GLOBAL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 67 Essay

GLOBAL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 67 - Essay Example Similarly, not having a good distribution infrastructure would cause difficulty in the product reaching the consumer and thus result in a decline in demand for the product. Also, demand for expensive goods in a poor country is very low. Black practices also affect the demand for products adversely. 2. First, Kodak aimed at making the Russian citizens aware of its products and for that it communicated with them through various forms of media; television, radio, print, etc. Promotional campaigns and sponsored events were carried out for this purpose. 1 All the marketing tactics that Kodak implemented were the right measures to take in order to encourage demand in a country that posed numerous challenges otherwise. The measures taken proved to be favorable for both Russia and Kodak and hence were the right tactics to employ. 3. Adjusting its marketing mix for digital photography in Russia should be thought of at a later stage. Since the concept of photography on the whole is new to the nation, it may be a long time before digital photography can be introduced in the market. Kodak needs to first research on whether or not the market for traditional film photography is saturated. Once it has reached the maturity stage in the product lifecycle, it will be a favorable time for change. It is only then that Kodak's digital photography can be launched in Russia. 1.

How Well Do We Know the Arab Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

How Well Do We Know the Arab Culture - Essay Example All Arabs are Muslims because there are Arab Christians found in many places of the Arab world, and only between 15-18% of Arabs are Muslims. Certain beliefs in culture and tradition are found to be untrue in a document presented by the OFDCSI. For instance, for a long time, I held on to the idea that Arab males are wealthy oil magnates, terrorists, and mad dictators and any association with them are dangerous. These are types of perceptions that are most common with lack of understanding. Facts from research disprove this and showed that Arabs have diverse economic segments of the population and there are also poor people among them. Because of terrorism that relates to Arabs, I perceived them to be mad dictators and have nothing in mind but bring chaos to the western world. Readings from OFDCSI again proved me wrong as madness cannot thrive in different political system adhered to by Arabs; they could not be terrorists because a majority of the citizens are law-abiding, keep famili es and employed in the variety of occupations. Arabs are concerned about modesty, and that is the reason why Arab women are clothed in full-length cover, and most devoted women could be seen covering even their faces. Traditional garbs for men are robes, but headdresses indicate the tribe from which they belong. Today, according to OFDCSI, Arab men wear a mix of western clothing because now they wear t-shirts and jeans along with traditional garb. Arab women differ with western culture when it comes to subordination to men. OFDCSI refers to this culture as being subordinate to men in varying degrees; for instance, it is very restrictive in Arabian Peninsula and undisturbed in urban areas of Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt. It is expected that foreigners respect the privacy of women role in the Arab world.  

Importance Of Oligopolistic Characteristics

Importance Of Oligopolistic Characteristics This paper focuses on the importance of oligopolistic characteristics in the global container shipping industry. It is difficult to examine this market although containerization has standardized the shipping industry. My approach to meet this controversial issue is to divide between three levels: the industry, alliances and the trade level. In my investigation I also use a graphic explanation, the concentration level of the industry, the cobweb model and the kinked demand curve. The results allow us to determine how influential is the concentration level, the competition and alliances in the container shipping industry. Michail Archontakis (377602) Economics 7 December 2012 INTRODUCTION The global container shipping industry can be characterized as an oligopoly. Moreover, we can say there are few sellers and the provided services or products are quite similar. It is necessary to examine the market structure in three main levels: the industry, the alliances that exist and the trade level. The market is characterized by globalization. As a result, there is a need to satisfy customers demands and invest in resources as well as in the development of the new technology. So we can see the growth of the world economy and the world trade. Shipping companies have two choices, form an alliance or the other one is mergers and acquisitions. I will also use a graphic explanation to describe the way and how the industry has developed over the past years. Lastly, the purpose of this assignment is to introduce the importance of the oligopolistic characteristics in the global container shipping industry. THE INDUSTRY The market has mainly consisted by containers and containerization has developed it in a more standardized approach. In the global container shipping industry, we could meet collusions which are called as shipping conferences. We all know that their main interest is to fix freight rates in certain routes and form barriers, in the entry of new firms. Pricing in the industry means under the table agreements between shippers and carriers. By this way, they can achieve economies of scale which can lead to a small number of firms (Marlow and Nair, 2008). As stated by Haralambides in 2000 two factors are crucial in the understanding of conference freight rates: unit values and stowage factors. After the abolition of the anti-monopoly privilege of freight conferences (18 October 2008, Regulation 4056/86), and due to the trend of growing consolidation. The market is developing into a more collusive market, where operational agreements becoming more and more vital. The market has become more concentrated, and the smaller operators conduct a market share of less than 1% per each. As we can observe from table 1 above top 10 carriers, have a market share of 63.5% (www.alphaliner.com). The market share of the top ten carriers was 49.3% in 2000 (www.alphaliner.com). There is a tremendous increase in market share as well as in total TEUs. Moreover, few firms fit most of the market power and probably can determine in a high level the industry and the chief shipping routes. They can create entry barriers and also make agreements on the freight rates. It is especially valuable for firms to cooperate and some state acting like monopolists. As a result, each firm must be aware of the other players actions. World Ranking of Maritime Shippers, by Shipping Capacity Source: Alphaliner This oligopolistic characteristic makes the industry more complex and needs to cover many factors. Moreover, to deal with customers international requirements, the development of ever larger container ships, upgrades in technology, increasing competition and high consolidation. Leading to globalization where few firms dominate the leading trade routes and to the event of multi-trade strategic alliances. This change is also notable for the customers. Furthermore, they can now have more requirements and benefits. Nowadays, they can request faster shipping, more frequent services and lower costs as well as to know at any time the exact location and condition of their cargo. Container shipping companies have become more unified with new technologies and also have improved the contribution significantly quality. We now have larger vessels, and they can benefit from economies of scale. Surely, the oligopolistic environment has raise competition and has expanded world economy as well as world trades. ALLIANCES Shipping companies have two choices form a strategic alliance and the other one are the acquisitions and mergers. In order to reach economies of scale, scope and network alliances have developed in two ways. Moreover, there are core alliances with international partners and the other one is multi-consortia networks of slot. This is a general connection in oligopolistic markets and of considerable importance. An alliance helps to gain greater market shares and contain more effectively the trade routes as well as, the capacity. There are five key ideas in the movement of alliances in the global container shipping industry. Furthermore, it can do more effective wider geographically routes. Secondly, they can create their ships in a more global scope. The risk is less because it is shareable now. They can provide more repeated services to their customers, meaning more frequent schedules. Lastly, economies of scale become more apparent, and there is also an increase in the size of the ships (Sato, 2002). It is noteworthy to analyze the three of the most powerful alliances over the past years. Furthermore, these three alliances started with an agreement on collaboration for east-west trades and then extended to north-south services. The first alliance we will examine is New World Alliance. It includes mainly APL, MOL and HMM. Its overall capacity in TEUs is 1.161.468 and owns 282 vessels (alphaliner.com). Imagine that in 2000 the capacity of this alliance was 325.487 and the number of vessels 90 (Midoro and Pitto,2000). As we can see, it right increased its market share, and this is highly influential in oligopolistic markets because it can alter the market as well as conduct more properly the capacity. Another notable alliance is the Grand Alliance. In February 2006, after PO exodus the new Grand Alliance formed by Hapag-Lloyd, OOCL, and NYK Line. Its overall capacity in TEUs is 1.187.607 and owns 288 vessels (alphaliner.com). In 1996, it owned only 255.705 TEUs and 72 vessels (Midoro and Pitto,2000). Grand alliance manages twelve services in the transpacific trade. Lastly, this alliance has showed the most reliable configuration comparing to the other two alliances. The greatest alliance is CKYH with key partners Hanjin, Yang Ming, K Line and COSCO. It counts 1.548.508 TEUs and 400 vessels (alphaliner.com). It manages eight services on the Europe Asia route which has the largest capacity in TEUs. Surely, this alliance has a significant market share and also is highly competitive. Of course, alliances have a significant impact in the market share, but it is difficult to cooperate as the size of the group increases. They choose to act like monopolists because they can affect the price. Competition makes contrary to other firms to play or join in the market. This characteristic is of particularly importance in order to survive in this tough market where overcapacity and decreasing demand may be serious problems. Firms may find many reasons why to join an alliance: strategic reasons, operational reasons, in order to increase or decrease connectivity and capacity, to raise or remove a service, to merge or demerge services and to provide slots for charter. (Panayides, 2011) TRADE LEVEL We will examine the trade level of two routes, Black Sea Far East and US trade. Moreover, we will focus on the trade lines with port ranges at both ends (Brooks, 2000). In the route Black Sea Far East the top seven firms have a market share of total 89%, so the other firms contain only the rest 11%. Surely, there is an exceptionally high percent of concentration in this trade route. Moreover, MSC holds 23,15%, Maersk Line 20,33%, CMA-CGM 13,81%, Zim 13,55%, CSAV Norasia 11,64%, Hapag Lloyd 4,99% and K Line 1,53% (www.americanshipper.com). We can conclude that a tight oligopoly exists in the trade line of Black Sea Far East. The production rose, and the price decreased because the firms now hold strong shares and perform more like monopolists. Furthermore, it is difficult for new firms to enter this lane. The other trade line that we will examine is US which is more complicated than the previous one. Moreover, the top ten firms fit nearly a 65% of the total market share. So we can speak also that in the trade line exists an oligopoly, but the firms are much more and carry less market shares. Maersk Line market share is 15,27%, Evergreen 7,67%, Mediterranean Shg Co 7,20%, Hanjin 6,54%, APL 6,18%, Hapag Lloyd 6,05%, COSCO Container Lines 4,28%, OOCL 4,26%, NYK 4,04% and China Shg C.L 3,90% (www.americanshipper.com). A close exam of this market shows us that competition is greater, but the market is larger and remarkably attractive to new firms. As a result, if we operate efficiently the oligopolistic characteristics firms will increase their market shares, and it will be more difficult for new firms to enter the market. Of course, it is difficult to cooperate efficiently when the size of the group increases, but can handle more reasonable the capacity and the competition something that is particularly powerful. After analyzing these two different trade lines, we understood the meaning of the existence of the oligopolistic characteristics. Moreover, capacity can be handled more efficiently and control competition by increasing your shares. GRAPHIC EXPLANATION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF OLIGOPOLISTIC CHARACTERISTICS IN THE GLOBAL CONTAINER SHIPPING INDUSTRY Table 2I think a better explanation can be given by using a graph to indicate the importance of the oligopolistic characteristics in the global container shipping industry. Moreover, we know from theory that in perfect competition demand curve intersects Marginal Cost curve at the market price P* and it supplies quantity Q* (Mankiw, 2011). The firms in this graph are price takers because there are no entry barriers. Now let see what an oligopolistic firm will make. It will reduce quantity to Q0 and at the same time will increase the price P0 until Marginal Cost equals Marginal Revenue. However, a deadweight loss (consumer and producer) can be created, meaning welfare losses to the economy. Lastly, we can observe a surplus for the firm as an oligopoly profit. This result can be represented in the global container shipping industry by selling at greater prices and offering lower services. They can use smaller containers, slower services as the market becomes more oligopolistic. Secondly, firms may try to increase their market power or insert entry barriers. These two can cause to collusion practices. Moreover, greater concentration can create collusions and contract coordination costs. Nevertheless, there are also benefits from the increase in concentration. A firm may increase its profits by taking market power from its opponents. This action can cause sensitive to the firm to provide a better product or service. In the shipping industry, a better product or service means to provide larger containers or to invest in research and development. Moreover, a firm may invest in order to keep consumers loyal to her. So companies can behave more competitively. A better explanation for the price and quantity can be given by the cobweb model. The cobweb model or cobweb theory can explain the cyclical demand and supply the container shipping industry. Moreover, when the price is high P1 the quantity is low Q1 and lower than Q2. In the next period (Q2-Q1) will reduce the price to P2. However, now Q2 is greater than Q3 meaning (Q2-Q3) will raise the price to P3. So we can conclude that when there is excessive demand price will increase and fall when there is excessive supply. Concluding, demand and supply, are both quite flexible in the global container shipping industry, specifically in an annual base. The importance is that freight rates are flexible and negotiable between shippers and carriers. Marginal cost can be considered remarkably low. Lastly, in short-run when a rapid growth may occur in the demand can be faced sufficient. The kinked demand curve can describe the behavior of the firms in oligopoly market. Moreover, the model predicts that firms do not compete in price and try to keep the price stable over time. However, in short-term there may be price fluctuations and firms may try to gain some extra market power. The importance is that firms will use other methods to increase market share than price competition. Furthermore, they can provide higher quality, more frequent services and other upgrades to keep their costumers loyal. As the market is acting like an oligopoly, it has resulted in two main trends. First, there has been an increase in container ship sizes. Secondly, there has been an important advance in container throughput. Lastly, it has reduced the costs of transportation and local economies have been transformed to global economies. CONCLUSION The global container shipping industry is primarily an oligopoly (few players which offer similar services or products). I tried to introduce the importance of the oligopolistic characteristics in this market. Moreover, I noticed that large alliances control the majority of the total market share and also high concentration exists even in the trade routes. Highly concentrated markets experience in many occasions to collusions or cartels. It is particularly dangerous due to anti-trust laws, especially after the abolishment of the anti-monopoly immunity. However, such agreements are extremely valuable for the participating firms. Moreover, economies of scale can develop by using larger vessels and also provide superior quality of services. It is better off to combine, but it is extremely difficult especially when the size of the group increases. From the graphic explanation, we concluded that it is helpful to produce relatively small quantity and push prices above marginal cost. Nevert heless, it is up to the firms if they are going to have negative or positive results. In my opinion, the oligopolistic characteristics in the global container shipping industry led the market to grow and become competent to handle the occurrence of overcapacity and increasing fuel costs. Probably in the future stronger alliances and fewer firms will occur in the market, which is extremely influential in order to thrive and remain in such a demanding industry.

Saddam Hussein :: essays research papers

Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein, an Iraqi political leader, was born to a poor Arab family on April 28, 1937. Hussein studied law in Egypt after his attempt to assassinate the premier of Iraq, Abdul Karim Kassem, in 1959. In the summer of 1968, the Baath party returned to power and named Hussein as deputy chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council. Hussein has been described by many as the most powerful person in Iraq because of his intimidation of enemies, careful control of his political power, and his military purges. Saddam finally gained control of the Iraq presidency in 1979. His many goals as President included attempting to increase industrial production, reorganizing government policies in agriculture, and improving education and the status of women. Hussein first began a successful development program of Iraq’s huge petroleum resources. However, this development and economic and social advances were at risk when Iraq went to war with Iran from 1980 to 1988. Hussein started this war to control Arab-inhabited areas and especially for oil resources. Hussein is also known as a ruthless leader who used chemical weapons on Kurdish people seeking freedom in the 1980’s. In August, 1990, Hussein invaded and annexed Kuwait for violating oil production laws set by the Organization of Petroleum Exports Countries(OPEC). (Kuwait had lowered the price of oil.) The Iraqi forces killed many Kuwaiti people and stole or destroyed much property. Hussein apparently wanted to use Kuwait’s vast oil resources to help Iraq’s economy. Many people believed that Iraq would next invade neighboring countries such as Saudi Arabia. Some of the countries that opposed Iraq’s invasion and that sent forces to this region were the United States, Canada, and several Arab and Western European nations. These countries formed an allied military coalition that caused a worldwide embargo against Iraq. The United Nations Security Council condemned Iraqâ€℠¢s occupation and approved the use of military force on Iraq if their troops did not withdraw from Kuwait by January 15, 1991. Hussein ignored this demand and refused to withdraw. The consequence of this decision was to go to war. On January 16, 1991, the allies bombed military targets in Iraq and Kuwait. Iraq, in return, launched missiles against Saudi Arabia and Israel. The U.S.-led military coalition drove Iraq’s armies out of Kuwait. This war, called the Persian Gulf War, lasted only six weeks. On April 11, 1991, the U.N.

Deception Point Page 71

Despite the late hour, Gabrielle was not at all surprised to see the building's foyer filling with people, an apparent convergence of excited media crews and even more excited NASA personnel. Gabrielle hurried inside. The entryway resembled a museum, dominated dramatically by full-size replicas of famous mission capsules and satellites suspended overhead. Television crews were staking claims on the expansive marble floor, seizing wide-eyed NASA employees who came through the door. Gabrielle scanned the crowd, but did not see anyone who looked like PODS mission director Chris Harper. Half the people in the lobby had press passes and half had NASA photo IDs around their necks. Gabrielle had neither. She spotted a young woman with a NASA ID and hurried over to her. â€Å"Hi. I'm looking for Chris Harper?† The woman eyed Gabrielle strangely, as if she recognized her from somewhere and couldn't quite place it. â€Å"I saw Dr. Harper go through a while ago. I think he headed upstairs. Do I know you?† â€Å"I don't think so,† Gabrielle said, turning away. â€Å"How do I get upstairs?† â€Å"Do you work for NASA?† â€Å"No, I don't.† â€Å"Then you can't get upstairs.† â€Å"Oh. Is there a phone I might use to-â€Å" â€Å"Hey,† the woman said, looking suddenly angry. â€Å"I know who you are. I've seen you on television with Senator Sexton. I can't believe you would have the nerve-â€Å" Gabrielle was already gone, disappearing into the crowd. Behind her, she could hear the woman angrily telling others Gabrielle was here. Terrific. Two seconds through the door, and I'm already on the Most Wanted List. Gabrielle kept her head down as she hurried to the far side of the lobby. A building directory was mounted on the wall. She scanned the listings, looking for Chris Harper. Nothing. The directory showed no names at all. It was arranged by department. PODS? she wondered, scanning the list for anything that had to do with the Polar Orbiting Density Scanner. She saw nothing. She was afraid to glance over her shoulder, half expecting to see a crew of angry NASA employees coming to stone her. All she saw on the list that looked even remotely promising was on the fourth floor: EARTH SCIENCE ENTERPRISE, PHASE II Earth Observing System (EOS) Keeping her head turned away from the crowd, Gabrielle made her way toward an alcove that housed a bank of elevators and a water fountain. She searched for the elevator call buttons, but saw only slits. Damn. The elevators were security controlled-key card ID access for employees only. A group of young men came hurrying toward the elevators, talking exuberantly. They wore NASA photo IDs around their necks. Gabrielle quickly bent over the fountain, watching behind her. A pimple-faced man inserted his ID into the slot and opened the elevator. He was laughing, shaking his head in amazement. â€Å"The guys in SETI must be going nuts!† he said as everyone boarded the elevator. â€Å"Their horn carts traced drift fields under two hundred milliJanskys for twenty years, and the physical proof was buried in the ice here on earth the whole time!† The elevator doors closed, and the men disappeared. Gabrielle stood up, wiping her mouth, wondering what to do. She looked around for an interoffice phone. Nothing. She wondered if she could somehow steal a key card, but something told her that was probably unwise. Whatever she did, she knew she had to do it fast. She could now see the woman she'd first spoken to out in the lobby, moving through the crowd with a NASA security officer. A trim, bald man came around the corner, hustling toward the elevators. Gabrielle again bent over the fountain. The man did not seem to notice her. Gabrielle watched in silence as the man leaned forward and inserted his ID card into the slit. Another set of elevator doors slid open, and the man stepped on. Screw it, Gabrielle thought, making up her mind. Now or never. As the elevator slid closed, Gabrielle spun from the fountain and ran over, sticking her hand out and catching the door. The doors bounced back open, and she stepped in, her face bright with excitement. â€Å"You ever seen it like this?† she gushed to the startled bald man. â€Å"My God. It's crazy!† The man gave her an odd look. â€Å"The guys at SETI must be going nuts!† Gabrielle said. â€Å"Their horn carts traced drift fields under two hundred milliJanskys for twenty years, and the physical proof was buried in the ice here on earth the whole time!† The man looked surprised. â€Å"Well†¦ yes, it's quite†¦ † He glanced at her neck, apparently troubled not to see an ID. â€Å"I'm sorry, do you-â€Å" â€Å"Fourth floor please. Came in such a hurry I barely remembered to put on my underwear!† She laughed, stealing a quick look at the guy's ID: JAMES THEISEN, Finance Administration. â€Å"Do you work here?† The man looked uncomfortable. â€Å"Miss†¦?† Gabrielle let her mouth fall slack. â€Å"Jim! I'm hurt! Nothing like making a woman feel unmemorable!† The man went pale for a moment, looking uneasy, and running an embarrassed hand across his head. â€Å"I'm sorry. All this excitement, you know. I admit, you do look very familiar. What program are you working on?† Shit. Gabrielle flashed a confident smile. â€Å"EOS.† The man pointed to the illuminated fourth floor button. â€Å"Obviously. I mean specifically, which project?† Gabrielle felt her pulse quicken. She could only think of one. â€Å"PODS.† The man looked surprised. â€Å"Really? I thought I'd met everyone on Dr. Harper's team.† She gave an embarrassed nod. â€Å"Chris keeps me hidden away. I'm the idiot programmer who screwed up voxel index on the anomaly software.† Now it was the bald man whose jaw dropped. â€Å"That was you?† Gabrielle frowned. â€Å"I haven't slept in weeks.† â€Å"But Dr. Harper took all the heat for that!† â€Å"I know. Chris is that kind of guy. At least he got it straightened out. What an announcement tonight, though, isn't it? This meteorite. I'm just in shock!† The elevator stopped on the fourth floor. Gabrielle jumped out. â€Å"Great seeing you, Jim. Give my best to the boys in budgeting!† â€Å"Sure,† the man stammered as the doors slid shut. â€Å"Nice seeing you again.† 84 Zach Herney, like most presidents before him, survived on four or five hours of sleep a night. Over the last few weeks, however, he had survived on far less. As the excitement of the evening's events slowly began to ebb, Herney felt the late hour settling in his limbs. He and some of his upper level staff were in the Roosevelt Room enjoying celebratory champagne and watching the endless loop of press conference replays, Tolland documentary excerpts, and pundit recaps on network television. On-screen at the moment, an exuberant network correspondent stood in front of the White House gripping her microphone. â€Å"Beyond the mind-numbing repercussions for mankind as a species,† she announced, â€Å"this NASA discovery has some harsh political repercussions here in Washington. The unearthing of these meteoric fossils could not have come at a better time for the embattled President.† Her voice grew somber. â€Å"Nor at a worse time for Senator Sexton.† The broadcast cut to a replay of the now infamous CNN debate from earlier in the day. â€Å"After thirty-five years,† Sexton declared, â€Å"I think it's pretty obvious we're not going to find extraterrestrial life!† â€Å"And if you're wrong?† Marjorie Tench replied. Sexton rolled his eyes. â€Å"Oh, for heavens sake, Ms. Tench, if I'm wrong I'll eat my hat.† Everyone in the Roosevelt Room laughed. Tench's cornering of the senator could have played as cruel and heavy-handed in retrospect, and yet viewers didn't seem to notice; the haughty tone of the senator's response was so smug that Sexton appeared to be getting exactly what he deserved.

State of Racism and Gender Discrimination

?State of Racism and Gender Discrimination What is discrimination? Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of a different person or groups of people based on certain characteristics. In the United States there are seven protected characteristics or classes that are defined by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination Employment Act, and the American Disabilities Act that can not be discriminated against: race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, and disability. This paper focuses on two of the protected classes: race and gender discrimination. What is racism? Racism (also known as discrimination against a race or races) is a belief that all members of one racial group have superior characteristics or abilities specific to that group; it allows the ranking of races based on superiority and implies the importance of one race over the others (â€Å"Racism† 2008). Supremacy ideology is core to racism. In the 20th century, the face of racism was largely black and white; however, in recent times there have been examples of racism against Native Americans, Asian Americans, African Americans, Latin Americans, and some other immigrant groups (â€Å"Racism in the United States† 2008). Today, racism has become multi-colored and multicultural. Racism and racial discrimination are very powerful forces which unfortunately harm the whole economy. Racism can take place in many areas such as the job market, housing market, educational system, and health care services. Even today, racial discrimination against minorities (especially African Americans) can be found in the housing market (i. e. making renting apartments, taking out mortgages, and buying houses extremely difficult or even impossible in some areas). This is not to say, that there has not been significant attempts and progress made, in order to eliminate racial discrimination. Racial discrimination and segregation used to be legal across the southern states of the United States (â€Å"Martin Luther King and the fight against racism in the US† 2008). Many people have tried to stop racial discrimination throughout the history of the United States. One extremely influential and pivotal leader that many people are familiar with is Martin Luther King. While this paper is not a historic telling of Martin Luther King, his ideals are as influential today as they were then. He did not want people to be judged by the color of their skin but by the capability of their character. He tried to revive the Civil Rights movement in the mid 1950s. However, he was tragically assassinated on the balcony of his hotel in Memphis, Tennessee (â€Å"Martin Luther King and the fight against racism in the US† 2008). After his passing and after many fundamental changes in the constitution, African American communities are no longer limited in their rights from society (â€Å"Martin Luther King Jr. † 2008). Today, the eyes of ethics and the highest laws of the land bids society to stop racial discrimination in all its forms, along with other types of discriminations defined under title VII, ADA, and ADEA. Gender or Sex Discrimination is the belief that one gender is more valuable than the other, and can also create doubts in the abilities of a certain sex and exacerbate stereotypes (â€Å"Sexism† 2008). In most countries around the world, gender discrimination is illegal in most circumstances (Manohar 2008). In the United States, Title VII protects against gender and sexual discrimination. There are two types of gender discrimination: disparate treatment and disparate impact (â€Å"Gender or Sex Discrimination† 2008). Disparate treatment is treating people differently because of his or her sex (â€Å"Gender or Sex Discrimination† 2008). The other is disparate impact, when the company policy does not include certain individuals or does not include everyone equally (â€Å"Gender or Sex Discrimination† 2008). The fire department is a good example of disparate impact. The qualifications of the fire department are extreme (i. e. he ability to carry and lift a lot of weight), which makes it hard for women to qualify for a job as a firefighter (â€Å"Gender or Sex Discrimination† 2008). These requirements are important to becoming a fire fighter and many argue that they are more than necessary. However, this does not mean that the fire department does not want to work with women. It is just the policy to set the standards high. Another interesting example: A male employee was fired by his employer because he refused to work at night (â€Å"Small Business Encyclopedia† 2002). This company had a policy saying that women did not have to work at night because the company was located in a high crime area. The male employees had to work the night shifts for the company, while the women employees did not. The male employee in question filed a suit under Title VII against his employer claiming sexual discrimination. The company claimed that several female employees would quit if they were forced to work at night. The company also claimed the policy was a bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ). This case is interesting because BFOQ can be used as a defense to allow certain discrimination. BFOQ is an exception provided by Title VII for jobs that require a specific religion, sex, national origin, or age as a reasonable necessity for normal operations of a business. Although BFOQ applies to the fire department qualifications, the courts deemed that the company who asked only its male workers to take the night-shift was could not use BFOQ as a valid defense (â€Å"Small Business Encyclopedia† 2002). In the workplace, sexual discrimination usually involves sex becoming a factor in deciding on who gets a job, promotion, or other benefits. Many researches have shown that women are treated unfairly compared to men in hiring, promotions, and benefits (â€Å"Small Business Encyclopedia† 2002). For instance, a young man, who dropped out from high school and does not have a degree, gets a job in a high position over a young woman who has her master’s degree. While the young woman is better qualified for the position than the young man, the man gets the job. This paradigm illustrates gender discrimination. The reverse has also held true. There have been cases where men have been discriminated against, as discussed above. There is also a particular form of sexual discrimination called sexual harassment. Sexual harassment includes inappropriate words or actions of a sexual nature to the opposite sex (â€Å"Small Business Encyclopedia† 2002). Courts expect managers to understand that sexual discrimination may exist in the workplace and companies to take proactive measures to ensure that the environment is free from sexual discrimination. The first law of any federal importance in the United States regarding discrimination was The Civil Rights Act of 1871, also known as the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871; it was mainly established to protect Southern African Americans from the abuse being delivered to them from the Ku Klux Klan. Although the Act had been interpreted by the courts many times, it had very little effect. For one, the Act was loosely defined and provided loopholes for state officials, who did not get litigated under the statue. However, this hole was patched up in 1961, when the Supreme Court of the United States decided Monroe v. Pape. The decision included several provisions to close the inadequacies found in the Civil Act of 1871. The Act is now one of the most powerful statues, in which the State and Federal courts may protect those whose rights are being violated. In particular, Section 1983 of the Civil Rights Act enforces the prohibition of public sector employment discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, and religion, but it rarely applies to the private sector. Eventually, the first Federal law to promote equal opportunity and prohibit employment discrimination in the United States was passed. The law is called the Executive Order 8802, also known as the Fair Employment Act. It was signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941. The law promotes and ensures that all Federal agencies and departments involved with the defense industry were administered without discrimination to race, color, or nationality on the vocational and training programs being offered to its employees and contractors. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited racial segregation in schools, public places, and employment regardless of race, color, religion, sex, or nationality. Originally conceived to help protect African Americans, it also explicitly included sections to protect women in the bill; as a result the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was founded as well. At the time of its creation, this law was seen as one of the most important legislations that abolished all forms and respects of discrimination. During its time at the House Judiciary Committee, the bill was expanded and strengthened to include bans against racial discrimination in employment, segregation in all public facilities, and protection of the rights of black voters. The bill was later passed out to the House Rules Committee, at which the committee’s chairman Howard W. Smith expressed his intention in canning the bill. But after pressures from civil rights groups and movements, Chairman Smith finally let the bill pass through and it was brought to a vote. It passed in the House on February 10, 1964 and was sent to the Senate. During the bill’s stay at the Senate, a group of southern state Senators launched a two month filibuster trying to prevent its passage through the Senate. In compromise, a revised weaker bill than the House version was brought to the tables for Senate vote on June 10, 1964 and was passed. Originally conceived to help protect African Americans, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 also explicitly included sections to protect Women’s Rights in the bill. Added by Howard W. Smith of the House Rules Committee Chairman, it was first seen as a guise to prevent the bill from passing (since at that time it was normally conceived that some groups of men within the House and Senate would oppose Women’s Rights). The Bill was later successfully passed and marked the first time legislation was put into effect to protect women. The Civil Rights Act was later followed by the Civil Rights Act of 1968, commonly known as the Fair Housing Act of 1968; which expanded the prohibition of discrimination to include the housing sector. It specifically prohibited discrimination on the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, religion, nationality and later gender, and the protection of families with children and of the handicapped. The next important anti-discrimination law to pass was the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978. With more than 70% of women with children in the U. S. work force, the law was setup to protect women against discrimination due to their pregnancy (or intentions of becoming pregnant). Employers with prejudices against working mothers (due to the fear of lost productivity, extra costs, expenditures and accommodations associated with pregnant women) who might have been likely to discriminate against them were deterred. The Act also enables the distribution of a monetary pay-out as a result of discrimination against pregnant women. In 2006 alone, The U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission handled 4,901 claims with monetary amount awarded totaling about $10. 4 million (EEOC 2006). The Civil Rights Act was amended again for the last time in 1991, in an effort to address various limits imposed by past United States Supreme Court’s decisions on the rights of employees who had filed law suits against their employers. It was basically setup to bring forth the emotional distress damages caused by employment discrimination while setting a limit on the amount the jury could award (â€Å"List of Anti-Discrimination Acts† 2008). Before the 1991 Act was put into effect, a plaintiff could only sue their employer for discrimination and recover lost wages or salary, lost benefits, attorney fees, court fees, other legal fees, and other costs associated with reinstatement. To prevent from unreasonable court settlements, the punitive damages awarded was capped at $300,000 for most cases (excluding ethnic and/or racial discrimination) (â€Å"List of Anti-Discrimination Acts† 2008). The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission still handles thousands of discrimination cases every year. There is statistical evidence that suggests racial discrimination in the workplace is still commonplace. In 2000, the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) reported a study in North Carolina that states accusations of racial harassment on the job nearly quadrupled between 1996 and 2000. Mindy Weinstein, attorney at the EEOC office in Charlotte, North Carolina, says, â€Å"There's a new generation of workers today who were not raised in the civil rights movement, who may not have been aware of the laws that came about because of that time†¦ We think it's largely a reflection of what's going on in society as a whole† (â€Å"Racial Discrimination† 2008). Since Barack Obama’s win the 2008 presidential election, people would like to believe that racism has seen its last day; unfortunately this is not the case. According to the research of Brown University, during 1970 to 1994, when America liberalized their uncompetitive banking markets, it reduced the wage gap between blacks and whites. Economists call the wage difference between black workers and white workers the â€Å"racial wage gap† (most of which comes from bias). Gary Becker, a Nobel-prize winning economist, argued that prejudice of employees was economically inefficient. Brown University found that deregulation of the American banking industry increased competition and lowered interest rates on loans. People found it easier to start their own business. They found that in an initially high degree of racial bias, the black-white wage gap declined the most. This evidence shows competition itself can not eliminate racial discrimination. Competition can only reduce the bias from employers. Changing attitudes takes a lot of time and effort; even though Obama’s election victory denotes a change in history, there is still a long way to go (â€Å"Race and Red Tape† 2008). Wage gaps can be seen in between genders as well. Though a wage gap between white men and white women may be expected, it is surprising to see this is not the only wage gap that exits between the sexes. In other racial groups, such as African Americans, Latinos, and Asian/Pacific Islanders, men earn more money than women within their own respective race (U. S. Census Bureau 2000). According to a study, women working 41 to 44 hours per week earn 84. 6% of what men earn working similar hours; women working more than 60 hours per week earn only 78. % of what men earn working the same hours (Bureau of Labor Statistics 2002). More over, women tend to work longer before they receive promotions and get a higher pay. Most people think a higher education may increase women’s salary, but the evidence suggests otherwise. The data does not show a narrow gender gap in wages at higher levels of education. On the contrary, at the very highest levels of education, the gap is at its largest (Hilary M. Lips 2008). Racial discrimination is an important issue in the business world and is a genuine problem that still exists—and in some cases it’s getting worse. According to a study published in 1998 by the nonprofit group Catalyst called â€Å"Women of Color in Corporate Management: A Statistical Picture,† it was shown that minority women, while now accounting for almost a quarter of all women in the workplace, occupied only 15 percent of the management positions held by women. The study verifies that a combination of racial discrimination and the glass ceiling was a differentiating factor in those numbers (Racial Discrimination 2008). Glass ceiling is a symbolic phrase referring to an invisible cap preventing qualified women and minorities from progressing into key higher level management positions, or in some cases any management positions. These individuals describe the cap as a â€Å"glass ceiling† because they can see the opportunity that should be theirs through the glass, but due to the ceiling, they can not go any higher. In 1995 the Federal Glass Ceiling Commission described the American labor force as being segregated by gender and race, where â€Å"white men fill most top management positions in corporations† (Glass Ceilings: The Status of Women as Officials and Managers in the Private Sector 2004). The report affirms that the percent of women officials and managers in the private sector used to be 29% in 1990 and had increased to 36. 4% in 2002. Although this is an improvement, women embody 48 percent of all employees, but only 36. 4% of them are in key power positions. In the National Employment Summary released in 2005 by the EEOC, the average salary reported was $40,325. This report indicates that the median income of men is above average ($44,090) and the median income of women is below average ($36,417) (â€Å"National Employment Summary† 2005). The median salary for White and Asian employees was above average as well ($41,525 and $50,762 respectively); whereas Black, Hispanic, and Native American employees had median salaries below the average income (â€Å"National Employment Summary† 2005). When graphed, these findings show that White male population has an income graph that is skewed towards the right, whereas most minorities and women have a normal income distribution. The data here supports the idea that more White men are employed in higher paying jobs. The Federal Glass Ceilings Commission argues that: â€Å"The successful elimination of glass ceilings requires not just an effective enforcement strategy but the involvement of employers, employees and others in identifying and reducing ttitudinal and other forms of organizational barriers encountered by minorities and women in advancing to higher level management positions in different workplace settings. † (Glass Ceilings: The Status of Women as Officials and Managers in the Private Sector 2004) Racism and gender discrimination hurt not only the people discriminated against, but also the economy as a whole. It prevents good, qualified individuals from progressing and attributing to the market. As a result, l ess qualified or poorly qualified people get placed in key positions. This prevents business’ from reaching their potential, and thus prevents the nation from reaching its. These issues are not restricted to the United States. Racism can be found in all countries across the globe, and its effects can be devastating. Africa suffers from constant political unrest where attempts at genocide are commonplace. Will racism and gender discrimination ever come to an end? It is a difficult question to answer, especially since it is human nature to differentiate between â€Å"us† and â€Å"them† (â€Å"So stereotypes persist because we want them to† 2000). The hope and desire for America is that the definition of â€Å"us† truly changes to encompass all Americans (â€Å"from all walks of life†). Works Cited EEOC (U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission). 2006. Retrieved November 29, 2008, from: http://www. eeoc. gov/index. html Feinberg, Mark PhD. â€Å"So Stereotypes Exist Because We Want Them to†. American Psychological Association Public Interest Directorate. Retrieved November 29, 2008, from: http://www. apa. org/pi/oema/racism/contents. html â€Å"Gender or Sex Discrimination†. 008. Retrieved November 29, from: http://www. discriminationattorney. com/lawyer-attorney-1287322. html â€Å"Glass Ceilings: The Status of Women as Officials and Managers in the Private Sector†. 2004. U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Retrieved November 29, 2008, from: http://www. eeoc. gov/stats/reports/glassceiling/index. pdf Lips, Hilary M. â€Å"The Gender Wage Gap: Debunking the Rationalizationsâ € . Retrieved November 29, 2008, from: http://www. womensmedia. com/new/Lips-Hilary-gender-wage-gap. html â€Å"List of Anti-Discrimination Acts†. 2008. Retrieved November 29, 2008, from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/List_of_anti-discrimination_acts#United_States Manohar, Uttara. â€Å"Gender Discrimination at Workplace†. October 24, 2008. Retrieved November 30, 2008, from: http://www. buzzle. com/articles/gender-discrimination-at-workplace. html â€Å"Martin Luther King and the fight against racism in the US†. 2008. Retrieved November 30, 2008, from: http://www. socialistworker. co. uk/art. php? id=14531 â€Å"Martin Luther King Jr. . November 30, 2008. Retrieved November 30, 2008, from: http://www. 123HelpMe. com/view. asp? id=42718 â€Å"National Employment Summary†. 2005. Retrieved November 29, 2008, from: http://www. eeoc. gov/stats/jobpat_eeo4/2005/jobs/UnitedStatesSummary. html â€Å"Race and Red Tape†. November 13, 2008. The Economist print edition. Retrieved November 29, 2008, from: http://www. economist. com/finance/displaystory. cfm? story_id=12597512 â€Å"Racial Discrimination†. November 29, 2008. Retrieved November 29, 2008, from: http://www. nswers. com/topic/racial-discrimination â€Å"Racism†. 2008. Retrieved November 29, 2008, from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Racism â€Å"Racism in the United States†. 2008. Retrieved November 29, 2008, from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Racism_in_the_United_States â€Å"Sexism†. 2008. Retrieved November 29, 2008, from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Racism_in_the_United_States â€Å"Small Business Encyclopedia†. 2002. Retrieved November 29, 2008, from: http://www. answers. com/topic/gender-discrimination

Free Essays on Chivailry Is Becoming Extinct

Chivalry is Becoming Extinct Le Morte d’ Arthur is a magnificent work on the Arthurian legend. It was written by Sir Thomas Malory of Newbold Revell, Warwickshire. He was evidently a violent, lawless individual who committed a series of crimes, including poaching, extortion, robbery, and murder. Most of his life from 1451 was spent in prison, and he probably did most of his writing there. Malory lived in a time when there were knights and squires. Just about everywhere they were running under a feudal system. Feudalism meant that the country was not governed by the king but by individual lords, or barons, who administered their own estates, dispensed their own justice, minted their own money, levied taxes and tolls, and demanded military service from vassals. This story is about the rise and fall of King Arthur’s kingdom and his death. Chivalry is a code of honor that Knights swore to uphold and strive to achieve. It is an exaggerated act of love or kindness. In short, a chivalrous person made the world a better place. Remaining faithful to your word is an example of something a chivalrous person would do. Showing courtesy and compassion are others. Chivalry is evidenced in Malory’s work through the knights. The knights job was to be chivalrous, and you can see this in his work. The way the knights were so brave and wouldn’t let the other knights die when they dueled is chivalrous. They would only injure them then let them live another day. Chivalry is almost lost in our culture today. I don’t think that it is dead but it’s not seen very often. The advantage of chivalry is the fact that it would make this world a better place. If everyone showed respect and was honorable people would be much happier and their would be less crime. The disadvantage to chivalry are independent people who feel they don’t need any help ... Free Essays on Chivailry Is Becoming Extinct Free Essays on Chivailry Is Becoming Extinct Chivalry is Becoming Extinct Le Morte d’ Arthur is a magnificent work on the Arthurian legend. It was written by Sir Thomas Malory of Newbold Revell, Warwickshire. He was evidently a violent, lawless individual who committed a series of crimes, including poaching, extortion, robbery, and murder. Most of his life from 1451 was spent in prison, and he probably did most of his writing there. Malory lived in a time when there were knights and squires. Just about everywhere they were running under a feudal system. Feudalism meant that the country was not governed by the king but by individual lords, or barons, who administered their own estates, dispensed their own justice, minted their own money, levied taxes and tolls, and demanded military service from vassals. This story is about the rise and fall of King Arthur’s kingdom and his death. Chivalry is a code of honor that Knights swore to uphold and strive to achieve. It is an exaggerated act of love or kindness. In short, a chivalrous person made the world a better place. Remaining faithful to your word is an example of something a chivalrous person would do. Showing courtesy and compassion are others. Chivalry is evidenced in Malory’s work through the knights. The knights job was to be chivalrous, and you can see this in his work. The way the knights were so brave and wouldn’t let the other knights die when they dueled is chivalrous. They would only injure them then let them live another day. Chivalry is almost lost in our culture today. I don’t think that it is dead but it’s not seen very often. The advantage of chivalry is the fact that it would make this world a better place. If everyone showed respect and was honorable people would be much happier and their would be less crime. The disadvantage to chivalry are independent people who feel they don’t need any help ...

A Rose for Emily Comprehension Essays

A Rose for Emily Comprehension Essays A Rose for Emily Comprehension Paper A Rose for Emily Comprehension Paper Essay Topic: Literature What hints are given in Section l that A Rose for Emily takes place in the South? derogatory racist terms What is the name of Miss Emilys manservant? Tobe Why does the Board of Aldermen send delegation to Miss Emilys house? to collect her taxes Whose portrait sits on an easel by Miss Emilys fireplace, and what material was used to make it? Miss Emilys father and tarnished gilt What color is Miss Emilys house? faded white Why doesnt Judge Stevens want to confront Miss Emily about the smell? Southern gentility (considered impolite) What did Miss Emily inherit from her father? the house What was the minister and the doctor trying to convince Miss Emily of doing after her fathers death? to dispose her fathers body How many years pass between the smell in Section ll and the deputation in Section l that visits Emily about her taxes? 32 years What do the town members finally do about the smell? put limestone around and in her house What does the term noblesse oblige mean? the obligation the nobility maintains for their society status What events cause some of the townspeople to say Poor Emily? 1.) Spinster (never married) 2.) Pauper 3.) Lover is homosexual Why is Homer Barron in town? He was performing construction in town (paving sidewalks) What does Miss Emily purchase from the druggist? arsenic What does Miss Emily tell the druggist the poison is to be used for? Miss Emily never told the druggist what the poison was to be used for. Why did the Baptist minister call on Miss Emily? The women pestered him to convince Emily to not marry Homer Barron. What did Miss Emily buy from the town jeweler? men toilet set in silver with the letters H.B. engraved About how many years pass between the time of Homer Barrons disappearance and Miss Emilys death? 40 years What change took place in Miss Emilys relationship with the town for a period of several years when Miss Emily was in her forties? She taught china painting lessons Were the new generation of town leaders able to collect taxes from Miss Emily? No What happens to Tobe after Miss Emilys death? He is never seen again because he runs out the back door when the ladies enter in the front door. What are the older men wearing at Miss Emilys funeral? Confederate uniforms Which room do the townspeople open once Miss Emily is decently in the ground? the upstairs sealed off room What kinds of objects are found in the room once it is opened? Bridal set, Groom set, men toilet set, and a dead body What is found on the pillow next to the skeleton? A strand of Emilys iron-gray hair

Definition and Examples of Generification

Definition and Examples of Generification Generification is the use of specific brand names of products as names for the products in general.   In numerous cases over the past century, the colloquial use of a brand name as a generic term has led to the loss of a companys right to the exclusive use of that brand name. The legal term for this is genericide. For example, the common nouns aspirin, yo-yo, and trampoline were once legally protected trademarks. (In many countries- but not in the United States or the United Kingdom- Aspirin remains a registered trademark of Bayer AG.) Etymology:  From the Latin, kind Generification and Dictionaries A surprising number of words have developed contentious generic meanings: they include aspirin, band-aid, escalator, filofax, frisbee, thermos, tippex, and xerox. And the problem facing the lexicographer [dictionary-maker] is how to handle them. If it is everyday usage to say such things as I have a new hoover: its an Electrolux, then the dictionary, which records everyday usage, should include the generic sense. The principle has been tested several times in the courts and the right of the dictionary-makers to include such usages is repeatedly upheld. But the decision still has to be made: when does a proprietary name develop a sufficient general usage to be safely called generic? From Brand Names to Generic Terms These words below have gradually slipped from brand names to generic terms: Elevator and escalator were both originally trademarks of the Otis Elevator Company.Zipper: A name given to a separable fastener by the B.F. Goodrich Company many years after it was invented. The new name helped the zipper attain popularity in the 1930s.Loafer: For a moccasin-like shoe.Cellophane: For a transparent wrap made of cellulose.Granola: A trademark registered in 1886 by W.K. Kellogg, now used for a natural kind of breakfast cereal.  Ping pong: For table tennis, a trademark registered by Parker Brothers in 1901. Source David Crystal,  Words, Words, Words. Oxford University Press, 2006  Allan Metcalf, Predicting New Words:  The Secrets of Their Success. Houghton Mifflin, 2002

Palliative care- Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Palliative care- - Essay Example Cancer is an incurable condition that is growingly becoming common among the elderly people as well as a bigger segment of the population. With early diagnosis and timely intervention, the patient’s quality of life can be gratefully improved. The challenge of managing chronic pain usually makes many patients to give up the fight to carry on with life. However, there has been progress in better pain management that seeks to extend the life of patients and improve their condition, thus limiting the option for assisted euthanasia. The family is the immediate primary care giver that should be listed in the care of the patient; it forms a useful link in the provision of service in palliative care. They provide psychosocial support and necessary home-based care for the patient. Key decisions that affect the patient’s medical condition should aim to incorporate their decision. Conflict of interests over the individual and family arises when the family’s expectations exceed the individual’s, hence the need to balance societal expectations to meet individual needs. The health care team should provide the best care and support for the patient to meet varying needs of the patient. They have to stick to the guidelines of the nursing or medical care when managing patients in palliative care or at any stage of medical treatment. The necessary link is provided in the Australia guidelines for medical provision of palliative care that stipulates the standards of practice, which should be used as a yard stick for performance. The patient rights are usually guided by the code of standards for practice outlined for reference. The key obligation should always be to ease pain and prolong lives, which are aspects of good care. Laurie’s experience with a terminal illness depicts the moral lessons that the media shapes following events that pity the societal structures in explaining causation that draws parallel from the various arguments, which point to the ideal

The process of globalization and culture in Cape Town Essay

The process of globalization and culture in Cape Town - Essay Example People have forgotten their own culture and their own suffering. Critics take globalization as a factor which is changing their culture and imposing new cultures. What values and cultures did people adapt The high level of interconnectedness among nations, countries and cultures is referred to as globalization. The technological advancement has made the world a small place with almost every thing accessible to mankind (Globalization101, n.p). This high interaction and interdependence causes cultural mix up or cultural hybridization. Some people take consider this as a positive outcome of globalization. According to Rathkopf, globalization is the only way to a better and a more stable world. It is true, that globalization not only reduces cultural barriers but removes the negative aspects of any culture (Rathkopf, n.p). Many other people take globalization as a bargain to their culture and heritage, which is not acceptable to them. These people say that globalization is destroying their roots and their identity i.e. culture (Barlow, n.p). The globalization of products and commodities is considered to be a good thing; however this also has its own negative points. It not only declines the sales of locally made products but also disrupts the local economy. Hence it can be noted that globalization has both positive and negative outcomes. Thi... It not only declines the sales of locally made products but also disrupts the local economy. Hence it can be noted that globalization has both positive and negative outcomes. ABOUT THE REPORT This report will discuss the processes and effects of globalization in Cape Town, South Africa. The first part of the report will discuss the culture of the place and how it is organized. Moreover, how the place runs, will also be discussed. In the second part the effect of globalization on the culture of the place will be discussed. The conclusion will give an overview of what the future holds for the people in Cape Town. THE PLACE Cape Town is the provincial capital of the Western Cape and is probably one of the most beautiful cities of the world. Due to its beautiful beaches and scenery it attracts more tourists than any other place in South Africa. The total population of the city is almost 3.5 million (Statistics of South Africa, n.p). Even though this is a big number, but due to a larger area, the population density of the city is still low. Almost 80% of the households in Cape Town use electricity. Cape Town consists of almost 31% local black Africans. The rest are whites and Asians. This demography clearly states that there are more people from other nations, and hence they have their cultural influence in the area. Moreover, female population in the city is more than male population. Almost 58% of the native blacks are unemployed (Statistics of South Africa, n.p; City of Cape Town, 3-7). Almost 41% of the people in Cape Town speak Afrikaans. The rest speak Xhosa and English. Majority of the population is Christian with almost 10% having no religion at all. Cape Town can be called as the oldest city of South Africa, and it really is. Its oldest building Posthuys

Criminal and Civil Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Criminal and Civil Justice - Essay Example al rule regarding admissibility is set out in the case of R v Leathem1, which provides that the manner of obtaining evidence does not exclude admissibility. The test of admissibility is whether the evidence is relevant. However, whilst there is there is no rule of exclusion per se, it is open to the court to exercise its discretion under Section 78 of PACE. The main ground for challenging the admissibility of Jack’s statement under Section 78 will be â€Å"the circumstances in which the evidence was obtained†. This is further supported by the decision in Matto v Wolverhampton Crown Court.2 Furthermore, breaches of the PACE accompanying Codes of Practice can also require the section 78 discretion to be used if such breaches are significant and substantial3. Under section 58 of PACE and paragraph 11.2 of Code C, detainees must be told of their right to legal advice. Jack was denied the right to legal advice. Whilst assault is a serious arrestable offence and section 116 of PACE permits delay of access to legal advice up to 36 hours, in order to rely on section 116, the police have to prove that they reasonably feared one of the contingencies referred to in section 58 (8) of PACE arising. However, it does not appear that these were applicable to justify the delay of legal advice to Jack. Whilst a wrongful delay in obtaining legal advice will not render automatic exclusion of evidence under section 78, in the case of R v Alladice4, the Court of Appeal stressed that relevant factors under section 78 were whether the police acted in bad faith and whether the presence of a solicitor would have made a difference to the defendant. The restriction and denial of legal advice is in breach of Code C section 6.5 and reflects adversely on the fairness of the proceedings. On this basis there are strong grounds to exclude Jack’s statement. With regard to Jack’s statement regarding Edward’s culpability for the offence, under the common law, as established in R v

Banking and Finance Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Banking and Finance Law - Essay Example In the case at bar, the role of Bank A is an arranger as it is representing the borrower and not the participating banks, therefore, its obligations centered upon the borrower. Generally, the functions of the arranger starts upon its acceptance of the offer to arrange from the borrow and shall subsist until the time that the facility shall have been executed or in case of syndicated loan, its duties and obligations shall be deemed fulfilled at syndication when the participant banks are brought into direct contractual relations with the borrower2. Part of the duties of the arranger is to assist the borrower in drafting the Information Memorandum (IM), which will be circulated to prospective lenders/investors or in the case of syndication, to participating banks. Note that the IM is an instrument, which will be relied upon by the participating bank in assessing the nature of the investment and risk involved thereon. By this token, English law so for measures that will ensure that the p articipating bank will not be misled by unfounded claims set in the IM. The obligations of the arranger towards the participating banks in the case of syndication arise particularly during the negotiation stage and before the signing of the instruments of documents ratifying the facility. Breach of obligation to disclose the full state of the borrower or the misrepresentation of facts in the IM whether it is fraudulent or negligent in nature would give rise to both statutory breach and violation of established case laws. Fraudulent misrepresentation is the act of giving information knowing fully that it is not true. Fraud can also be deemed present where the arranger recklessly gives information without ascertaining its veracity and rending the facts disclosed as misleading. The key in this situation is that there is deceit in the act of the arranger as opposed to an innocent misrepresentation where the arranger believed in good faith in the truthfulness of the data disclosed.

From the novel The Good Earth Analyze Wang Lung Include his values, Essay

From the novel The Good Earth Analyze Wang Lung Include his values, what he loves, a chronology of the changes in his character - Essay Example The essay aims to analyse the moral character of Wang Lung in the novel. The essay examines the changes within his character throughout the novel and the chronology of changes in his thoughts and beliefs throughout the novel. The novel depicts Wang Lung as a poor, simple and hardworking farmer. He was born and raised in a small Chinese village. He was around twenty years of age at the beginning of the novel. He possesses great value for the Chinese traditions and gives considerable importance to duties to the family and filial piety. Wang held the belief that land brings happiness and wealth to the people and is great source of prosperity and richness. He was forced to marry a slave after which his life turned and he became owner of a land that made him wealthy patriarch. However, his success could be regarded as a mixed blessing because while achieving the piece of land, wealth and influence he lost his simplicity and values as found him unable to practice the norms calling for love for land and family. The novel shows the character of Wang marked with two important and contrary features. On one hand, he had great love for the land, traditions and family that allow him possessing good sense, work ethics, frugality and family love however, on the other hand, he had great desire for wealth and status in his heart and he want to get over his poverty and lo w social status. The novel depicts the change occurred within his moral and social status that brought several important changes in his life. As he got wealth and status, he lost his connection to the world and also found him unable to participate in the old traditions. These traditions were of great importance in his life and thus losing these values and norms was great setback for him and he experienced major transformation is his moral character. He used to give great value to the land and his live for earth keep his character on right track. Most of the part of the story shows him a person with true heart h aving great love for the earth however, his character was spoiled by his desire for land and status after which his moral character became a dark feature of his personality. In the end, he regret and decide to rebuilt his connection with the land but his desire for status was not over rather it was transferred to his sons and he saw in his old age that his sons were also making the same mistakes that he made in his life by breaking the connections with the land that actually has the tendency of providing wealth, happiness and status to the people. Wang was living a simple life as a countryman however when his father arrange bride for him he had to go to the town to bring her. He was afraid of facing the people in the town because he was a simple man living a simple life. He goes to the House of Hwang to collect his wife but he was not able to adequately behave with the wealthy people. He suffered from inferiority complex through he does not resent his low status but facing wealthy p eople made him highly conscious about his social status. This consciousness also compelled him committing certain acts against his nature and character. He was an honest person but he got involved in the stealing of wealth when he got chance to change his conditions. When it became difficult for him to manage livelihood for his family he moved towards south and tries to earn money carrying a rickshaw. During an incident he found that a rich house has been broken by mob where there was large amount of silver

America Civil Aviation Authority Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

America Civil Aviation Authority - Essay Example The authority is housed within the America Airports Authority (AAA) head office. It is around 18km from the city centre and about 20-25 minutes ride depending on the traffic. The authority’s broad key functions are to regulate the aviation industry in America, to provide air navigational services within America’s Flight Information Region (FIR) and to offer training for aviation personnel. The company provides an air transport reimbursement facility to those employees who incur expenditures in flight ticketing, which means that the expenditure incurred by employees in air ticketing is compensated by the company. The process described above has been automated by a system and some IT infrastructural resources and assets that depend on IT for a complete transaction or operation. The average users of the system include the staff, the IT administrators and the finance employees. The staff members require the following IT requirements: a computer networked with the organizati on’s server in the server room. The computer should be able to remotely connect to the server in the server room in order to access the system remotely. The server is able to identify the users with specific IP addresses. The server then filters the addresses and initiates an access control procedure. Access to the system is controlled on the basis of the users’ IP addresses. Once the server identifies the IP address, it displays the appropriate interface to the user. The IT administrators are the technical users of the system. They handle all processing of applications by other staff members. They also ensure that the system is available to all users 24 hours a day 7 days in a week. The finance staff members, on the other hand, only verify the identification of the employees who are to be compensated. The reporting structure of the organization and the senior IT group are as shown below: ACAA Infrastructure The following diagram shows the organizational structure of t he America Civil Aviation Authority starting from the chief information officer (CIO) to the other departments within the organization. It is one of my duties as the CIO of ACAA to protect all the information regarding ACAA as an organization as well as an enterprise. All the ACAA IT functions are overseen by me. In addition, I also ensure ACAA data integrity is protected. Given that ACAA treats IT as an organizational asset, it is my duty therefore, to make sure that IT is perfectly aligned with the ACAA business goals. Such duties as the establishment of technical service centers, data centers, scheduling production, communication networks, the development of computer programs and employee training are tasked to me. I am privileged with the ability to make and take strategic decisions regarding IT given the availability of large amount of information associated with my position. I, however, work closely with the executive management, CEO, stakeholders and Board of Directors in the decision making process. It is my duty to ensure that complete and accurate data are obtained by both the ACAA internal and external customers in a timely manner. This is achieved through research and implementation of the latest developments, technologies and trends. I make sure my IT staff is innovative in order to be able to convert the organization’s opportunities to its strength.  

From the novel The Good Earth Analyze Wang Lung Include his values, Essay

From the novel The Good Earth Analyze Wang Lung Include his values, what he loves, a chronology of the changes in his character - Essay Example The essay aims to analyse the moral character of Wang Lung in the novel. The essay examines the changes within his character throughout the novel and the chronology of changes in his thoughts and beliefs throughout the novel. The novel depicts Wang Lung as a poor, simple and hardworking farmer. He was born and raised in a small Chinese village. He was around twenty years of age at the beginning of the novel. He possesses great value for the Chinese traditions and gives considerable importance to duties to the family and filial piety. Wang held the belief that land brings happiness and wealth to the people and is great source of prosperity and richness. He was forced to marry a slave after which his life turned and he became owner of a land that made him wealthy patriarch. However, his success could be regarded as a mixed blessing because while achieving the piece of land, wealth and influence he lost his simplicity and values as found him unable to practice the norms calling for love for land and family. The novel shows the character of Wang marked with two important and contrary features. On one hand, he had great love for the land, traditions and family that allow him possessing good sense, work ethics, frugality and family love however, on the other hand, he had great desire for wealth and status in his heart and he want to get over his poverty and lo w social status. The novel depicts the change occurred within his moral and social status that brought several important changes in his life. As he got wealth and status, he lost his connection to the world and also found him unable to participate in the old traditions. These traditions were of great importance in his life and thus losing these values and norms was great setback for him and he experienced major transformation is his moral character. He used to give great value to the land and his live for earth keep his character on right track. Most of the part of the story shows him a person with true heart h aving great love for the earth however, his character was spoiled by his desire for land and status after which his moral character became a dark feature of his personality. In the end, he regret and decide to rebuilt his connection with the land but his desire for status was not over rather it was transferred to his sons and he saw in his old age that his sons were also making the same mistakes that he made in his life by breaking the connections with the land that actually has the tendency of providing wealth, happiness and status to the people. Wang was living a simple life as a countryman however when his father arrange bride for him he had to go to the town to bring her. He was afraid of facing the people in the town because he was a simple man living a simple life. He goes to the House of Hwang to collect his wife but he was not able to adequately behave with the wealthy people. He suffered from inferiority complex through he does not resent his low status but facing wealthy p eople made him highly conscious about his social status. This consciousness also compelled him committing certain acts against his nature and character. He was an honest person but he got involved in the stealing of wealth when he got chance to change his conditions. When it became difficult for him to manage livelihood for his family he moved towards south and tries to earn money carrying a rickshaw. During an incident he found that a rich house has been broken by mob where there was large amount of silver

Teen Pregnancy Prevention Strategy Essay Example for Free

Teen Pregnancy Prevention Strategy Essay The increase on Teenage Pregnancy had been a problem in the United States which became a leading social issue until 1998. Teenage Pregnancy pertains to a situation wherein an under-aged (15 years old below but in the United Kingdom, below 18 years old) girl gets pregnant (Cherry, 2001). Among the causes or factors that affect the increase of teenage pregnancy incidents, particularly in the U.S. are the following: adolescent sexual behavior, statutory rape, sexual abuse, dating violence, socioeconomic factors (e.g. prostitution), childhood environment, and commentator and public opinion. These are the major factor roots of teenage pregnancy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In order to solve the problem, the government must be able to track the aforesaid factors and must be able to address the immediate concerns that motivate the under-aged girl to become oriented on sexual relationships. The government must implement a policy which would lessen the chances that the youth would become exposed to premarital sexual affairs. Enforcing ordinances such as curfew, and strict prohibition on minors to use alcohol and illegal drugs, would really help in minimizing the instances of sexual abuse, dating violence, prostitution, and other notable roots of teenage pregnancy (Luker, 1997). Furthermore, the government must be able to fully address the cases of child abuse, statutory rape, and other crimes against under-age girls.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the part of the parents, they must be able to monitor their children’s activities as well as their companions in order to prevent them from instances like teen-date rape, sexual harassment, and the likes. Parents must realize their vital role in shaping their child’s consciousness (Cherry, 2001). Hence, they must really know their children very well as well as their personal problems. Furthermore, secondary influences such as the school, church and community must do their job to guide the youth and help the government in the implementation of its policies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Certainly, the government has the power and authority to set rules so as to aid in reducing the cases of teenage pregnancy. For the main reason that they are the ones who legislate, interpret and execute laws (Luker, 1997), they really have the responsibility to make sure that teenage pregnancy is really being dealt with. By the laws that the government has passed, interpreted and implemented, communities would be monitored well and the instances of sexual harassment would be diminished. Instructing the schools to regularly conduct behavior analysis, and developmental activities (Cherry, 2001) for the benefit of the youth would prevent them from being exposed to sexual activities and enlightening them about the ill consequences of early motherhood or early parenthood. The use of contraceptives (Luker, 1997) should be promoted by the government to ensure that there would be a small chance that would lead to early pregnancy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With regards to the use of contraceptives, the Church and some moralists view it as something that opposes their moral standard (Cherry, 2001). However, the government must be able to talk with these groups and sectors and make them realized that though the government promote the use of contraceptives, they are not encouraging the youth to participate or get involved with sexual activities. This is where the strict implementation emerges.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The schools, in cooperation with the community and the government, must conduct a joint project or program that introduces the youth to activities like sports and livelihood developments in order to divert the attention of the youth from sexual activities to more community-based affairs. Symposia and seminars are useful in enlightening and informing the youth, the parents, as well as the whole community (e.g. school, church) about the disadvantages of teenage pregnancy and the measures that would help them avoid such situation. In a summary, teenage pregnancy can really be resolved provided that the government and all the concerned groups must initiate, participate on and maintain measures which deject teenage pregnancy. References Cherry, A. L. (2001). Teenage Pregnancy: A Global View. Greenwood Press. Luker, K. (1997). Dubious Conceptions: The Politics of Teenage Pregnancy. Harvard University  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Press.

Widespread Use Of Digital Media Media Essay

Widespread Use Of Digital Media Media Essay This essay will critically asses the impact that widespread use of digital media has on broader culture and society. For me, this is questioning whether digital media, the technological revolution and the rise of the internet can be seen as a blessing or a curse on culture and society. According to Castells (2002) who writes avidly on this topic, new media technologies simultaneously reinforce relations of cultural capital, hierarchy and distinction, while enabling social movements to publicise campaigns and connect with distant others. Technology, the internet and the digital media has created unimaginable wealth yet also encouraged millions to work for nothing. Digital media Challenges authority yet allowed regimes to spy and censor as never before. The internet opens up new realms of knowledge and Al Gore (former vice president) states that its an empowering tool with more potential than any other tool developed by mankind. Digital media is very much a double edged sword and has b oth positive and negative aspects to it. This essay will explore these different aspects and look to given a definitive answers as to whether the digital media and the internet has overall had a good or bad impact on broader culture and society. Positive impact on culture and society There are a significant number of ways in which the use of digital media has facilitated democracy and pluralism in worldwide society and culture. Supporters of this view include the likes of Goodwin, Jenkins and Burrows. The inventor of the World Wide Web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, saw the internet as a tool that connected humanity. W ith 35 million people using the internet every day in the UK alone, he sees the internet as a platform for equal access to voice, opportunity and information, having originally been designed as a rebellion against hierarchy and authority. Wikipedia is definitely a product of the digital media that has had a positive impact on culture and society. Every month 65 million people use this site, with the original idea being that instead of information being handed down by experts and the elite above, it instead slowly emerges from the masses from below. This is a good example of the democratisation of society and culture that the digital media brings, as Wikipedia allow people to shape knowledge together on one platform. Twitter is a social media site that has had a strong positive effect on culture and society. This digital media platform can be used to campaign for fundamental freedoms in culture and society across the globe. For example Twitter was used to campaign for fundamental civil rights Kenya during the violence in the Kenyan election of 2008. Witnesses used Twitter to report the violence and corruption that the worlds media was not reporting accurately. Twitter represents a new form of democracy in society and culture, meaning that countries hierarchy in effect has flipped from vertical to horizontal. Another example can be found in Iran; when riots occurred the government banned world media from the area, however the public used Twitter to alert the world of what was occurring. Napster is a digital media site that advanced culture and society by undermining centuries of copyrighting and property. This site allowed music to be listened to for free, making it equally accessable and shared for free. This demonstrated digital media and the internets power to destroy established business models. While this site was completely illegal, the issue was that because the usage of this site became so widespread, lawsuits would have been needs for everyone between the ages of 18 and 30 at the time. As a result of Napster, 95% of all music exchange online in now unpaid for, showing how digital media has helped create added cultural equality and democracy over the last decade. YouTube is another strong example of how the digital media and the internet has had a positive effect on the global culture and society. YouTube was first created in 2005, and is now viewed 1 billion times a day, with 1/5 of all content on the internet itself being created by amateurs. The attraction to this site is that it provides and platform for self-promotion and takes control away from the middleman such as agents of publishers. These older hierarchies are still at large today, however their power is dwindling as they struggle to adapt to the digital medias democratisation and equalization effect on society and culture. Having first been created to protect the USA in the 1960s to link information between the government, the armed forces and institutions of science and universities, the internet has now become a de-centralizing power to the state. The internet is now seen as a threat to the state, de-centralizing power in single nations by merging their individual economies into a global economy. The rise of the digital media and the internet is accelerating globalisation which in turn provides new developments in culture that cross historic and traditional borders. Old centres of power are crumbling, meaning a huge scramble to fill the vacuum left behind. An example of this can be seen in Wikileaks, which allows people to anomalously publish information on governments such as classified US army documents on Guatanamo Bay, which helps challenge censorship. Suppressing information has become increasingly difficult, with the digital media and the internet helping make traditional censored countries suc h as China become far more democratic. When one part of the internet becomes controlled and colonised, a new frontier will always spring up in its place elsewhere. This certainly shows how the digital media benefits society and culture in a broad sense globally. Negative impact on culture and society There are many negative aspects that the rise of the internet and digital media has brought to culture and society. The digital media can be seen as a source of control and homogenisation, with supporters of this view including the likes of Schiller and Virilio. Around 25% of the global population has access to the internet, which can be seen to show another form of control by the MEDCs over LEDCs. It is in human nature to have the desire for both profit and control. If you can control what people believe in you control what people have access to, hence the internet and the digital media is a powerful tool that can create this control if harnessed by the appropriate people in society. The internet and digital media has allowed elite megabrands to gain power with no competition. The idealistic view (steming from 1970s hippie culture) that the world wide web should be a creative space where all people can share information for free, which went against those who wanted use the web as a place to buy and sell, use the web as a market place. Some people, such as Bill Gates, saw the internet as the biggest business opportunity ever. In 1995 Microsoft launched Internet Explorer and ended up with more than 90% of the market globablly. This is just an example of how the world dominated by just a handful of mega brands. In Britain 1/3 of the population has Facebook, Ebay has 21 million visits a month while Amazon get 16 million visits per month. There is one search engine (Google), one marketplace (Ebay), one bookshop (Amazon), one cinema (YouTube) and one social network (Facebook) that matter. This means there is a new massive wealth and power in the hands of a tiny elite t hanks to the internet. It is a huge historic anomolie in the fact that there are no competitors (Coke and Pepsi, Honda and Toyota)that would usually reflect a capitalist society. Hence this is a pure manifestation of way in which power works, landing itself to a very narrow oligarchy and elite in society. The digital media and the internet can be seen as a tool of control and oppression. Increasingly it mirrors hierarchy and inequalities with its originally idealistic beginnings fading over time. It is a powerful tool the state can use to access information and control the masses. An example of this is seen in China (one party state) that has 250 million of it population currently using the internet. Technology has helped drive Chinas economic growth and the government is now worried about their communist culture and society due to the rise of digital media and the internet. The government has employed 30,000 people to police the web full-time in China, developing a firewall around the country preventing many western media sites from entering and influencing public opinion. Their surveillance of social network sites is essential to their state control, hence the government has hired bloggers 300, 000 people to post communist support on digital media sites and blogs. The digital media can be seen to be narrowing identity. The internet can link and connect extremists, which has given them new tools of terrorism. Al Qaeda try to implement control through fear via the internet through hatefull messages and shocking images. This is very difficult to prevent as there is no central control centre of base on the internet. Digital media removes national borders and therefore these extremists have a virtual reality nation to spread their message. The internet and digital media can be see as eroding the concept of privacy. Private information is now exploited for highly targeted advertising and profit. For example Google gathers billions of search terms that help them sell highly targeted advertising. Its turned human curiosity into a goldmine, as Google now makes $200 per second for this scheme. Internet cookies now track our interests and website history. This can even Facebook, a company that increasingly uses technology to recognise pictures and send targeted adverts. Today, after purchasing an item, you are constantly emailed with updates. This is a manifestation of the attempt by big businesses and coorperations to colonise the online marketplace . It homogenises consumers with messages such as people who bought this also bought this. Almost without realising it, our search history is stored on a database of the companies that give us access to internet. Its suprising how much all the searches can be pieced together, and give a picture of who may have made these searchs. Hence this potentially could be used against individuals, as blackmail in the future. While this is an extreme view, this is a distinct possibility, and means corporations such as Google and Facebook have a huge amount of power they could utilize in the future. Analysis The positive aspects of digital media and the internet currently and always will outweigh the negatives aspects of digital media and the internet. It is irrational for anyone to claim that we were better off in an era of information poverty and un-empowered masses. One would rather have information overload than information poverty in society and culture. The internet is a true digital and electronic frontier where everyone is on his or her own; all manuscripts are accepted for publication, they remain in virtual print forever, and no one can tell writers what to do. The rise of the internet and digital media has empowered the masses and given everyone a platform on which to speak to the world. Of course, that doesnt necessarily mean all of the internet users will have something informed or valid to broadcast to across the world wide web. But such vast human empowerment is worth celebrating, despite its occasional downsides. Abundance in information is better than the old analog world of fewer choices and fewer voices. However, criticisms can be made against the internet and the digital media, as there are some very legitimate concerns regarding how the passing of the old order might leave society absent of some important cultural and order aspects. For example, one need not endorse bailouts for a dying newspaper industry to nonetheless worry about the important public service provided by investigative journalists: Who will take up those efforts if large media institutions go under because of digital disintermediation? The skeptics are also certainly correct that each of us should think about how to better balance new technologies and assimilate them into our lives and the lives of our families and communities. For example, children need to learn new digital literacy and cyber-citizenship skills to be savvy users of the world wide web. Conclusion This essay has critically assessed the impact that widespread use of digital media has on broader culture and society. For me, this was questioning whether digital media, the technological revolution and the rise of the internet can be seen as a blessing or a curse on culture and society. According to Castells (2002) who wrote a lot on this topic, new media technologies simultaneously reinforced relations of cultural capital, hierarchy and distinction, while enabling social movements to publicise campaigns and connect with distant others. Technology, the internet and the digital media has created unimaginable wealth yet also encouraged millions to work for nothing. Digital media Challenges authority yet allowed regimes to spy and censor as never before. The internet opens up new realms of knowledge and Al Gore (former vice president) states that its an empowering tool with more potential than any other tool developed by mankind. Digital media is very much a double edged sword and has both positive and negative aspects to it. This essay explored these different aspects and can now give a definitive answer as to whether digital media and the internet has overall had a good or bad impact on broader culture and society. Overall, the internet and the digital media is a positive phenomenon for humanity, society and culture. There are a significant number of ways in which the use of digital media has facilitated democracy and pluralism in worldwide society and culture. Strong examples in the physical form of digital media sites on the internet can be used to show this. Firstly Wikipedia is definitely a product of the digital media that has had a positive impact on culture and society. Secondly Twitter is a social media site that has had a strong positive effect on culture and society. Thirdly Napster is a digital media site that advanced culture and society by undermining centuries of copyrighting and property. YouTube is another strong example of how the digital media and the internet has had a positive effect on the global culture and society. These websites are contributing to rise of the digital media and the internet is accelerating globalisation which in turn provides new developments in culture that cross historic and traditional borders. The rise of the internet and digital media has empowered the masses and given everyone a platform on which to share information and dissolve old forms of hierarchy. However, to a smaller extent, the internet and digital media has caused a negative affect on society and culture. The digital media can be seen as a source of control and homogenisation by MEDCs over LEDCs. The internet and digital media has allowed elite megabrands to gain power with no competition. Again, the digital media and the internet can be seen as a tool of control and oppression. Increasingly it mirrors hierarchy and inequalities with its originally idealistic beginnings fading over time. The digital media can be seen to be narrowing identity while the internet can also link and connect extremists, which has given them new tools of terrorism. Finally, the internet and digital media can be see as eroding the concept of privacy. Private information is now exploited for highly targeted advertising and profit.