Memo- Gazprom and Itera Essay Example for Free

Memo- Gazprom and Itera Essay In the case study of Gazprom and Itera, we see how different companies and governmental organizations can potentially be able to exploit a large company such as Gazprom for a large profit. Gazprom is a large gas and oil company that is valued very cheaply compared to other large oil and gas companies (such as Exxon Mobil). Browder is a shareholder of Gazprom that identifies several questionable transactions that were done by Gazprom and other organizations that have relationships with Gazprom. He is questioning why the undervaluation could have occurred based on the business being conducted by the oil giant. The problem that exists for Gazprom is that the market perceives the company to have lost 99 percent of its assets, completely devaluing the price of its goods. In reality, only 10 percent of its assets were stolen, and the market is slowly trying to catch up to that truth. Browder is attempting to identify the transactions in order to solve the large problem at hand. These transactions include organizations that work with Gazprom such as Itera (a gas trading company) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (their internal auditor) devaluing the gas and oil Gazprom held in certain situations and reselling it for a profit. In one example, Itera bought gas valued at $35 a barrel from Turkmen gas and resold it to Gazprom for $45 a barrel. PwC thought this difference was acceptable due to transportation costs, even though those were already taken care of separately. In general, the lack of transparency and accountability being administered by management in Gazprom and its partner companies was a fail ure to its stockholders. Browder’s recommendations to the Russian government are vital, mainly due to the fact that it has a 38% controlling stake in Gazprom. Because the vast majority of the operations conducted by Gazprom occur within Russia’s boundaries, it is up to the government to set the correct standards and close loopholes so that organizations and individuals will not exploit such situations. Browder’s recommendations to the U.S. and to the Board of Directors of Gazprom could be essential for enacting change within the  corporate environment to prevent such scrupulous transactions. Though these changes could prove helpful in the reorganization of the company in the long run, the international political environment does not provide Gazprom with the best situation. The fact that Russia’s governmental body has so much stake in the company can greatly complicate things due to the personal influence of those running the government. Several members of the Russian government could fulfill a personal agenda using the government’s stake in the company as leverage (this could have been the case potentially with these transactions). This is also the case with PwC and Itera, both with a lot of power to take advantage of loopholes and other lucrative situations when it comes to Gazprom. There are several things Browder can do to combat this situation, but I think his strategy will be a difficult one to execute alone. He would need to collect more shareholder power before he steps forward with the resolutions. Involving the U.S. and Russian government will be difficult due to the lethargic manner in which these situations can be resolved. Taking care of the company from within should be he first move, but only with the appropriate number of people backing his plan.

Material Culture in Education Essay

Material Culture in Education Essay This study explores the role of material culture in arts and design class at colleges in Singapore. Normally, students in a contemporary graphic design class face many difficulties particularly in interactive creation of arts and design. Basically, this study tends to identify and analyze the advantages of using material culture in a contemporary graphic design class. Furthermore, this paper also attempts to design an effective curriculum that will satisfy the needs of using material culture in a contemporary graphic design class. Concurrently, graphic design schools today face ever-increasing demands in their attempts to guarantee that students are well equipped to enter the workforce and navigate a complex world. Research indicates that material culture can help support learning concerning culture and past histories, and that it is especially useful in developing the higher-order skills of critical thinking, analysis, and scientific inquiry. But the mere presence of material culture in the classroom does not ensure their effective use when it comes in adding validity and substance to graphic design study. This study explores the various ways material culture can be used to improve how and what student learn in the classroom particularly in creative design and arts. Moreover, this paper pointed out the use of material culture as an effective learning tool in studying past history and culture is more likely to take place when embedded in a broader education reform movement that includes improvements in teacher training, curriculum, student assessment, and a schools capacity for change. In this study, the researcher investigated several variables that may influence the development and progress of students in different contemporary graphic design classes at colleges of Singapore. These included perceptions of problem difficulty, creative designing, value of art, and quality of work. The researcher believes that enabling the students to use material culture aided by the procedure in graphic design will result in effective learning and understanding in creative design and provides quality design and art. This research will analyze and investigate the role of material culture and personal perception of the students in Singapore. This shall include a discussion on the positive and negative variables related to material culture and contemporary graphic design, an analysis of performance of the students in school in relation to material culture was also conducted. Particularly, the research will focus on examining the role of material culture in contemporary graphic design provided by the school instructors/administrators. Basically, the results of the study will lead the researcher to the development and devise an effective curriculum in arts and design with respect to material culture in graphic design. Problem Statement This researcher finds the necessity for a study that specifically tackles the effects of material culture in contemporary graphic design at Colleges in Singapore. Specifically, this study intends to explore the significant impact of this material to the Colleges in Singapore that are related in contemporary graphic design. It will present the performance of the students by identifying weaknesses and inefficiencies and recommending solutions. Basically, the problem of this study is about conventional methodology in teaching which used a dry lecturer is really dull and takes a lot of time to finish a modular or syllabus of each topic depending on lecturer capabilities, skills, availability, mood and student indulgent of what their thought. That is not effective for students to get an effective way to learn, there is a need to get a new and effective approach since material culture may now touch the cultural and historical value of a certain art or design. The purpose of using material culture in a contemporary graphic design class is to develop a better learning than conventional method in colleges but through the early resistance, it emphasized their ability to appreciate art and learn it cultural and historical value perform the complex tasks needed in contemporary graphic design. Through material culture student can develop a bond and understanding of ones traditional cultures that motivate visual communication students to create strong cultural identity graphic design. Moreover, this study will try to answer the following queries: Can understanding of ones traditional cultures motivate visual communication students to create strong cultural identity graphic design? Can material culture add validity and substance to graphic design study? Purpose This study seeks to understand fully how students awareness of their traditional cultures might be the factor that motivate them to research and explore their cultures as a graphic design topic. Hypotheses This paper will work on the following hypothesis: Material culture in graphic design class in colleges plays significant effect to the students awareness of their traditional cultures. Material culture in graphic design class in colleges has significant effect to the memory retention of the students when it comes in studying traditional culture. Since it is exciting, challenging and fun to use, then it encourages students to study the material culture again and again. Material culture has significant effect to the learning improvement of the students since it attaches to ones traditional culture. Definition of Key Terms Graphic Design- Graphic Design is the process and art of combining text and graphics and communicating an effective message in the design of logos, graphics, brochures, newsletters, posters, signs, and any other type of visual communication (http://www.geemultimedia.com.au/glossary.asp). Material Culture- Material Culture is a term often used by archaeologists as a non-specific way to refer to the artifacts or other concrete things left by past cultures. An archaeologist thus can be described as a person who studies the material culture of a past society (www.encyclopedia.com). Art- Art is the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way to affect the senses or emotions. It encompasses a diverse range of human activities, creations, and modes of expression, including music, literature, film, sculpture, and paintings (www.encyclopedia.com). Education- Education encompasses the teaching of specific skills, and also something less tangible but more profound: the imparting of knowledge, good judgment and wisdom. One of the fundamental goals of education is to impart culture across the generations socialization. (www.encyclopedia.com) Knowledge- Knowledge includes, but is not limited to, those descriptions, hypotheses, concepts, theories, principles and procedures which to a reasonable degree of certainty are either true or useful. (www.encyclopedia.com) School-A school is a type of educational institution. The range of institutions covered by the term varies from country to country. (www.encyclopedia.com) Review of Literature World history has witnessed the birth, development, and achievements of the most talented people. These people have their distinct gifts and area of mastery literature, politics, arts, science, and so forth. Still, much of their success can be traced back to the kind of life and personality they had. Childhood experiences, support from people around them, environmental influences and personal motivations often determine how a gifted person makes use of his innate abilities to become an important figure in his chosen field of expertise. The world of arts is one of the most interesting topics of study. This field usually includes some of the most peculiar people who can express their personalities through unique paintings, sculptures, and drawings. Art education is culturally identified as a subject area that enables students to use their imagination and creativity to produce pieces of artwork from a wide variety of materials. This identification may also include the study of famous artists and their well-known artwork (Oliver, 2010). On the other hand, the cultural identity is constructed through various signs and symbols that the culture attribute to art education.   Symbols include art making materials (The Culture of Education in the Visual Arts, 1999). These materials that are attached to ones culture were known as â€Å"material culture†.   Material cultures are becoming known to the teachers in contemporary graphic design because of its motivational effect to their students in studying culture and art. In graphic design class, art symbol with respect to materials are crucial. An example of art education symbols are the variety of medias- both two and three dimensional that are used to illustrate subject matter. In addition to more practical symbols of art education are the humanitarian symbols which may include connecting with artists and their work, both contemporary and historical (The Culture of Education in the Visual Arts, 1999).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The art and crafts around communities, in stores and on posters will always be a symbol of a reflection of art education (The Culture of Education in the Visual Arts, 1999). Another facet of creating a cultural identity is to reflect on the cultural rituals that are often associated with art education. The most apparent rituals include the various processes that are employed to make art.   It is important to remember that such rituals/processes are influenced by the geographical location of the school district (Oliver, 2010). Another cultural ritual attributed to art education is the physical demonstration that the art teacher must provide for students in order to teach them specific techniques. This demonstration often includes safety precautions as rituals that the students will then strictly employ to create art without hurting themselves with the tools in the making (Oliver, 2010). Other ritual distinctive to art education is the practice of critiquing students art work, often done by the whole class in order to provide constructive feedback and criticism of the finished piece of art.  Ã‚   One final ritual that should be imperative to an art education program is class field trips to museums, galleries, and artists studios that connect the learning of art in the school to actually viewing art in the community (The Culture of Education in the Visual Arts, 1999). It is important to connect these cultural rituals and symbols of art education to not only show how they produce a cultural identity, but also form a sense of social solidarity among students, teachers, and communities (Oliver, 2010). The visual arts or the graphic designs are arts that we see. It has its own language-the language of feelings, emotions and ideas without words. We could discover the world outside and inside us through visual arts. The visual artist through unspoken can communicate with us when he creates visual work of arts like painting. Paintings and works of art in general are meant to move us, especially in ways that words often cant. Graphic designs inspired by material culture play a major role not only in academic purposes but also in health and medicare related aspect and in the community as well. It develops the intelligence and the overall personality of the students. Moreover, graphic designs inspired by material culture also provide meaningful self-expression of all students. It is used in therapy procedures for aiding child development. It assists in educating disabled children, especially those who are blind and have hearing problems. And finally, visual arts also help in building communities and mural projects. In studying graphic designs inspired by material culture, it shows that visual arts and cultural identity are related. The cultural identity is constructed through various signs and symbols that the culture attribute to art education.   Methodology This section of the research proposal discusses the methods to be used.   This illustrates the method of research that identifies its applicability. Likewise, the section illustrates how the research was to be implemented and how to come up with relevant findings. Moreover, this methodology part of the research underwent into several stages. In the research design, the researcher collected data from students and teachers in some Colleges in Singapore that are using material culture in their graphic design class. At the time of data collection, the researcher gathered and sum upped the data acquired from these resources. Study Setting In accordance to the goal of this study i.e. to investigate the role of material culture in contemporary graphic design, the researcher decided to conduct the investigation in 10 Colleges in Singapore. Basically, in these 10 chosen schools in Singapore, a random sample of 10 students each will be chosen. The students to be included should be familiar to graphic design and material culture. Research Design Generally speaking, there are two research positions, often call paradigms, which researchers can choose from. The first is the quantitative paradigm in which researcher attempts to understand causal relationship of existing phenomena or attempts to discern the validity of the theory in a particular social context (Creswell, 1994). And since one of the purposes of this study determine the role of material culture in contemporary graphic design, the quantitative research position is taken here because it is appropriate for the research purpose. Aside from this, the second approach, called the qualitative paradigm, is not chosen. Actually, as indicated in the paper of Daymon Holloway (2002), the qualitative design the researcher assumes this position and attempts to understand a particular social phenomenon by using the actors frame of reference. In addition, data are presented not in numerical form but in actual words which is in contrast to the aim of this research. There are few research strategies that often used for conducting research such as survey, case study, action research, Ethnography etc. According to Yin (2003), there are three conditions to be considered for choosing an appropriate research strategy i.e. : The type of research question The extent of control an investigator has over actual behavioural events. The degree of focus on contemporary as opposed to historical events From the paper of Saunders, et al. (2007), survey approach often uses questionnaires to collect a large amount of data from a sizeable population in a highly economical way. Therefore, the survey approach is usually able to apply a more representative sample among a massive population for the study, trying to achieve generalisibility of the results. The case study, however, according to Denscombe (1998), is an investigation that focuses on detailed, in-depth descriptions and analysis of one or a few organisations. This approach is normally use to explore the phenomenon by in-depth data gained in the research context. This implies that the research results gained by case study cannot be generalized to a larger population due to that the investigation range is limited. By considering this limitation of case study approach, the researcher opted to choose the survey method. Population and Sampling Plan The sample size consists of students, who are the logical key informant related closely to the issue under investigation, as well as the teachers numbering to 10 subjects.   There is no reason to believe that 10 teachers is not a large enough sample size because ultimately it is this individual who works directly with the issue and teachers has the most intimate knowledge of the subject. Basically, the survey respondents are asked regarding their perception towards material culture and graphic designing and students performance. In essence, Guilford Fruchter (1973) argued that in choosing sample sizes, the Slovins formula should be considered. Therefore, in selecting the sample size (100 students) in this paper was identified by Slovins formula. The Slovin (1960) formula is given as: Where: e= needed error margin (percent requirement for non-precision due to the use of the sample as an alternative of the population). N= size of population n = size of sample Data Collection Procedures Yin (2004) provides six different sources of data collection that is commonly used in case study methodology, which include documentation, archival records, interviews, direct observation, participant observation and physical artifacts. The data collection method uses survey and interview that is to take place with the students and teachers, as these are the closest people working with the subject under scrutiny here Material culture and should serve as the key informant. In addition, students are also surveyed to understand how they feel about the use of material culture in their graphic design class since the teacher may provide biased information, however accessing the students is subject to the permission of the teacher who acts as the gatekeeper. If surveying the students is possible the survey that students will fill out will be left on the teachers desk where they can fill it out and return it to a drop box in a closed envelope without a name or other identifying information. The questions for the employees are created after a thorough review of literature. For documentation that refers to secondary information about the material culture and graphic designing, such considerations have been taken to reduce concerns as they would otherwise pertain to bias or the reliability and validity of the findings. Relying on documentation are used even if the students do participate since it strengthens the findings further (Yin, 2003). Documentation specifically includes performance reports and records, or books and journal articles discussing material culture and graphic design. Accessing of the teacher is going to take place by first, sending the school an outline of the study and ethical content forms and arrange meeting, through the telephone or MSN given geographical constraints, to explain what it is the research wishes to do and how it will benefit the organization. Ultimately, what the researcher wants to do is discern how training is able to increase students performance and the mechanisms that school in Singapore has in place to assure this. Executing the above step is useful since the gatekeepers are going to want to protect the interests of their students and the organization (Holloway Walker, 1999). Overall, the approach above is based on negotiation, which as researchers note, â€Å"Access is negotiated and re-negotiated throughout the research process† (Gubrium, Holstein, 2001, p. 301). The teacher was also assured that confidentiality by not releasing information that they do not want to be released and anonymity by using pseudonym s for students, participants and settings will be secured (Daymon Holloway, 2002). It is not unreasonable for the teacher to participate in the study given the steps executed above which are suggested by research methodology practitioners. Finally, research questions are based from the literature as is suggested by research methodology practitioners. Data Analysis To determine the perceptions of the student respondents pertaining to material culture and graphic design, the researcher a set of guide questions for the interview and prepared a questionnaire. A non-threatening questionnaire in nature that can be completed within 30 minutes are considered. The respondents graded each statement in the survey-questionnaire using a Likert scale with a five-response scale wherein respondents are given five response choices. The equivalent weights for the answers are: When the entire information consumer responses have been collected, the researcher used statistics to analyse it; and was assisted by the SPSS in coming up with the statistical analysis for this study. For the details gathered from journals, an evaluation was drawn in order to identify the role of material culture to contemporary graphic design. Moreover, this research will utilise the several statistics in order to determine the differences between their perceptions towards the impact of material culture on students performance and art appreciation. As stated above, the researcher was aided by the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) in the making and creation of the statistical analysis for this study. SPSS is one of the mainly and extensively accessible and potent statistical software packages that has a extensive range of statistical practices, which permits a researcher to sum up information (e.g. calculate standard deviations and means), identify whether there are major differences between groups (e.g., ANOVA t-tests), observe relationships among variables (e.g. multiple regression correlation) and graph output (e.g. line graphs, bar charts, pie chart, etc.) (Sauders, Lewis Thornhill 2007).   Concluding Remarks Significance This study will be a significant endeavour in promoting culture awareness among graphic design students. This study will be beneficial to future leaders. By understanding the needs of the students and the benefits of quality education, these practitioners will be assured of a larger progress performance. Moreover, this research will provide recommendations on how to value students as they are taking a large part in the overall performance of the school quality education. This study would also be of help to those school and market scientists who are interested in finding out the social implications of the boom and the bust phases of the school industry. Moreover, educators can gain from this study, as they find the connection between how they have designed their curriculum and what are the actual needs of the citizens.   In that way, they would be able to make immediate changes, if necessary, or continued improvement of their programs, through further studies. Furthermore, it is hoped that this study would help the students to improve learning and appreciation skill through Material culture in Art and Design at colleges in Singapore because Material culture has many advantages/effectiveness such as retention and motivational factors in accordance to the leaning behavior of student. Thus, student can go deeply into each topic areas they need to learn without lecturer involvement because material culture is related to the history of the arts they are perceiving. Moreover, this paper introduced important changes in our educational system and gives a huge influence to the way we communicate information with students. It would make them as an active participant in their own learning process, instead of just being passive learners of the educational content.   Apparently, this research also hoped can provides an opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the factors that impact on the students experiences of material culture in learning pr ocess. Finally, this study would benefit future researchers in the field of the, education, arts and design management, business and the social sciences since it depicts the future of the school industry and its varying effects to many sectors of society. Limitations This study will only cover material culture as part of studying contemporary graphic design in arts and design for the college students in some colleges in Singapore. Basically, this paper will only cover students selected from semester 1, conducted from some colleges in Singapore. As there are numerous issues surrounding the school, this research will primarily examine program development and performance progress. The outcome of this study will be limited only to the data gathered from books and journals and from the primary data gathered from the result of the questionnaire survey and interview that will be conducted by the researcher. As the research was completed in a relatively short period of time other factors and variables are not considered. This might have an impact on the results of the study.   Basically this research study will enable the researcher to design a quality curriculum that will satisfy the needs of the students. References: (1999). The Culture of Education in the Visual Arts. Retrieved March 24, 2010, from www.orgsites.com Creswell, J.W. (1994). Research design. Qualitative and quantitative approaches. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage. Daymon, C. Holloway, I. (2002). Qualitative research methods in public relations and marketing communications. Routledge. Denscombe, M. (1998), The Good Research Guide, Buckingham, Open University Press. Guilford, J.P. Fruchter B. (1973). Fundamental Statistics in Psychology and Education, 5th Edition. New York: Mc Graw-Hill. Holloway, I. Walker, J. (1999). Getting a PhD in health and social care. Wiley. Oliver, S. (2010). The Importance of Visual Arts in Schools. A Free Article. Retrieved March 24, 2010, from www.afreearticle.com Sauders M., Lewis, P. Thornhill, A.(2007). Research method for business students, FT Prentice Hall, Harlow. Yin, R.K. (2003). Case Study Research Design and Method (2nd ed), Sage, Thousand Oaks.

Lawrence Ferlinghetti: An American Poet :: essays research papers fc

Lawrence Ferlinghetti is an American poet best known as a leader of the beat movement of the 1950's. The beats were writers who condemned commercialism and middle-class American values. Ferlinghetti writes in colloquial free verse. His poetry describes the need to release literature and life from conformity and timidity. He believes drugs, Zen Buddhism, and emotional and physical love can open the soul to truth and beauty. Lawrence Ferlinghetti was born in Yonkers, New York, in 1919. After spending his early childhood in France, he received his B.A. from the University of North Carolina, an M.A. from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. from the Sorbonne. During World War II he served in the US Naval Reserve and was sent to Nagasaki shortly after it was bombed. He married in 1951 and has one daughter and one son. In 1953, Ferlinghetti and Peter Martin began to publish City Lights magazine. They also opened the City Lights Books Shop in San Francisco to help support the magazine. In 1955, they launched City Light Publishing, a book-publishing venture. City Lights became known as the heart of the "Beat" movement, which included writers such as Kenneth Rexroth, Gary Snyder, Allen Ginsberg, and Jack Kerouac. Ferlinghetti is the author of more than thirty books of poetry. He has translated the work of a number of poets including Nicanor Parra, Jacques Prevert, and Pier Paolo Pasolini. Ferlinghetti is also the author of two novels and of more than eight plays. In 1994, San Francisco renamed a street in his honor. He was also named the first Poet Laureate of San Francisco in 1998. In 2000, he received the lifetime achievement award from the National Book Critics Circle. Currently, Ferlinghetti writes a weekly column for the San Francisco Chronicle. He also continues to operate the City Lights bookstore, and he travels frequently to participate in literary conferences and poetry readings. Lawrence Ferlinghetti writes in free verse, a style of poetry that does not follow traditional rules of poetry composition. In writing free verse, poets avoid such usual elements as regular meter or rhyme. Instead, they vary the lengths of lines, use irregular numbers of syllables in lines, and employ odd breaks at the end of each line. They also use irregular accents and rhythms and uneven rhyme schemes. But free verse is not free from all form. It does use such basic poetic techniques as alliteration and repetition.

Face to Face with Death in Hagar :: Hagar Essays

Face to Face with Death in Hagar As Hagar faces implications of growing old, she starts on a tumultuous journey, not one of her own choice, but one of destiny. She goes through different stages of denial, anger, bargaining, depression and finally acceptance of the fact that death will come, invited or not. At one time every individual is faced with death, horrific to the young, or inviting to the sick and the old. Death is interpreted as the end of existence, but to those who believe in the afterlife, as a whole new chapter of the unknown. When Hagar realizes the proximity of death, she is in denial. She comes to live in a world of memories in the past. She created her own illusion because she cannot understand the weakness coming forth in her, like her tears "the incontinent wetness of the infirm" (pg. 31). All her life, she was hard, never showing emotion, even through the death of John. You can see her softening near the end, although she would not admit it. In addition to denial, she reaches a stage of anger and indignance with herself and others in the small world that is her life. She can no longer perform the simplest tasks such as dressing herself or walking down the stairs. It irks her to need help, which is one of the reasons she can't stand Doris. She is also angry at the lack of emotional control as she perceives how "laden with self‑pity" (pg. 31) her voice sounds when arguing with Marvin in one instance. She cannot control how her "mouth speaks by itself, the words flowing from somewhere, some half hidden hurt" (pg. 68). After the denial and anger begin to fade, she attempts a short bargaining period where she wonders what if. She even tells God to bless her or not "just as You please" (pg. 307), but she would not beg. But even though she attempts to wrestle against the inevitable, there is always a constant reminder. She places her belief in herself only and faults other's credibility, such as Doctor Tappen's, to maintain the illusion now hanging by a flimsy thread. When Hagar realizes she cannot control or stop the process of old age, she becomes depressed and distant. When she hears about Silverthreads, she is "overcome with fear, the feelings one has when the ether mask goes on, when the mind cries out to the limbs, 'flail against the thing', but the limbs are already touched with lethargy, bound and lost" (pg.

Under The Influence :: essays research papers

In the first volume of the trilogy, Celestine, there were many positive and negative influences in the life of Celestine. The Indian Department discouraged Celestine in many ways. Father Victor Gaudet also played an important role in her life. Lastly, Celestine faced struggles with her family at home. Some of the positive and negative influences in Celestine's life were the discouragement of the Indian Department, Father Victor Gaudet, and her struggles at home.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Celestine had many conflicts at the Laing Center. To be admitted to grade one at the Laing Center, a child had to have at least one half year of kindergarten. Sister Candida would not accept Celestine because she hadn't attended kindergarten. Then there were Celestine's encounters with Mrs. Hoffman at the Church of Christ United Separate School (C.C.U.). Mrs. Hoffman disliked Indians, perhaps, because her husband had had an affair with one. She heard about it and left her husband for a couple of weeks. Celestine had arrived late to class one morning. As she walked into the classroom, she could feel the teacher's disgusting glance. After class was over, Mrs. Hoffman grabbed Celestine's arm tightly as she was about to leave. Mrs. Hoffman had heard that Celestine had been to the bars so she threatened to send Celestine to the principal's office the next time she went to those bars. Celestine did not let her anger overcome her and was victorious in that situation. Unf ortunately for Celestine, this next encounter would have a different outcome. During another session, Mrs. Hoffman had asked Celestine who the mayor of Battle City was. When Celestine couldn't answer quickly, Mrs. Hoffman tried to put pressure on Celestine by rushing her. After thinking about it for a while, Celestine's reply was her grandfather, Chief Moses Deer. This sent the class into an Julius uproar. Mrs. Hoffman silenced the room by shouting, 'Oh, you're nothing but a dumb Indian!'; (Piepenburg 280). Celestine buried her head in her arms for the rest of the class. After the session was over, other Raven classmates tried to help Celestine from her depression. Celestine finally rose, but when she tried to leave, Mrs. Hoffman blocked her way. Fire builded in Celestine as she struck Mrs. Hoffman on the cheek and slashed her ear. As Mrs. Hoffman cried out, Celestine fled. This resulted in Celestine's expulsion from the C.C.U. Separate School. Later, Celestine, her mother Mona Lafluer, and her grandmother, Bella Deer, had planned to see the principal, Martine Sorenson.

Make Poverty History Essay

Poverty and the related problems of unemployment, economic inequality, poor social infrastructure and inability to access basic needs and services have for long been part of the international community. In 2005, the European Union developed the slogan â€Å"make poverty history†, that was directed at uniting developed countries in formulating policies for the eradication of poverty. The policy calls for a shift of focus from massive individual industrialization to synchronized growth of wage and capital goods, from substitution for self sustained development to export led growth. The solutions to the major problems of unemployment, poverty and income inequalities for all countries lie within policies for the integration of changes in domestic production and expenditure patterns. The â€Å"make poverty history† calls for a change of attitude from the developed countries to formulate policies and establish assistance for the improvement of the economic status of the poor especially those in third world countries. The policy aims at ensuring that the real world competition fair, the mobility of labor sufficient for development purposes and the governments aware of their fiscal responsibilities to the poor within their borders. Is It Possible? Many arguments support the proposition that if all developed countries united and came under one umbrella in fight against poverty, the issues related to poverty would be eliminated in a few years. The developing countries are in need of an economic mechanism in the international world that is capable of blending the interests of economic agents with those of the state more coherently. The economic mechanism needs to recognize the prevailing growth obstacles that can be considered for economic reforms. Mawhinney (2002,p. 157)Countries that are part of an international economic order such as the international trade organization, can be thought to be a subset of the organization, with the rules and regulations implemented by the organization affecting the behavior of the nations with respect to implied international repercussions. As such the economic order consists of â€Å"explicit or implicit† principles, rules and norms around which members are expected to converge. The rules and regulations prevail on the existing practices for making and implementing policies. It follows therefore that the decisions of the umbrella body will by far have more effect on individual country policies. For this reason the â€Å"make poverty history† polices that are implemented by the economic integration bodies will have a much higher success rate and impact on individual member country policies. International trade and economic organizations have time and again prevailed upon individual governments to change their economic policies by imposing sanctions and quotas that make it difficult for the counties to trade. The economic and trade organization being one of the largest and most influential economic organization has the unique power o influence changes in the developed and developing countries. They can impose salient features and prevail upon countries to reform their economic and social policies that are enhancing and promoting the spread of poverty. There is however a growing concern among experts that questions the impact of international economic organizations such as the European Union of individual and government state policies. Although the organization may have some form of control on their members, they are not very influential when it comes to private government policies. They may therefore be unable to influence their members with economic policy changes especially if such said members are powerful within their representation in the organization. Additionally, even though the economic changes can be made by the members, economic organizations cannot influence the change by other non-member countries. This means that the impact of the policy changes will only be felt by a small percentage of the poor. The impact may in fact be so small that it does not justify the implementation of new policies. How Can It Be Achieved Improvement of the commodity market: the developing countries and low income groups are haunted by the trade policies in their countries which are characterized by duality. The main parts of such markets (e. g. in agriculture) barter forms of transactions, rather than monetary transactions take place. The â€Å"make poverty history† campaign aims at educating the government and policy makers in the states to implement policies that encourage monetary trade. The value of the products coming from these countries is often higher than the value of the products included in the barter trade. The income trickling down to the producer and his workers therefore is much smaller than would have been possible in the monetary markets. The state governments should take advantage of the quality products to demand higher prices for their individual producers and exporters. Industrialization: for more than a quarter century, the debate on industrial policy has ebbed and flowed, with it the interest and commitment of state governments. The international community has always been aware of the importance of industrialization to increase employment and per capita income of the poor. Yet even with all the evidence little has been done to improve the state of the industrial process. The focus has quickly shifted to taking advantage of the countries with not industrialization power. Industries have to be allowed the chance to develop in order for the poor countries to be able to compete effectively in the international markets. Premised on the notion of strategic trade policies, proponents of this policy argue that it is possible for governments and the international community to intervene effectively to support local and national firms. In the developing countries policies there has been an impression that industrial policy is no longer considered part of the political agenda, and that policies of privatization and deregulation have replaced them. While the latter do reflect an increased emphasis on market force, they are not key factors to the improvement of competitiveness. Therefore a change in government policies may be necessary to redefine the industrial polices and the principle tenets of the last two decades. Unemployment and income distribution: the development designs for economies have to be structured around the objectives of maximum impact on employment. In the process of implementing policies for labor absorption, its quality and productivity have also to be enhanced so that the average level of incomes is not adversely affected. Without proper training and improvement of labor production, absorption of more people to employments will only lead to adverse effects on the income distribution patterns, (Strange and Bayley 2008, P. 42). In addition, a re-distribution of originating incomes has to be achieved simultaneously with changes in the product mix which match the altered structure of demands. This implies a much larger output of basic consumer goods and essential services like education, medical care, public transport and cheaper communication. Control population growth: the full employment and higher average income cannot be realized within a reasonable time structure if the poor populations continue to grow at the present rates. Consequently it is important for governments to pursue more effective polices of family planning and population control. The most powerful aids in this policy include the spread of general education and health facilities, more working opportunities for women and higher family incomes. Nevertheless, specific measures to promote later marriages, birth control practices, and health education have to be intensified in the low income earning groups along with programmes to alter social attitudes towards family size, male progeny and women property rights. Without a change in the total matrix, the desired benefits of income distribution and poverty alleviation cannot be achieved. Income Inequality and Bridging the Gap The probability of redistributing current incomes on any scale, while at the same time having positive welfare effects in the short run, is likely to be severely limited. There may be high cost in terms of growth in the long term from potentially damaging effect on the incentives, savings and investment of the upper income group. The policies designed for income redistribution are also likely to face strong resistance from this group. There will be less resistance and hostility from the main investors in the economy if the redistribution of income does not affect their income in any way. However this then denies the logic of the income redistribution polices, (World Bank, 2008, p. 12). On the other hand investing in the human and physical assets of poverty groups is likely to have a high pay off in welfare terms as it will lead to income growth in groups that have higher welfare weights. But it may also require some sacrifice of output in the short run in so far as returns on investment in human capital take longer to develop. To this extent it may involve a short run cost to upper income groups but these groups may also benefit in the long run as the productivity and income of the poor improve. Poverty: Problem or Affluence The main issue in economic development is the discussion on whether poverty is the problem or wealth. The problem facing the economic development is the structure of the poverty scale and not the wealth. The country’s affluent contribute significantly to the national income and growth rate, while the poverty scales make it difficult for this impact to be accounted for. Personal income is spent on purchase of consumer goods and services, while a part of the same is saved. This is only possible for the wealthy who not only by their purchasing power influence the employment of others but also invest in new industries that improve the income earning of the poor. Issues to Be Considered In Poverty: Unemployment Employment generation is a major factor in curbing poverty. The employment programmes often have more impact on the poor than temporary relief during periods of scarcity. International communities have invested heavily in local industries in order to increase the employment index. By investing in local industries, the international community hopes to increase the chances for employment in the countries, (Blakely 2002, P. 57). Locally, apart from investment in industries, the government has formulated policies that encourage employment generation. The government aims at providing equal employment opportunities especially for the country’s youth by encouraging and supporting innovative self employment plans and encouraging institutional placement. Technology and Credit By making the technology available to citizens and small scale producers, experts imply that production will increase on a large scale while at the same time reducing the costs of production. The immediate impact will be higher income generation. Technology confers a superior position for small scale producers correlated by stronger willingness and capacity to bear risks. Small scale producers are transformed to large scale employers through the implementation and use of new technology measures, (organization for economic cooperation and development 2001, P. 160). To ensure that small scale producers and entrepreneurs can access the technology available to make production less costly for them, the American government has reduced the lending rate and increased its investment in the government credit programs. This means that more and more entrepreneurs can access the credit necessary to purchase new and useful technology. Assets and Skills The low income earners form a mixed group on the criteria of economic prospects and accessibility. They are less educated and therefore possess less skill to offer to the employment market. The international community has put pressure on countries with low education indexes to improve their provision of education. Additionally, implementation of adult programmes and technical colleges has seen an improvement in the human skills and as such the employment rate of the uneducated. It is a constant struggle for the American government to impose on its population the importance of education in the employment world. While in the previous years the high school dropout rate has been a major concern to education officials, it has now become the trend for high school drop outs to return to school in an attempt to acquire the high school diploma. Government policies have made the small document so glamorous and easy to achieve that more and more American citizens are being drawn by the prestige of the diploma. Welfare Programmes Welfare programmes play two different but equally important roles in removal of poverty. First, they try to provide subsidized cost or free a wide range of amenities and services which the poor would not be able o acquire for a long time given their low and slow growing incomes. The second role is that of helping the poor invest themselves to improve the attributes important for participation in economic development processes such as orientation, reception, absorption capacity and ability to take initiatives. Although internationally and locally, the welfare policies and programs have drawn a lot of attention and increased their spread to the poor populations; careful monitoring and implementation of these programmmes is a dimension calling for priority attention . The polices need to be directed and implemented only when the poor move sufficiently beyond the subsistence level to appreciate the importance and advantage of investing in themselves European Union: Competition Policy Although the pitfalls of monopoly and anti-competitive conduct have long been recognized by economists, the application of polices to curb such behavior has only been done recently. It is the uncompetitive nature of today’s markets; where the large firms are given monopoly and control of the market forces that is enhancing the poverty scale. If the small firms lack the opportunity to compete in new industries, then it means that they will either go bankrupt and the unemployment rate will continue to increase. Like in the European markets it is necessary for the government to encourage competition by providing incentives for smaller firms wishing to enter monopolized industries and formulating integrated markets, (Pinder and Usherwood 2007, p. 67). The articles in the European Union agreement discourage and often penalize the action of firms and governments that may discourage competition and influence the market structure. This means that large and influential firms and governments are not allowed to impose unfairly high or low prices, limit production or apply specific conditions that are not related to transition of goods. Governments and firms are permitted to seek aid to improve their competitive nature and promote their contribution to the economic development. Conclusion Make poverty history proposal envisages fundamental changes in the role of governments and economic bodies in development. The shift to be considered is towards the sustainable development of the community. The make poverty history campaign has taken root in a number of countries that have committed themselves to implementing economic and social policies that will improve the lives of the low income earners. The United States is among the active players in the campaign to end poverty. Not only has the country taken part in policy changes but it has also increased its budget that is aimed at providing economic assistance to countries struggling with poverty. The success of the â€Å"make poverty history† campaign has relied heavily on the economic sanctions implemented by major trade organizations and major players in international markets. Because of its ability to draw the support of major developed countries and international organizations, together with the campaigns’ global capacity, the â€Å"make poverty history† campaign is likely to be the most successful poverty eradication program to date. References 1. Blakely. E. J. 2002. Planning Local Development, Third Edition. London. Sage Publications 2. Mawhinney. M. 2002. Sustainable Development: Understanding the Green Debates. Oxford. Blackwell Publishing 3. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. 2001. Sustainable Development: Critical Issues. Washington. OECD Publishing. 4. Pinder. J and Usherwood. S. 2007. The European Union: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford. Oxford University Press 5. Strange. T and Bayley. A. 2008. Sustainable Development: Linking Economy, Society, Environment. Washington. OECD Publishing 6. World Bank 2008. World Development Indicators 2008, Volume 2008. Washington. World Bank Publications

Cultural relativism Essay

Cultural relativism remains a controversial if not completely misunderstood concept in the world today. It is strange that people consider cultural relativism a problem because to do so would hint at the belief in cultural superiority or exceptionalism. It would seem that there is also a belief that variant from other cultures that are in opposition to a separate culture yield a threat. Whether the threat is real is another matter because as long as one culture perceives a threat, then there will be a militant response to such threat conceived. These days, cultural relativism has a bad reputation in many quarters. It conjures images of a world where anything goes. According to this domino theory of norms, if people open themselves to the possibility that other cultures may have valid, if different, ways of life, the next thing you know, they’ll be â€Å"doing it in the streets. † (Rosaldo) Part of the reason for such distress at the notion of cultural relativism is the fact that there is an inherent belief held by many cultures that their system of beliefs, life, etc are the â€Å"right† way to live and that any type of culture that is different or perceptually opposite of the â€Å"right† way are â€Å"wrong† and need to be contained, altered or even saved from themselves. If there is no transcendent ethical standard, then often culture becomes the ethical norm for determining whether an action is right or wrong. This ethical system is known as cultural relativism. {1} Cultural relativism is the view that all ethical truth is relative to a specific culture. Whatever a cultural group approves is considered right within that culture. Conversely, whatever a cultural group condemns is wrong. (Anderson) An example of cultural relativism gone horrible wrong can be viewed in the early clashes amidst Europeans and Native Americans during the â€Å"New World† era of the early colonization of North America. To the Native Americans, humans were considered in harmony with nature and lived among the natural world. To the European mentality, there was the belief that the natural world needed to be tamed and cities needed to be built upon the land. To the Europeans, the Native earth centrist ideology was unacceptable and needed to be removed. This was the basis of most of the early clashes that ultimately lead to massacres and genocidal campaigns. What is bizarre about this type of thought process is that it assumes there is an invisible line between cultures and that the world is not an inclusive place of a multitude of cultures. It seems to believe that culture exists only from one mindset or tradition and what is outside that tradition subscribes to chaos and disorder. First, the idea of separate but equal cultures no longer seems accurate. Cultures are not separate; they are not confined to their own individual museum cases. They exist side by side in the same space. Also, we’ve noticed that there are inequalities between cultures—relations of dominance and subordination. Take, for example, settler colonialism, the system we had in America. Relationships formed in the colonial period and after created inequalities, which a committed anthropologist would have to critique. (Rosaldo) So, from this we can infer that the concept of cultural relativism is a flawed notion and concept because it is based on a flawed premise of exclusiveness and ethnocentricity. In other words, to believe that cultural relativism exists is ridiculous because to claim it exists would mean the subdivision of humanity as opposed to looking at humanity as members as the world as a whole which is the natural order, an order only changed by human intervention designed to suit specific needs. Bibliography Anderson, Kirby. (2004) â€Å"Cultural Relativism. † Retrieved 6 February 2007. http://www. inplainsite. org/html/cultural_relativism_. html Rosaldo, Renaldo. (2000) â€Å"Of Headhunters and Soldiers: Separating Cultural and Ethical Relativism† Retrieved 6 February 2007. http://www. scu. edu/ethics/publications/ iie/v11n1/relativism. html