2002). The expansion of credential inflation as an enduring trend cannot be denied, and the impacts upon the people and institutions influenced are threefold. The debt incurred by students upon graduation, is greater now then ever before. With increasing costs of higher education, compiled with the necessity of a degree to enter the workforce, recent students upon graduation are heavily laden with student load debt that vastly outweighs the debts incurred by the generations that preceded them. This debt, for the student, can be crippling personally, but is also a burden for the country. Collins (2002) writes that economic hardship because of the system, and its negative feedback loop, have become very expensive, both for the individual and for the nation. With student loan debt estimated at over a trillion dollars in the United States, it has surpassed even credit card debt. The average student leaving college after graduation possesses $25,000 in debt, and their parents an average of $34,000, with parental loaning up 75 percent since 2006 ( â€Å"Fast Facts,† 2011). Also reported is an 81 percent jump in people looking for student loan debt relief, for which there is little help. Devoting too much money and time to further education, seems to be digging a hole that people cannot pull themselves out of financially, and the resulting credentials one gains, are no longer the sure fire way to a successful career. A degree is not the guarantee of economic security it once was, and the amount in salaries among those with a higher level of education is less proportionate than those without, now more than in the past. This prevailing notion that an individuals success in their careers over the coarse of their lives hinge upon the certificates of school achievement, is part of what drives the whole process of credential inflation. A statistic on the rate of return of a degree holder over their life is of little consequence to those graduates who can’t find a job now. Put simply, if education is worth less, people are less likely to invest in it (Van de Werfhorst, Andersen, 2005), but the counter is also true. When education is seen as being worth more, people are more likely to invest in it. Whether or not this â€Å"being worth more† is true, the perception that one will indeed garner a higher wage as an outcome, is the prevailing notion at the present, and continues to drive up enrollment in secondary education. If achievement in finding a job and ultimate financial success revolves around education, and the cost increase becomes unbearable for the non-affluent, only the rich will have the availability to outpace credential inflation. As students in secondary education graduate from college at a faster and aster rate, they continue to find an ever decreasing amount of jobs available to them after graduation. The high school diploma, which once carried with it the credentials to secure a decent paying job, now has become a stepping stone to getting into college, and itself not used as a credential for jobs at all. Indeed, only 10 percent of the population in the United States does not carry a high school diploma. A market saturated with a certain credential sees that credential as a necessary step, but ultimately worthless. Is this the road a college degree is headed down, a worthless piece of paper that has strapped the holder with a debt they cannot pay back? As more people earn more degrees or educational levels increase, the inherent properties of that degree are proportionally lower. Not everyone who holds a similar certification will receive the same level of job. Take for example, if jobs for a hundred teachers holding bachelor’s degrees were needed, it stands to reason only a hundred people will receive jobs. Let’s say one hundred and fifty individuals receive teaching degrees, only one hundred of those will get hired. Competition among applicants will surely follow, and only people who can show they are above the fray will win out. To be successful in getting hired, many will invest in further education, and go on to earn a Master’s in Education. With this newly awarded credential in hand, they will then be able to apply with a considerable asset, which puts them ahead of those applicants with only the minimal job requirements. Incrementally, the Master’s graduates will obtain more of the jobs, while the displaced fifty will try to gain a foothold by earning their own Master’s degrees. The end result of this sequence of events is that every job, over time, will require a Master’s degree, as there will be no reason to hire a person who has a bachelor’s, if an over abundance of Master’s degree holding individuals are available. As credential inflation marches on, even MBA’s will find it harder to find jobs because of increasing job market saturation by like minded degree holders. Connolly states that the recent downturn of the economy has left fewer jobs upon graduation, and the salary premium for M. B. A. ’s has also taken a hit (2003). There are two opposing schools of thought that have tried to explain the recent upturn in educational expansion among the work force seen in recent years. Human capital theorists state that the growing complexity in the workplace has caused the growth of those seeking higher education. Theorists of social exclusion counter that the expanding intensive competitiveness between rivaling job market participants has caused credential inflation (McLean, Rollwagen, 2010). Either way, credential inflation is moving forward and fewer jobs are becoming available to those with less education. As more individuals become â€Å"educated,† employers are pushed to expand initial job requirements, even in jobs where such requirements were never needed before. Taking a deeper look into this trend, Vaisey (2006, p. 835) states that, â€Å"Using the 1972-2002 General Social Survey, I find that the incidence of over-qualification has increased substantially † He also hypothesizes that workers who have more educational attainments than needed for their jobs will be less satisfied with their jobs. Kariya (2011), sees a similar pattern and adds that as countries aim for higher levels of education for their populations, there is a persistent trend in the global markets to find cheaper labor. Phillip Brown, a lecturer in Sociology at the University of Kent at Canterbury, agrees, showing that the acquisition of higher education and the thought that it leads to greater individual and national prosperity keeps it at the forefront of developed countries’ agendas in their quest for global relevance (1995). Countries are pushing citizens to further education, and like the United States, through financial aid programs, making the costs deferred to the future, while trying to secure credentials in the present. As costs for education go up along with an increasing education of the populace, a financial burden is attached to the individual to find a job to pay for such schooling. Unfortunately for these individuals, employers are looking for ways to find cheaper and cheaper labor, and not the reverse. Payroll being the number one controllable expense in a company, makes the ability to hire individuals with higher credentials at lower wages, because of credential inflation, optimal. If an overabundance of degree holders are available at lower wages, why would a company seek to hire less educated workers for the same cost? To save time and resources, companies will simply thin out the applicants by making a certain credentials necessary to even apply, no matter the job. The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides evidence that as a country the United States has produced too many degree holding graduates. The promise made to people about the success of those with a bachelor’s degree falls upon deaf ears when graduates find themselves employed where they could have gone without attending college at all. Not many graduates attended college with dreams of becoming a bartender or a bellhop, though statistics show both of these professions employ individuals with degrees in 16 percent and 17. 4 percent of their positions, respectively. As Brown, Lauder, and Ashton write in their book,. The global auction: The broken promises of education, jobs, and incomes,† even education alone will not be enough to escape unemployment, and individuals should weigh the costs and benefits of higher education carefully (2010). With credential inflation continuing on, we will see a time in the future where even the lowliest of jobs will be filled with college graduates. The future of credentialism paints a bleak picture for potential degree holders and future employees As credential inflation co ntinues to grow, its effects upon the debt of graduates and the amount of jobs available to them, has become more apparent.

Concepts Of The Underdevelopment And Dependencies Politics Essay

Concepts Of The Underdevelopment And Dependencies Politics Essay To explain the theory of Underdevelopment and Dependency, a distinction between what really constitutes development and underdevelopment is to be made for better understanding of the entire concept. This paper will therefore be started with a brief analysis of how globalization started and what impact it had on the world process both in domestic and international functioning of the countries. The analysis of globalization is important since the dependency theorists in a way see underdevelopment as an impact of globalization. The paper shall be proceeded with a distinction or rather an explanation of what development means and what underdevelopment stands for in a globalized context; and then move on with the debates on dependency and underdevelopment. Globalization as a process consists of change and transformation of the relationship shared by countries at the domestic and international level. Forming networks of processes and structures of governance, establishing interdependence among countries, globalization changed the very nature of governance; it created a borderless world, where the economic and political interests of countries got bound up. This process of globalization have through the years of economic engagement have let to the division of countries, consisting of the economically well off countries known as the developed countries and on the other hand a group of countries who still have not reached that level of economic prosperity known as the developing countries. Through the analysis of the social, political and economic activities that the developed and the developing countries engage in is seen to lead to underdevelopment. And globalization as understood as the globalization of capital, underdevelopment in turn is seen to be associated with the development of capitalism on a world scale. Studies on the issues of development, underdevelopment has been a consequence of the development of capitalism. In the contemporary globalized world, the countries that constitute the underdeveloped category are the ones referred to as the Third World, basically parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America. As globalization refers to changes and transformations, the Third World as underdeveloped connotes its backwardness, stagnation and therefore known as traditional societies 1 Globalization involves political, economic and social interaction of nations with each other. In terms of development, globalization offers assistance or a cooperative functioning of ins titutions between the so called developed and the developing nations. It is asserted that the interaction basically consists of involvement of external forces or agents which are really the agents of the developed nations, within the internal structure or dynamics of the developing nation. The motive for the involvement of such external forces is to help with the process of development of that region or nation. This in turn proves what has already been mentioned that the analysis of development and underdevelopment cannot be separated, such an involvement instead of fostering development leads to underdevelopment, which holds contradictory meanings. Underdevelopment is a distinctive historical process linked to the expansion of developing capitalism. (C. Furtado; 1964) Three phases mainly in the development of the underdeveloped structures, firstly, the development in Western Europe, characterized by pre-capitalist artisan economy and progressive absorption at a higher level of productivity of the factors released. Second phase, is the development of the European industrial economy. And the third phase was the expansion of this European Industrial Economy to other regions. Such an expansion was done through trade and also via encouragement to the regions to produce raw materials. Such production of raw materials was in order to feed the industries which would generate capital. Through this process of encouragement and interaction, the factors to be analyzed are the labor required, the level of real wages, the involvement of the capitalistic enterprise that involves itself in the development process of less developed regions do not itself guarantee development, labor employment is only given to a few and also wage is paid according to the living conditions in the country and not the amount of work done. The nature of the capitalist economy is generally viewed in terms of the role played by the entrepreneurial class. Bernstein, Henry, Underdevelopment and Development: The Third World Today. Introduction: Development and the Social Sciences. Pp.26. DEVELOPMENT AND UNDERDEVELOPMENT: To the dependency theorists, the process of globalization has created distinction between the countries into the developed and the underdeveloped countries. Though there is a category of countries that belong to neither of the category, though they play an important role in the global economy still they lack certain capacities which stops them from making it to the level of developed countries, and on the other hand they are doing better than most of the developing countries which keeps them above the level of the underdeveloped countries. To understand this situation, first an understanding of development is to be brought about. Development stands for changes in the society; progressive transformation of society. Development entails certain value judgments such as the desirability of overcoming malnutrition, poverty and disease which have adverse effects on human suffering; this is a sociological dimension of development. The social development is inseparable from economic development. And also there exists a difference in economic growth and development; the former is seen as a quantitative process, involving principally the extension of an already established structure of production, whereas development suggests qualitative changes, like the creation of new economic and non-economic structures. Globalization was considered a process that turned the very nature of governance in the world; with states no longer the center of analysis, market was also included as an important mechanism for facilitating the world economic process. Globalization was considered to be a facilitator of development by some and some considered globalization as the cause of underdevelopment. Both development and underdevelopment are seen as historical processes. There are various approaches to the study of development, of which modernization theory considers development to be a multidimensional process in which psychological, intellectual, demographic, social, economic and political changes are related one to another (Samuel P. Huntington) 2. Modernization theory also believes that political modernization involves assertion of the external sovereignty of the nation-state against transnational influences and the internal sovereignty of the national government against local and regional powers. Modernization theory shows a high inclination towards the state as having an important role in selecting the transnational influences, which even the dependency theorists assert. Globalization has brought about development, but the kind of development it has brought is capitalist development. This is what dependency theory is critical of; it believes that such a capitalist development has brought about a kind of unbalanced and un-integrated economy Sautter, Hermann, Underdevelopment through Isolationism? Dependency Theory in Retrospect. Intereconomics, July/August pp.184. characterized by the coexistence of a dynamic modern sector of production, typically export oriented and a traditional sector of subsistence agriculture inhibiting the development of the integral market. (C. Furtado) This modern sector is referred to the developed countries or the North as it is known, consisting of countries such as the United States, Europe and also Japan. Though Asia and Africa mostly come under developing countries, however Japan has established itself as a developed country thereby separating it from most of its Asian counterparts. And the traditional sector basically refers to the sectors where no or the least development has taken place. With this respect the third world countries are referred to as the traditional societies; traditional in respect of its backwardness in terms of economy and therefore the society. This backwardness of the third world was considered to be a result of the weak internal economic and non-economic structures of the countries, this was what modernization theory asserted and so this backwardness was expected to be diagnosed with the involvement of certain external forces like the involvement of powerful developed countries like United States and others. External forces were to involve themselves and assist the development in such developing countries. Globalization brought about a development of capitalism with its roots in the European countries which brought about industrial development which helped countries develop. So in order for a developing country to foster their own development, they were to look up to the developed countries for assistance. The principles of globalization interdependence, global interaction increased the flow of capital; goods fostered everything on international lines. Everything that was analyzed was done so on a wider level. As said by Leslie Sklair Globalization as a process involves the study of contemporary problems not at the level of individual states or its inter-national relations, but in terms of global processes, this shows that whatever goes on at the domestic level is bound to have an impact on other countries and anything happening outside will definitely impact upon the domestic processes of a country. This is what the dependency or the underdevelopment theorists were against. To them, this global process of interdependence and interaction has led to the exploitation of the poorer countries. UNDERDEVELOPMENT AND DEPENDENCY: The concept of underdevelopment and dependency are associated with the studying of the third world countries and this theory is concerned with the position of the third world countries in the global arena as developing or underdeveloped countries and the reason why it is so. They basically assert that in the name of development when developed countries through their market mechanisms get involved in the domestic or internal dynamics of the third world countries, it only gives impetus to underdevelopment and no development could be possible this way. There were two consequences of the globalization and its interdependence aspect: Firstly, to the dependency theorists, the interdependence among the countries have led to the division of countries mainly into the wealthy developed countries also known as the First World or the North and on the other hand there is the poorer countries known as the Third World Countries or the South, with wide economic disparities among them. And secondly they also assert that the interdependence criteria consist of exploitation of the poor by the rich developed countries thereby leading to the underdevelopment of the former. For the underdevelopment and dependency theorists (UDT), exploitation took up a prominent place in their analysis. For them there were two ways in which the dependence of the countries could lead to exploitation: direct and indirect exploitation. Direct exploitation referred to the open or covert transfer of profits by foreign investors in developing countries thereby decapitalizing them and indirect exploitation was related to the deterioration in terms of trade of developing countries and unequal exchange between developed and underdeveloped economies. Few names associated with the Underdevelopment and dependency theory are namely: Andre Gunder Frank, Paul Baran, Samir Amin, Theodore Dos Santos, Cardoso and Immanuel Wallerstein. There exists a division in the theories of dependency itself. Frank, Baran, Amin and Santos are more radical dependency theorist who asserted that dependency for development would only lead more to underdevelopment of the developing countries. On the other hand Cardoso and Wallerstein formed a second category of dependency theorist who consider that dependency and development can co-exist; i.e. for them dependency could be helpful in fostering development. To Theodore Dos Santos Dependency is a conditioning situation in which the economies of one group of countries are conditioned by the development and expansion of others. A relationship of interdependence between two or more economies when some countries expand through self-impulsion and others being in a dependent position can only expand as a reflection of the expansion of the dominant countries; which may have positive or negative effects on development Classical dependency theory and the new dependency theory share certain similarities, both the groups have third world development as their focus, both focus on national level analysis, and the key concept that they follow is the core, semi-periphery and the periphery. And both the groups imply that dependency is harmful to development. The core, semi-periphery and periphery are the model that the dependency theorists adopt in order to explain the development pattern and the underdeveloped condition of the third world countries. They mostly focus on the core and the periphery, where the core consists of the central forces of the economy i.e. the industrialized capitalist countries- the developed countries; and the periphery consists of the underdeveloped or undeveloped countries i.e. the third world countries. All these categorizations of the countries into the developed/developing, core/periphery, North/South and First World/Third World all relate to the categorization on countries based on their economic wealth and their capacity to generate such wealth. Thus the capacity to generate wealth is what the third world countries lack. However the interest with which the developed countries interfered in the affairs of the developing countries was because the developing countries had unscrupulous amount of resources and raw materials that lay unused and unexploited. The developed countries who already had achieved much in terms of development their resources and raw materials were depleted. So in terms of the involvement of the developed countries in developing countries it leads to underdevelopment. One result of globalization has been that the State no longer is seen as the only unit of analysis; contemporary issues are analyzed beyond what is national but as a transnational, across borders phenomenon and therefore in terms of a global process. So now the countries all over the world are to be seen as one Total system. Here what the dependency theorists assert is this total system gets divided into the core-periphery groups and so with increase in globalization process the core states become more dependent on the peripheral states for development and the position of the peripheral states become vulnerable and no development would be feasible since interdependence have led to a situation where an increase in the wealth of the first world could be brought about only when there would be a decrease in the wealth of the third world. So developing countries were at the losing end. MECHANISMS OF INVOLVEMENT: The emphasis shifted to the involvement of transnational corporations (TNCs) and multinational corporations (MNCs). These MNCs are firms of any nationality; partially or wholly owned or doing business in one or more country or economy. MNCs or TNCs are considered to be one of the mechanisms through which one country seems to get involved in the economy of another country; they are engaged in facilitating the movement of capital and production. These corporations are mostly headed by the developed countries. What the dependency theorists argued was that such involvement of TNCs were mainly under US, Japan and European countries and trade mainly went on among these economic powers. Globalization is seen to change the very nature of the state centric approach that existed earlier. The introduction of TNCs and also the social movements spread ideas about universal human rights, global environmental responsibility have reduced the emphasis on states as the main unit of analysis. On an economic level, with the introduction of TNCs, globalization has changed the very nature of global economy, the idea of a new global culture is what has emerged. Globalization has impacted on the local, national and regional economies. Two main focus of globalization researchers have been: first, the ways in which the transnational corporations (TNCs) have facilitated the globalization of capital and production. Second, the transformations in the global scope of particular types of TNCs, those who own and control the mass media which impacts upon the spread of ideas and particular patterns of consumption and a culture and ideology of consumerism at the global level. The TNCs have imm ense economic power, besides countries, the TNCs have come to be known as global economic power, for instance to name a few General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen, PepsiCo have more economic power at their disposal than the majority of the countries in the world.3 The impact of globalization is the reduction in the importance of the state and privatization of most sectors of the economy. The TNCs are not only headquartered in the first world countries but most TNCs have headquarters in the third world, such as the national oil companies of Brazil, India, Mexico, Taiwan and Venezuela. Sklair also points out that the TNCs mostly under the US, Japan do not always express national interests; they are more interested in the interests of those who own and control them. Two laws under which MNCs are said to function: first is the law of capitalism of increasing the firms size and scope and therefore creating hierarchies. Second is the law of uneven development. The size, mobility and power of the MNCs lead to exploitation in the name of development of the already developed powers. Such involvements of MNCs lead to the development of North and underdevelopment of South. The uneven development of North and South, MNCs have a role in maintaining this unequal status. Globalization for development is seen to be important however such globalizing process have very desirable and undesirable effects on countries and the latter is explained by the dependency theorists. Dependency theorists suggested many reforms that they felt would help facilitate the development process of the third world countries. One such changes and the most important reform proposed by them is the delinking of the developing or underdeveloped countries from the world market and the global system of economic exchange of capital and goods for development. They proposed to focus more on the internal dynamics and development rather than external factors. For development initially it was external factors and assistance from developed countries was what was focused on; however, now what the dependency theorists proposed was to become independent of such external help and assistance. They asserted that Sklair, Leslie, Competing Conceptions of Globalization, pp.146, Journal of World Systems Research,vol.2, Summer 1999, pp.143-163. the developing countries ought to be self-reliant, self-dependent for development. The core principle here is self-development. However delinking in this sense can be seen to be somewhat a complex notion, since globalization has increased interdependence in the world binding economic, social, political relations of the world together and so isolation from the world economic system would only give impetus to underdevelopment. The entire theory of dependency and underdevelopment is based on this principle of delinking. Andre Gunder Frank on speaking of the underdeveloped conditions of the third world countries also spoke of delinking from the world market to be important for a country to develop. He blamed external factors like historical colonialism for the underdeveloped status of the third world countries. The dependency theorists saw that globalization in a way strengthened colonialism, though different from the kind of colonialism that existed long time back, this colonialism was basically an economic criterion via which all other structures of the country would be taken over. However this assertion of colonialism leading to nothing but underdevelopment could be proved wrong if examples of Taiwan and South Korea are cited. Both countries followed independent development however they both still followed the strategy of world market. These two countries today stand on a different platform when compared to its other Asian counterparts. The reason not being a self-reliant development path, but bot h developed on the lines of its colonizer, Japan. The Japanese encouraged strategies like co-operative style organizations in rural areas and agricultural lands. Both Taiwan and South Korea heavily depended upon imports of capital goods. Both these countries were influenced by the Japanese occupation in the initial years after independence and after which United States played a dominant role in their development especially in that of South Korea. As such dependency in any way could not be avoided, maybe direct dependency could be however there still would be a kind of structural dependency that would be inevitable as seen with the case of Taiwan and South Korea. Another theorist of dependency is Samir Amin, who talks in terms of the core-periphery formula. The core as already mentioned refers to the group of autonomous developed states, however the periphery for Amin was not underdeveloped but for him it was an overdeveloped export sector which produced goods for feeding foreign industries rather than producing for themselves and stimulating regional development and growth. This leads to unequal exchanges which are also branded as a consequence of globalization which thereby leads to the domination of the poor countries by the rich countries. Dependence of the countries based on unequal exchanges has led to the richer countries getting richer and the poorer countries getting poorer. The raw materials of the developing countries are exploited in the name of development, with a kind of assurance that with the resources of the developing countries utilized in feeding the industries of the developed countries would in turn help the development o f the developing or the underdeveloped countries. Such dependency have led to a great disparity in terms of wealth and power and the obstacles which the developing countries faced has only led to a great reaction by the countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America against the dependency of their countries. The belief was that the underdevelopment of third world economies was caused by the predominance of the external influences transmitted to poor countries by the international capitalist system. Dependency theory emphasizes the international power relationships that underlie the functioning of the world economy. For them the internal inequalities and the misery was the impact of external factors. Therefore they turned their attention to internal barriers to change and development and trying to do away with the overreliance on external influences. Dependency theory is said to have through its approach made many leaders of the developing countries realize their strength and their weaknesses. Immanuel Wallerstein is one theorist of dependency who like Samir Amin explain the underdeveloped nature and the process of economic exchange that characterize the relation between and among the nations of the world according to the core-periphery formula. He belongs to the category of the new dependency theorists who not only looked at the interdependence and its impact in accordance to the economic perspective but also keep in mind the socio-political aspects. For Wallerstein, the world system was a world economy integrated through the market rather than a political center; in which two or more regions are interdependent with respect to necessities like food, fuel and protection; and two or more polities compete for domination without emergence of one single center forever (Gold frank)4 Wallerstein defined the world system as a multicultural territorial division of labor in which production and exchange of basic goods and raw materials is necessary for the everyday life of the inhabitants. The core-periphery according to him were geographically and culturally different, the former focusing on labor intensive and the other focusing on capital intensive production. It was a structural relationship, a structure of power hierarchy existed between them in which the powerful i.e. the core societies dominated and exploited the weaker or poorer countries. According to him, the semi-periphery states acted as a buffer zone between core and periphery, they were basically neutral states. India and Korea could be cited as an example of the semi-peripheral states. For Wallerstein, nation-states did not lose importance, for him the states were powerful elements within the system; in the core countries the states were used by class forces to pursue their interest. Two notions are basically involved in the world systems theory as propounded by Wallerstein, and these were the notion of imperialism and hegemony: the former referring to the domination of the weak peripheral regions by strong core states and the latter referring to Carlos A. Martinez-Vela, World Systems Theory, ESD.83, Fall 2001. the existence of one core state temporarily overpowering the rest. Therefore for Wallerstein, the global world system comprises of a global class struggle. Wallersteins world system is based on three important sources; the Annales school which focused on geo-ecological regions as units of analysis and paying attention to rural history and reliance on empirical materials. Second source of his theory was Marx; from Marx he understood the reality of social conflict, the dialectical sense of motion through conflict and contradiction. And the third source of the theory is dependency theory itself. As this theory helped in understanding the periphery by looking at the core-periphery relations and it is from this dependency theory that contemporary critiques to global capitalism has arisen. Global capitalism has also received criticism from the think global act local groups, they disrupt the capacity of TNCs and global financial institutions to accumulate private profits at the expense of their workforces, however economic globalization with their increased dispersal of the manufacturing process and their dependence on variety of forces have generated a different advantage for themselves. Globalizing capital has defeated labor and the global organizations like the TNCs and its allied globalizing government agencies and the World Bank have proved too powerful for the local organization of labor and communities. The powerful status of the TNCs mostly because it is run by the developed industrialized countries which possesses the capacity and the ability to generate capital generally seem to have control over the third world economy and society. Since the relation is guided by an international division of labor, the third world cannot escape the influence of the developed countries since even they depend on foreign capital for structuring their internal economy, interdependence causes a change in the international arena to impact upon the national arena and vice versa. So any delinking even if possible might just deprive the developing countries from the facilities that the foreign market could provide. From a certain aspect, the reform path of development as suggested by the underdevelopment and dependency theorists i.e. a change in focus from development towards outside to development towards the interior; referring to a focus on the internal dynamics of a country rather than focusing on the external forces could also prove to be complex. For delinking in such a way has not decreased dependency but has increased dependency since foreign currency was now used to purchase inputs for national industries which earlier were used for imported products for luxury consumption. Interdependence among national economies became dependence in case of underdeveloped countries and was subordinated to the power of those who control the world market and the most advanced techniques and means of production. Dependency theory can also be critiqued by using the idea of comparative advantage. Comparative advantage as we know refers to the utilization of the best available resources for producing good quality products at lower cost. As such when third world countries adopts the strategy of internal structures for utilizing its raw materials as a result of comparative advantage, still such third world countries after being subjected to decades of foreign power would hardly be able to work on its own since it would require a high degree of factor mobility, entrepreneurial vision and political stability which only the dominant colonial power would possess, therefore, there would still be a kind of dependency that would exist- this is termed as structural dependency; so complete isolation or delinking would not be possible.5 An inward looking strategy as proposed by the dependency theorists have been adopted by many developing countries but Burma has been cited as an extreme example by Hermann Sautter in the article Underdevelopment through isolationism? Dependency Theory in Retrospect. Burma restricted all forms of interaction with the outside world and kept it to the minimum. Burma turned everything into a state owned enterprise; private enterprises were limited, public ownership was increased. However in such a state of isolationism or protectionism what occurs is the export of primary goods declines. So rice being the main export of the country, in 1944/1945, its export declined, and export was restricted so Burmas agricultural sector experienced great loss. The agricultural sector was to supply their produce to the national government at lower prices rather than exporting it to other countries and generating much more capital. Therefore this shows that a policy of delinking or isolation pushes the s tatus of underdevelopment to a further extent. Dependency theories is seen to uphold the policy of protectionism, restricting the domestic market to the interior and refraining the outside market from participating in the internal dynamics of the developing countries. So definitely, a criticism of such a dependency theory has come from the proponents of free trade or free market policy. Peter Bauer and Martin Wolf were two such free trade theorists who were critical of the policy of isolation as proposed by the underdevelopment-dependency theorist (UDT). Bauer and Wolf suggested that the State owned enterprises and industries were more prone to corruption than privately owned enterprises since the former would not be obliged to the rules of economic and political sanctions that world economic systems offer in case of any mismanagement since in a globalized interdependent world a mismanagement in one country would definitely have effects on other interdependent country as well as such this interdependence could act as a check. Also the State led administration experienced high degree of mismanagement, corruption and wastage in the bureaucracy further limiting development like in Latin America Sautter, Hermann, Underdevelopment through Isolationism? Dependency Theory in Retrospect. Intereconomics, July/August pp.182. where the peoples movements led to the rise of military coups and this aligned with the US for benefits. Similarly in Burma, powerful military rulers grew into a state class who were very little inclined towards the interests and ne

Red Badge of Courage :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Red Badge of Courage takes place during the Civil war and begins with a soldier named Jim Conklin returning back to his regiment to inform them that they might go into battle any day now. The main character of the story Henry Fleming who was recently recruited in the 304th regiment begins to worry about how brave he really is since he has never really been in battle before. The main reason he joined the army was for the honor and glory that came after the battle but he never really analyzed what it took to gain all the glory and honor that he wanted to obtain.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The regiment marches for several days until they are finally faced with a real engagement by the enemy ( confederate soldiers). Henry is surrounded by his fellow union soldiers, so he begins to fire his gun as the other members of the regiments but ultimately he scared in the midst of battle. Eventually the union soldiers prevail over the confederate soldiers as the victors and begin to congratulate one another, shortly after Henry decides to take a nap. Henry is awaken by the sound of the confederate soldiers attacking his regiment and fear ceases him and causes him to run away from the battle. While walking across the fields Henry tries to reason with himself and convince himself that there was no way that his regiment could have won so he was right to run away and save himself, because staying would have been like committing suicide. After a while Henry encounters a commander talking to a general and overhears that his regiment was able to hold back the confed erate charge. This comment further depresses Henry but he still tries to console himself by holding on to the belief that all he did was preserve himself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shortly following that event Henry came across a group of wounded soldiers and decided to sneak into their line as an injured. He comes in contact with a proud soldier who talks about the courage of the soldiers in the army despite the injuries that he received which includes a bloody head and a broken arm. The wounded soldier goes on to ask Henry what kind of injuries has he acquired in battle; Henry frightened by the question hurries away toward the from of the line. Surprisingly Henry finds Jim Conklin in the line badly injured from the first battle that he endured.

Essay --

When operating a business it is essential that a business analyses where it stand in a market in the present moment as they are then able to grasp at possible enhancements which could be made in order to successfully improve their products or services. It is also important that a business is able keep up with today’s always changing laws and legislations which through the use of the information they are able to adjust to such changes. SWOT analysis is a method used by organisations to help them analysis, evaluate and take into account different factors within and outside the organisations which can have an influence on their product. SWOT stands for Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. It enables businesses to clearly form a logical point of view on a products marketing state. For instance using my business plan to re-launch the Zune I can see that the strength and weaknesses of the business would be factors that are internal such as cost production, quality and pricing. While the opportunities and threats would be the external relating to factors such as competitors, audience, trends and politics. The table below illustrates how SWOT would apply to my business plan: Strength (Internal) The strengths are the advantages that the company has which enable it to operate with little or no problems. In the case of Microsoft one advantage is that it has been in the market for a long time and has a wide experience in marketing. Its reputation is also another strength as it is a well known brand name therefore customers are more likely to prefer their products as they will expect a high quality product. The main strength that Microsoft has is its financial position since the company is worth billions of pounds, this will... ...control in the short-run a good example being minimum wage in the UK which the company has no control over, however the company can respond to that change by shifting its major operations in UK to a country like China where minimum wages are not as high compared to the UK wage regulations. That response would help reduce production cost. Boston matrix helped businesses in assessing when to invest largely in prolonging their products for example at a star category more funds are needed to remain in the market where both market share and market growth are at their peak. If not properly checked it could fall into the cow cash category. It is also found that the product life cycle concept assist businesses in knowing at what stage the product stands. Therefore the firm is able to know when to invest in order to extend product’s life or rather to avoid decline stage.

Smart House :: essays research papers

Smart House Some people think that it is difficult to find a relationship between home and computer. Usually people think that computer just using in a company and office. It is a misleading concept as we have a SMART HOUSE. The complete SMART HOUSE System has been available since early 1993. In a SMART HOUSE, people build a relationship between computer and home. The SMART HOUSE is a home management system that allows home owners to easily manage their daily lives by providing for a lifestyle that brings together security, energy management, entertainment, communications, and lighting features. So, the SMART HOUSE system is designed to be installed in a new house. Moreover, the system can be installed in a home undergoing reconstruction where walls have been completely exposed. The SMART HOUSE Consortium is investigating a number of different option to more easily install the SMART HOUSE system in an existing home. Moreover, the SMART HOUSE system has been packaged to satisfy any home buyer's needs and budget. The system appeals to a broad segment of new home buyers because of the diverse features and benefits it offers. These segments includes professionals, baby boomers in the move up markets, empty nesters, young middle- class, two - income families, the aging, and all who are energy conscious and technologically astute. Therefore, the SMART HOUSE system is suitable to install in new homes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Firstly, more saving can be gained when the SMART HOUSE System offers several energy management options that have the potential to reduce a home owner's utility bill by 30% or more per year depending on the options installed. For examples, a smart house can turn lights on and off automatically, it can help save on your electric bill. Moreover, the heating and air conditioning can be more efficiently controlled by a computer, saving tremendously on the cost of maintaining a consistent temperature within a large house. The exact level of savings will pay vary by house due to local utility rate structures, size of home, insulation, lifestyle, etc.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Secondly, it is an easily operating system. Home owners can control their SMART HOUSE System using a menu driven control panel, touch-tone phone, personal computer, remote control or programmable wall switch. All SMART HOUSE controls are designed to be simple and easy to use. Because smart houses are independence, they can help people with disabilities maintain an active life. A smart house system can make such tasks easier by automating them. Lights and appliances can be turned on automatically without the user having to do it manually. For people with short term memory problem, a smart house can remind