Sunday, November 24, 2019

The Abortion Debate essays

The Abortion Debate essays The debate on whether abortion is right has remained a longstanding source of contention among members of the various fronts of our society. On one hand, proponents claim of the view that making abortion illegal is a contradiction to the ability by women to enjoy their right to life and freedom of choice as fundamental human rights. Opponents on the other hand however claim of the view that abortion amounts to killing. For them, life begins at conception, making abortion for any reasons an act of killing. All in all, given common consensus among scientists that life begins at conception, and that pregnancy can be a threat to the life of women, abortion should be allowed only in serious cases. In the article, A Defense of Abortion, Thompson argues of eminent insufficiencies in most of the common arguments offered by either side on the abortion debate. First, Thompson argues on the view on the impermissible abortion ,even when such risks the life of the mother as an extreme view. For her, this argument is founded on poorly engaged premises given the fact that it seems to emphasize on the significance of the right to life the fetus with limited consideration to the right to life by the woman. In addition, this argument is limited in establishing a strong case against abortion since it uses the opinion of a third party as the basis for its conclusion. Since, the women owns their bodies, they should enjoy absolute right of defending it any threat posed on it by the unborn and such can involve killing of the unborn. Thompson also follows the view that third parties should not be allowed to help in commissioning an abortion to those mothers that desire one. This is because it fails to acknowledge the eminent inability by mothers to commission abortion without the assistance of a third party. For her, this argument seems to depict the inability by mothers to have priority over their bodies. However, for Thompson, claim to the body is ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

God-Centered Identity in a Me-Centered Culture Essay

God-Centered Identity in a Me-Centered Culture - Essay Example However, lip service from believers in stating their belief in God is never enough, as God requires the total translation of passion in his word and actions. In the event of God’s intervention to most situations of that human command His presence, people continue speaking of His greatness, but in normal situations, belief in God is just an assertive statement. This controversy between the saying and the actual belief of God in human lives dictates the direction of life that individuals have and their conception of spiritual identity. An assessment of the literature on spiritual identity God, Freedom and Human Dignity: Embracing a God-Centered Identity in a Me-Centered Culture by Ron Highfield comprehend if God’s embodiment in human life restricts spiritual freedom and diminishes human spiritual dignity. Assessment of the Literature Development of a Me-centered Culture In the process of development from childhood to adulthood, humans experience transitions in their self- identification processes. In the phase of childhood, children are never concerned about their role and impact in their society. Children are also never worried concerning the relationships they build with themselves and with others. In terms of spirituality, children freely follow their parents or guardians and conform to the teachings approved and certified by them. However, the transition into teenage hood makes the mind of one conscious about the decisions, activities and relationships development. This phase enables humans to understand their preferential habitual traits, beliefs and specific interests that results into talents. â€Å"The choices and actions chose during the teenage phase dictate the king of life that one maintains in adulthood† (Ron 17). Perception of God in Modern Self-Identity Culture Changes in modernity have transpired the self-identification process that enabled humans to discover and ascertain if their life preferences are worth the journey. Conven tional cultures allowed an individual to be authentic and experience life fulfillment by adhering to the natural and socially allocated relationships and roles. One was expected to conform to the terms and regulations provided by the seniors. Responsibilities were also implicated upon people, hence just conforming to their role in life development. However, the advent of modern culture has changed the perception of self-identity. Deep assessment concerning self worth are expounded to enable a human decide on the aspect that he or she will live with. Happiness is also considered as an aspect of helping people reconstruct themselves to the kind of life they would like to live. These strongly advocate for the denial of imposition of social relationships since one would end up building a fake identity not proposed by his or her expectations. According to Ron, this assessment of life reconstruction through identity creates the self me-centered phenomenon. Creating an appropriate me-cente red identity advocates for will power by rejecting the imposition of conferring social relationships. This phenomenon is responsible for clouding oppression and resentment of certain issues when confronted to a person. Self-identity makes one conscious of the role of religion, traditions, and morality among other things in his or her life. Self-identity makes one decide freely on the spiritual journey to follow, habitual traits to adopt but at the same time threatens

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

International Trade Theory & Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Trade Theory & Policy - Essay Example The model further assumes that all markets conducting trade are perfectly competitive; hence goods are priced according to costs within the countries that produce them where there is a competitive wage in each country. Another assumption is that labor is present in fixed supply in both countries and is static between countries yet perfectly mobile within each country. Modern formulations of the Ricardian model specify for both countries utility functions that the consumers represented maximize on the basis of budget constraints. According to the model, each country specializes in producing goods for which it has comparative advantage. This allows both countries to export goods for which it can gain profits (Bowen, Hollander & Viane, 1998). With such specialization, productivities and labor endowments determine food outputs; hence world prices are dictated by the countries’ demands, which is equal to the supply amount of one country in free and frictionless trade. Both countrie s gain from such trade as trade allows for the expansion of exports production and labor is reallocated to exports from importing industries. Additionally, trade under the Ricardian model increases the relative price of both countries’ exports. ... The model assumes that both trading countries have similar production technologies, thus producing identical output of any commodity can be attained with an equal capital and labor level in both countries (Suranovic, 2010). The model also assumes that output product has constant return to scale in order to produce equilibrium. Additionally, technologies utilized in the production of both commodities differ substantially and labor is costless in terms of mobility within countries. The model also assumes that commodities produced in the countries have similar prices everywhere and countries operate in perfectly competitive markets internally thus labor and capital do not affect prices or production factors. It also assumes that trade is free of government interference in market functioning. When labor becomes more expensive than capital, labor-intensive products are at a disadvantage and become quite expensive compared to products that are not labor-intensive. Under free trade, assumed in the Heckscher- Ohlin model of trade the price of goods in both countries is similar; hence the wage-rent ratio is also the same in both countries. However, when labor becomes expensive, more capital in needed to produce products that are labor intensive and those that are not (Krugman & Obstfeld, 1988). When machine use per worker is similar in both countries, these factors will falsify the equality of wage-rent ratio. Effects of tariffs imposed by â€Å"small† countries A small country refers to a country whose trading partner is big enough to meet its imports supply. Tariffs imposed by small countries increase the price of imports above world prices by the value of the tariff (Jonathan & Kortum, 2002). This

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Free trade is the primary force driving economic development Essay

Free trade is the primary force driving economic development - Essay Example Trade liberalisation has become a focal point of many economic forums across the globe. Globalisation has made it easier for countries to look beyond their own borders for economic growth. Countries have recognised the fact that economic growth is a collective effort and all the countries need to work together on this front. Although many developed countries are still practising protectionism, they have realised the importance of free trade in economic development. Several bilateral agreements and multilateral agreements have been signed by many countries to allow flow of goods amongst the member countries. In most of the cases countries that have participated in free trade agreements have experienced rise in living standards, growth in income. This growth curve experience by several countries due to free trade agreements is clear indication of the importance of free trade agreement in economic development. Multilateral agreements drafted under World trade organisation (WTO) and Gene ral Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) are aimed at influencing nations to opt for trade liberalisation. There are many bilateral agreements which have been formulated between nations geographically located near to each other. Trade liberalisation is a well negotiated procedure where each party, agrees to make some concession in opening up their markets for foreign goods. Free trade has a huge impact on improving the quality and infrastructure of the host as well as the foreign country. Due to free trade, industry standards are raised high in order to compete with global scenario (Buckley & Boulle, 2008, p. 185-189). 2. Evolution of Free Trade Policy and Its Mechanism The international trade, especially during world war two suffered a huge loss. Most countries were involved in conflicts arising mainly due to trade disputes. These trade disputes were mainly caused by the discriminations and trade restrictions implied by the several countries to protect their markets from foreign p layers. It was in 1948 in Havana that a conference was held on trade and employment under the flagship of United Nations. The formation of International trade organisation (ITO) was a landmark in the attempt by international community to form an agency overlooking international trade issues. ITO was dissolved later as it did not get the green signal from the US congress. The US congress on the other hand opted for an ad-hoc agreement like General agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). In 1947 at Geneva GATT was agreed on and signed by 23 countries. GATT was legally effective from 1948. GATT thereby is an agency which overlooks the rules and international laws governing international trade. All the trade disputes amongst the signatory parties are resolved by GATT. The most effective clause in GATT is the MFN clause, under which all participating nations are forced to treat all signatory nations as equal in all trade policies. GATT emphasises on influencing signatory countries to redu ce their tariffs and abolish any concessions given to a specific country. Though GATT gave more stability than ITO, it was often tainted by complaints from developing countries. Developing countries often complained about the policies formulated in GATT. The developed countries were often seen to follow protectionism in their trade policies. The formation of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in 1964 was a direct implication of the dissatisfaction amongst the developing countries regarding GATT (Singh & Singh, 2005, p.1-9). One of the greatest outcomes of the Uruguay Round was the formation of World Trade Organisation (WTO). WTO was

Friday, November 15, 2019

How Self-Motivation can Create a Positive Impact on Your Life?

How Self-Motivation can Create a Positive Impact on Your Life? Introduction Self-motivation is a process wherein a person develop ways on how to keep his or her self motivated at all times despite challenging times and without direct help from other people. Experts say that self-motivation is a very important factor in a persons life because this will help him or her see things in a positive way. This will also enable him or her to overcome challenges by developing an attitude that could withstand trials and failures.If one is able to develop a good outlook in life, everything will start falling into their proper places. In fact, he or she might even be surprised of the things that were able to accomplished in that span of time. THE ABCs OF SELF MOTIVATION If you are one of those who have just realized the importance of self-motivation and would want to start it but you just dont know how, here are some of the things that can help you: Re-assess yourself. Many people think that they know themselves already that is why they decline to do self-assessment regularly. Experts say that these people dont realize that the more that they decline doing self-reassessment, the more that they get stuck to their own routine which leaves them lesser room for improvement. If you want to start with constant self-motivation, it is best that you know yourself very well. If you know yourself well, you will know your weaknesses as well as your strengths. Once you were able to identify all of these, it will be easier for you to set goals for yourself that are within your reach and your capabilities. Knowing ones self will also enable you to take note of your weaknesses and find ways on how to overcome, manage, and deal with them. The same works for your strengths because you might even find a way on how to improve them. Start with small and simple goals. Dont put too much pressure on yourself. If you are just starting with self-motivation, it will be best if you start small and simple so you wont feel defeat when you werent able to meet the standards you have set for yourself. If you start with small and simple things, you are giving yourself the chance to accomplish bigger things ahead. Keep track of your progress. Monitoring how well or bad you are doing will help you maneuver things that find ways that would best work for you. For a person who is just starting with his or her self-motivation process, it is best to keep track of how you are doing so you will know where are the areas that you should improve on and what are the things that you should continue doing. Find time to share and help others. Self-motivation is a process that indirectly involves other people for it to be successful. If you think you are doing well at your own pace, it would help if you find time to share the experience as well as the ideas to others so you will influence them. If the people-especially those that matter to you-see that you are doing good and self-motivation is creating a big impact in your life, they would even might want to try the same thing that you are doing.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

International Marketing MacDonald`s Essay

This paper will look at the development of the McDonalds Corporation in Kazakhstan and the obstacles that it has overcome. It will also look at the McDonalds Corporation in relation to its major competitors and analyze how the company has responded to its surrounding environment. In closing, we will look at the prospects for McDonald’s future and it will be clear that McDonalds will be able to maintain its dominant market position. It will continue to be a model that serves as a benchmark for others in the industry. We will go on to analyze the market segments, target market, advertisement of the corporation to the target audience and performance of McDonald’s Corporation. 1.0 Introduction McDonalds Corp., headquartered in Oak Brook Illinois, is the world’s number one fast food chain, serving about 49 million customers daily. The company operates and licenses more than 31,000 restaurants 30,000 McDonald’s in about 120 countries which generated a total $19.06 million in revenues for the fiscal year of 2012. McDonald’s brand is one of the ten most popular brands worldwide. Continuous marketing, promotional and public relations activities promote McDonald’s brand image in order to differentiate the Company from its many competitors. McDonald’s restaurant offer a menu that is uniform to all locations and emphasizes low value prices which includes its famous burgers, cheeseburgers like the Big Mac, Quarter Pounder with Cheese, several chicken sandwiches, Chicken McNuggets, french fries, salads, desserts, sundaes, soft drinks and other beverages. Its restaurants also provide breakfast menu that would include Egg McMuffin, bagel sandwiches, hotcakes, and muffins. Many new products were introduced in the last two years in accordance to the management’s decision to establish a new menu with more choices that is expected to bring a significant growth in sales as it was already shown by the financial results of 2012 which the highest increase in US comparable sales for the last 30 years. The successful manager constructs a marketing program designed for optimal adjustment to the uncertainty of the business climate. The inner circle represents the area under control of the marketing manager. Assuming the necessary overall corporate resources structures, and competencies that can limit or promote strategic choice the marketing manager blends price, product, promotion, channels-of-distribution, and research activities to capitalize on anticipated demand. The controllable elements can be altered in the long run and, usually, in the short run to adjust to changing market conditions, consumer tastes, or corporate objectives. Kazakhstan, from the Kazakh language, means a land of Kazakhs Stan – land. Kazakhstan is located in Central Asia, and is the ninth largest country in the world after Russia, China, USA, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, India and Australia. It is situated north of Uzbekistan, northwest of Kyrgyzstan, northwest of Turkmenistan, east of China, and south of Russia. Kazakhstan shares the Caspian Sea with other countries on its western border. As its neighbors in the region, Kazakhstan is a landlocked country and the second largest republic of the Commonwealth of Independent States after the Russian Federation. Kazakhstan doesn`t have MacDonald’s in the market. However it is really good opportunity to bring the fast food to a new market and get to know the culture. There must be a reason behind not having world’s most famous fast food corporation in a big country. According to my research it is possible to bring new product to the new market and get success in that market. 2.0 Objectives 1. To introduce MacDonald`s to a new market in Kazakhstan city of Almaty 2. To open 20 franchise by the end of 2015 in Almaty, Kazakhstan 3. To increase sales in fast food in 5 coming years. 4. To increase the customers till 50% by the end of 1st year. 3.0 Issues The theoretical framework of this study is based on a number of relevant theories that are discussed in this part. The model which authors constructed in this study integrates cross-culture and 4P marketing strategy. It can be divided into two parts. Firstly, the authors will analyze some components of culture which lead to the phenomenon of cross culture, such as the different values, languages and customer behaviors. During this process, Hofstede‟s culture dimensions will be employed as the approach to understand cross-culture better. Secondly, based on the analysis of marketing standardization and adaptation, the marketing mix 4ps as main international marketing strategies will be used to achieve our research purpose. When marketers discuss international marketing, one of the important issues often considered is the cultural differences. In relation to international marketing, culture can be defined as â€Å"the sum total of learned beliefs, values, and customs that serve to direct consumer behavior in a particular country‟s market† (Doole and Lowe, 2008, p.73). Such components as beliefs, values and customs are often ingrained in a society and have obvious differences among different countries. Cultural differences manifest themselves in several ways. Hofstede (2001) distinguishes symbols, heroes, rituals and values. Among theseï ¼Å'the underlying values are invisible. Although values are always invisible and may be hard to measure, they often play an important role when the marketers try to make decisions, which help to enter a foreign market. Also, according to Mooij (2004), the values that characterize a society cannot be observed directly. They can be inferred from various cultural products (fairy tales, children‟s books, or advertising) or by asking members of society to score personal values by stating their preferences among alternatives, and then calculating the central tendency of the answers. When it comes to marketing, the value concept is often used in an ethnocentric way. Besides, values are learned unconsciously, people are only partly aware of them, and measuring values is not an easy job (Lowe et al, 1998). Often, the problems they face are a result of their mistaken assumption that foreign markets will be similar to the home market, and so they can do the business in a similar way. Doole and Lowe (2007) point out that the values of a culture satisfy a need within that society for order, direction and guidance. Culture sets the standards shared by significant sections of that society which, in turn, set the rules for operating in that market. Mooij (2003) considered that the managers of transnational corporations should provide appropriate products according to the local consumer values and buying behaviors of a certain market. The product strategy owing to cultural factors, usage factors and legal factors. Hall (1990) described some countries‟ culture is high-context culture. 3.1 SWOT Analysis 3.2 Strength MacDonald’s has a strong global presence with its nearest domestic competitor being only half its size, McDonald’s is the market leader in both the domestic and international markets. MacDonald’s benefit from cost reduction through economies of scale because of its enormous size and its huge global presence allows it to diversify risk involved with the economic performance of specific countries. In international markets, MacDonald’s is well placed to expand and take advantage of long-term economic growth. MacDonald’s also has a strong real estate portfolio. The company’s outlets are located in areas that are highly known for visibility, traffic volume and ease of access. MacDonald’s also has exceptional brand recognition. This strong brand recognition creates significant opportunities for the company. MacDonald’s is able to generate more sales because of its brand recognition. 3.3 Weakness The food industry is really saturated. As a result of this, MacDonald’s has to deal with the prospect of looming market saturation, which could make it difficult to add new outlets. The market is forecast to grow by around 2% per year. Lack of product innovation is another weakness of McDonalds. The last breakthrough for McDonald’s was the Chicken McNugget in 1983, but again the company’s new strategy seems to have successfully dealt with the problem through the popularity of its new salads and other new products. 3.4 Opportunity MacDonald’s sold its Donatos Pizzeria back to its founder in 2003 and discontinued Boston market operations outside of the US. The company will instead focus on Chipotle Grill which is the company’s most successful non MacDonald’s branded chain of restaurants. Also to increase profitability the company has slowed its expansion of McDonald’s restaurants so as to refurbish and change the image of current restaurants and adding new features such as Internet access. 3.5 Treats McDonald’s is exposed to changes in the global economy. The company’s aggressive international expansion has left it extremely vulnerable to other countries economic slowdown. Foreign currency fluctuation is also another problem global companies like McDonalds. The Fast food industry is becoming an increasingly competitive sector. MacDonald’s keeps up with competitors through expensive promotional campaigns which leads to limited margins to gain market share. McDonald’s is attempting to differentiate itself, with new formats and new menu items, but other fast food industry are doing the same too. 4.0 Marketing MacDonald`s in Kazakhstan 4.1 Marketing Mix The marketing mix can be adjusted on a frequent basis, to meet the changing needs of the target group, and the other dynamics of the marketing environment Barlon and Kimuli (2006). They are as follows: product, price, place, and promotion. Having identified its key audiences, a company has to ensure a marketing mix is created those appeals specifically to those people. The marketing mix is a term used to describe the four main marketing tools the 4Ps. By analyzing detailed information about their customers, as derived from ongoing market research, the McDonald’s Marketing department can ascertain information key to determining the correct marketing mix. * Which products are well received in Kazakhstan * What prices consumers are willing to pay * What TV programmers, newspapers and advertising consumers read and view * Which restaurants are visited Accurate research is essential in creating the right marketing mix which will help to win customer loyalty and increase sales. As the economy and social attitudes change, so do buying patterns. McDonald’s needs to identify whether the number of target customers is growing or shrinking and whether their buying habits will change in the future. Market research considers everything that affects buying decisions. These buying decisions can often be affected by factors wider than just the product itself. Psychological factors are important, e.g. the image a particular product conveys or how the consumer feels when purchasing it. These psychological factors are of significant importance to the customer. They can be even more important than the products’ physical benefits. Through marketing, McDonald’s establishes a promine nt position in the minds of customers. This is known as branding. 4.2 Product The important thing to remember when offering menu items to potential customers is that there is a huge amount of choice available to those potential customers with regard to how and where they spend their money. Therefore McDonald’s places considerable emphasis on developing a menu which customers want. Market research establishes exactly what this is. However, customers’ requirements change over time. What is fashionable and attractive today may be discarded tomorrow. Marketing continuously monitors customers’ preferences. At any time a company will have a portfolio of products, each in a different stage of its cycle. Some of McDonald’s options are growing in popularity while arguably the Big Mac is at the ‘maturity’ stage. 4.3 Price The customer’s perception of value is an important determinant of the price charged. Customers draw their own mental picture of what a product is worth. A product is more than a physical item; it also has psychological connotations for the customer. The danger of using low price as a marketing tool is that the customer may feel that a low price is indicative of compromised quality. It is important when deciding on the price to be fully aware of the brand and its integrity. 4.5 Promotions The promotions aspect of the marketing mix covers all types of marketing communications. One of the methods employed is advertising, sometimes known as ‘above the line’ activity. Advertising is conducted on TV, radio, in cinema, online, using poster sites and in the press for example in newspapers and magazines. What distinguishes advertising from other marketing communications is that media owners are paid before the advertiser can take space in the medium. Other promotional methods include sales promotions, point of sale display, merchandising, direct mail, telemarketing, exhibitions, seminars, loyalty schemes, door drops, demonstrations, etc. 4.6 Place Place, as an element of the marketing mix, is not just about the physical location or distribution points for products. It encompasses the management of a range of processes involved in bringing products to the end consumer.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

12 Years a Slave Themes

The pain and abuse experienced by Solomon Northrup in his 12 years of slavery, like the millions of other slaves who were kidnapped in Africa and sold across the U. S. , is a tragic example of the pain one society can inflict upon another group of people. The movie 12 Years A Slave graphically portrays the horrors of slavery in America, and demonstrates the shame of the system, using the incredible irony in the story of Solomon Northrup. Since he had a dpcument that said he was a free black man, he was treated by others as a fellow man, but after he was kidnapped he was considered property, like an animal.There was no change in Solomon himself as a person; only a corrupt system declared that he could now be owned as nothing said otherwise. Only a paper could take away your humanity. Additionally, the slave masters and traders, including Solomon Northrup’s, felt that they did not just have the right to treat their slaves however they liked, they also claimed they had the right to, even more simply, own their fellow man. And by decree of the American government, they were fully at liberty to do so.Both examples point to a major theme of the movie, and applies to the slavery system that was in existence all over the Western world: dehumanization. The black slaves who were abused and exploited by the American policy of slavery had their humanity stripped away from them, and were considered the same as any other property of the owner. In contrast, the slave owners who considered fellow humans their own property and whom they could abuse at their leisure had their ideas of justice led so astray by the permitting of slavery that they seemed to lack basic human qualities themselves, including compassion and a sense of reason.The plight of the slaves is summed up perfectly when a fellow slave tells Solomon Northrup, after throwing the body of another slave into the ocean, that â€Å"he was better off dead†. It is quite astounding that such young men and wo men felt that their best option was to die, instead of being faced with the horrors they did daily. Although, it can appear quite reasonable, as slaves were most often born on a plantation, and had no hope of dying free. They could not establish any goals for themselves, as their entire life was forced to be devoted to fulfilling the needs of their masters.This is quite like the lives of many animals, and not humans. Animals are born and try to maintain their existence, but establishing goals to accomplish anything greater is strictly a human attribute. With this basic human characteristic taken from slaves, they were only left with a few human attributes- their own physical bodies, and their spirits; although the former was often abused by the frequent lashes â€Å"awarded† by the masters, which left very prominent scars on the back. For slaves however, maintaining their spirit and dignity, was probably far more complex. Every single event in the life of a slave dehumanized them.Firstly, the auctions, where slaves were forced to strip down and dance like monkeys so prospective buyers could evaluate their abilities. Then, a price was put on their head, and white men could simply buy another human being, and then take him home and enslave him. Also, no differentiation was made between men and youth (as displayed in one scene where all slaves walk beside each other) to carry an identical workload, no matter if one was 12 or 25. Masters had the power to do as they pleased with their slaves after purchase, but only them as a slave was their own personal property.In a confrontation, a plantation supervisor instructed some others after trying to lynch Solomon that â€Å"Ford (plantation owner) holds the mortgage, and you have no hold to his life†. It is incredibly ironic that since they did not own Solomon, they could not lynch, but whoever does can do as he pleases. All this dehumanizing torture would definitely break the spirit of almost any human. B ut, Solomon tried to maintain his, and ensure others did as well, at all costs. He was willing to take vicious punishment for standing up to a supervisor.Also, after noticing another female slave crying endlessly, he told her that â€Å"You let yourself be overcome by sorrow, you will drown in it†. Clearly Northrup tried his best to maintain his dignity, but prior to the exciting conclusion of his story, there is a very telling scene. Solomon was playing violin at a dance for his master and their friends. The violin represented for him a human experience, as he was able to accomplish more than just picking cotton, and the sound of an instrument is one of the most powerful human experiences.Although, at this ball, as he plays, the sorrowful background music of the movie plays over his song, and clouds out the sound of his violin. After the ball Solomon smashed his violin into thousands of pieces. He recognized that even in a very human activity, he was still serving his master , and the music he played and everything he felt as a result of the music, all belonged to his owner. Despite the dramatization, it still vividly shows the despicable dehumanization suffered by slaves, and even those who tried to maintain their human dignity, eventually had everything stripped away.The slaves who had their humanity taken away were abused so greatly by their masters that for a viewer, it was hard to imagine these masters as human, just as they thought of their slaves. Especially further down the Mississippi, like at Northrup’s plantation in Louisiana, the masters treated their slaves so poorly it was impossible to see them as human beings. Most notably, when whipping their slaves, masters stood over their workers and lashed them, with the lack of remorse of a jockey standing over his horse. When talking about whipping his slaves, Solomon’s Louisiana master said: â€Å"Sin. There is no sin.A man does as he pleases with his property. † The master m akes no recognition of the pain he inflicts upon his â€Å"property†, and it forces the viewer to see him as almost a sociopath. The same master also singled out an individual slave, Patsy, and tormented her in a way no true human would do. He was involved sexually with her, most likely against her will. He also whipped her brutally, and even once got Solomon to whip her, in order to see both of them suffer. Other white men demonstrated similar non-human characteristics. At a slave auction, one buyer rhetorically asked a slave: â€Å"Are you a slave or nigger? †.He showed so little respect for another human that it was simply impossible to see him as one either. The extreme cruelty was probably not something the owners were born with, though. It was something engrained in them by slavery being officially permitted and promoted. With official support for slavery, and no real regulations, owners were practically encouraged to abuse their slaves. They learned nothing abou t the history of slavery or their individual slaves, so it was impossible for them to have any connection or compassion for their slaves. It could be considered the original ill-informed, American-centric principle.Truly, the masters such incredibly poor conduct and abuse of their slaves, no matter the justification dehumanized them as well, as no proper person could act in such a terrible way. It is quite impossible to understand the moral justification for slavery in the U. S. No doubt the economic prospective was immense, but the responsibility of a government established â€Å"for the people† is responsible for just that, and encouraging slavery does just the opposite.It is indicative of a society, which at times even today, is more concerned with mythical end goals, than  for the people who build and achieve them. The dream of the American South was to develop a perfect agrarian society, where man’s religion and property were his own, and were respected by the g overnment and others. However, only the plantation owners were considered in this fantasy. Yes, the quantity of labour from the slaves was essential in the development of the country as a whole, and a failure to fully employ their ample natural resources would have greatly stunted the development of the new country’s economy, but the method taken contradicted the true goals of the country when it was established.Even Thomas Jefferson decried slavery in the Missing Clause of the constitution, and said â€Å"†. However, slavery existed for nearly 100 more years in the U. S. after Jefferson, as the South still considered it the best option for developing the country. Maybe it was justified then because the 14 million slaves who built American industry weren’t even considered human, they were only considered slaves.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Daniel Erasmus and the strategic merging of internal and external planning within organisations The WritePass Journal

Daniel Erasmus and the strategic merging of internal and external planning within organisations Introduction Daniel Erasmus and the strategic merging of internal and external planning within organisations IntroductionReferences:Related Introduction Daniel Erasmus (2008), stated that, scenarios is the process which merge inside and outside planning within organisations in order to create a new strategic planning to the future. However, scenario planning created in 1960 by shell group planning ina; order to become the eyes that perceive the prospect of the world future outside the organisation, by showing the right direction that most influences the company environment. Therefore, it is described as a graphic with is detailed and probability view of how the business environment of the company will develop in the future according to the performance of the group and influences, (Lynch 2003). Moreover, (kotler 2003) also argues that scenario planning as the stability of creating possibility illustration of the company prospectively future in different theories about motivating the market as well differentiations suspicions. According to Kippenberger, (1999), private and public organisations both derive the business environmental that is diversity. Whereas, the companies have to be prepare in order to cope with variety changes internal and internal and they must to become to perceive the image about the changes in the future possibility within the business environment. Nevertheless, business must to consider using one scenario prospect as strategic planning, so it will then be possible to have visionary of what might happen and having the solutions to solve problems, this will allows the company to create their own business strategies. References: danielerasmus.com/publications_files/Introduction%20to%20Scenario%20Thinking_1.pdf

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Black Robe - Movie Review essays

Black Robe - Movie Review essays "Black Robe" is a movie that tells the story of the first contacts between the Huron Indians of Quebec and the Jesuit missionaries from France who came to convert them to Catholicism, but ended up delivering the Indians into the hands of their enemies. The Jesuits saw the "Savages", as they called them, as souls to be saved. The natives saw the Black Robes, as they called them, as destroyers and "demons" threatening the gods and sorceries, which ordered their lives. Out of that, a big conflict between two cultures is shown. Those first brave Jesuit priests did not realize that it was not the right thing to do, because a burning faith and an absolute conviction drove them. Only much later it was apparent that the European settlement of North America led to the destruction of the original inhabitants, not their salvation. Father LaForgue, a Jesuit, undertakes a long and arduous journey in winter, guided by the Algonquins, threatened by the Iroquois. It is a torturous experience, and "Black Robe" visualizes it in very realistic depictions of Indian life. Throughout the movie we can very well find details of the housing of the Indians, their methods of hunting and food procurement and the way they use absolute trust and cooperation of each other to fight against the deadly climate. It also becomes clear that the Indians had their own religious and belief systems already in place, and that none of them had much use for Jesus and the other gifts of Christianity. This is clearly shown in a scene when the Jesuit priest is trying to explain the advantages of going to Heaven, and the Indians he is with laugh at him - the cultural context is incompatible and communication with understanding is impossible. On the other hand, for the white people it is hard to understand the brutality and torture that is part of Indian life. When Iroquois are torturing the Jesuit priest and his party, the young Frenchman says: "They are Iroquois, they are a...

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Managing People and the Impact on Organizational Performance Literature review

Managing People and the Impact on Organizational Performance - Literature review Example The further accomplishment of employees is executed by the performance management, which involves employees in contributing the organizations’ goals, improving their effectiveness and helping the employees themselves to realize their importance. The following paper will examine certain mechanisms, through which organizations manage to improve their performance; it will show the relation of performance management to HRM and its role in the contemporary context; will identify the component parts of performance management systems; will represent critique to the rationale for culture management. In order to measure and improve the organization productivity, businesses define and develop different programs that monitor the outcomes of each member of the organization to be aligned with the overall strategic goals. The results of such programs will ensure the companies levels set for finance, for example, the level of consumers’ satisfaction or the products quality levels. There are also different techniques that enable businesses to manage and improve the organizational performance. Thus, the effective time management will improve the productivity of workers and help the organization to reach its goals. Numerous training and development sessions are able to improve individual productivity and thus make a positive impact on organizational performance. To improve employees’ engagement and performance, companies can use such mechanisms as effective communication that enables to see clear goals and expectation of employees. Sharing information increases employeesâ₠¬â„¢ sense of ownership. Besides, active promotion of organizational values, ethical considerations and reputation make employees care for their organization, enhancing their effective contributions.  

Friday, November 1, 2019

Mohammed Ibn Abdul Wahab and Wahhabism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Mohammed Ibn Abdul Wahab and Wahhabism - Essay Example For the purpose of this essay, we shall restrict our discussion to Wahhabi Islam and its influences on current Islamic fundamentalism and the society as a whole. This especially involves Islamic terrorism since Wahhabi Islam is considered to be the premier fundamentalist religious movement supporting it and still incorporates religious beliefs and principles from Koran not found anywhere else in the world. Mohammad ibn bd ul-Wahab was a reformist born in 1703 in Central Arabia in Bani Tamim tribe. He learned literature at a Hanifite school, Islamic law at Medina, and then after few years in his hometown, commenced working as an Islamic teacher after returning to Nejd. Influenced by his examination of luxuries of life, superstitious pilgrimages, worship of Prophet Mohammed and other saints rather than the God and use of omens, he was repulsed and began to pronounce simplicity of early religion as per Koran. Thus began a sect now known as Wahhabism. There was considerable difference in religious texts and actual situation on ground in practical Islam. He was amazed at the importance given to practices like pilgrimages, saints, sacrifices while non-adherence to Islamic law, indifference to conditions of women, widows and children, lack of ritual prayers and non-inheritance of family share to women. He began to preach against jahilliya, which meant ignorance of Islamic laws. Jahilliya was a term in Islam referring to barbarism and ignorance that existed before Islam was founded. Paradoxically, while Wahhab recognized himself with Prophet Mohammed in principles, he connected his society with he same evils that the prophet attempted to overthrow. (Cline, 2003) Because so many Muslims lived (or so he claimed) in jahiliyya, Abd-ul Wahhab accused them of not being true Muslims at all. Those who followed the strict teachings of al-Wahhab were proclaimed as true Muslims during the period because only they still followed the path laid out by Allah. Accusing someone of not being a true Muslim is significant because it is forbidden for one Muslim to kill another; but if someone is not a true Muslim then killing them (in war or in an act of terrorism) becomes legitimate. It would be hard to underestimate the importance of this principle to modern terrorists and extremists. He also based his preachings on principle of uniqueness of God and his students were called as Muwahuddin (Unitarians). The basic text of Wahhabis is the Kitab at-tawhid or the book of unity. Their critics called them Wahhabis who mainly concentrated against Shia ideologies. While this word was originally used in a derogatory context, it has now become commonplace and is used by even people in Nejd. Most Wahhabis today live in Saudi Arabia. However, with passage of time and influx of notorious money, their influence has spread in many other countries of the middle-east, central and South Asia. Implementation of Wahhabism Mohammed Ibn Abd'ul Wahhab's directions for implementation of Islamic law as per his interpretation of Koran were strict and non-tolerant. All non-believer Islamists as well as non-Islamic people were to be put to death immediately. Soldiers of Islam were promised immediate entrance into Paradise and, unbelievably, each soldier had a written order from Ibn Abd-ul Wahhab for the gatekeeper to admit him in heaven forthwith. Wahhab died in 1791, and Wahhabism spread until it was broken down by Mehemet