World History Review: the Evolution

AP World History Unit 1 Review Chapter 1 Evolution- The process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth. Paleolithic Age- Second part of the Stone Age distinguished by the first usage of stone tools introduced by hominids such as Homo habilis. Neolithic Age- Latest part of the Stone Age beginning about 10,000 BC in the Middle East in which sedentary agriculture and domestication of plants and animals and permanent settlements were accomplished. Agricultural Revolution (Transition) – Turning point for the Neolithic Revolution. 0,000-8,000 BC. Slash & Burn- Technique in agriculture where forests are roughly cut down and burned over to prepare fields for the next crop. Australopithecus- Fossil bipedal primate with both apelike and human characteristics found in Africa. Homo Sapiens Sapiens- Modern humans. Neanderthal- Extinct species of human that lived in ice-age Europe 120,000- 35,000 years ago. Jericho- Village in Palestine near the north end of the Dead Sea. The Leakey’s- Family of paleontologists whose account of fossil discoveries in Tanzania changed theories of human evolution (1903-1972). Catal Huyuk- Large Neolithic settlement in southern Anatolia. 500-5700 BC Diamond- Precious stone consisting of a clear and typically colorless crystalline form of pure carbon. Venus Figurines- Prehistoric statuettes of women portrayed with similar physical attributes from Europe characterized by enhanced feminine features. Homo Erectus- Extinct species of primitive hominid with upright stature but small brain that originated in Africa. Homo Sapiens- Bipedal primate having language and ability to make and use complex tools. Volume of brain at least 1400 cubic centimeters. Lucy- Partial female skeleton of a fossil hominid found in Ethiopia in 1974, and is about 3. million years old and 4 feet. Cro-Magnon- Early form of modern humans. European Early Modern Huma ns (EEMH). Southwest Asia- Area in which as early as 3000 BC had contained a variety of cultures. Also known as Mesopotamia, it was located in an area called the Fertile Crescent in present-day Iraq. It had large city-states in an area known as Sumer; Birthplace of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The Sumerians- Developed the 12-month calendar and cuneiform writing. Lascaux- Site of a cave in the Dordogne, France, containing elaborate Paleolithic wall paintings.Fertile Crescent- Crescent shaped area of fertile land in the Middle East that extends from the eastern Mediterranean coast through the valley of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers to the Persian Gulf. Chapter 2 Mummification- Embalmment and drying a dead body and wrapping to preserve the body. Ziggurats- Rectangular stepped tower found in ancient Mesopotamia surmounted by a temple. Hieroglyphics- Ancient form of pictographic writing used by the Egyptians. Old Kingdom- Period in the 3rd millennium BC when Egypt attained its fir st peak of civilization in complexity and achievement.Middle Kingdom- Period of ancient Egyptian history. New Kingdom- Period in ancient Egyptian history between 1550-1075 BC. Epic of Gilgamesh- Earliest known form of literature. Pyramid of Khufu- AKA Pyramid of Giza Menes- Egyptian pharaoh; reigned 3100 BC. Founded first dynasty that ruled Egypt. Hammurabi (Laws)- Sixth king of the Bbylonian Empire. Known for his set of laws, which were one of the first recorded codes of law in history. Deals with matters of contract, and trade. Akhenaten- Ancient Egyptian pharaoh who reigned about 3,500 years ago. Made major changes including his religious revolution and art style. 8th Dynasty. Ethical Monotheism- There is one God from whom emanates one morality for all humanity. Kush- Kingdom that reached its peak between 1700 and 1500 BC. Allied with Hyksos and conquered Egypt beginning the 2nd Intermediate Period. Mesopotamia- 3500 BC. Known as the land between two rivers, Rains were seasonal i n this area, which meant that the land flooded in the winter and spring and water was scarce at other times. Farming in the region depended on irrigation from the two Rivers. Phoenicia- 3000 BC. Group of individuals migrated from the Arabian Peninsula into the land of Canaan located between Egypt and Syria.By 1200 BC, the Phoenicians controlled a narrow strip of land that bordered along the Mediterranean Sea in the northern Canaan where they built a number of cities and villages. Uruk- An ancient city of Sumer and later Bbylonia, situated east of the present bed of the Euphrates river, on the ancient dry former channel of the river. Nile- Unifying force in Egyptian history. Used to transport wealth and to shi stone blocks used to build the Pyramids. Euphrates- Provided water that supported the development of ancient Mesopotamian culture. Birthplace of the ancient civilizations of Assyria, Bbylonia, and Sumer; Al Jazirah.Jerusalem- Religious center sacred to all three monotheistic re ligions. Israel was divided after Solomon’s death. Kingdom of Israel was in the north, while Judah was in the south. Pyramids- Used as massive tombs to enclose pharaohs or wealthy Egyptians. Cuneiform- Earliest writing systems evolved independently and at roughly the same time in Egypt and Mesopotamia. That writing system invented by the Sumerians emerged in Mesopotamia around 3500 BC. Archaic Period- Name given to generalized hunter-gatherer societies by in the American continents from approximately 8000-2000 BC.Amon-Re- King of the Gods, Egyptian King; Thebes; Hermopolis; Sun God Osiris- Egyptian god of the underworld and vegetation. Hyksos- Asiatic people who took over the eastern Nile Delta, ending the thirteenth dynasty, and initiating the Second Intermediate Period of ancient Egypt. Sargon of Akkad- Reigned Mesopotamia from 2334 to 2279 BC. Baby in a basket where he was picked up along the Euphrates River where he was found by a man named Akki. Was considered the greate st man who ever lived. Celebrated in glorious tales down through the Persian Empire. Hatshepsut- Fifth pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty of Ancient Egypt.First great women in recorded history. Forerunner Moses- That guy. Abraham- Assyria- Egypt- Ur- Bbylong- Tigris- Anatolia- Chapter 3 Samsara- Karma- Sati- Caste- Lawbook of Manu- Indo-European- Upanishads- Kshatriyas- Shudras- Jati- Moksha- Varna- Dravidian- Rig Veda- Brahmins- Vaishyas- Indra- Aryan’s war god and military god. Varuna Mohenjo-Daro- Indus River- Punjab- Black Sea- Brahman- Harappa- Ganges River- Himalayas- Caspian Sea- Chapter 4 Mandate of Heaven- Book of Songs- Book of History- Book of Changes- Book of Rites- Tian- Yangshao- Xia Dynasty- Shang Dynasty- Zhou Dynasty- Qin Dynasty- Oracle Bones-King Yu- King Fuzi- King Yao- King Shun- Fu Hao- Yangzi River- Steppes- Yin- Huang He River- Central Asia- Central Southeast Asia- Ao- Luoyang- Chapter 5 Olmec Calendar- Vigesimal- Chavin Cult- Pyramid of the Sun- Temple of the Giant Jaguar- Olmecs- Austronesian- San Lorenzo- Tikal- Teotihucan- Australia- Oceania- New Zealand- Maya- Mochika- La Venta- Chichen Itza- Mesoamerica- Bering Strait- New Guinea- Indonesia- Crucial Facts: * First Pharaoh of Egypt- King Menses The Fighter * Mesopotamians used Cuneiform * Societies that used Pictographic forms of scripture- Egypt (Hieroglyphics), Mayans, And Chinese. We know of the Aryans by the Vedas; Upanishads; Hindu Book * Paleolithic- Hunter Gatherers; No Sheep * Neolithic- Introduction of agriculture (Agricultural Revolution/Transition) * Archeologist- Studies ancient remains; Make approximations * Goddesses of Fertility- Venus Figurines; European * Most religions in Mesoamerica- Polytheistic * Harappans- Not much is known about them. Hindu. * Xia/Shang/Zhou/Qin Dynasties in Order * Copper was the 1st metal; Easy to find/mold. * Farming- Food surplus, possible for cities to exist, and sexual intercourse.

Chemistry Acid-Base Titration

Chemistry: Strong Acid and Weak Base Titration Lab Cherno Okafor Mr. Huang SCH4U7 November 21st, 2012 Data Collection and Processing Concentration of the standard HCl solution: 0. 1 M Data Collection: | Trial 1| Trial 2| Trial 3| Final HCl Buret Reading  ± 0. 05 mL | 38. 3| 45| 54. 5| Initial HCl Buret Reading  ± 0. 05 mL | 29. 9| 38. 3| 45| Volume of NaHCO3 used  ± 0. 1 mL | 9. 2| 9. 5| 9. 8| Qualitative Data: I used the methyl orange indicator which was suitable for my titration because of its clear and distinct colour change from orange to a bright red at the endpoint * At the beginning of the titration after I added 3 drops of methyl orange into the base (NaHCO3) and swirled, I began titrating the acid (HCl) slowly, and initially in the methyl orange and base, there was a tiny amount of red colour present, but then it quickly disappeared due to insufficient HCl (H+ ions)then I gradually kept titrating more acid while swirling and there was even more red colour present, unti l finally I reached the endpoint when the orange-yellow colour had completely transformed into a red colour * Changes from an orange-yellow colour (slightly higher pH 4. 4) to a bright red colour (at low pH 3. 1) at the endpoint and point of equivalence * Baking Soda (NaHCO3) absorbed the odour caused by the strong acid of HCl when I mixed the two: bleach-like smell ProcessingIf the concentration of an acid or base is expressed in molarity, then the volume of the solution multiplied by its concentration is equal to the moles of the acid or base. Therefore, the following relationship holds: nVb x Cb = Va x Ca Where: Vb = the volume of the base Cb = the concentration of the base Va = the volume of the acid Ca = the concentration of the acid n = the mole factor In the case of hydrochloric acid and Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda), the mole ratio is one to one, thus the mole factor is 1. Therefore, the volume of sodium bicarbonate multiplied by its concentration in molarity is equal to the moles sodium bicarbonate. The moles of sodium hydroxide are equal to the number of moles of hydrochloric acid in the reaction.The neutralization equation becomes: HCl + NaHCO3 NaCl + H2O + CO3 Hence, Cb = Va x Ca / Vb. Trial 1 Calculation: * First we need to find the change of volume of the acid used up in the titration: Va = Vfinal – Vintial Va = 38. 3  ± 0. 05 – 29. 9  ± 0. 05 Va = 8. 4  ± 0. 1 mL Therefore, nVb x Cb = Va x Ca (1)(9. 2  ± 0. 1)(Cb) = (8. 4  ± 0. 1) (0. 1  ± 0. 0005) Cb = (8. 4  ± 0. 1) (0. 1  ± 0. 0005) / (9. 2  ± 0. 1) Cb = (8. 4  ± 1. 19%) (0. 1  ± 0. 5%) / (9. 2  ± 1. 09%) Cb = (0. 84  ± 1. 69%) / (9. 2  ± 1. 09%) Cb = 0. 0913  ± 2. 78% 0. 0913  ± 0. 00254M is the concentration of the base for trial 1Theoretical Base Concentration = 0. 1  ± 0. 0005 M Experimental Base Concentration = 0. 0913  ± 0. 00254 M Trial 2 Calculation: * First find change of volume of the acid used up in the titration: Va = Vfinal â⠂¬â€œ Vinitial Va = 45  ± 0. 05 – 36  ± 0. 05 Va = 9. 0  ± 0. 1 mL Therefore, nVb x Cb = Va x Ca (1)(9. 5  ± 0. 1)(Cb) = (9. 0  ± 0. 1) (0. 1  ± 0. 0005) Cb = (9. 0  ± 0. 1) (0. 1  ± 0. 0005) / (9. 5  ± 0. 1) Cb = (9. 0  ± 1. 1%) (0. 1  ± 0. 5%) / (9. 5  ± 1. 05%) Cb = (0. 9  ± 1. 6%) / (9. 5  ± 1. 05%) Cb = 0. 0947  ± 2. 65% 0. 0947  ± 0. 00251M is the concentration of the base for trial 2 Theoretical Base Concentration = 0. 1  ± 0. 005 M Experimental Base Concentration = 0. 0947  ± 0. 00251 M Trial 3 Calculation: * First find change of volume of the acid used up in the titration: Va = Vfinal – Vinitial Va = 54. 5  ± 0. 05 – 45  ± 0. 05 Va = 9. 5  ± 0. 1 mL Therefore, nVb x Cb = Va x Ca (1)(9. 8  ± 0. 1)(Cb) = (9. 5  ± 0. 1) (0. 1  ± 0. 0005) Cb = (9. 5  ± 0. 1) (0. 1  ± 0. 0005) / (9. 8  ± 0. 1) Cb = (9. 5  ± 1. 05%) (0. 1  ± 0. 5%) / (9. 8  ± 1. 02%) Cb = (0. 95  ± 1. 55%) / (9. 8  ± 1. 02%) Cb = 0. 0969  ± 2. 57% 0. 0969  ± 0. 00250M is the concentration of the base for trial 3 Theoretical Base Concentration = 0. 1  ± 0. 0005 MExperimental Base Concentration = 0. 0969  ± 0. 00250 M * Now, I will average all 3 trials: Trial 1: 0. 0913  ± 2. 78% 2. 78% / 100% x 0. 0913 = 0. 0913  ± 0. 00254 M Trial 2: 0. 0947  ± 2. 65% 2. 65% / 100% x 0. 0947 = 0. 0947  ± 0. 00251 M Trial 3: 0. 0969  ± 2. 57% 2. 57% / 100% x 0. 0969 = 0. 0969  ± 0. 00250 M Therefore: (0. 0913 + 0. 0947 + 0. 0969)  ± (0. 00254 + 0. 00251 + 0. 00250) / 3 trials = (0. 2829  ± 0. 00755) / 3 = (0. 0943  ± 0. 00252) MAverage Concentration of base for the 3 trials * Percentage Error = Theoretical – Actual / Theoretical x 100% = (0. 1  ± 0. 0005) – (0. 0943  ± 0. 00252) / (0. 1  ± 0. 0005) x 100% = 0. 0057  ± 0. 00302 / 0. 1  ± 0. 0005) x 100% = (0. 57  ± 0. 00352) x 100% = 5. 7%  ± 0. 00352 Conclusion and Evaluation: Conclusion: In this titration lab, I used a s trong acid HCl (hydrochloric acid) vs. a weak base NaHCO3 (sodium bicarbonate/baking soda). My intent was to find the concentration of the weak base after it has been titrated with the strong acid. The theoretical basic solution had a concentration of 0. 1  ± 0. 0005 M. In my experiment, the value I obtained was 0. 0943  ± 0. 00252 M, which is pretty close to 0. 1. I also had a very small error percentage at just 5. 7%  ± 0. 00352 error. My experimental value was only off by 0. 0057 (0. 1- 0. 0943) with a total uncertainty of 0. 00402 (0. 005 + 0. 00352) from the theoretical value of the base concentration. Evaluation/Improvement: Some of the most notable errors in my procedure to mention are the small quantities being used and hence the inaccuracy in measurements. Perhaps I could have arranged the titration to have bigger titres, which would reduce errors by using larger quantities such as a higher concentration for the standardized solution. In addition, there was also some splattering/loss of the acidic solution being titrated into the basic solution, as it came into contact with the edges and surface of the flask, which in turn, presumably initiated errors in volume measurements.Also, this means that not all of the acid that was added reacted efficiently with the basic solution mixed with methyl orange indicator. Moreover, there could have been impurities in the basic solution itself and as well as the indicator causing a higher reading than the theoretical value of concentration. The leakage that resulted from the stock cock may have caused the HCl to alter slightly in content because of the reaction with some of the chemicals in the external environment (air). There was also some residue that could have been left behind in the basic flask when I washed it with distilled water after the neutralization of each trial. Perhaps drying it could have made a difference instead of leaving it wet.Maybe some of the neutralized solution was left behind after I washed out the flask, and it mixed with the tiny water droplets also left behind in the flask. Before I started the next trial, it could have interfered with that titration and provide inaccuracy. Another error to mention is getting the exact endpoint during the titration. The indicator could have ranged from different shades of red (starting with orange) but I assumed that the moment it turned a standard red colour, it was finished. In addition, I could mention that I may not have properly swirled the solutions before beginning the titration process to make sure nothing (residue) settles at the bottom.This could have impacted the inaccurate colour change of the indicator in the neutralization and hence unknown standard colour. I also kept on adding drops when the solution was already a red colour towards the end. However, this may have either darkened or lightened the colour too much in an effort to change the precision of the indicator colour at the equivalence point or end point . Finally, at some moments, I was in a hurry to finish titrating, and so I may have flushed out the acid in large amounts. I realize that near the neutralization point, the acid must be released in drops. However, for the third trial, I did sort of flush out a large amount of the acid and therefore could have missed the neutralization point which could cause errors in results.

Empirical Methods in Software Engineering Research Paper

Empirical Methods in Software Engineering - Research Paper Example Repetition allows greater certainty of observation. Anecdotal and case studies are based on observation of actual practice; however the researcher cannot exercise the same level of control over the study that is possible in experimentation. Another practical problem is that it is difficult to find case studies that match the researcher's goals. Depending on the significance of our results, we may be able to state that application of textual differencing as a selective regression testing technique will reduce the test cycle (the duration of regression testing after each release) while retaining the power of the test suite. Empirical software engineering is a related concept, sometimes used synonymously with experimental software engineering. Empirical software engineering is a field of research that emphasizes the use of empirical studies of all kinds to accumulate knowledge. Methods used include The Scientific Method is a way to make sure that experiment can give a good answer to specific question. The Scientific Method is a logical and rational order of steps by which scientists come to conclusions about the world around them. The Scientific Method helps to organize thoughts and procedures so that scientists can be confident in the answers they find. Scientists use observations, hypotheses, and deductions to make these conclusions. Various possibilities are thought through by using the Scientific Method to eventually come to an answer to the original question. The steps of the Scientific Method are: Observation/Research Hypothesis Prediction Experimentation Conclusion The observation is done first so that to know how to go about the research. The hypothesis is the answer thought to be found. The prediction is specific belief about the scientific idea. The experiment is the tool that is invented to answer the question, and the conclusion is the answer that the experiment gives. OBSERVATION This step could also be called "research." It is the first stage in understanding the chosen problem. After decision of area of research and the specific question to ask, it is

How do perception cognition and emotion affect negotiation Assignment

How do perception cognition and emotion affect negotiation - Assignment Example More often than not, perception can lead to various perceptual distortions that can affect the outcome of any negotiation and the times it can be in a negative way or error in subsequent communication. This is because perception depends on the perceiver’s present state of mind and comprehension Stereotyping, Halo effect, Selective Perception, and Projection are all perceptual distortions that in a given any negotiation environment and can lead to erroneous communication and build predispositions that will affect the outcome of a particular negotiation. Cognition is a common tendency to obtain process information by filtering it through a person’s own dislike, like and experiences. In other words, it is an irrational escalation of a commitment. Cognitive bias just like perception has a negative effect on negotiation, and a good negotiator should always develop skills to manage it. Negotiator should be aware that cognitive biases and misperceptions that occurs as he gather and process information and outline them in a structured manner within his team and with his counterparts. In addition, careful discussion of the issues during negotiation and preference can minimize the outcomes of perceptual biases. This is critical aspects and if not properly checked may lead to a negative outcome of a negotiation. In addition, it is important to consider when and how to interact in order think properly while trying to comprehend information around our environment to enhance negotiation. Closely related to these aspects are the various t ypes of cognitive biases that may result in an outcome of in negotiations: Irrational escalation of commitment, overconfidence, anchoring and adjustment, availability of information, issue framing and risk the winner’s curs, the law of small numbers, endowment effect, self-serving biases, reactive devaluation, ignoring others’ cognitions.

Assessment of recent developments in financial reporting Essay

Assessment of recent developments in financial reporting - Essay Example This study will understand whether legal enactments and obligations are sufficient to perform financial activities in an ethical and logical manner. Drafting the financial reporting takes a lot of accounting knows how and also the thorough knowledge of legal obligations. The author of the study would lay emphasis on the accurate conduct of financial activities with guidance from the standards laid down by the accounting standards and the legal requirements. The need of these accurate financial reporting and also the critical evaluation of the effectiveness of the legal requirements in the preparation of the financial statements would be covered in the study. Finally, the study will conclude whether the legal requirements of the particular country are sufficient for the companies to perform the accounting and financial activities. International Accounting Standards Board &Financial Accounting Standards Board The establishment of International Accounting Standards Board, Financial Acco unting Standards Board boards was in the year 1973 and was set for the primary purpose of formulation of regulations which would also help in the education of the users, stakeholders and management. Along with international convergence the company the board also focuses on the quality of financial reporting (Liu, 2011). International Financial Reporting Standard IFRS on the other hand will focus on the development of the accounting framework, which will help in the betterment of the company. IFRS is one of the major accounting standards board, which are responsible for checking whether the accounting standards developed by them are effectively executed and implemented within the system for the betterment of the organization or not (Allen, McAndrews and Strahan, 2001). The UK Company Act The UK company act is formed under the Companies Act 2006 and governed by Insolvency Act 1986. help in the development of high quality accounting standards, which are highly compatible with the busin ess environment that can be used for the regional and cross border investments (Allen, McAndrews and Strahan, 2001).It is also responsible for the development of accounting framework, which is accountable for the construction of the organizational structure and also preparation of consolidated financial statements for the benefit of cross listed companies (Liu, 2011). Generally Accepted Accounting Principles Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) is one of the standard frameworks which serve as guidelines for performing financial accounting activity (Liu, 2011). These include conventions, standards, rules and regulations which are known as general accounting standard. Financial & Legal Requirements in Stock Exchange There are several legal and financial regulations and requirements which are applicable for the stock exchanges of different countries. The stock market is regulated by several disclosure standards which help in transparent business operations and also encourage s shareholders in smooth investing activities. For example the London Stock Exchange has several listing rules and regulations which assesses the shareholder’s issuer eligibility and also ensures that these regulations are made. There has been major fluctuation in the stock market movement in the past six months because the overall market has been extremely sensitive vulnerable to the sensitive

The changes in media and uses of media in their lifetime and the Essay

The changes in media and uses of media in their lifetime and the effects on their personal, social and work lives - Essay Example Technology has and still is evolving so fast that it has left people utterly spellbound by the comfort added to a common man’s life. Personally, advancements in technology have helped me live my life extremely conveniently than I was living prior to the invention of television, cameras, and computers/laptops, etc. AB: What was the first technology that you used? Was that a common product in that time? AK: The first technology that I remember using with most enthusiasm was a wireless radio which was particularly special in the sense that it operated on FM programming which made it better than other radios most other people owned around me which used the AM method. FM radio technology was developed as an alternative to AM because it could transmit signals on any frequency. At the time I got one FM radio for myself in 1961, this technology was newly introduced and very few people owned it so it was not quite a common product in that time. But yes, FM radio technology became rapid ly popular during the 1960s and very soon it began to be recognized as public’s choicest medium for listening to rock music or classical plays. AB: Can you describe the first impression of your first touch with that technology? AK: Because the wireless FM radio technology I just mentioned was new at the time I bought it and not many people around me had one of the kind then, so naturally I felt extremely lucky, blessed, and enthralled because it was such an exceptionally modern and convenient medium of listening to music, dramas, and educational programs. At the time I first came across this prized technology, it was the fastest medium for communicating news of the day and the first choice of people like me who were unfortunate enough to get a television. However, only a handful people of my age possessed the kind of radio I had for myself in 1961 which made me quite distinguished among my friends and the memories of how we friends used to get together to listen to the classi cal music broadcasted on the radio are just priceless. AB: How did the media change? For better or worse? AK: Not long after commercial television stations were made available in the market during late 1940s, radio technology took hold of the people throughout the 1960s and onwards. While the technology continued to attract gifted inventors from all over the world, one after another riveting change in media got introduced at more affordable prices which revolutionized people’s lives for the better. Also, there were huge payoffs like myriad technology advancements brought people closer by turning the world into a global village and bridging distances. Many tasks which otherwise consumed many hours began to be completed in a matter of minutes and one can access the entire world through the internet while sitting at one place. AB: How did you communicate with your family or relatives in overseas in the past? How about now? AK: There is no comparison between the way I and other p eople of my generation used to communicate with family and relatives living abroad in the past and in the present. In the past, the means of communication with family and friends were extremely slow, time-consuming, taxing, and literally wore people out. In contrast, communication media now are unbelievably fast, liberating, rewarding, and facile. Now people do not have to wait for months for the letters written by them to reach their dear ones thanks to

Answering the questions according to reading Essay

Answering the questions according to reading - Essay Example Gender, politics, and race intersect in producing repressive heteronormative gender relations. Lindsey Feitz and Joane Nagel explore the intersections of gender, war, and sexuality in â€Å"The Militarization of Gender and Sexuality in the Iraq War.† They assert that although the U.S. military employs more women in army operations nowadays, the same heteronormative relations are imposed on the latter. Feitz and Nagel add the complication of race, as sexuality and gender issues intersect. They talk about the example of the rescue of Private First Class Jessica Lynch, whose race and gender contrasted to those of her takers, where â€Å"American men [were] saving a pretty, young, white American woman from the possible sexual and personal assault by dark and dangerous Iraqis† (206). ... Gil Z. Hochberg presents heteronormativity that is more racial than sexual, although the causes and effects have gendered dimensions in â€Å"‘Check Me Out’: Queer encounters in Sharif Waked’s Chic Point: Fashion for Israeli Checkpoints.† Hochberg shows how checkpoints in West Bank and Gaza depict heteronormative exploitation. In his analysis, he asserts that checkpoints serve to â€Å"produce the Palestinian body both as a symbol of imminent danger (â€Å"the terrorist†) and as the object of complete subjugation lacking any political agency (â€Å"the occupied†)† (578). Because these checkpoints target both men and women, heteronormativity is depicted in a regional scale, wherein one male nationality controls and suppresses a different male and female nationality. Sex and gender become political arenas of power over those who are more powerless or those whom the dominant race wants to render powerless. The male gaze is an important ima ge of heteronormative sexuality production in several articles. How the heteronormative male sees women affects how they treat them. Feitz and Nagel indicate the role of gender in the male military gaze. Military personnel, for instance, continue to see military women in their stereotyped roles (Feitz and Nagel 204). Female soldiers continue to be embedded into the heteronormative aspirations of the military in specific and the American society in general. In â€Å"Securitizing Gender: Identity, Biometrics, and Transgender Bodies at the Airport,† Paisley Currah and Tara Mulqueen explore gender issues in the U.S. Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) gender and biometrics practices. They describe that by using biometrics and comparing its results that to gender information, TSA’s programs

Evidence-Based Practice Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evidence-Based Practice - Research Paper Example lity quasi-experimental or randomized group design research and three high quality single subject design researches carried out by at least three different study groups or researchers (Autisminternetmodules.org). Social narratives are visually designed stories that illustrate social circumstances together with socially relevant responses or actions that help persons with autism spectrum disorder acquire and use relevant social skills. Some of the social skills include self-management, decision-making, communication, peer relations and problem-solving abilities. These skills allow individuals to start and sustain positive social relationships. There are numerous narrative approaches that have been developed to meet the social skills shortfalls of persons with ASD. The educators or parents write the narratives that are designed to improve social intelligence. Social narratives help persons with ASD to gain information about the views and emotions of other people. They also help in understanding contextual information that the individuals with ASD may have missed. Social narratives can be an efficient, inexpensive approach that promotes heightened social and behavioral comprehension (Autisminte rnetmodules.org). The first step in creating social narratives is to identify the social situation that needs intervention. The author selects a social behavior that should change, preferably the one in which improvement will enhance social interactions, new social learning opportunities, or even safer environment. The second step is to define clearly the target behavior for data collection. It can be done in a style that all individuals involved in data collection understand it. The author should ensure that the target behavior defined is observable, measurable and specific. In the third step, the author collects baseline data on the target behavior. If the data is gathered over a long period, it will allow the author to determine learning and outcome trends

My Ethnic Group Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

My Ethnic Group - Assignment Example But one can see that the second or third generation of the Hispanics shows keen interest to socialize with other races. Besides, almost all the Hispanics show the keen interest of life in urban areas. One can see that culture is considered as most important in exile life. This is absolutely true about the Hispanic group from the Caribbean islands. We are Hispanics, basically from the city of Santiago, situated in the Dominican Republic. Our family consists of father (Victor), mother (Elida), elder brother (Jarion), younger brother (Victor Jr.) and myself. As we are away from our motherland, we used to keep close relation with each other. For instance, we were forced to move to Puerto Rico but close relationship with our family helped us to enjoy our life without further problems. Besides, shifting our family from Santiago did not affect the education of younger members of our family. One can see that immigration to a new nation helps the younger generation to grab new opportunities in life. For instance, our family decided to immigrate to America. So, we happened to reach Boston, Massachusetts. Besides, my family gave much more importance to education and career opportunities in America. Our family settled in South End, Massachusetts and I joined Charlestown High School. The scope of education and career opportunities for Hispanics in America is high. For instance, I graduated from Brighton High School and joined Massachusetts Bay Community College for higher studies. So, one can see that immigration helped our family a lot to grab opportunities in the American society. Apart from some initial adjustment problems, our family faced fewer problems related to prejudice, segregation or racism. As pointed out earlier, the multicultural characteristics of American society accepted us to its core. One can see that racial and ethnic diversity in American society is most helpful for immigrants from different parts of the world.

MIH512-Demography and Health (Module 5-CBT) Essay

MIH512-Demography and Health (Module 5-CBT) - Essay Example This indicates low fertility and low mortality and is also known as constrictive pyramid. The population pyramid displays population percentage of ages 1-14 under 30 percent and ages 75 and above over 6 percent and is hence considered an "aging population"(U.S.Census Bureau, 2009). The expansive pyramid in the current year is because of increased birth rates and death rates. Mexico is a developing country and has many factors which contribute to high birth rates and death rates. However there have been improvements in food supply, sanitation and education which contribute to decreased disease states and increased life span. When death rates decline, it contributes to rise in child population. Lowering of death rates is simultaneous with lowering of infant mortality rates which contributes to increased child survival. Thus, there will also increase in the number of children, adolescents and younger adults. It has been estimated that in 2050, both birth rates and death rates will lower which will contribute to the stable pyramid shape (U.S.Census Bureau, 2009). Fall in birth rates is likely to happen because of increase in wages, contraception, urbanization, reduction in subsistence agriculture, fall in the value for child labor, improvement in women status, ris e in education of women, rise in investment of parental money for the purpose of education of children and other social changes in general. Death rates are also projected to fall because of increase education, awareness, medical interventions, sanitation, hygiene and cleanliness. Demographic transition may be defined as a shift of rates of birth and death from high to low. Mexico is now in the second stage of demographic transition and is almost entering the third stage. This is because, close to 50 percent of the population is 25 years of age or even younger (U.S.Census Bureau, 2009). The fall in death rates, including infant mortality rate has

Role of Religion in Centralization of Nation States Essay Example for Free

Role of Religion in Centralization of Nation States Essay Religion was a major factor in the centralization of territories into modern nation states. Religion was crucial in the development of the modern nation state because of its ability to be a unifying characteristic. Religion also created common enemies which allowed groups with different religious views separate into individual states that be far more likely to have a more centralized government or monarch. While religion acted as a catalyst in the development of the modern nation state, religion hindered and tore apart developing nation states. Religion played both the role of an asset and a liability in the case of centralization during the age of the reformation. Religion was successful in creating a common characteristic, by which people categorized themselves. For example, Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile reformed Spain by requiring all citizens to be Catholic. This would allow them to have better control and a shared attribute with the citizens of Spain, which would allow for a more centralized territory that would become a nation state. Also during this time period the Calvinists in the Holy Roman Empire area controlled by Philip II were being persecuted for their religion. The common religion in these Dutch provinces allowed for them to form together and create a centralized territory which eventually would become the Dutch Netherlands. German principalities also used their religion as a common characteristic to hold themselves together. When Martin Luther told the German Princes to separate from the Pope and Holy Roman Empire, they unified under Lutheranism which led to the development of that nation state. While religion was used as a common characteristic, religion was also used to unify groups of people by creating common enemies. For example, William of Orange (William I) centralized the Dutch Provinces, who were primarily Calvinists, against the Holy Roman Empire who was trying to force them to become Catholic. Ferdinand II also tried to use religion to create a common enemy within the Holy Roman Empire, he did this through the Edict of Restitution. The Edict of Restitution made Calvinists the enemy and unified the Catholics against them and temporarily solidified the Holy Roman Empire as a nation state. Another example of religion creating a common enemy was when Henry VIII created Anglicanism which was against the Pope. This  negative disposition towards the Pope strengthened England and allowed the monarch of England to create a more centralized territory, which led to the development of the modern nation state that is England. While religion was good as bringing nation states together and solidifying them, it also slowed and destroyed developing nation states. For example, the religious diversity that occurred within the Holy Roman Empire led to differences in religion and sect breaking apart until there was no more Holy Roman Empire. Henry of Navarre (Henry IV) saw this problem when he became the King of France and witnessed the religious wars in France between the French Huguenots and Ultra-Catholics. This slowed the development of France as a nation state, this is because religion was placed ahead of the state. Another example of religion dividing developing nation states was when Philip II attempted to oppress the Calvinists in the Dutch provinces with the Spanish Inquisition. This difference in religion led to the Dutch Revolt and caused the territory to be separated. Religion was critical in the development and disestablishment of the modern nation state. Religion provided a common characteristic from which a nation state could develop; it also created a characteristic by which a nation state could divide. However, in a majority of the cases the separation was necessary and led to the creation of multiple independent nation states. Religion was both a centripetal and centrifugal force. Religion created created a common characteristic and enemy, which aided the development of the modern nation state, as well as a difference that was a major factor in the disestablishment of developing modern nation states during the age of the reformation.

Analysis of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

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

Female economy

Female economy The twenty first century has seen the elevated extension of the world economy. As years progress changes have been inevitable as issues such as the financial crisis wreak havoc with economies. Following this, researchers are focusing their studies on how best to penetrate the current market and emerge unscathed despite the prevalent challenges. It is from this point of view that Sayre and Silverstein (2009) sought to examine the place of women in todays market. In their article they explore the predicament facing women and companies due to the latters failure to acknowledge the power women possess. Women are increasingly dominating the worlds market and as drivers of the world economy, they demand attention from product and service companies. Estimated to control almost $20trillion in annual consumer expenditure, they are a neglected consumer group resulting in hefty untapped opportunities. The article indicates that a majority of women feel highly underserved and sidelined by product companies. This is despite the current and growing stature of women in the society. Women have become quite powerful due to the effects of education, leadership opportunities and career opportunities. It is no longer a world where most women were uneducated; currently women dominate half of global students and this enhances their capacities for choice of consumption. Furthermore, most women are seeking to advance their career opportunities and employment is accompanied by elements of dynamic consumption needs. In the study, it is eminent that women face challenges in managing their households and finances, having too many demands and the lack of enough time for themselves. Right here is a loophole for companies to capitalize and serve women with regard to their specific needs. Sayre and Silverstein (2009) emphasize that companies must learn the strategies of selling to women especially bec ause their dominance is bound to accrue large profits. A comprehensive research study requires a concrete research problem. In Sayre and Silverstein (2009), the researchers aimed at understanding how women feel about their work and lives and how they were served by businesses. Even though the stated research problem detailed indicated the appropriate form of research methodology to be used it did not indicate the overall subject of the study. Walliman (2006, p.67) argue that hypotheses used in constructing the research problem should emerge from logical deductions from a background research of the topic. However, the article does not use ample background research as no literature review is evident in the study. In addition, while the study is keen to address the fact that women dominate todays market the research problem does not draw a connection to this fact. The research problem guides one into conceptualizing the appropriate form of research methodology and as the article progresses it is evident that qualitative methods were most ap propriate. The study chose to use qualitative research methods in understanding womens needs and their feelings on the services offered by businesses. Qualitative research is suitable in such studies which seek to understand issues comprehensively and whose qualitative data cannot accomplish the same. As asserted by Ragin (1994, p.83) qualitative research emphasizes on in-depth knowledge and a refined elaboration of images, concepts and overall perceptions. In the study, the qualitative research methods used were the questionnaire and interview methods. All these methods were web based with most of the participants being required to access web services and undertake the interviews. The web survey posted in the consultancy groups website attracted more than 12 000 women from a vast range of geographies. The survey contained a questionnaire with 120 questions about different aspects of womens lives. Such aspects included homes, careers, education, relationships, interests and activities among oth ers. This form of survey gives anonymity to participants who then feel uncompromised in answering the questions given. In addition it targets a wide range of participants and thus increases the validity of research results as participants are diverse and unbiased. The web survey was in tandem with the research goal as the questions addressed the research problem and even heightened the researchs effect through a diversified response. As a qualitative research method, the interview presents a unique form of conversation where the interviewer seeks to understand various items in the participants point of view. Internet interviewing provides for a suitable interviewing technique. With the similar advantage of anonymity, the researcher can seek answers from participants through email and other chat services. The study used internet interviewing in their study of women working in various organizations. Hewson (2003, p.45) observes that internet interviewing may limit the researcher from accessing nonverbal information expressed by participants. In a situation where the research clearly embarks on a mission of comprehensiveness, this might be a shortfall in the study. Interview conversations need to be highly structured and this prompts researchers to design specific interview questions in order to guide the process. In any research study, it is expected that various procedures are undertaken as a way of ensuring the comprehensiveness and credibility of the study. At the onset of research preparations are made on how to acquire research participants. While the article underlies the target of the survey to be women, it fails to stipulate protocol for sampling. This open web survey received responses from women and the conducted interviews were similarly addressed to women. The articles failure to outline the sampling procedure lives room for speculation and skepticism on the researchs validity and reliability. Regardless of the sampling misdemeanors, this open form of web survey attracted a sample of participants who fit in with the research outcomes perfectly. Ethical considerations in carrying out research are an integral part of any research study. Its importance is quite pertinent and omitting it may lead to dire consequences. In the article, there are no indications of any ethical underpinnings to the study. The web survey does not provide any contractual agreement detailing the object of the research and reasons for research. Whether in the web survey or interviews carried out by the researcher, they are required to make the potential research participant understand their role in the research process. Bell (2005, p.45) argues that it is insufficient when the interviewer just displays the contract and expects the participant to sign it. Seeking consent of the participants is important and the article has no evidence that these measures were taken. In the view of a lack of consent or infringed privacy, researchers are liable to facing legal repercussions which may waylay their research. Moreover, as an interviewer it is crucial to ask questions in a respectful manner which takes into consideration the various characteristics of the participants. Dealing with internet interviews may require one to infer on the appropriate time for the interview and researchers should take any recommendations respectfully. In cases of any shortcomings caused by ineffective ethical considerations, the article should have stated so. Despite this, the web survey allowed participants to engage in the study at their own time and the questions used were in no way inappropriate. Following the study the article chose six archetypes which were observed to be common amongst respondents. It is through these common characteristics that the data collected was analyzed. The data analysis is not clearly detailed as the procedures undertaken in compiling and evaluating the various responses are not outlined. The article immediately embarks on presenting the research results and findings. The six archetypes included fast-tracker, pressure cooker, relationship focused; managing on her own, fulfilled empty nester and making ends meet (Silverstein, 2009, p.49). With reference to each of these aspects, the article expounds on the factors which make women the largest consumers with regard to the products from the specific industries. Using these segments was instrumental in establishing the kind of consumers marketers in companies should aim to target. It is similarly advantageous to understand what consumers are looking for in the market and their specific needs. The key segments were well presented in a chart describing their income levels, age and stages of life. The article also extensively presents the portion of the population each type of women occupied and the percentage of overall income possessed. The article further indicated the priorities and needs of the women in each segment which gives marketers an idea of the most appropriate consumer goods for them. In the industries which presented the largest opportunities like food, fitness, beauty and apparel, women voiced their views on their experiences with these industries. For instance, women were seen to value fitness highly but it always tends to take a backseat in their lives. The reason behind this was the fact that most women often prioritized other peoples needs before their own. Thus, the lack of time provided an opportunity for fitness centers to derive fitness sessions which were less time consuming. On the other hand, the study also included responses on such industries as financial services and healthcare where women felt neglected and underserved. Considering that womens income margins are quite high and they continue to rise, they are required to access effective financial services. Women cited disrespect, stereotyping, poor advice and contradictory policies as some of the characteristics of financial institutions. It was clear that these institutions needed to review their approaches and embark on a marketing strategy aimed at keeping women customers happy. The conclusions made in the article are derived from a logical and comprehensive evaluation of the research findings. The article draws from insights on the future outlook of the worlds economy and the effects of the ever growing female workforce. The future of most companies lies at the hand of women as they make up the majority of the worlds consumer spenders. Furthermore, as the research sought to answer the research questions it studies various segments which define women and their consumer needs. As the article concludes that women will continue to experience challenges in such areas, companies must target the specific needs of women. Women are seen to respond to services which encourage love, care and respect which provide a clear picture of what companies should do in order to accrue more sales. The article has in no way illustrated limitations for the research which indicates a subjective form of study. It is crucial to indicate shortcomings of a study and cite areas where mo re research should be carried out. Nevertheless, the article is indeed quite informative and provides ample insights for marketers and companies dealing with women consumers. References Bell, J. (2005). Doing your Research Project: A Guide for First Time Researchers in Educationand Social Science. Berkshire: Open University Press. Hewson, C. (2003). Internet Research Methods: A Practical Guide for the Social and Behavioral Science. London: Sage Publications Ltd. Ragin, C.C. (1994). Constructing Social Research: The Unity and Diversity of Method. California: Pine Forge Press. Sayre, K., and Silverstein, M.J. (September, 2009). The Female Economy Harvard Business Review. hbr.org Walliman, N. (2006). Social Research Methods. London: Sage Publications Ltd.

Comparing Life Without Meaning in Eliot’s The Waste Land and Welles’ Ci

Life Without Meaning in T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land and Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane It is the foundation of modern civilization that knowledge is better than ignorance, understanding more valuable than confusion, and wisdom more desirable than foolishness. Consequently, people feel that they should be able to understand the meaning of life and, in doing so, know that their lives are not in vain. They want life to be a coherent whole infused with meaning, so that they can know and understand what life is and where they fit in, thereby attaining wisdom. Life, then, is in essence a struggle to find a meaningful framework for the experiences and feelings we have collected. Since art reflects the human state, and we have grown more conscious of this struggle, our art has come to reflect this problem of making a coherent, meaningful whole out of the assorted fragments of life we have collected. Though this theme of collecting is visible in all media of modern art, it is especially noticeable in literary and film art, in particular in T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land and Orson Welles’s Citizen Kane. These two pieces analyze collecting on two levels: first because they focus on collecting and second because they are collections. However, the division between these levels is somewhat superficial, as both Eliot and Welles blur the lines between the two parallels, making the audience more acutely aware that this art is a picture of all human life. On both levels the artists draw parallels between the works and the audiences’ lives by examining the content, style, and meaning of the collection; that is, what is collected, how it is collected, and what it says, concluding that life is not a coherent whole, but rather â€Å"a heap of broken ima... ...to be. Collecting points out that in the very act of observing the art, we are collecting, as the persona and Kane are, in an attempt to make a coherent and meaningful whole out of our lives, and that we will fail as surely as they do. NOTES 1 T.S. Eliot, â€Å"The Waste Land,† in The Waste Land and Other Poems (New York: Harcourt Brace, 1962). 2 The original title of The Waste Land was a quote from Dickens's novel Our Mutual Friend, "He do the Police in different voices." 3 When I say that the poem lacks a coherent meaning, I mean that it has no more coherent meaning that life itself does. 4 "I am not Russian, I am out of Lithuania, a real German." 5 It is interesting to note the two meanings that this phrase can have. It could mean that the fragments are anchored in his literary tradition, or it could mean that it is set up as a bulwark to prevent his ruin.

Wordsworth: Tintern Abbey And Lyrical Ballads :: essays research papers

Born in 1770 at Cockermouth in the heart of the Lakes District in England. William Wordsworth grew up in a rustic society and his beautiful and ageless poetry often reflect this. Wordsworth’s mother died in 1778 and in 1779 he was sent to grammar school in Hawkshead. Wordsworth’s father died in 1783, leaving his uncles as guardians. They tried to guide him towards a career in law or in the church and he was accepted into Cambridge in 1787. Wordsworth was uninspired to work towards a career he had little interest in and subsequently his grades, which bordered on the average, reflected this. Before completing his final term of college Wordsworth went for a walking tour of Europe and finally received his degree in 1791 but had no direct plans for his future. He returned to France in 1791 and stayed a full year, during this time became an enthusiastic advocate of the French Revolution. Money concerns forced him to return to England and he was unable to return to France unt il 1802 due to war breaking out between the two countries. In 1795 two things happened that ultimately changed the course of Wordsworth’s life. In August of 1795 a young friend whom Wordsworth had been nursing died of tuberculosis and left him a grant of 900 pounds. His friend had hoped that with this money Wordsworth would be able to devote his life to poetry, and in August of 1795 Wordsworth met Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Over the next two years their friendship would grow and in 1797 William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy moved to Alfoxden House, which was only a few miles from Coleridge’s home. The creative partnership between these two young poets would eventuate in the first publishing of Lyrical Ballads. The publication of Lyrical Ballads represented a turning point for English poetry. It was released anonymously on October 4th, 1798 and the learned old guard of literary England was mostly unaware that a form of â€Å"literary revolution† had taken place. Previous ages had considered the aim of poetry to be used as a tool to change people’s behaviour or as a learning mechanism. Wordsworth launched the Romantic Era of poetry and paved the way for many of the romantic poets that came after him. John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley to name but two. Coleridge encouraged Wordsworth to write a preface to Lyrical Ballads. A preface that would explain the work contained within the collection.

History Ia 2013

A. Plan of the investigation The focus of the study is on the event of the Tiananmen Square Massacre and how the Chinese Communist Party government shocked the world. Moreover, the study focuses on the aftermaths and the international effects like how the United States decided how to deal with this violent act or how this event possibly encouraged protestors to fight against their corrupt government. This research paper will evaluate the extent of how international countries were affected by this event.Ranging from countries such as Germany to the United States, this investigation will encompass the mass effects and influences on other countries. Several of the sources used in the essay, include The Price of Heavenly Peace: Tiananmen Square 15 Years Later by Michael J. Thompson and a news article Where Capitalism Won, But Not Democracy interview of Robyn Meredyth about the Tiananmen Square Massacre. These sources will be identified for their origins, values, limitations, and credibil ity. B. Summary of Evidence On a night in June of 1989, the unthinkable happened.Otherwise known as the June Fourth Incident, the Tiananmen Square Massacre was the bloody result of seven weeks of continuous rebellion of Communist Party of China’s policies. â€Å"Perhaps thousands of people were killed in cold blood when the troops fired into crowds and army tanks ran over people† (Wong 2). Ranging from university students to faculty workers to intellectuals, this protest was executed mainly to promote freedom of speech and press, economic growth, help in education funds, and most importantly, a change towards democracy. After the tragic incident, societies began to question China’s motives and actions.The fight for democracy created great tensions between the people and the government. â€Å"†¦20 years later, China’s Communist Party remains solidly in power. It still suppresses dissent. In China, capitalism is championed, but democracy is still verb oten† (Meredith 2). Essentially this source discussed how even though the fight for democracy was lost by the people; China gained a severe change in the capitalistic features. For example, China’s Five-Year Plan was introduced before the Tiananmen Square incident, but the effect of the incident caused this plan to move towards a more industrialized turn.Eventually, China became known more for their capitalistic features than their infamous communist cover. The world-known Tank Man is said to have been one of the most influential figure of his time. â€Å"It all started with a man in a white shirt who walked into the street and raised his right hand no higher than a New Yorker hailing a taxi†¦Ã¢â‚¬  quoted James Barron, a writer for The New York Times (This newspaper article was published the day after the incident June 5, 1989). The descriptions of the tank man possibly lead to many historical events in the future.This demonstrated how if one lone individual has the courage to stand up against such a powerful government, why couldn’t a group do the same with their corrupt government in their countries? Over to the West of Asia, East and West Germany were suffering similar problems in that the two want to, once again, become one country. Shortly afterwards, the demolishing of the Berlin Wall began after protest which was deducted by the Tank Man’s courageous actions. Nearby locations such as Macau and Hong Kong have hundreds of thousands of protesters which disfavored the actions of the Communist Chinese Government.In Hong Kong, over 200,000 citizens protested in support of the brutal massacre. Because Hong Kong was still under British rule in 1989, they were afraid to be under Communist China’s rule, they were still scarred with fear in case of reunification with China. As a result of the terror, many Hong Kong citizens fled to other countries in hope to escape the confusion (On a side note, though Hong Kong is geograp hically in China, under British rule, the city is democratic). Though the international political effects of the massacre were definitely prominent amongst the countries, we must not forget the economic results of this event.Contrastingly, where democracy isn’t as prominent as in the United States, the Chinese weren’t as avid in protesting as the Hong Kong citizens were, but they viewed this incident as though it was a normal rebellion. In other words, the Chinese North Americans knew there would be a big turnout of events that will occur as a result of this protest. Other country’s views on China were significant to the economy in the foreign trading aspects because after this massacre, many of them feared that China would no longer be loyal to them. Major companies and corporations dislike doing business with suffering countries.At the time, China’s government and economy, have been slowly rising to become the leading nation, but due to this event, thei r growth was temporarily halted. Many worldwide companies were indecisive to whether or not they should help out their ally by encouraging trade once again which sparked China’s drive towards their capitalistic beginnings. After this event and ever since Google has been around, many citizens in China attempted to learn more about the Tiananmen Square Massacre, but to their disappointment, this searching capability is blocked â€Å"due to relevant laws, regulations and policies† (Thompson 8).Terms such â€Å"never forget† or â€Å"candle† have been censored in Chinese search engines in hope for the government to cover up their tracks. This action was very significant because although it helped China conceal information about the event so citizens wouldn’t dare question or further seek knowledge regarding the topic, other countries began hypothesizing the real reason behind China’s motives. C. Evaluation of sources Jan Wong is a Chinese-Canadi an who vacationed to Beijing. This interview was about a first-hand account of the witness of this event live from her balcony in a nearby hotel room.The vivid descriptions of her details make her account seem reliable enough to the point where an individual can distinguish her knowledge on this topic. Few people may question whether this is source is credible or not because she is part Chinese. Thompson carefully wrote his sources to depict the mysteries and after effects of China’s actions. Having visited the Tiananmen Square several times, Thompson writes in his research paper the great, vivid event that occurred that one night in 1989. He uses much data to support his claims between China and other foreign countries.Thompson sees the Tiananmen Square a burden to China’s progress in capitalistic development along with the rest of the world. China is known greatly for its censorship and how greatly they can cover up reasons that could probably allow other countries t o question their government. Gregory Clark, a former Australian diplomat who focuses on Chinese affairs, wrote an article in Japan Times stating that the Western culture was spreading a â€Å"myth† about the Tiananmen Square Massacre. This shows the extent of China’s power to censor what they feel should be heard and what should not.In order to protect the face of their government, even though there are eye-witness accounts of their wide-spread murder, the Chinese government had to take major precautions to ensure a sustainable relationship, economically and politically, with other international countries. D. Analysis In Jan Wong’s interview of her account in China during the Tiananmen Square Massacre, she mentions, â€Å"I wasn’t the only person watching; everybody on the street was watching† (Wong 3). Because Jan Wong was present during the time of the event, she witnessed the actions of the tank man.If any regular civilian were to see this event and be in complete awe of the actions of this courageous twenty year-old man, it reveals how there can be many more people in this world who might see the common man in a white T-shirt with plastic shopping bags. There are billions of people in this world and those who know about Tiananmen Square, and the millions that do, probably heard about the tank man. Though the tank man still remains anonymous after 23 years, this individual managed to influence the whole world not just on a social level, but also on an economic and political core.E. Conclusion This protest is considered one of the top 10 most influential protests along with the Boston Tea Party, Purple rain protests, and the Civil Rights March. The Tiananmen Square protest was originally meant to spread democracy in China and abandon communism. Through the years of peaceful protests, many lives were lost. After the Tiananmen Square incident though, countries from around the world were influenced by figures such as the Tank Man who had enough courage to step in front of the corrupted government in hope for it to change for the better.In addition to its efforts and outcomes, China’s capitalism is now becoming one of the leading nations in the world. The influence of Tank Man spread to East and West Germany which helped the taking down of the Berlin wall and once again uniting the two into one. F. Sources cited Conachy, James. â€Å"Ten Years since the Tiananmen Square Massacre. †Ã‚  World Socialist Web Site. N. p. , n. d. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. . This source was a political lesson for the knowledge of the working class.The website is rather significant to this Internal assessment because it discusses about parts of the aftermath, and more importantly its effect on capitalism. This particular source is a very straightforward and unbiased work. The majority of this website was dedicated solely on the history. Ranging from important political figures such as Deng Xiao Ping to Liu Bin Yan, this we bsite helped narrow down descriptions of many political movements. Meredith, Robyn. â€Å"Where Capitalism Won, But Not Democracy. †Ã‚  Forbes. Forbes Magazine, n. d. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. .This source focuses mainly on the detailed history of Tiananmen Massacre. The significance of this article to the essay is the background information and just the overall gist and feels of this head-turning movement. After the description of the event, Meredith then discusses the major impacts the massacre had on the fall of the Berlin Wall. Tiananmen massacre is not only large event hoping to draw attention from the Chinese government, but little do they know that this movement called for revolutions all over the world. Overall, the source was significant because of its focus on detail of the actual event.Thompson, Michael J. â€Å"The Price of Heavenly Peace: Tiananmen Square 15 Years Later. â€Å"Michael J. Thompson. N. p. , n. d. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. . Similar to the article with â€Å"1 0 years†, the 15 year goes into more detail and begins to discuss more about the outside influence of different countries such as Russia. Also, Thompsons describes the influences on different beliefs all around the world. The article also talks about China’s original need for change which was the want for democratic power, but instead, they ended up as a capitalist country.This article helps provide the necessary information for the building blocks of repetitive reform. Wong, Jan. â€Å"Interview: Jan Wong [Witness of the Tank Man]. †Ã‚  PBS. PBS, 11 Apr. 2006. Web. 14 Nov. 2012. The interview with Jan Wong adds a whole new perspective to my knowledge on this topic. Her account may by the closest account because she was witnessing the event as it went on. As a third generation Chinese-Canadian, Wong recounts vivid details of her being in her hotel room nearby watching this protest take place. She describes in detail the horrific scene and the ominous area. AFTERM ATH AND LEGACY OF TIANANMEN SQUARE. †Ã‚  Facts and Details. N. p. , n. d. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. . This website is dedicated to the more recent news even those from post-2000. A wide-variety of articles should be used because it allows the readers to see the events from different aspects of time periods. A perspective from the 1990s as opposed to the one in 2005. This article focuses mainly on the point of views from this time period. For example, now that we’ve evolved more from the time of the event, we see the massacre in a whole new way.

Discuss and Provide Solutions on Inflation, Unemployment, Distribution of Income and Balance of Payments in the S.A. Context

PROGRAMME:MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION MANAGERIAL ECONOMICS SURNAME:FIELIES FIRST NAME/S:MICHEAL CECIL STUDENT NUMBER:MBA109062 E-MAIL:[email  protected] net POSTAL ADDRESS:23 Altenburg Street Highbury KUILSRIVERCODE:7580 CONTACTS: (Home):021 903-6904 (Work):021 904-5802 (Mobile):084 688 7147 LECTURER: I hereby confirm that the assignment submitted herein is my own original work. Signature of Student: Date:18 May 2009 TABLE OF CONTENT Page Number Overview†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3 A. Addressing Inflation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3 Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦3 Definition of Inflation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3 Types of Inflation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Inflation influencing SA the most †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 Solutions for inflation †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦7 B. Addressing unemployment†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 8 Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 8 Define unemployment†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦8 Different types of unemployment And the causes thereof†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 8 Solutions to unemployment†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 11 Addressing Income Distribution amongst different sections of the population†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 12 Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 12 Measurement of income distributio n†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 12 General causes of differences in income distribution †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 12 Domestic demand for labour†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3 Domestic supply for labour†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 13 Foreign demand and supply for labour†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 13 Skill-biased technological causes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 13 Specific causes in the SA context†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 14 How can this be addressed†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 15 Affirmative action†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 16 Basic condition of e mployment†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 16 D. Addressing the Balance of Payment Deficit†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 17 Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 17 Deficit on the Current Account of the Balance of payment†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 17 Deficit on the Financial Account of the Balance of payment†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 18 Actions to reduce a substantial Financial account deficit†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 18 E. Surviving the current economic crunch/turmoil †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 19 Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 19 Global recession†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 19 Causes of global recession†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 19 How far has SA weathered the recession†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 19 What can be done to weather the recession†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦.. 20 Monetary policy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 20 Fiscal policy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 20 Inflationâ₠¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 20 Export/Imports†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 20 F. Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 21 G. Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 22 OVERVIEW South Africa's economic growth performance and outlook has been affected by global developments such as the global recession starting in the US and escalating oil prices in the middle-east causing cost-push inflation and has been revised downwards. In fact, these challenges have moved in tandem with international economic indicator trends and are exacerbated by supply side problems, including domestic unemployment, inflation rates beyond the Reserve Bank targets of between 3 and 6%, skills shortages, a globally less-than-competitive industry, climate change and its negative impact on agriculture and water supplies and a volatile rand. High food and energy prices have been major contributors to consumer price inflation. Increased food prices, together with a shortage of staple foods, have resulted in food stock levels being the lowest in years and therefore creating high food insecurity amongst the poorer section of our communities. In the light of these economic conditions both internally and externally this policy statement framework has been produced. A. ADDRESSING INFLATION INTRODUCTION Many experiences and authors of economic books shape my concept of inflation. I would in the light of my understanding ascribe inflation as a consequence of human indiscretion due to wants and not of needs. People always have an insatiable desire for more and more goods that are describe by many as the economic problem. When I draw up my policy framework for the performance of the economy I will address and prioritize the following issues namely price stability (control inflation), full employment, balance of payments, equitable distribution of income in order to stimulate economic growth. DEFINITION OF INFLATION Mike Moffatt[1] defines inflation as an increase in the price of a basket of goods and services that is representative of the economy as a whole. A similar definition of inflation can be found in Economics by Parkin and Bade[2]: Inflation is an upward movement in the average level of prices. Its opposite is deflation, a downward movement in the average level of prices. The boundary between inflation and deflation is price stability. Also according to McConnell, (2002: 146) inflation is a rise in the general level of prices. Thus according to McConnell inflation does not mean the increase in price level of one or two items but increase in price level of goods and services in general. But Mohr and Fourie (2008:474) state inflation as the continuous and considerable rise in prices in general. As what can be seen from both definitions are (a) in general (b) rise of prices. But Mohr and Fourie go further and define inflation as a neutral definition without specific causes. However in many instances authors will describe inflation as excessive increases in money supply, etc. Which can be causal definitions. Also Mohr and Fourie will further state that nflation is a process and also concerns continuous and considerable increases in prices in general. Therefore then, one can agree with the definition of Mohr & Fourie: Inflation is a continuous and considerable rise in prices in general. TYPES OF INFLATION In an article â€Å"What is inflation: Five types of inflation defined† by Tom Au[3], Tom argues for the following types of inflation namely (i) commodity inflation, (ii) wage inflation, (iii) monetary inflation, (iv) fiscal inflation and (v) foreign exchange inflation. I would also argue that these types of inflation constitute the â€Å"major† types of inflation in SA. However these types of inflation can be divided and sub-divided into smaller units and subunits. For the purpose of this writing I would consider the broad divisions as sufficient. (i)Commodity Inflation Commodity products such as petroleum are in many cases a reason for an inflationary spiral. Other commodities could also contribute to this type of inflation such as other metals and other solid raw materials such as copper, coal, etc. Commodity inflation, better known as cost-push inflation, refers for example to a surge in the oil price – which obviously has nothing to do with domestic consumer demand. It concerns prices set on global markets over which the Central Bank has no control. The petrol price that stems from the cost of a barrel of oil thereby creates a volatile escalation of prices of goods and services because the increase in cost for a barrel of oil is transferred to the cost of production and eventually to the cost of consumer products. For example last year in June 2008 the petrol price went up by 50 cents a litre after a 55-cent increase in April 2008. The price of unleaded petrol in Gauteng increased to 996 cents a litre and to 972 cents a litre at the coast. Diesel went up 0,05 percent; sulphur went up by 71 cents, the wholesale paraffin price increased by 71 cents. [4] Even though at that point in time the country struggled with escalating food and power prices we had another fuel price increase. The consequence of the escalating prices of petroleum and thus oil and other fuel prices caused the price of everything else to go up and thus commodity induced inflation. ii) Wage Inflation It is my estimation that the type of inflation that has the largest impact on inflation is wage inflation or in other words demand-pull inflation. Employees become aware of the rising prices and demand more money in the form of higher wages. There are numerous examples of wage strikes in South Africa. For example Barbara Slaughter[5] reports â€Å"The longest public service strike in South African history. The dispute began on June 1, when workers from 17 unions took all-out strike action in support of a demand for a wage increase of 12 percent across the board. The strike involved 700,000 workers—professional, skilled and unskilled. It received widespread support amongst the rest of the working class in South Africa. On June 13, 2007, hundreds of thousands of municipal workers took part in a one-day solidarity action in support of the strike. They included taxi and bus drivers, electricity and cleaning workers, and administrative workers from border posts and airports. On that day, all the major cities in South Africa were brought to a standstill because of mass demonstrations in support of the public service workers’ strike†. Eugene Puryear reports in his website about the same strike as â€Å" Nearly  one million hospital and education workers have been on strike†[6]. This is only one example of the impact of a wage strike on the economy of the country. How many labor hours have gone lost which impact on production and could cause a lowering in the GDP of the country. If inflation could also be defined as too much money chase to few products, then this wage strike cause a reduction on production and thus inflation. iii) Monetary Inflation It can happen that the Reserve Bank governor refuses to increase the interest rates whilst the cost of living is high. Thereby causing too much money floating the economy and people maintain demand for goods whereas the supply is not sufficient for demand causing the cost of goods to rise. There can be much confusion between cost-push and demand-pull inflation. It is noted by some business reporters like Greta Steyn that Mr. Tito Mboweni did not â€Å"recognize† the before mentioned types of inflation therefore blaming the increase in inflation to commodity inflation and asserted that inflation is caused by the foreign global economy and not domestic demand-pull inflation. Mr. Mboweni indicated that his interest rate action (increase prime rate) had already done enough to curb demand. However he did not raise enough on interest rates implying a relatively low interest rate that causes yet a strong demand for goods and thereby not curbing inflation further. The inflation rate currently is 8. 5% at present well outside 3 – 6% target. iv) Fiscal Inflation Fiscal inflation is caused when government spending exceeds revenues. Overspending cause a deficit on the balance of payments. The deficit however must be recovered by most probably the increase in income tax of public and private sectors. During the current crisis in 1996, the government introduced the GEAR strategy. GEAR’s key element are reduced government spending, also the rate of inflation, with the view to encourage private investment, economic growth, and thereby job creation. But the government reduced the budget deficit from 4,6% in 1996 to 2,6% in 2000. The average reduction over this period is 3,1%. But when government spending drop private investment spending was expected to be 11,7% by the year 2000. However private investment average a mere 1,2%. If government does not spent and private sector default on spending the result will be unemployment, economic instability as well political vulnerability. Under these conditions there will be civil demands for higher wages that could be inflationary. It is said by some that a war increase government spending. If this is the case then we wage war against ourselves in this country. (v) Foreign Exchange Inflation Foreign exchange inflation happens when the local currency falls dramatically against other world currencies, thereby sharply raising the price of imported goods and hence the overall price level. INFLATION INFLUENCING SOUTH AFRICAN ECONOMY THE MOST The three most volatile types of inflation that influence the South African economy is Wage Inflation, Commodity Inflation and Foreign exchange inflation. As seen from the examples government spending has definitely slowed down in order to decrease the deficit and thus lifting the burden on tax payers to food the bill. So for the interim fiscal inflation is kept under control. The Reserve Bank by means of monetary policy is in â€Å"control† of the money supply in the economy. If you increase money supply faster i. e. lowering the prime rate, than your economy grows, you will have too much money chasing too few goods. The price of goods will therefore increase. Thus an increase in inflation. Therefore to stabilize inflation you have to reduce the money supply and thus increase the prime-lending rate. Monetary inflation is a function of the Reserve Bank and within the control of the Governor of the Reserve Bank by means of monetary policy. SOLUTIONS FOR INFLATION 1. Contractionary Fiscal Policy If the government looks to fiscal policy to control inflation its options are (i) decrease government spending (ii) raise taxes or (iii) some combination of the two policies. (i) Decrease government spending To control demand-pull inflation the government should reduce government spending. Reduction in government spending reduces aggregate demand and thereby halts demand-pull inflation. (ii)Raise taxes By raising taxes the deposable income of consumers is reduced thereby decreasing aggregate demand, which is anti-inflationary. (iii) Combination of Decrease government spending and Raising taxes As can be expected a combination of the two may have a quicker anti-inflationary effect on consumer spending. 2. Monetary Policy The monetary policy committee is given an inflation target by the government, which is between 3% and 6%. The tool that is used by the reserve bank is to use interest rates to achieve this inflation target. Increase interest rates will help reduce the growth of aggregate demand in the economy. A reduction in aggregate demand will slow down growth and will induce a decrease in inflation rate. 3. Exchange rate policy This policy is used to keep the value of the Rand high. Resulting in a favourable market for imports. The price for imported goods will be expensive and when companies apply investment spending the cost will be transferred to the consumer. This tool to reduce inflation is not very useful because it can cause a recession. . Disposing of surpluses When the economy faces demand-pull inflation, fiscal policy should move toward a government budget surplus i. e. tax revenues in excess of government spending. But the anti-inflationary effect of the surplus depends on what the government does with it. I would suggest to the government to impound the surplus. When a surplus is impounde d the government is extracting and withholding purchasing power from the economy. Thus, there is no chance that the surplus fund will create inflationary pressure to offset the anti-inflationary impact of the Contractionary fiscal policy. B. ADDRESSING UNEMPLOYMENT INTRODUCTION According to Mohr & Fourie the second macro economic objective is full employment. However in theory full employment can be accomplished but in reality government spending and tax collection is never equal. Therefore when government is dealing with a deficit budget (government spending in excess of tax revenues) the economy is at a down turn since aggregate demand slow down and thus GDP also drops with the result of unemployment. Thus this macro economic evil must be understood in its broader sense. In this writing I will deal with the definition for unemployment then describe the different types of unemployment, the causes of unemployment, types of SA unemployment and solutions to unemployment. DEFINE UNEMPLOYMENT â€Å"Prior to 1994, the strict definition was used by Stats SA to estimate unemployment in South Africa, with the result that the official estimates were generally regarded as being too low. Stat SA subsequently switched to the expanded definition, but some observers (including the International Labour Office) regarded the new official estimates as being too high. In June 1998 Stats SA reverted to using the strict definition as the official definition, although estimates based on the expanded definition are also published. † (Mohr & Fourie, 2002:498) Statistics South Africa defines unemployment (strict definition) as those in the economically active population – (aged 15 to 65) and are either employed or seeking work, – who: i. Have not worked during the last seven days prior to being interviewed; ii. Want to work and are available to start work within a week of the interview by Stats SA; iii. Have taken active steps to look for work or to provide themselves with self-employment in the four weeks preceding the interview. However the expanded definition omits requirement (iii) because many unemployed people become discouraged after several attempts to look for employment. [7] DIFFERENT TYPES OF UNEMPLOYMENT AND THE CAUSES THEREOF The basic distinction of unemployment is between voluntary and involuntary unemployment. But the unemployment rate is expressed as the percentage of the labour force (people who are willing and able to work) that cannot find a job. Thus in reality there is only involuntary unemployment. Those that prefer by own volition to be without work cannot be regarded as unemployed. In economy the usual distinction amongst types of unemployment is between frictional unemployment, seasonal unemployment, structural unemployment and cyclical unemployment. (i)Frictional unemployment Frictional unemployment exists because of lags between workers leaving one job and taking up another and because there are times of the year when many new workers (e. g. school-leavers) enter the labour market. In these circumstances there is some delay in finding them all jobs. (ii)Seasonal unemployment Seasonal unemployment arises because certain occupations require workers only for part of each year e. g. picking and processing of food and vegetables and tourist regions that are busy during peak seasons. (iii)Structural unemployment Structural unemployment is caused by changes in the structure of an industry as a result of changes in technology or tastes. For example increasing automation in manufacturing industry, encouraged by recent developments in computer technology, has made many skills obsolete. Thus whole communities may become unemployed until new skills have been acquired. (iv)Cyclical unemployment Cyclical (or demand-deficiency) unemployment happens when there is a decline in the economy as a result of a lack of demand. A lack of demand curbs production and therefore management will try to cut costs by laying off workers, but only until demand increases then workers will be asked to come back. (v)Apart from the above mentioned causes of unemployment the following should also be mentioned In today’s economy unemployment has a variety of causes. Nevertheless some of them relate to the general level of economic activity while others are the result of a failure in the labour market in an economy to work optimally. Mohr & Fourie indicates that South African unemployment rate in the past two decades originated from the supply side of the labour market as well as from the demand side. Supply side Every year the number of school leavers are added to the labour force. Thus the growth of the labour force exceeds the demand post by the economy. The economy can absorb only a certain amount of workers especially when the growth in GDP is not sufficient to provide in jobs for the new entrants into the labour market. When the growth in the labour force is greater than the number of the opportunities, unemployment sets in. Demand side During a slump in the economy the price level of goods is high i. e. inflation is increasing. Goods and services are expensive and leads to workers demand a higher wage. In order to cut production costs and thereby keep companies profitable workers are laid off. Thus leading to wage demand unemployment. Unemployment due to inflation – the Phillips curve Inflation does cause unemployment but it need not necessary be the case. In the short term the Phillips curve happens to be a declining curve i. e. there is a negative relationship between inflation and unemployment. There is thus an increase in aggregate demand that usually lead to an increase in production and income and simultaneously increase in the price level of goods and services. And conversely a decrease in aggregate demand results in decrease in production and income and a simultaneously decrease in the price levels. But the level of production is positively related to the level of employment i. e. if production goes up then employment also increases (unemployment decreases). Therefore if economic activity is high unemployment is low, production is high, price levels start to increase and inflation begins to set in. When prices become too inflated then aggregate demand starts to decrease, but decrease in price levels does not happen immediately. Therefore the continued increase in the price levels irrespective decrease in aggregate demands leads to unemployment because manufacturing of goods slow down due to the lack of demand. The Phillips curve led many economists to believe that there could be a trade off between unemployment and inflation. In other words, a lower inflation rate could be achieved by trading it off against greater unemployment. And a higher inflation rate could be achieved by trading it off with a lower inflation rate. The abovementioned scenario explains the short-term effect depicted by the Phillip curve but the long-term effect of the Phillip curve show that unemployment and inflation are not related. In the long run when labour and capital are at full capacity, an increase in aggregate demand affect the price levels only. It is clear that this is the point where inflation increases sharply i. e. the price levels of goods and services, because of continued increase in demand, becomes so expensive that eventually demand for products drop and consequently the demand for employment also drops. Thus unemployment sets in. Stagflation In the 1970’s inflation and unemployment increases at the same time. This phenomenon is called stagflation. This is an economic problem that is twice as serious as in the case when there is a trade off between either unemployment or inflation. When it so happens that the oil prices increase by 300%, this higher energy prices would spread through the economy, driving up production and distribution costs on a wide variety of goods. It is quite obvious to understand that transport is most important in the supply chain of production especially in the upstream portion of the supply chain, which includes the company suppliers, the suppliers’ suppliers. But transport is also needed in the downstream portion of production, which consist of processes for distributing and delivering products to the final customers. [8] Hence the resulting increase in the price level because of cost-push inflation. Also real output declines while price levels rise. This means a simultaneous increase in the levels of unemployment and inflation (stagflation). SOLUTIONS TO UNEMPLOYMENT South Africa's unemployment rate rose to 23. 5% in the first quarter of 2009 from 21. 9% in the previous three months, Statistics SA said on Tuesday. (Sapa, 5 May 2009) A total of 208  000 people living in SA lost their jobs between the last quarter of 2008 and the first quarter of 2009, according to the Pretoria-based agency's quarterly labour force survey. The survey shows that losses occurred both in the formal (88  000) and in the informal (96  000) sectors. (Sapa, 5 May 2009). There is thus a more than a fifth (1/5) of people unemployed. This represents a huge cost to government and to society as a whole. Firstly I would proposed a joint government, business and labour task team to clampdown on cheap imports into SA as part of a number of measures aimed at helping local companies retain jobs and stay afloat through the global economic slowdown. These measures would aim at the following: †¢ That business pledge to do everything in its power to avoid retrenchments; †¢ Retraining people who face retrenchment and therefore become re-employed soon; †¢ Creation of jobs through the Expanded Public Works Programme i. . promote labour intensity; †¢ Discuss ways of lowering the cost of capital. However a much promising strategy would be to raise the demand for domestically produced products by increasing the demand for exports. Therefore as previously mentioned we must assist export in the following ways: (i)Assist potential exporters to find international markets, and subsidize some of these costs. (ii)All ow or engineer a depreciation of local currency against other currencies, thereby making exports more competitive. iii) Implement import restrictions i. e. tariffs and quotas. We could also reduce unemployment by stimulating and promoting small businesses and the informal sector. I believe that small businesses create more employment than larger business ventures. C. ADDRESSING INCOME DISTRIBUTION AMONGST DIFFERENT SECTIONS OF THE POPULATION INTRODUCTION Knowledge about the nature of income distribution is necessary for social development and thus for the distribution of resources where it is needed in order to create a fair society and better life for all who live in it. Nationally for any particular country society will because as a consequence of a free market society be stratify into various dimensions. Thus the conclusion â€Å"knowing the nature of income distribution† amongst the different population sections. In order to accomplish this objective I will address the following aspects of income distribution amongst the different section of the population. (i) Measurement of income distribution, (ii) General causes of differences in income distribution, (iii) Specific causes in the SA context and (iv) How can it be addressed. MEASUREMENT OF INCOME DISTRIBUTION Generally the Lorenz curve is often used to represent income distribution, where it shows for example the bottom 20% of all households have 10% of the otal income. A perfect equal income distribution would be one in which every person have the same income for example 20% of households have 20% of total income. This can be depicted by a line of perfect equality. By contrast, a perfectly unequal distribution would be one in which one person has all the income and everyone else has none. If the horizontal-axis or the Lore nz curve is the x-axis and the vertical axis is the y-axis then in a perfectly unequal distribution this curve will be call the â€Å"line of perfect inequality†. The Gini coefficient is the area between the line-of perfect equality and the observed Lorenz curve, as a percentage of the area between the line of perfect equality and the line of perfect inequality. (This equals two times the area between the line of perfect equality and the observed Lorenz curve. ) The higher the coefficient, the more unequal the distribution is. [9] GENERAL CAUSES OF DIFFERENCES IN INCOME DISTRIBUTION From all the factors of production the cost of labour as part of the GDP is the most influential, simply because it involves human beings. And human beings are the most varied and complex factor in the factors of production. In a perfect labour market all workers have the same education and training, have the same skills and earn the same wages (income). But the labour markets are not homogeneous. In fact it is imperfect and even if all the other labour markets are in equilibrium (balance between supply and demand of labour) there will be always differences in what workers earn. DOMESTIC DEMAND FOR LABOUR The most important aspect of the demand for labour is that it is a derived demand. (Mohr & Fourie, 2008:282). Domestically demand for labour will depend on production on goods and services. This means if production increases the demand for labour will also increase. Demand for products will influence the profitability of that product industry and thus the income and spending of that particular section of the population. Most countries have basically the same product mixture, but demand for the different products can differ sharply and thus will produce inequality in income amongst different sections of the population. DOMESTIC SUPPLY FOR LABOUR An increase in the wage rate will induce more people to enter the labour market and supply their services. The market supply of labour will this have a positive slope, indicating that the quantity of labour supplied will increase as the wage rate will increase. But absorption into the labour market depends on the nature of the product market, which offer that employment. As indicated previously the product industries produce different products and therefore different demands, which will lead to different wages. The different products need different skills. Therefore the discriminating factor amongst the different products will be the different skills amongst workers and thus the difference in income amongst the various sectors. FOREIGN DEMAND AND SUPPLY FOR LABOUR The Stolper-Samuelson theorem predicts that international trade influences relative factor demands and thus factor prices. [10] The basic idea of this theorem is that trade affects prices of products which in turn affect factor prices by changing relative factor demands. Once again the demand for labour will depend on supply of products and thus supply of the appropriate labour, which in turn will influence the income for various groups of income. SKILL-BIASED TECHNOLOGICAL CAUSES The single most cause of change in the income distribution is technological change. (David G. Blanchflower and M. J. Slaughter: 78) A few recent papers provide direct evidence of this technological shift and link it to wage outcomes. Berman, Bound and Griliches present several case studies that document the technological changes that have occurred in industries experiencing large shifts towards more skilled workers. According to Laudon (1998:) â€Å"†¦ over half (55 percent) of the US labour force consists of information workers and 60 percent of the GDP of the US comes from the nowledge an information sector, such as finance and publishing†. It is argued in general by many authors that skill-biased technological change is a global phenomenon. That is to say by implication that income distribution, unemployment is a consequence of jobless growth caused by technological and capital investment. SPECIFIC CAUSES IN THE SA CONTEXT The South African context from a wage inequali ty perspective is a very complex subject. One is impulsively inclined to think racial discrimination when you think about inequality in any aspect in S. A. But Mohr & Fourie point out not to ascribed most or all differences in remuneration to discrimination. However many writers would provide statistical detail from STATS SA, October household surveys to prove that the inter-racial income distribution gap over the past three decades have narrowed. But this narrowed income gap can be misleading due to poor statistics and because of rising income of an elite group of black people. Meaning a large income for the upper income group will be a misleading average on income for a specific group. The trends for unemployment and income are still highest amongst black people. The following reasons for this inequality can be extrapolated from the following data. Table1. Labour absorption rates |Category |Absorption rates | |African men |35% | |White men |68% | |African women |22% | |White women |44% | Source: UNDP human Development Report, SA. 2000) Estimations from this data indicate that the trend is that the labour market does not easily absorb African men and African women. White women not absorbed into the labour market do not mean they are unemployed. This leaves many African men and women unemployed creating income inequality between whites and blacks. Table 2. Mean monthly income (Rand) Sector |Men |Women | |Formal Average (white workers)* |7514 |4774 | | | | | |African workers | | | |Formal (urban) |2204 |2068 | |Informal (urban) |1012 |845 | |Informal (non-urban) |705 |524 | |Domestic (urban) |903 |537 | |Domestic (non-urban) |347 |397 | |Agriculture (formal) |1011 |5 99 | |Agriculture (informal) |386 |306 | |Average (African workers)* | 938. 29 * |753. 1 * | | | | | (Source: Statistics South Africa, October Household Survey, 1999) (* Own interpretation) Once again this is an estimation and extrapolation to give an indication to show the averages of income amongst whites (men R7514 p/m woman R4774 p/m) and blacks (men R938. 29 p/m woman R753. 71p/m). Table 3. Annual per household income (constant Rand): 1991 and 1996 | |African |White | | |1991 |1996 |1991 1996 | |Poorest 50% |3 005 |2 383 |35 028 |29 549 | |41-60% |9 519 |9 120 |96 444 |83 506 | |61-80% |18 497 |19 183 |155 763 |134 821 | |81-90% |33 843 |37 093 |228 018 |207 243 | |Average |12 972. 8 |13 555. 8 |103 050. 6 |91 023. 8 | (Source: UNDP human Development Report, SA. 2000) There is a slight movement in income from 1991 (R12 972. 80) to 1996 (R13 555. 80) in the African household income. There is a decrease from 1991 (R103 050. 60) to 1996 (R91 023. 80) in the White household incom e. But look at the difference in income for Blacks average in 1996 (R13 555. 80) and Whites average in 1996 (R91 023. 80). A difference of R77 468. 00. Table 4. Gini coefficient, 1975 – 1996 (1 = total inequality / 0 = total equality) | |1975 |1991 |1996 | |African |0,47 |0,62 |0,66 | |White |0,36 |046 |0,55 | |Coloured |0,51 |0,52 |0,56 | |Asian |0,45 |0,49 |0,52 | |TOTAL |0,68 |0,68 |0,69 | (Source: UNDP human Development Report, SA. 2000) Table 5. Gini coefficient estimates of income and expenditure inequality |Disposable income |Gini coefficient | |Black African |0,63 | |Coloured |0,59 | |Indian/Asian |0,57 | |White |0,56 | (Source: IES 2005/2006) * I have combined the two Gini coefficient tables 4 & 5 in the table below Table 6 to show that the Gini coefficients from 1996 to 2006 i. e. 10 years later have not change yet. This is a clear indication as to inter-racial inequality distribution in income. |* Table 6. |Gini coefficient | | |1996 |2005/2006 | |African |0,66 |0,63 | |White |0,55 |0,56 | |Coloured |0,56 |0,59 | |Asian |0,52 |0,57 | HOW IT CAN BE ADDRESSED i) Education and training Education is a responsibility of the government in so far as the provision of infrastructure i. e. training of teachers, building of schools, providing a well-structured curriculum and learning materials. But attending to the regularly attendance of learners is the responsibility of the parents. As previously indicated a great shortcoming in the labour market is that of skills. School system adopted the OBE Curriculum to make the school system more relevant to the economic conditions domestically and more competitive to the global economy. But the implementation of OBE implies the teacher/learner ratio of at least 1:25 whereas in reality it is on average 1:40, making the school system ineffective. Democracy also created a liberal education system, which undermines the discipline, which also is necessary for successful education. Therefore government spending on the school system should improve in order to address this shortcoming in the education system so that the skills needed to curb unemployment are provided. ii) The Skills Development Act, 97 of 1998 aims to develop the skills of the labour force by increasing investment in education and training in the labour market and to address the skills shortages. iii) Government intervention AFFIRMATIVE ACTION The composition of the population is not uniform with respect to race relations and cultural issues. To allow these issues of race and culture to take its own course is a recipe for disaster therefore government intervention to engineer a system that addresses the economic inequalities. Because unemployment, poverty, poor education and low social status work into the hands of social issues such as racism and cultural incompatibilities. To alleviate poverty, unemployment, poor education, a new system of affirmative action must be implemented in order to get a more equitable distribution of positions in the labour market i. e. targets to create gender equality, racial equality and cultural equality by means of affirmative action. BASIC CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT This act, The Basic Condition of Employment Act, 75 of 1997 is to advance economic development and social justice by establishing and enforcing basic conditions of employment. D. ADDRESSING THE BALANCE OF PAYMENT DEFICIT INTRODUCTION An imbalance in a nation's balance of payments in which payments made by the country exceed payments received by the country. This is also termed an unfavorable balance of payments. It's considered unfavorable because more currency is flowing out of the country than is flowing in. Such an unequal flow of currency will reduce the supply of money in the nation and subsequently cause an increase in the exchange rate relative to the currencies of other nations. This then has implications for inflation, unemployment, production, and other facets of the domestic economy. A balance of trade deficit is often the source of a balance of payments deficit, but other payments can turn a balance of trade deficit into a balance of payments surplus. The two main components of the balance of payments are the current account and the financial account. Therefore the two basic deficits that can occur in the balance of payment are a deficit on the current account and a deficit on the financial account. When there is a deficit on the current account then imports exceeds exports and when there is a net capital inflow that exceeds net capital outflow then there is a deficit on the financial account. The question however is how will the deficits be financed. DEFICIT ON THE CURRENT ACCOUNT OF THE BALANCE OF PAYMENT Action to reduce a substantial current account deficit involves increasing exports or decreasing imports. This can be accomplished i. e. to promote exports in the following ways. (i)Keep domestic cost of production in check e. g. the demand for higher wages must be controlled. The relationship of the governments with labour unions must be of good standing so that policy can be worked out by government and unions for agreements to keep wage demands and inflation in check. (ii) Assist potential exporters to find international markets, and subsidize some of these costs. iii) Allow or engineer a depreciation of local currency against other currencies, thereby making exports more competitive. (iv)Implement import restrictions i. e. tariffs and quotas. Adjusting government spending to favour domestic suppliers is also effective. Less obvious but more effective methods to redu ce a current account deficit include measures that increase domestic savings, including a reduction in borrowing by the international government. When the country experiences a financial account surplus it can use such surplus to finance the deficit on the current account. This means there is a net inflow of foreign capital. DEFICIT ON THE FINANCIAL ACCOUNT OF THE BALANCE OF PAYMENT An imbalance in a nation's balance of payments financial account in which payments made by the domestic country for purchasing foreign assets exceed payments received by the country for selling domestic assets. In other words, investment by the domestic economy in foreign assets is less than foreign investment in domestic assets. This is generally not a desirable situation for a domestic economy. However, in the turbulent world of international economics, a financial account deficit is often balanced by a current account surplus, which is generally considered a desirable situation. If, however, the current account does not balance out the financial account, then a financial account deficit contributes to a balance of payments deficit. ACTIONS TO REDUCE A SUBSTANTIAL FINANCIAL ACCOUNT DEFICIT INVOLVES INCREASING FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT The following actions have already been taken: a) Proctor & Gamble invest R200 million in new SA plant. With annual revenue of more than US$ 83 billion, Proctor & Gamble is considered the world's largest consumer goods manufacturing company. The investment in South Africa is considered to be a huge psychological victory for SA, says Business Day, in light of the current economic crisis. (Business Day 11 March 2009) (b)New trade infrastructure programme to boost business in Africa International financiers and developed nations have committed $1. billion to a new trade development programme that will open up business opportunities in eight African countries, including South Africa. (Business day 7 April 2009) (c)Mergers and acquisitions (M) in 2009 South Africa is expected to fare better than most countries when it comes to mergers and acquisitions (M) in 2009 with the region being w ell shielded from the turbulent global economy, according to merger market's South African M&A Round-up for 2008. (Business Day 20 January 2009) (d)2010 Soccer World Cup South Africa is holding the 2010 Soccer World Cup, which is a tremendous boost for foreign direct investment and employment and also for future ventures. In this manner we must promote foreign direct investment in South Africa to create a surplus on the financial account of the balance of payment. E. SURVIVING THE CURRENT WORLD ECONOMIC CRUNCH / TURMOIL INTRODUCTION GLOBAL RECESSION The Global economy is currently in a recession, as we are made aware by many economists right over the world. There are declines in growth rates in many countries in both developed and developing countries. Most notably the United States CAUSES OF GLOBAL RECESSION â€Å"In 2008–2009 much of the industrialized world entered into a deep recession sparked by a financial crisis that had its origins in: i) Reckless lending practices involving the origination and distribution of mortgage debt[2] in the United States. 3][4] ii) Sub-prime loans losses in 2007 exposed other risky loans and over-inflated asset prices. With the losses mounting, a panic developed in inter-bank lending. iii) The precarious financial situation was made more difficult by a sharp increase in oil and food prices. iv) The exorbitant rise in asset prices and associated boom in economic demand is considered a result of the extended period of easily available credit, inadequate regulation and oversight,[6] or increasing inequality. v) As share and housing prices declined many large and well established investment and commercial banks in the United States and Europe suffered huge losses and even faced bankruptcy, resulting in massive public financial assistance. i) A global recession has resulted in a sharp drop in international trade, rising unemployment and slumping commodity prices. Social unrest and political changes have appeared in the wake of the crisis. †[11] HOW FAR HAS SA WEATHERED THE RECESSION Prudent regulation of the financial sector may have partially shielded the South African economy from the vagaries of the global financial turbulence until now. At the same time, it is the combination of fiscal austerity and prudent regulation, among the ha llmarks of GEAR, which have so far helped cushion the country’s economy from the global economic turmoil. The financial services sector, despite its integration in the global economy, has so far remained resilient. The same applies to the agriculture and construction sectors, which continue to witness growth. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO WEATHER THE RECESSION MONETARY POLICY A likely immediate outcome of the current crisis is a cut or a series of cuts in interest rates by the South African Reserve Bank, which has raised them by five percentage points since July 2006. As household debt balloons locally, economists forecast further rate cuts up to 300 basis points. The hope is that rate cuts will spur consumer spending again and thereby increase aggregate demand and aggregate production. Thus increasing employment and decreasing unemployment. But interest rate cuts alone will not be adequate to revitalize the economy. According to Neva Makgetla, the lead economist for research and information at the Development Bank of Southern Africa, job losses are a certainty in South Africa, but the scale will depend on the nature of the global recession. FISCAL POLICY An appropriate government intervention would be to focus more systematically on creating employment opportunities on a larger scale. That requires measures to strengthen the efficiency of the economy overall, especially through enhanced infrastructure. It also requires more consistent institutional support and resourcing for employment-creating activities such as agriculture, manufacturing, personal and private services and construction. INFLATION Keep domestic cost of production in check e. g. the demand for higher wages must be controlled. The relationship of the governments with labour unions must be of good standing so that policy can be worked out by government and unions for agreements to keep wage demands and inflation in check. EXPORTS/IMPORTS (i)Assist potential exporters to find international markets, and subsidize some of these costs. (ii)Allow or engineer a depreciation of local currency against other currencies, thereby making exports more competitive. (iii)Implement import restrictions i. e. tariffs and quotas. South Africa should streamline immigration and taxation policies to create a more attractive environment for foreign investors as an intervention in the current crisis. This would lay the groundwork for future growth. While the taxation issue is debatable, some analysts believe that the current taxation regime is actually pro-business; the immigration system is generally seen as cumbersome and makes it difficult for skilled foreign nationals to settle in South Africa legally. However, over the past five years, the Department of Home Affairs has been addressing this issue partly by issuing quota permits to categories of skilled foreign nationals even before they got employed. CONCLUSION The economic forecast for South Africa is that the global recession may not have such a big impact on our domestic economic affairs and that we should survive the current economic turmoil provided that we keep inflation in check, foreign direct investment be promoted and stimulate exports. On the political front we hope that the transition from Mbeki government to a Zuma leadership will have a positive impact on the economy as a whole. Greater political discussion pursuing an economic perspective might stem political instability as far as wage negotiations is concerned. The stabilization of the cost of labour on the GDP will be a tremendous boost to the economy. It is my hope that the spirit of new leadership will create a new dimension in the development and stimulation of the economy of this country South Africa. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Bade Robin and Parkin Micheal (2008) Foundation of Economics 4th Edition. New York: Addison Wesley 2. Blanchflower David G. & Mathew J. Slaughter (1973) The Causes and consequences of income equality: L. Katz, G. Loveman and Paul R. Krugman 3. Brue Stanley L. and McConnell Campbell R. (2002) Economics: Principles, Problems, and Policies 15th Edition. US: Irwin McGraw-Hill. 4. Fourie Louis, Mohr Philip and associates (2008) Economics for South African students 4th Edition. Pretoria: Van Schaik Publishers. 5. Laudon Kenneth C. and Laudon Jane P. (2007) Management Information Systems: Managing The Digital Firm 10th Edition: Upper Saddle River, NJ. : Pearson Prentice Hall. 6. Newstrom John W. and Pierce Jon L. (2000) Leaders and the Leadership Process 2nd Edition. US: Irwin McGraw-Hill. 7. Market House Books Editors & Oxford University Press Editors (1998) The Oxford Dictionary for International Business 2nd Edition: New York: Oxford University Press Articles / Internet Sites 1. Au Tom. The Daily Reckoning: What is inflation: Five Types of Inflation defined, 15 June 2007, http://www. dailyreckoning. com. au/what-is-inflation/? /2007/06/15/, Read on 15/05/09 2. Moffatt Mike: What is Inflation – Your Inflation Questions Answered, http://economics. about. com/od/helpforeconomicsstudents/f/inflation. htm, Read on 15/05/09 3. Newser: In the News. co. za: Petrol Price to go up by 50 cents, 3 June 2008, http://www. inthenews. co. a/2008/06/03/petrol-price-to-go-up-by-50-cents/, Read on 14/05/09 4. Proctor & Gamble invest R200 million in new SA plant; 11 March 2009 New trade infrastructure programme to boost business in Africa; 7 April 2009 Mergers and acquisitions (M & A) in 2009; 20 January 2009 http://www. sagoodnews. co. za/trade_investment/proctor_gamble_invest_r20 0_mln_in_new_sa_plant. html , Read on 15/05/09 5. Puryear Eugene: One million South African workers strike, Tuesday, 26 June 2007 http://www. pslweb. org/site/News2? page=NewsArticle&id=6917&news_iv_ctrl=1781, Read on 13/05/09 6. SAPA: SA Unemployment Rises, 5 May 2009, http://www. fin24. om/articles/default/display_article. aspx? ArticleId=1518-25_2511351 7. Slaughter Barbara: South Africa: COSATU calls off public service strike, 14 July 2007, http://www. wsws. org/articles/2007/jul2007/safr-j14. shtml, Read on 13/05/09 8. Stats SA: Quarterly Labour For Survey, Quarter 1, 2009 9. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Income Dsitribution, http:/en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Income_Dsitribution: Read on 16/05/09 10. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Late 2000 Recession, http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Economic_crisis_of_2008#cite_note-1 , Read on 15/05/09 ———————– [1] http://economics. about. com/od/helpforeconomicsstudents/f/inflation. tm [2] Micheal Parkin, Robin Bade,4th Edition Foundation of Economics 2008 New York Addison Wesley [3] http://www. dailyreckoning. com. au/what-is-inflation/? /2007/06/15/ [4] http://www. inthenews. co. za/2008/06/03/petrol-price-to-go-up-by-50-cents/ [5] http://www. wsws. org/articles/2007/jul2007/safr-j14. shtml [6] http://www. pslweb. org/site/News2? page=NewsArticle&id=6917&news_iv_ctrl=1781 [7] Stats SA: Quarterly Labour For Survey, Quarter 1, 2009 [8] Laudon Kenneth C and Laudon Jane P. , 2007, [9] http:/en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Income_Dsitribution: 16/05/09 [10] David G. Blanchflower & Mathew J. Slaughter, The Causes and consequences of income equality [11] http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Economic_crisis_of_2008#cite_note-1