Marketing For Dummies Essays - Small Business Administration

Marketing For Dummies Executive Summary In July of 1953 the United States Congress amended an act called the Small Business Act. Many believed that the essence of the American economic system of private enterprise is free competition. Also, that only through full and free competition can free markets, free entry into business, and opportunities for expression and growth of personal initiative and individual judgment can be assured. Thus, the Small Business Act was amended. In order to carry out the policies of this Act there was hereby created an agency under the name Small Business Administration. The United States Small Business Administration, more commonly known as the SBA, is a federal agency to protect and assist America's greatest resource, the small business. Since American enterprise is the backbone of our economy and the driving force behind economic growth and prosperity. The mission of the Small Business Administration (SBA) is to maintain and strengthen the Nation's economy by aiding, counseling, assisting, and protecting the interests of small businesses and by helping businesses and families recover from disasters. The SBA's mission is to create economic development through small businesses. To put it in simple terms, the SBA helps businesses get started and helps established businesses grow. The SBA has many functions; here we discuss the six of the functions that small businesses should look at. The first function of the SBA is Business Development, based on management assistance through information, counseling, training and conferences, utilizing the following programs: ? Services Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) ? Small Business Institutes (SBI) ? Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) ? Business Information Centers (BIC). The next function, Financial Assistance offers a variety of financing options to eligible small business concerns that cannot borrow on reasonable terms from conventional lenders without government help. Financial Assistance is made up of three different loan categories: ? 7(a) General Business Loan, which is most widely used. It provides funds for almost any legitimate business purpose. ? Certified Development Company Loans (504 Program) provide long term, fixed rate financing at reasonable rates for businesses to grow. ? Other Special Loan P rograms include: Micro loans; Lines of Credit; Contract Loans; Physical Disaster Loans; Direst loans to veterans, Vietnam, disabled and handicapped individuals, etc. Another function of the SBA is Investment Capital. This provides small businesses to have money or capital for growth and finance. The Small Business Investment Capital or SBIC provides the capital. Developed in 1958, the SBIC wanted to fill the gap between venture capitol and the needs of small businesses. There are two types of SBIC's, the regular SBIC and the specialized SBIC. The Procurement Assistance function tries to make sure that small businesses get their fair pay, goods and services from the federal government. Procurement Assistance programs include Prime Contracts Assistance, Natural Resources Assistance, Subcontracting Assistance, COC and PASS programs. The SBA also tries to establish goals for contracting with small disadvantaged businesses. The last area of focus is Disaster Loans Assistance, which comes into play for assistance for non-farm, private sector disaster losses. Most small, independent businesses or individuals starting a business are eligible for SBA assistance. Because the agency is committed to economic development through small business, it strives to help business ventures get started, grow and remain profitable. Many of SBA's clients are new entrepreneurs starting a business for the first time, while others are young, established companies struggling to meet the challenges of growth and change in a competitive business environment. The SBA has more than a hundred offices across the nation and a permanent staff of nearly four thousand employees. The SBA has an office in nearly every state, for easier access for future small business owners. On top of it, the SBA increases its ability to help many small businesses through public or private initiatives. Ninety nine percent of all U.S. businesses are considered small, and approximate amount of 20 million small businesses make up 39 percent of the GNP, provide around 50 percent of America's workforce, and generate 53.5 percent of all sales. Most small, independent businesses or individuals starting a business are eligible for Small Business Administration assistance. Since the SBA is committed to economic development through small businesses, it works to help businesses get

Canada Criminalizing Pornography Essay

Canada Criminalizing Pornography Essay Canada: Criminalizing Pornography Essay During the 1950's there was a social movement against the pornography industry in Canada. Religious and Feminist groups were concerned about the harmful effects regarding the danger and degradation of women. The opposition to this movement was that pornography was a freedom of expression and sexual orientation. This brought about many political debates and controversies about what is ethically right and what is a personal freedom. This created many problems for the Canadian government on how to legislate pornography and up hold the Common Rights of Canada. First Legislation on Obscenity and Criminal Law In 1959 the Canadian government passed the first law regarding obscenity after a social movement by feminist groups. The Canadian law stated "For the purpose of the Act, any publication of a dominant characteristic of which is the undue exploitation of sex, and any one or more of the following subjects, namely, crime, horror, cruelty and violence shall be deemed obscene." The addition of this law did not settle the conflict between Liberals and Conservatives over the value of pornography and sex itself. Everything was based around one question: Were representations of sex socially and morally dangerous or sexually liberating? Feminist Movement During the 1980's another Feminist movement began because they felt the current law didn't do anything to protect women and it didn't criminalize pornography in any way. Feminist groups argued that pornography oppressed women and it would influence men to believe that this degrading behavior portrayed in adult entertainment is acceptable and something must be done to change it. However, not all Feminist believed in this movement. This particular group went under the name Feminist Against Censorship. This special group was opposed to censoring pornography because it would give power to the men in the Canadian government power to control women's rights: it's the epitome of sexism. Some of the Feminist leaders in North America said that current laws interpret text in such a way that the government ignores the realities of women's lives. In other words, the Feminist group says, the law is too subjective and it must be thrown out and a completely new law be instated that will do away with pornography completely. In order for women to change this law they would have to prove that men who consume pornography also behave in this way by degrading and dehumanizing women. At this point in time there was no evidence supporting that if a man watched pornography that he was going use violence or demeaning behavior towards women. The other side of this argument is that pornography is the reality of sex and that it is a normal practice of sexuality. Pornography is some thing that both men and women enjoy and is used to shape their own human sexuality. It could be argued that the laws in a free society cannot limit or take away the right to read or watch something unless it is proven to harm another human being. It is the freedom of press that allows pornography to remain legal in North America. Conservative Stance Another group that had an opinion on this matter was the conservative religious groups. They argued that pornography was a danger to marriage and good moral values. These religious groups believe that sex is a gift from God and should only be between a man and his wife. However, conservatives did agree with the Feminist Against Censorship on the fact that sex does not degrade or dehumanize women when practiced in the right context. Sex is something that is equally shared between a man and women. The religious groups were fighting to protect what was given as a gift from God and not for it to be abused as entertainment for the public eye. Mobilization of Science: Fact vs. Morality Both Feminist and Conservatives joined forces to censor pornography on the basis that it degrades sex and oppresses women. In the late 1980's R.E.A.L Women of Canada stated that "scientific research was now

Qualitative method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Qualitative method - Essay Example Broadly, there are two approaches in collection of information for research purposes in social sciences: qualitative research and quantitative research. Quantitative research originated in the natural sciences such as chemistry, physics, biology, geology and others, and focused on investigating things the researcher could observe and measure in some way. Evidently, applicability of this approach to social science research was rather limited: social world is impossible to objectively measure in the same way as natural world. Researchers working in the social sciences such as psychology, sociology, anthropology and others were interested in studying behaviour of human beings and various aspects of the social world inhabited by people. Attempts to explain human behaviour in simply measurable terms had only partial success: although measurements obtained with the help of quantitative research told researchers how often human beings demonstrate some or other type of behaviour or how often certain social phenomenon occur, no quantitative research could determine why people demonstrate such behaviour or why things in social world occurred in some specific way. Qualitative research is an effective alternative to find the answer to this question. Qualitative research is defined as "multimethod in focus, involving an interpretive, naturalistic approach to its subject matter" (Denzin and Lincoln, 1994: 2). Qualitative research is based upon a solid philosophical basis which includes a number of paradigms. Theorists outline four major philosophical paradigms that formed the basis of qualitative approach in social sciences: positivism, postpositivism, critical theory, and constructivism (Guba and Lincoln, 1994). Positivist philosophy founded by a famous French theorist A. Konte played exceptionally important role in development of qualitative research. Positivists argued that the objective reality did not depend upon the perspectives of taken by researchers. Consequently, there is no difference between reality and perception of reality, and the primary task of researchers is to disclose facts of the objective world. This paradigm is present in a diluted form in some qualitative research. Postpositivist philosophy is a contemporary modification of Konte's positivism. Adherents of this paradigm claim that human being is not capable of perfect and comprehensive understanding of reality admitting that serious analysis and accurate collection of information can bring the researcher close to such understanding. Postpositivism exerts substantial influence on qualitative research (Shaw, 1999: 45-47). Critical paradigm emerged in the second half of the last century in Germany. Proponents of this paradigm argued that reality could not be grasped without researcher's bias that is caused by historical, political, societal, ethnic, or gender conditions. Consequently, realisation of social conditions and values should be the primary purpose of research (Harvey, 1990). Critical ethnography, feminist research and participatory action research are the best known methods within qualitative approach which rely upon the critical paradigm. And finally representatives of constructivist paradigm claimed that reality was not possible to study and understand 'in pieces', but only holistically and in context. Therefore, the traditional relationship between researcher and subject of research was labelled

Societal response Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Societal response - Term Paper Example The disintegration of the European feudal society perception on the underclass through the Black plague exemplifies a form of societal collapse. The outcome shows different reactions, on the European side it was a failure while for the underclass it was a break through to exercise their rights because they escaped the burden of the exploitative elites and the onerous taxes. Therefore, though there exists different form societal failure, the outcome presents both beneficial and detrimental effects on both the forces in question (Diamond 5). Societal collapse has been used to express the desertion of human cultures. Nevertheless, a clear explanation as to why such extinctions occur has been escalated by abrupt societal demise such as the Mayan civilization. Similarly, a prolonged decline of a society contributes towards failure to derive a distinct explanation for the society’s failure. A notable example is the observed gradual fall of superpowers such as the East Asia’s Han dynasty and Roman Empire in the Western Europe. These examples show examples of cultures that have failed in regards to self destructing consequences of civilization unlike the preconceived advantages of civilization to other states. Continuously, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors have been notable as key to collapse of most societies. Just like an out of balance entire system, these factors manifest themselves in a combined form. Diamond presents his perception on the causes of success and failures in a society through several examples. In regards to the examples of two farms, different societies dominate their areas of jurisdiction due to their own strength. Diamond uses two farms Harns and Bans that were similar in sizes (Diamond 21). However, despite their prosperous nature, they are vulnerable because they are located in economically marginal districts. This is based on the short summer growing season that is suitable for pasture production. As a result both farms are vulnerable to becoming extinct due to climatic conditions. Geographical location of the farms limits their access to markets. Both farms are hostages of forces beyond their control such as change of tastes and affluence of the neighbors and customers. However, evaluation of these farms at the moment of prosperity does not guarantee an individual to experet a decline. Similarly societies emerge, dominate their regions but due to factors beyond its control leads to their extinction as noted in Diamond example where Gardar farms has declined while Huls farm has continued to advance. Huls sustenance is attributed to adoption of new cultures such as the advanced technologies. It is inherent that technologically advanced and richest societies suffer economic and environmental problems that need to be taken into account in order to avoid failure of the societies. According to Diamond, appreciation of the past societal transformation provides the current societies with an opp ortunity to avoid failures but rather embrace changes that leads to success. In regards to collapse of Norse Greenland, a past society, Diamond perceives collapse as a drastic decline in political, economic, social complexity and human population. Before a society is termed a collapsed society, arbitrarily is not conceivable on how the society can be defined in order to be classified

Analysis of questionnarie Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis of questionnarie - Research Paper Example Questionnaire was used to collect the data. The analysis focuses on investigating if students who did not take fruits do not like them and if preference for the fruit is an indicator of number of fruits taken. The following set hypothesis is investigated. Validity and reliability of a quantitative study plays an important role in determining the study’s significance and applicability for an intended purpose. A study that lacks reliability threshold cannot be applied for the study’s sample, for lack of consistency; neither can it be applied in a population because of external validity concerns (Blaikie 185). The study however incorporates a large proportion of the population, 330 out of 521 students who were willing to participate in the study, and this establishes its internal reliability. A significant proportion of the population was further sampled, 124, with a 100 percent response rate and this reinforce reliability of the study’s results and associated conclusions. Consequently, developed knowledge from the data analysis can be relied upon to inform on preference for fruit and fruits taken in the studied week. The analysis can further be relied upon for a model for a relationship between the two variables an d the results can be forecasted to periods beyond the studied week. Of the interviewed students, 116 (93 percent) had visited the cafeteria within the previous 4 or five weeks and this, and assuming external validity, means that majority of the institution’s students visit the cafeteria. The high proportion of students who visited the cafeteria therefore identifies a potential market for a product that is placed in the cafeteria because of the strategic location that many students can access. Strategies could however be necessary for ensuring that all students visit the cafeteria for a wider market. One hundred and one students (81 percent), out of the sampled,

Relationship between philosophy and science

Relationship between philosophy and science The essence of philosophy lies in know thyself as Greek philosopher Socrates defined his motto of life. Indeed, this search for self identity arose when human race first experienced consciousness in the course of evolution. So, it may be argued that philosophy (which comes from the Greek word, phileÃÆ'Â ®n, which means to love) is as old as the very beginning of human civilization.If we analyze the works of great ancient philosophers, for example, Aristotle and Plato, then it will reveal that their scientific attempt was also significant. In fact, they were the predecessors of modern science. Until the medieval ages, the separation between philosophy and science (which comes from a Latin word for knowledge) was not distinctive. However, due to stubbornness of the church controlled society in Europe the severe conflict between science and theology was set off, especially during 17th century, when the era of historical unfriendliness between philosophy, and science began. During this time, due to fast development of science, the independence of science from philosophy became clear. Unlike theology both philosophy and science follow logical methods to gather knowledge. However, the methods they use are a lot different. Philosophy naturally highlights on a biased mould in gaining knowledge as it states the importance of an individual in the universe as well as in the society. On the other hand, science concentrates on the realistic world and tries to find out relationships among measurements of various facts in the real world. Science and philosophy are very different things. Science tells us the facts of the universe, where philosophy helps us interpret them. I think that there is certainly a mutual effect between the two, philosophy may help determine what science investigates, and science may support or prove false philosophy with factual exposure, but in many ways they do not have common characteristics. A philosophy explanation is based on reasoning and argu ments from values, whereas a scientific explanation is based on reasoning from observed facts. I find that philosophy is the reasonable, and sometimes unreasonable, search of the truth. They question what is true, how does one test that something is true, what are good ways to search for truth and how should the truth be structured? The biggest question tends to be, what is? These are all philosophical questions. Science is the study to find how things work, but must assume a certain philosophical basis. First, it must assume that what we observe is real and not imagined. Second, it must assume that what we are observing is objective and repeatable. Finally, science states that all the knowledge it gathers is testable. If I declare that something is true, then I must be able to observe something that can tell me whether or not it is true. The truly interesting fact about science is that nothing can ever be considered really true, just not falsified. Scientific theories are always ca utious, and they are always either improved upon or abandoned in favour of new ones. So then I find myself thinking, how come we are willing to live with uncertainty and constant revision in science, but demand some sort of definitive truth from philosophy? Now why is it that so many people take sides on a dispute that doesnt make much sense, rather than be pleased about what the mind can achieve through the joint efforts of two of its most familiar intellectual traditions? I think the answer here is that scientists have been made conceited in recent times by their acquired status and improved financial resources, so that they dont think they need to bother with activities that dont bring in large amounts of money in funding every year. Philosophy, on the other hand, ismuch harder to define. Generally speaking, it can be thought of as an activity that uses reason to explore issues that include the nature of reality (metaphysics), (The first philosophy (Metaphysics) is universal and is exclusively concerned with primary substance. And here we will have the science to study that which is just as that which is, both in its essence and in the properties which, just as a thing that is, it has. (Aristotle, 340BC)) the structure of reasonable thinking (logic), the limits of our understanding (epistemology), the meaning implied by our thoughts (philosophy of language), the nature of the moral good (ethics), the nature of beauty (aesthetics), and the internal workings of other disciplines (philosophy of science, philosophy of history, etc.). Philosophy does this by methods of study and questioning that include rational arguments. Now, it seems to me that: a) philosophy and science are two distinct activities, b) they work by different methods (observation-based hypothesis testing vs. reason-based logical analysis), and c) they inform each other in a co-dependent manner. Science depends on philosophical theories that are outside the range of experimental validation, bu t philosophical investigations should be informed by the best science available in a range of situations, from metaphysics to ethics and philosophy of mind. So when some critic for instance defends that science can start an attack on all religious beliefs, they are surrendering too much to science and too little to philosophy. Yes, science can experimentally test specific religious claims, but the best objections against the thought are philosophical in nature. The issue is can philosophy advance by itself, without the support of science? Can science work without philosophy? The answer is even though philosophy and science are now two unique areas, to achieve significant knowledge, mix together the outcomes of both domains is a must. In fact, philosophy and science have always learned from each other. Scientists filter what they observe as best they can. They hypothesize, waiting for someone to make a more sophisticated estimate. Scientists consider doubt as a condition they must li ve with. They can live with mistaken belief. For example, a scientist might see only grey squirrels all his life and conclude that all squirrels are grey. His theory is then destroyed when he sees a red squirrel. There is a difference between science as a method and the philosophy of science. Although the scientific method has origins in philosophy, people are free to use the scientific method which rejects the philosophy of science. The science of biology can be educated in a classroom without teaching the philosophy of science. Science as a method tackles experimental questions, and an individual can work at science without believing in the supernatural. The philosophy of science holds that people should limit their beliefs to that which is experimental, in other words rule out the supernatural. The philosophy of science is sceptical about matters away from the untested. The function of philosophy draws imaginary pictures of whatever we observe or feel. Philosophy should be concer ned as much with generating questions as to the finding of answers. Philosophy is biased by nature, but to be biased does not mean to be inferior. Science certainly has its qualities. It is logical and highly organized and it pays attention to the evidential truth. It has producedtechnological surprises and speeded up the materialistic progress of human civilization. It is also basically whatever can be proved independently. And whatever can be proved without bias, as at first it was known to humans in a prejudiced style. Though science has a major relevance in the world, philosophy is much broader than science. I feel that science is what questions have been objectively answered. Whereas philosophy is what could be the more and more questions and what could be all the possible answers to those more and more questions. Philosophy takes priority over science because it is philosophy which has to raise questions and then to propose answers. Science takes only the answers, out of all t he proposed answers, which can be experimentally proved by using the accessible experimental procedures. It is often said that philosophers create knowledge by simply thinking, whereas scientists create knowledge by observing. Galileos experiments about speed of falling objects having different weights as well as about the projectile motion were actually his purposeful attempts to just check the legitimacy of the previously well-known Greek philosophical views regarding these matters. In my opinion, the formation of knowledge is not the role of the scientist. To create new knowledge is actually the role of the philosopher. The role of the scientist is just to extract the objective truths out of already existing ideas. Through experimentation the scientist would bring alterations in many already existing vague philosophical ideas by setting up the exact quantitative relationships between already existing variables. There is a positive role of a scientist. He has to put into operation his advanced theories by discovering and applying new technologies. Science, without philosophical process, turns into no reasonable findings. But, philosophy, without the logical methods of science, results in nonsense. One compliments the other and both are essential to the systematic growth of knowledge. In conclusion, I believe that if a study does not pass the tests of reason, and experimentation, where practical, we have accomplished nothing. Science and philosophy both posses their own qualities and faults in unique ways. Their relationship is competitive at times but neither one would stand at the level of development they have achieved today, without the other.

Americas Transition from a Regional to a World Power Essay -- America

America's Transition from a Regional to a World Power Between the years 1875 through 1920 the United States of America was able to secure itself as a major world power. This was easy to do after the Industrial Revolution and the Progressive movement because the two most important qualities needed to be able to accomplish moving from a regional to a world power existed during this time period: an economic need of resources and mass production using technology, especially with transportation. Ideology and culture also played important roles in America’s rise to power. As industrialist Andrew Carnegie describes, â€Å"The old nations of the earth creep on at a snail’s pace [but the United States] thunders past with the rush of the express [train]† (Norton 608). The first, and arguably the most important, event that helped to bring about the United States’ new status was the Spanish American War. It was extremely vital for the United States to establish itself as having colonies in order to be a part of the world. Additionally, most Americans were in favor of expansion as lo... America's Transition from a Regional to a World Power Essay -- America America's Transition from a Regional to a World Power Between the years 1875 through 1920 the United States of America was able to secure itself as a major world power. This was easy to do after the Industrial Revolution and the Progressive movement because the two most important qualities needed to be able to accomplish moving from a regional to a world power existed during this time period: an economic need of resources and mass production using technology, especially with transportation. Ideology and culture also played important roles in America’s rise to power. As industrialist Andrew Carnegie describes, â€Å"The old nations of the earth creep on at a snail’s pace [but the United States] thunders past with the rush of the express [train]† (Norton 608). The first, and arguably the most important, event that helped to bring about the United States’ new status was the Spanish American War. It was extremely vital for the United States to establish itself as having colonies in order to be a part of the world. Additionally, most Americans were in favor of expansion as lo...

Ideas and Issues †what creates a sense of belonging? Essay

The song ‘Took the Children Away’ by Archie Roach conveys the thoughts and feelings of many Aboriginal children that were taken and became the Stolen Generation. Throughout the song Roach talks repeatedly about the sense of loss and trauma suffered through the immense hardships of being taken from familiar surroundings and placed into a foreign setting. Although the song does not provide grim details of the incredible embarrassment of slave labour, Roach strongly focuses on the heartless taking of the children into a surrounding, where they could not ask themselves the basic belonging questions such as, who am I?, What am I worth? And what is my purpose? According to this song the Stolen Generation were left to ponder their identity especially with the words, â€Å"As we grew up we felt alone cause we were acting white yet feeling black†. I feel Roach particularly wanted us to feel sympathy for the Stolen Generation in this song because he focuses on himself as we ll as the Stolen Generation, making the song become personal as he details his own pain. Also, during the second verse Roach sings â€Å"You took the children away, the children away breaking their mother hearts†. This emphasizes that not only children were affected, but families and especially mothers too. For me this conveys his message of the inhumane treatment of the Stolen Generation even more powerful, because he doesn’t focus on one particular group of the Stolen Generation, but on all aspects of the family and how it is affected. â€Å"The children came back, back to their mother, back to their father†¦back to their people.† The song ‘Took the Children Away’ is a powerful song, because it gives an accurate as well as a personal view to the listener, about the hardships and the sense of alienation felt by the Stolen Generation as they could not belong to any race, aboriginal or European. The play, â€Å"Stolen† by Jane Harrison, also focuses on the trauma and psychological abuse suffered by the Stolen Generation. However instead of listening to a song like ‘Took the Children Away’, Stolen immerses the audience with various sounds, smells and sights to portray the incredible friction and alienation felt by many individuals of he Stolen Generation because of the way that they were personally humiliated, physically, mentally and emotionally. During the play Harrison reveals the damaging treatment that was inflicted on the Aboriginal children, in grim detail, to  not only emphasize their loss of identity but their worthlessness as individuals. For example, the character Jimmy, after hearing that his mother has died, feels so worthless that he hangs himself in the jail cell of the local police station. For me this made think twice before condemning an Aboriginal because of what I see on T.V, because the many images that are portrayed on the television depict Aboriginals as dole bludgers and losers. However, after reading this play and seeing the horrific and damaging treatment suffered by those five individuals it made me realise that the stereotypes that placed on them on television are wrong. The play immersed me in the pain and suffering that each one of the ‘Stolen’ children must have felt, being stripped from their parents and dumped in an unfamiliar environment to fend for themselves without the guidance and security of their family. For any individual the thought of being stripped from their loved ones and from the caring individuals in their community would be a nightmare. Yet it has already happened to the various individuals belonging to the Stolen Generation. During the play Stolen, one particular character, Anne, is taken to a nice white home where the parents take good care of her and she doesn’t receive any sexual or mental abuse as other Stolen victims have had in the play. However, in this seemingly ‘perfect’ circumstance, Anne is still left pondering what her identity is because of her different skin colour. This makes her life more traumatic as she comes to grips with the reality that she is an Aboriginal, the race that was despised. Also, during the play other characters experience this kind of treatment, showing not only that one person can be abused in this way. In the play we experience horrific and almost disturbing examples of the degrading of the Aboriginals. This brought into perspective the view considered by many people that this ‘Stolen Generation’ had no sense of belonging or identity because as a race of people they were not being valued as a human, being only for an object for which Europeans can use for slaves. The episode ‘The Afghan Experience’ from Tales from a Suitcase is a documentary about two refugees trying to make a life for themselves in Australia. As Australians we may think that Shafiq Monis and Khadem Nori are  a burden to our country and society, bringing with them only crime and becoming ‘dole bludgers’. However, the episode challenges this stereotype by showing images of Khadem and Shafiq surviving on a meagre salary, despite the psychological abuse suffered in Australia and being constantly viewed as criminals. Before I saw this documentary I thought some refugees abused their rights, especially the rape in Sydney by a group of Pakistanis earlier this year. However, this documentary shows Khadem and Shafiq working hard for their adopted country and even though Khadem was not as emotionally and mentally damaged as Shafiq, the documentary illustrated his will to go on and achieve great things for his new adopted country. Unlike many of the other characters studied in the other texts, Shafiq and Khadem have come from a country where they could answer the three questions of belonging and have not been as damaged as the tragic cases of the five children in Stolen. However, despite being abused and humiliated to the point of despair, these two men have pressed on and showed me in particular that refugees can be an asset instead of a burden to our society. To conclude, these three texts illustrate the extreme pain and trauma suffered by people in the Stolen Generation, as well as refugees marginalised by society who have tried to get a sense of belonging. All features in the play and texts work powerfully together to reinforce the psychological suffering that the children of the stolen generation went through as a result of the forcible removal from their family, as well as the alienation that Shafiq and Khadem endured in their society. The song ‘Took the Children Away’ is a dramatic song that portrays the instability and uncertainty that the children of the Stolen Generation face continually during their lives as well as the continual torment that still haunts them during their adult lives as a result of being marginalised in their own country. The play Stolen uses many of the audience’s senses with the use of a cold, dark and regimented settings throughout the play to emphasize the terrible conditions that the children lived in, as well as reinforcing the terrible sense of loss of contact with their own race and civilisation. Also, the various scenes in the documentary ‘The Afghan Experience’ showed me the alienation felt by most refugees in Australia as they try to make a new life after fleeing from persecution in their own land. Overall, these  texts accurately prove that these people were discriminated against and, without family, or other support, they do not feel valued or able to contribute meaningfully – which is an essential aspect in being able to belong.

buy custom Impact of the European Settlement on the Indigenous People of Australia essay

buy custom Impact of the European Settlement on the Indigenous People of Australia essay The early in habitants of Australia were the aboriginal people. They were mainly black in color and usually they were thought to live a primitive life. They used to live a quiet life that was not complicated by the modernity of the world. They were spiritual and did not have ownership of property especially land. Their economic activities were hunting and gathering of food in the forest. Additionally, there rule of law or the mode of governance they used was not complicated. They used to settle their disputes by the use of elders of the community. However, in the eighteenth century all this was to change after the European settlers came to settle on there land. The Europeans brought all the cultural activities by force to the aboriginal people. The aboriginal people did not have an alternative but to follow what the settlers imposed on them. Therefore, the European settlers had a great impact on them leading to the change of their lives forever. Discussion The European settlers came to Australia in the eighteenth century with the purposes of searching grounds where they would punish their prisoners. When the settled to Australia, they saw, that the lands were very profitable and they decided to take them from the indigenous people. The first impact they made to the lives of the aboriginal people was displacement from their land. Before the European came to Australia the aboriginal did not own property (Australian Law Reform Commissions, 2001). Anybody could settle wherever he or she wanted. In addition to this, they respected their spiritual grounds. Nobody could own them or settle on them. However, this changed after the European settled on their lands. At first, they chased them away from their lands especially those lands that were productive. They started issuing of ownership lienses to themselves and selling the remaining parts of the lands to the other European settlers who wished to on those lands. Because of this, the aborigin als were displaced of their lands (Fletcher, 2004). The other impact the Europeans settlers made to the lives of the aborigines was death. The Europeans brought death to the aboriginal people through conflicts. This meant that the aboriginals were trying to protect their lands especially the spiritual lands. In the process, it led to death of the aboriginals. The aboriginals respected the dead and the areas where they were buried. These lands were believed to be spiritual thus, the respect they had for them. On the other hand, the European settlers did not care about this; they had other things in mind (New South Wales, 2010). This led to them chasing the aboriginals of from their spiritual lands and selling them. This resulted to anger of the aboriginals. They saw this as disrespect and they started to fight the Europeans. As a result, they were killed leading to fear (Healy, 2008). This impact of death led to the aboriginal people fearing for their lives. Lastly, the European settlers had an impact on the lives of the aboriginal people through the change of their social economic and justice cultures (Clarke, 2008). The aboriginals cultures were thought to be primitive and backward by the European. Before the European came to Australia, the indigenous people had a quiet life. Economically the aborigines used to work in the fields by gathering food and hunting in the forests. There justice system was not complicated; they only had the elderly people as the leaders of the different groups. This type of lifestyle was appropriate and appreciated by the aboriginals. The societal eethics and moral values are changed depending on the environment they stay. When the European settlers settled in Australia, they changed the cultural lives of the aboriginals forever. After stealing their lands, the aboriginals did not have the land to gather or hunt for food (Leitner Malcolm, 2007). The aboriginals did not have any land that they could use for their cultural activities neither did they have the opportunity to practice their social cultural activities. Additionally, the European settlers imposed their cultures on the indigenous people. This was assimilated and made them more of them than the way they were. Therefore, this led to the impact on the lives of the aboriginals by changing their cultures forever. Conclusion In the past, the aboriginal people inhabited Australia. This people were black in color and they led a quiet life. They were not an industrious bunch of people and neither did they have the modern way of living. They were comfortable in the life they had and they did not require any help in their way of life. On the other hand, the European so their lives entirely differently from the aboriginals (Smith Lamberton, 2010). They thought that they led a primitive way of living and the only way to help them was to impose rules that will change their lives for the better. As a result of this, it led to conflicts between the two. One of the impacts that the European changed the lives of the aboriginals was death. In the conflict the aboriginal were killed leading to fear. The other impact was the change of their social, economic and justice cultures. Lastly, they were displaced of from lands especially their spiritual lands. Although it may not be visible in the present day, the aborigina ls will never go back to their lives as they were before. Buy custom Impact of the European Settlement on the Indigenous People of Australia essay

The Israeli †Palestinian conflict

The Israeli – Palestinian conflict Introduction Both Palestine and Israel hold the belief that they both have the rights to the same piece of land . In essence the Palestinians claim the claim that the Jews drove them out of their land. On the other hand, the Jews believe that the land belongs to them. This is based on historical and biblical times. In the current times, leaders from both countries have demonstrated the willingness to have peace. This has been characterized by how close the two sides have come to having a peace deal.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on The Israeli – Palestinian conflict specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, a lasting solution has not been developed. It is worth noting that Israel and Palestine have are quite different and unique from each other. This is because each country has got a unique culture and history. In addition, the official languages which are used in these two countries are different. In essenc e, Israel is largely made up of Jews while Palestine is made up of Muslims. Muslims are followers of the Islamic faith. On the other hand, Israel is a very unique country because it is the only Jewish nation in the world. The Israeli – Palestinian conflict is a conflict which dates hundreds of years back. This conflict has not been resolved to this day. Until this day, the clash between these two nations still ranges on. From the biblical history, the region which is currently known as Palestine was once known as Israel. This was during the reign of King Solomon. The Jews and the Arabs who speak the Semitic language have always lived in this region. Thesis The conflict that has existed between the Palestinians and the Israelis has hindered development between the two countries. This is because the suspicion that has been in existence between these two countries has brought to the fore retrogressive aspects which have limited progress. It is also worth mentioning that the hist ory of this conflict has hampered positive relations among the young people from both countries. The Palestinian – Israeli struggle is an archetypical example of an intractable conflict. It is a protracted, violent, and drawn out struggle, wherein generation after generation is socially conditioned to continue fighting. The phenomenon operates as a destructive evolutionary mechanism subject to a general principle: almost every element that benefits the conflicts survives, while whatever operated against it becomes extinct. Indeed, almost every attempt to solve the Palestinian – Israeli struggle has created new problems, which in turn has led to failures and regression. To stop the destructive evolutionary progression, a revolutionary process is required. This paper seeks to establish the fact that cognition has played a major role with regard to exacerbating the problems that are causing the conflict. The effect of the conflict Any unstable political situation within a ny region in any part of the world is associated with negative outcomes within that region. This is because conflict is associated with retarded growth as well as limiting progress within a given setting. In essence, both states have faced hardships following this conflict. The Palestinian economy has stagnated and has been declining following the bottlenecks which have been associated with this conflict.Advertising Looking for proposal on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition, the constant state of conflict has brought with it negative impacts on the Israeli society. This has been especially so among the Israeli youth who in many instances have found themselves facing post traumatic stress disorders. This has been brought about by the indiscriminate fear which has resulted from acts of terror. Even more disturbing, however, is that Israeli schoolchildren are among the most violent in t he world, a phenomenon believed to be the result of force being an accepted societal means of dispute resolution. The culture of violence prevalent which is prevalent in Israel has had a dramatic impact on most impressionable members of the community: children. They grow up learning that physical force is an acceptable and even successful means of response in a dispute. An asymmetrical Israeli response to a Palestinian attack surely encourages a youth to a school bully by such rash means as carrying a weapon. The purpose statement The purpose of this study is to establish the causes and the consequences of the Israeli – Palestinian conflict. This will shed more light into the mental attitudes that the Palestinians and the Israelis have with regard to each other. In essence, one of the reasons which has brought about this problem is on the basis that there are cases where one does not hold the political views of another thereby bringing about conflict. In essence, this conflic t can be controlled the moment that one is able to understand the causes and the effects of the parties who are under study. In this case, it is worth to mention the fact that our cognitive bearing with regard to a matter such as a perceived historical injustice can have negative implications in the way that people execute challenges. Research questions In order to obtain the findings which a researcher is interested in, it is important to set up the framework of questions which a person is interested in establishing. The question which this study seeks to address include (1) what is the relationship between the conflict and the attitudes of the conflicting parties (2) are there any measures which have been made with regard to establishing the peace process (3) what are the measures which can be made in order to have an impact on the attitudes of the conflicting parties. Theoretical framework There are several theories which are going to be used in this study. In essence, we are goi ng to be using the geopolitical theories. These theories will serve as a guide which shall be used in the attempt to understand the issues which are underlying the conflict between Palestine and Israel. In essence, the Jews were dispersed across the world after they suffered for a long a time. However despite this, they did not lose their identity. They were able to maintain their initial identity and culture. However, upon returning to their land, they forced the Palestine to be displaced. In this case, Friedrich Ratzel’s Organic State Theory is classic with regard to seeking to understand the expansion of Israel’s territory.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on The Israeli – Palestinian conflict specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This expansion covered some of her neighbors and led to the conquering of majority of the Palestinian lands. This theory expounds on this subject by explaining the fact t hat states were seen as organisms. In this case, the Palestinian state was seen as an organism which occupies territorial space. Based on this fact, states seek an opportunity to extend their territories based on the fact that the vastness of these states depicts the power of these states. Some of the concepts that this theory holds include nationalism and the right to self determination. This can be applied when it comes to understanding the strained relationship between Israel and Palestine. The conflict that exists between these two nations is based on the nationalistic ideology that is held by both nations. That is, both countries believe that they have the right of owning the land which is in contention. In essence, nationalism contends the right of a people within that nation being served by nations which hold similar views or serve their interest. Nationalism has played out clearly on the basis of the fact that both nations have laid hold of the dream to regain their sacred h omeland. Internationally, there are rights which respect a nation or a state’s right to self determination in pursuit to its survival. This determination has been held by both Israel and Palestine thus fueling the conflict. This is as a consequence of the fact that both parties hold the claim that the establishment of the states is based on their ability to recover their land. The second concept is the power urge. This concept is based on the opinion that conflict mostly arises from the states when nations seek to assert the urge to assert their power. This stance has been taken by both Palestine and Israel and has resulted in both parties not arriving at a consensus thus fueling the conflict much further. Literature Review The Jews and the Muslims consider some key cities and towns within the Palestinian territory to be holy cities. During the first century A.D, the Roman Empire took over the area that they came to call Palestine. Essentially, the Romans were pagans and they clashed with the Jews thus forcing them to flee from the area. During the nineteenth century, Britain, France, and the Turkish Empire controlled most of the Arabian region. The Turks controlled Palestine, from 1517 to 1917. It was during this time that the Jews who had been forced out this region began to return. During this Ottoman Empire, the Jews and the Arabs lived together in peace.Advertising Looking for proposal on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The story of the Israeli Palestinian conflict is rooted in the last decades of the Ottoman Turkish rule over Palestine. The ottomans ruled over Palestinians for hundreds of years. During the last decades of their rule they attempted to bring change to their reign instead of prolonging their stay. Although they had different ethnic backgrounds their common Islamic faith held them together thus their coexisted well with their counterparts. Consequently, this held the region together in stability. The common unity of the Muslim faith between the Turks and the Arabs was continually being challenged due to the foreign infiltration. Eventually, this led to rivalries and contests that existed between this empire and the European rivalries. The Ottoman Empire began to fall in the early twentieth century. During the First World War, the British and the Arabs fought together and defeated the Turks in Palestine. From 1920 until 1948, the British took over the control of Palestine. They worked on a plan to rule Palestine until Palestinians could rule themselves. Following this defeat, the British promised the Palestinians independence now that they had helped them to defeat the Turks. Despite this promise, the then foreign secretary Balfour Arthur had drafted a declaration for the Jews promising them to establish a homeland for them. Application of the theory Looking at the map, one cannot fail but realize or notice that the map of the Israel state has been changed a lot with time. From a geographical perspective, the nation of Israel is found right at the center of the Arab states. These states have been aggressive to the Israel states thus Israel feels insecure. This is because the Arab states have depicted the notion of taking back what was once their land that belonged to their sister state, Palestine. Due to this, there have been many wars which have been fought against Israel. Unfortunately for the Arabs they have lost these battles. This has confirmed that they Isr aeli army is well equipped to defend her boarders from any state which might try to take her land. According to Ratzel’s organic state theory, Israel ate up other states in order to set herself up as a sovereign state in the 1940s. However, the subject of land rages on. This is because as the populations of both states grow, there is a constant need for each state to put up measures to ensure that she is able to meet the needs of her population. Analysis In the process of analyzing this information, the researcher shall use analytical techniques in order to draw deductions from the information gathered. This is because working on this kind of project requires the researcher to be equipped with the relevant skills in analyzing information and data based on the critical thinking ability. This is because people process the information about what they go through based on the way that the information is understood as well as the way the information was obtained in the previous tim es. In this case, the information that seems to be true, or hold the views and ideas that we have is preferred by a person. The cognitive aspect ensures that people are able to go through the motions of the world without asking too many questions about the circumstances that they might be facing at a given point in time. Thus in this study, the researcher will seek to establish some of the cognitive frameworks which are held by the citizens in these conflicting states. In this approach, the assumptions which shall be arrived at will require the review of the current analytic line as they exist in the present, articulate the beliefs which are held by the opposing parties and then challenge the assumptions which are held by these parties. This will enable the analyst or researcher to be in a better position to stand by a fact which is prevailing. Thus the information gathered shall portray what is the cognitive framework of the parties involved in conflict. Conclusion The Israel †“ Palestinian conflict is a conflict which is rooted between two peoples. In this case we have the Jews and the Palestinian Arabs. These two people claim the ownership of the land under dispute. They are both fighting for this land in order to be able to obtain some form of liberation from the challenges that each state is facing. In the past, the United Nations has failed to act as an arbiter in this conflict. Consequently, this has led to the worsening of the ties and the escalation of the conflict between these two states. The vague detractions which have been established have also not borne any fruits from the conflict which is raging on. This strained relationship between these two states has caused this region to be in a state of recurrent conflict. The effects have been felt in both states. In this case, Palestine has faced economic hardships that have prevented her from economic growth. On the other hand, Israel has faced persistent threats from her neighbors, thus they ar e always living in fear. It is worth to mention that these states of affairs have aggravated the perception that people have towards or with regard to this conflict. Most people have cognitively accepted this state of affairs as the natural way of life. On the other hand, the probability of reaching an amicable position has been compromised due to the fact that these parties have held each other in utter suspicion. This has led to the belief that nothing good can be obtained from any peace talks which are being held. Thus it is important to first address the mentalities which are held by both parties so that one can be able to work towards establishing lasting peace in this region. Bibliography Abunimah, Ali. One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse. New York: Henry Holt and Co., 2007. Dershowitz, Alan. The Case for Peace:How the Arab-Israeli Conflict Can be Resolved. New York: John Wiley Sons, 2006. Fraser, T. G. The Arab-Israeli conflict. New York: Palg rave Macmillan, 2008. Gelvin, James L. The Israel-Palestine Conflict:One Hundred Years of War. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press , 2005. Gunderson, Cory Gideon. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict. New York: ABDO, 2003. Kershner, Isabel. Barrier:the seam of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005. Ler, Gregory. Israels Rising Economy and its Drawbacks- Causes, Consequences and Remedies. Nordesten: GRIN Verlag, 2008. Milton-Edwards, Beverley. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict:a peoples war. New York: Taylor Francis, 2009. Nitzan, Jonathan, and Bichler Shimshon. The global political economy of Israel. London: Pluto Press, 2002. Ross, Dennis. The missing peace:the inside story of the fight for Middle East peace. London: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005. Said, Edward W. The End of the Peace Process:Oslo and After. New Jersey: Vintage Books, 2001. Smith, Charles D. Palestine and the Arab-Israeli conflict. New Jersey: Bedford/St. Martins, 2007.

Why the government should create policies that make buying locally Research Paper

Why the government should create policies that make buying locally more appealing to us in the United States - Research Paper Example Lester Brown, President of the Earth Policy Institute states, â€Å"The prospect of peaking oil production has direct consequences for world food security, as modern agriculture depends heavily on the use of fossil fuels.† Modern agriculture depends heavily on fossil fuels to operate the heavy machinery necessary to take the worlds supply of food from a beginning, on the farm, to its end, in the hands of the consumer. Brown points out many aspects in his article to support the fact that the rising cost of fossil energy is driving the American economy back into its local communities. Every product produced that ends up in the hands of the consumer is directly effected by the use of fossil fuels. Past decades of inexpensive oil has created this dependency which in turn has given rise to the way our society lives. There is virtually no limit to the distance that food can travel to the consumer. Many of the products that we consume daily travel from China, an emerging country, als o, have seen a growing dependency on fossil fuels. In their effort to become more capitalistic, backward agricultural methods have been replaced with modern machinery dependent on oil. Dependency on oil not only creates higher cost in food; it also creates a constant flow of filthy air back into the environment. Therefore, with these notable factors, should the government make policies that drive the consumer back toward the local economy? It’s a question of individual initiative in most instances, but most of us look to the government for guidance just as a child looks to its parents. Should the government be involved at all in the daily lives of the consumer? Policy is not treated in the same fashion, as are laws. Policies put forth to a society as a whole give suggestions and positive influences that are more readily accepted by the majority. A policy is a more tactful way of achieving an end result without the rigors of law. Consider our food safety! Where do our foods or iginate? What are the safety factors involved in transporting foods from such long distances? What are the positive factors of focusing more on local grown foods? The Food and Water Watch states, â€Å"Our current food system is broken, and it didn’t happen by accident.† The Fair Farm Bill works to bring positive aspects, changes, and upgrades when needed. It also promotes the local food movement, pointing out that locally grown foods are more accessible, healthful, tasty, and help local communities prosper. As local communities prosper, it brings the economic living standards back to an acceptable quality of life. The current food system consists of large monopolies formed primarily to sustain themselves economically due to rising cost of fuels and other expenses. Farmers have been forced to merge with others into large conglomerates, which have not been a positive factor for the consumer in producing quality, healthy, and fresh foods. Foods that are produced in other countries do not have the same health standards supported by the policies of the United States. The merger era also destabilized pricing. Pricing in any industry normally fluctuates by supply and demand. Large conglomerates monopolize the market creating their own pricing structures, but questionable inferior quality foods. Smaller local food entities focus more on quality vs. quantity. Competition is what drives any capitalistic society to improve on what now exists. In order for local small business to exist, there must be a breakdown of the large conglomerates. A competitive atmosphere fuels more business, better quality, and lower pricing; which will be passed to the local communities giving easy access

Apple Inc Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Apple Inc - Case Study Example Before any firm initiates its plan therefore it must put in place a good resource base to help through proper management sail through market uncertainties. Apple Inc. prides itself a wide base of resource in terms of knowledge, entrepreneurship, financial and people. To date, Apple as a company has had the best selection of CEOs and employees to run its operation. The most outstanding being Steve Jobs who had a celebrated reputation of being creative head of the company. Apart from good generic strategies and core competence a company strong resource base in terms of people, knowledge, entrepreneurship and financial prowess. A firm’s success in employing its generic strategy and core competences depends on a good knowledge of the market and the ability of its management to read situation. Good decision making accompanied with a viability of financial resources will ensure better implementation of a firm’s generic strategy and core competences. Apple’s core competence as underlined earlier comprise of its outstanding leadership, hardware, culture and the most population innovative image. Leadership of a firm forms the basic fundamental of basis of resource mobilization and growth of a company of company resources. Apple Inc. has one of the team leaders in its management and this is a sure way of better resource management and implementation its core competences. Apple is also known for its innovation. Innovation supplements better good leadership to ensure better resource management and proper implementation of its core competences. Apple’s success is finally a function its generic strategy. In its strategy to outdo its competitors, Apple also employ a generic strategy based on differentiation and differentiation focus. In a world full of competition companies need good strategies to unlock potential markets and maintain those at hand. Apple Inc. has successfully implemented a differentiation