Retail food industry/fast food chain business

The business that I choose is retail food industry/fast food chain business. For example, McDonald's is my case study in this proposal. This fast food chain business began with Raymond Albert Kroc. Ray Kroc was the exclusive distributor of a milk shake maker called the Multi mixer. That time, Richard and Maurice two brothers were the owner of a brand and ran a burger restaurant in San Bernardino, California, in the 1950s. In 1955, Ray Kroc founded the brand’s Corporation and opened the first restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois. At 1980, the brand’s Corporation, USA gave GOLDEN ARCHES RESTAURANTS SDN BHD the license to operate the brand's restaurants in Malaysia. We in Malaysia got our first taste of the brand and Malaysia opened its first restaurant at Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur on 29 April 1982. To date, the brand’s at Malaysia has more than 200 restaurants located nationwide. Then this is the origin of the brand. My choice business name is McDonald's. It is a fast food industry. Until now, McDonald's Malaysia has more than 200 restaurants located nationwide. McDonald's operation hours are 24 hours, but some outlets inside the shopping centre are just 14 hours only because shopping centre operation hours are not 24 hours. McDonald’s strategic location is built the restaurant in the high traffic area. For example some McDonald’s outlets are built in the shopping centre, because these shopping centres are the most crowded places. Another strategic location is built on the high way because some people who want to buy burger then will go McDonald because McDonald’s have the drive-thru then can let customers feel more convenient and save time. After that I'm chosen the McDonald's place is at Bandar Tun Hussein Onn. Bandar Tun Hussein Onn is a township in 9th-Mile Cheras in Selangor, Malaysia. It was named after the third Malaysian Prime Minister, Tun Hussein Onn. It is primarily a residential area and near by the secondary school. This location also has the drive-thru for some customers. McDonald's menus have included the Breakfast, Favorites, Happy Meal, Desserts, Beverages and McCafe. McDonald's products include the McChicken, Quarter Pounder, Big Mac, Cheeseburger, the Fruit and Yogurt Parfait, the Egg McMuffin and Spicy Chicken Mcwrap. At lunch time 12nn – 3p. m. & dinner time 6p. m. – 9p. m. , McDonald have the McValue Lunch & Dinner for discount some products price for let more customers can have the tasty burgers. Some time, McDonald will develop new different taste burger and toys. Like last time, McDonald were develops the McDonald breakfast & dinner box, GCB Burger and Hello Kitty Toys. After that, McDonald aside from free Wifi, can refresh the drink, a children's play area and the drive-thru, in some locations, McDonalds don't offer much in the way of services and other country McDonalds also have the different menus/products for their customers. McDonald also has a service called McDelivery, this service is transport food from McDonald’s restaurant to customer’s houses. These all the things are McDonald’s products/services. McDonald in the Tun Hussien Onn, customers demographic is younger persons occupying relatively high. After that, this also suitable for our Muslim consumer to purchase the product, because McDonald's products are without pork. This is because now, these young persons are like to go someplace where the wifi has and can eat the taste burger. These young persons are included like age 16-25, male, Chinese and Malay persons. For example, every Thursday I also have gathering with my friend at McDonald. This is because this location is near by the secondary school, after school 1p. m. some students who are going to McDonald then can get the McValue Lunch because can get the cheaper price. At dinner time, will more family go to McDonald for their dinner and the McValue Dinner. Some student and officer who are going McDonald not only the McValue, because McDonalds has the free wifi to let these customers who want to meeting or description. From McDonald, some customer will buy McDonald’s product/services because McDonald has the fast service and tasty burger. Sometimes, people who are going McDonald not only just in order to the tasty burger, also enjoy the comfortable environment, the refresh free drink and the free wifi services. After that, because McDonald has the McValue Lunch & Dinner, then can let customers use cheaper price and get the tasty burger sets. Next, McDonald also has the drive-thru and the delivery service then can let customers feel convenient. McDonald is not only the fast food business in Malaysia. For example, KFC and MarryBrown are also the fast food business companies then these 2 companies are McDonald’s competitors. First, KFC’s product also included burger, but KFC company main product not the burger, is the fried chicken. Then KFC and McDonald differences are the main product and McDonald can free refresh the drink. At others country, KFC also have the delivery. Second, MarryBrown also selling the same product – burger. But MarryBrown have other different products like Nasi MarryBrown, Nasi Ayam MB, Mi Kari Ayam Goreng, Chick-O-Rice and Chick Porridge. After that, Marrybrown and McDonald differences services are these, included the drive-thru and McDonald has the McDelivery for transport food to customer’s houses. This paragraph is about the McDonald and these 2 competitors differences. McDonald has competitive advantage. First, customers who are going to McDonald can buy the exciting toys and collectibles. But hurry, these toys are available for a limited time only. Second, when customers who are driving car and hungry, customers no need park their car. Then just can go to McDonald’s drive-thru for buy McDonald’s products. Third, if the customers who are have no car for go out have their food, McDonald has the McDelivery for transport food from McDonald’s restaurant to customer’s houses. If as this company – McDonald is my business, First, I will add the different products/ services because let customers can get more tasty products and specially services. Second, change the food price to cheaper because for those low-income customers. Third, is training McDonald's staffs for improve staff’s attitude. After that, my customers can enjoy the tasty food and have the best of services. Then I want to let anywhere also has McDonald’s restaurants. As my conclusion, McDonald's is one of the largest and famous fast food companies in the world. McDonald’s most of operation time is the 24 hours. McDonald always builds their restaurant in high traffic area. McDonald also has so many different products. In Malaysia, all Malaysians are also can go McDonald, because McDonald is non-pork then Muslim consumer can purchase those products. McDonald’s places have comfortable environment, the refresh free drink and the free wifi services. McDonald has a lot of competitors, but McDonald will do the best for their customers. After that, McDonald’s In Malaysia, McDonalds competitive advantages are better than others companies. Last, I hope McDonald’s products are healthier, not only the fried food. Thank you for reading, this is my conclusion.

Sociology and Durkheim Social Disorganization

SOCIAL DISORGANIZATION AND IT’S TYPES: DEFINITION OF SOCIAL DISORGANIZATION: Social Disorganization theory began around the late 1800s. Social Disorganization refers to organizations and institutions failing in communities or neighborhoods, preventing these areas from overcoming the crime and issues of the day. The social disorganization theory is a key component in the study of criminology. Theories under the umbrella of social disorganization seek to identify and predict trends in criminal or deviant behavior among groups within a social network.The effort is designed to address criminal activity and the variables that might predict undesired behavior within a community. According to Elliott and Merrill: â€Å"Social disorganization are the totality of human personalities and conscious and unconscious attitudes, their crystallized and uncrystallized ideas and institutions which in complex interrelationships make up the framework of human existences. Social organization refe rs to the way people relate themselves to one another. It also refers to the way in which person and groups making up a society are somehow held together.  Read also  Sociology and Social Integration.Social organization and social structure are interchangeable concepts both referring to any interrelated system of role and statuses. † Ogburn and Nimkoff said that: â€Å"When the harmonious relationship between the various parts of culture is disturbed, social disorganization ensues. Social disorganization implies some breakdown in the organization of society. It is a relative phenomenon. Social organization and social disorganization is the dual aspects of the whole functioning of society. The social disorganization theory attributes crime and delinquency to communities where failing communal institutions, such as family, church, local government and schools, are found. According to this theory, communal relationships reinforce positive behavior, a sense of community respo nsibility and concern for the social network within a close area. When these communal relationships are faulty or nonexistent, that social network loses a sense of organization and social responsibility, which can potentially lead to negative or even criminal behavior spreading through that neighborhood.Types of Social Disorganization: Types of social disorganization are as follow: 1. Individual disorganization 2. Family disorganization 3. Community disorganization Social disorganization is the theory that crime and dysfunctional behavior occur in societies for cultural, political and economic reasons. Established communities experience increases in crime when their way of life and the established order of how things are done changes. Generally, social disorganization is caused by lack of personal control, community control and public control.Cultural Social Disorganization: †¢Cultural social disorganization emphasizes that disorganization occurs through the failure of people t o keep up with the times. When housing, means of transport and methods of communication rapidly change in a society, beliefs, attitudes and habits do not change as quickly. Authority figures resist change and find it difficult to integrate the new circumstances into their lives. This lag can result in social disorganization and increased crime rates. Political Social Disorganization: When a country or neighborhood has a large influx of new populations, such as immigrants, or are dealing with social upheavals or wars, political corruption can threaten the stability of a society. Political social disorganization also occurs when a country becomes subordinate to another country. The subordinate country loses its ability to govern itself and develop its own institutions, leading to subsequent loss of societal values, which can result in more crime in the society. Crime rates are less prevalent in stable communities. Economic Social Disorganzation: †¢Social and natural crises can gi ve rise to economic social disorganization.Famines, floods, epidemics and other natural disasters can disrupt social balances. Disparity between desires and the money to attain those goals can also affect the rise of crime. Illegitimate means will be used when legal ways to acquire them are not available. Unfair division of labor and physical deterioration of neighborhoods were also found to result in social disorganization. Some sociologist believe that the introduction of commerce and high levels of industrialization lead to higher crime rates. With the demise of traditional norms of behavior, new forms of behavior — whether productive or not — are likely to increase.INDIVIDUAL: 1. Individual difficulties such as physical, social, mental handicaps which may or may not lead to social disorganization. 2. Certain handicaps as a result of which the individual becomes habituated to some social vice. This ultimately affects his life organization as well as others in the co mmunity bringing social disorganization in the society. 3. Biological and physical factors which without proper control through modern technology creates problem of mass disorganization. 4. Decay in the existing institutions whether educational, religious, recreational, family, etc which ultimately affects the community. . Change in values and conflicts in role due to the rapid spread of technology, industrialization, urbanization and mass communication creating problems of national disorganization. When a number of individuals suffer from a similar type of disorganization, a social problem is in existence. In other word, individual disorganization, social problem, and social disorganization are closely interrelated to each other. Here individual disorganization may arises because of various factors such as biological, environmental, loss of security crisis in life, there can be two possibilities: 1.Individual disorganization may grow independent of social disorganization. For insta nce, if a person has ill health or is unable to meet his social demands it may leads to his physical or nervous breakdown and upset his personal plans and life schemes. 2. Suppose an individual is a leader or occupies a strategic position in society, which is often the case, then any disorganization in him leads to social disorganization if not checked. Each such disorganized such individual affects other individuals and in so doing produces social disorganization.According to Elliott and Merrill all type of personal maladjustment represent in one way or another, the inability of the individual to achieve a satisfactory life organization from the point of view of the social definition of his social patterns. 1. The behavior of the disorganized person deviates from the culturally approved norms. 2. His behavior arouses social disapproval which may vary from mild to marked (and even violence one. ) 3. The disorganized person may respond to social disapproval in two ways, i. e. positiv ely or negatively. Individual and Society: Social disorganization in a simple society:The social change, social disorganization and personal disorganization have their genesis in the variant behavior of the individuals. In simple societies, however deviations in behavior is minimum. Therefore there is a little awareness of their existence by the group. New coordination is made both for the society and for the individual with a minimum of stress and strain. Social disorganization in a complex society: The functioning of three important factors is commonly held responsible for spontaneous variations in behavior. They are – the specialized functioning inherent in complex society.The family as a culture defining agency and cultural participation outside the particular social order. The result is the emergence of a wide variety of various response patterns out of which develops disorganization both in society and individual. Some innovations find ready acceptance because they are related to those aspect of culture which are found outside institutional pattern. Innovations in mores, ideas and beliefs often meet with social disapproval because they vary from the accepted pattern. In simple society people revamp the discordant elements to the degree that their variance is no longer apparent.Innovations which meet with organized resistance tend to result in marked social disorganization. All positive response to social disapproval does not result in attempts to explain the variant behavior in terms of the welfare of the group. Social disorganization is the inevitable result until such time as the new behavior pattern loses group support or becomes incorporated into the social order. When however social disapproval of variations is met negatively by retreat into a world of fantasy there is no corresponding social disorganization except to the extent to which the individual becomes a threat to the safety of society and its members.This point of view does not deny the causative role of social organization in the production of personal disorganization. All social change involves some social disorganization. It is important to think of social disorganization related to those aspects of social change which result in the disturbance and revamping of social institutions and of the patterns of interrelationship between them. In the same way the social responses of the individual are always in flux. But only when changes take place in the individual's pattern of adjustment to social situations which arouse social disapproval that one may speak of personal disorganization.Personal disorganization represents the behavior of the individual which deviates from the social norms. It results in social disapproval which may express itself in a wide variety of degree. The individual may also react in different ways. Social reality presents an endless confusion of social disapproval from time to time. It may be mild or violent. Accordingly individuals respond either positively or negatively to social disapproval. The most visible aspect of personal disorganization in complex societies is that in which there is mild social disapproval to which the individual responds positively.This kind of personal disorganization does not deeply disturb the social order. The second aspect of social disorganization is that in which there is violent social disapproval and yet the individual responds positively. In the third aspect in which the individual's response to social disapproval is subjective the person retreats into an individually defined inner world. His innovations lose their social character. He becomes enmeshed in the development of mechanisms which further isolate him from the normal influences of group life.This type of personal disorganization results in psychosis through which the individual tries to escape from the web of social relations and in suicide. Social disorganization consists of the co-ordination of individual responses as a result of the operation of consensus and control. Personal organization refers to the coordination and integration of the attitude systems within the personality. A change in the cultural context which destroys the functioning of coordination that constitutes the social order represents social disorganization.Similarly any variant behavior which disturbs the integration of the attitude systems within the personality represents personal disorganization. Social disorganization is the inevitable result until such time as the new behavior pattern loses group support or becomes incorporated into the social order. When however social disapproval of variations is met negatively by retreat into a world of fantasy there is no corresponding social disorganization except to the extent to which the individual becomes a threat to the safety of society and its members. This point of view does not deny the causative ole of social organization in the production of personal disorganization. All soci al change involves some social disorganization. It is important to think of social disorganization related to those aspects of social change which result in the disturbance and revamping of social institutions and of the patterns of interrelationship between them. In the same way the social responses of the individual are always in flux. But only when changes take place in the individual's pattern of adjustment to social situations which arouse social disapproval that one may speak of personal disorganization.Depression and Disorganization: There are many medical conditions that can contribute to a disorganized and chaotic life. The most common is depression. A depressed person is usually apathetic, lethargic, disinterested, and this can lead to disorganization. Mental Disorder: Other mental problems such as bipolar disorder, dementia, and schizophrenia are all included under the mental umbrella that can cause a chaotic life. Besides depression and mental disorders, grief and pain c an also lead to mounds of clutter. Emotional Clutter and Disorganization:Another reason why people suffer from disorganization is because their emotional and social lives are cluttered. The psychological feeling of being overwhelmed can lead to a disorganized life. In these cases time management and acknowledging priorities are two possible cures for eliminating disorganization. ADD and Disorganization: Attention deficit disorder plays a huge factor in a person's ability to get organized. People who have problems with organization and planning should be checked for ADD disorder. Organization and planning are two of the biggest challenges for those suffering from attention deficit disorder.Unfortunately, standard organizing practices normally don't work for those with ADD and specialized strategies must be developed so that a person can get their life in order. Misconceptions: Most people attempt to solve disorganization by purchasing products and tools, but the Institute of Living, located in Hartford, Conn. , says this may not work. According to the Institute of Living, disorganization is commonly not a house problem that can be solved with buying bins, organizers, hangers and other household accessories, but rather a personal problem that can only be solved when the individual fundamentally changes his behavior.Causes of Social Disorganization: According to Maclver and Page five main factors such as psychological, biological, physical, technological and culture bring about social change. When the changes brought about these factors in the social structure are so disturbing that the present institution and other means of social control are no longer able to control them by adjusting themselves to the new situations there arise social disorganization. Factors of social disorganization at a particular period are so interrelated that it is difficult to find which factor is predominant.Elliott and Merrill observe that in order to understand the full implications of a study of social disorganization we must keep in mind the complex nature of all social phenomena. Out of man's fruitless search for unique causes has come recognition of the multiple factors which account for such characteristics of modern society as the decline in the acceptance of revealed religion the changing structure of the family, the increasing importance of the central government, and the lowering standards of morality. Others would rely on a reconstructuction of the fundamental economic institutions to bring about the changes.Still another group insists that the basis of all human woe lies in the biological field. Each of these groups however ignore the selective nature of the interpretation while on the other hand any realistic social understanding must consider all the factors related to the particular manifestation of social disorganization which is under investigation. Elliott and Merrill has described the four main causes for the disorganization- †¢The social processes under the three main heads-cultural, political and economic †¢Cultural lag Conflicting attitudes and values †¢Social crises Social disorganization is mainly due to cultural degeneration of values in various spheres such as art, science, philosophy, religion, law and politics. According to Karl Mannheim unplanned capitalism and policy of laissez faire are responsible for social disintegration in the present age which Bertrand Russell observes that â€Å"the lack of adjustment in institutions based on authority in the past is responsible for the present social disorganization. † G.R Medan has listed a few factors responsible for disorganization. †¢Psychological factors:- The cause of social disorganization is to be found in the human psychology itself. Psychological factors contribute to disorganization in two ways:- (a)Failure to maintain proper communication among fellow beings. (b)Failure to modify or change one's attitudes in tune with demands of t ime. †¢Cultural lag:- Cultural lag is the concept used by W. E. Ogburn refers to the imbalance in the rate and speed of change between the material cultural and non-material culture.Objects of material culture such as mode of housing, means of transport and communication, types of dresses, patterns of ornaments, technical and mechanical devices, instruments change very quickly. But ideas, beliefs, attitudes, taste, philosophies, habits, ideologies, institutional structures and such other aspects of non-material culture change slowly and gradually. Hence a gap or a lag arises between the material and non-material culture. This lag referred to as cultural lag invites the process of disorganization to set in. †¢Physical or geographic factors:-The adjustment of man and his culture to certain extraordinary physical or geographic conditions or situations may cause disorganization in society. This is especially true in the case of natural calamities such as storms, cyclones, hurr icanes, famines, floods, epidemics etc which upset the social balance and bring in social disorganization. †¢Biological factors:- Population explosion or extreme scarcity of population the instances of racial intermixture, defective hereditary traits and such other biological factors may also cause disorganizing effects upon society. †¢Ecological factor:-Social disorganization is related to environment in terms of regions and neighborhoods. †¢Social problems leading to social disorganization:- Social problems and forces such as a revolution, social upheaval, a class struggle, a financial or economic crisis, a war between nations, mental illness, and political corruption threaten the welfare of the society. †¢Degeneration of values:- Social values are often regarded as the sustaining forces of society. They contribute to the strength and stability of social order. But due to rapid social change new values come up and some of the old values decline.At the same time people are not in a position to reject the old completely and accept the new altogether. Hence conflict between the old and the new is the inevitable result of which leads to the social disorganization. †¢Disintegration and confusion of roles:- Members of society are expected to perform certain definite roles in accordance with their placements in society. Due to profound social changes these expectations also undergo change. Consequently people are confused with regard to their new roles. †¢Political subservience:- Political subordination of a country will result in social disorganization.The subordinate country is not permitted to develop its economy and institutions independently and is made as a means to serve the interest of the dominant country. †¢Conflict of goals and means:- Conflict of goals and means for achieving them may also cause disorganization. Most of the individuals share the dominant goals of the society and act accordingly. But lacking the means f or achieving the goals by legitimate means some may resort to illegitimate and illegal means resulting in vice, crime and other expression of social disorganization. †¢Decline of social control:-The declining control of religion, morals, customs, traditions and other institutions on the behavior of men has also enhanced the process of disorganization. There is an increase in interpersonal conflicts, crimes, tensions, divorce, delinquency, mental derangement etc. According to Thomas and Znaniecki the very decrease of the influence of existing rule of behavior upon the individual members of the group itself indicates social disorganization. †¢Extreme divisions of labor:- According to Durkheim social disorganization is often brought about by extreme division of labour.In normal course according to him division of labor leads to social solidarity may become disturbed. †¢Disruptive social change:- Society undergoes change mainly due to the operation of physical, biological , technological and cultural factors. Sudden and radical social changes may disrupt the stability and the organization of the society. The result is social disorganization. Prevention/Solution: According to the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization, a person who finds herself continuously surrounded by mess and should seek help and work with a professional organizer who is knowledgeable about disorganization issues.A person who is able to get organized can experience better mental and physical health. Organization places a person in a more productive environment that is conducive to enhancing his quality of life. Conclusion: Disorganization can cause havoc in a person's life. There are multiple reasons that a person can have a disorganized life. In some cases a disruptive life event is to blame for disorganization. Events like relocation, a new baby, or even a loss can all affect the organization of one's environment. Other times an emotional or mental disorder is contribu ting to the disorganization.Disorganization can also be brought on by something as diminutive as a change in mindset. The studies reviewed above indicate that social disorganization is an important predictor of youth violence and crime, and that social disorganization has its impact on youth violence and crime by affecting a number of mediating processes that facilitate youth violence. The findings also indicate that researchers and practitioners need to consider the linkages between economic deprivation and social disorganization when attempting to explain the genesis of youth violence.In attempting to attenuate youth violence, a number of policy implications are suggested by social disorganization theory. REFERENCES: http://www. sociologyguide. com/social-pathology/personal-disorganization. php http://books. google. com. pk/books? id=MXpiJWE7m5cC=PA32=PA32=INDIVIDUAL+DISORGANIZATION+in+india=bl=mLW-FbCxK5=BGnlIeTBCwenAz4t_NtYJykxu5c=en=X=bQJrUZbYLK6P7Ab874HgAw=0CEMQ6AEwAw#v=onepag e=INDIVIDUAL%20DISORGANIZATION%20in%20india=false FAMILY DISORGANIZATION Many marriages don't live up to high expectations, of people and families, so they break down or are violent.Some believe these are exceptional problems, but feminists believe it's because of male/female inequities. Family is the universal social institution, of all the institutions, it is most multifunctional, inspite of the fact that in some societies many of its previous functions have been partially taken over by other institutions. In many societies, including Pakistani society, the family is still the principal agency for social control and for educational, religious, protective, recreative and other institutional functions.Family: Sampson (1986) indicates that social disorganization may have an effect on youth violence through its effects on family structures and stability. He suggested that traditional social disorganization variables may influence community crime rates when taking into account the effe cts of levels of family disruption. This may occur by (1)removing an important set of control structures over youths’ behaviour, and (2)creating greater opportunities for criminal victimization (i. e. , through the lack of capable guardianship).Essentially, Sampson (1986) recognized the relationship of social disorganization theory to control theory and routine activities/lifestyle theory. To test his assertions, Sampson (1986) used three measures of family structure. First, he included a measure of the per cent of residents in a neighbourhood who were ever married and who were either divorced or separated. The second measure of family structure was the per cent of female-headed families. Finally, he included a measure of the per cent of primary or single-headed households.His analyses revealed that, independent of the traditional social disorganization variables, the family structure variables each had a direct significant effect on community crime rates. Thus, Sampsonâ€⠄¢s work identified an important and additional source of social disorganization (implicit in the work of Shaw and McKay) that had been previously overlooked by empirical studies. McNulty and Bellair (2003) also investigated the importance of family processes within the social disorganization tradition.This study integrates theory and research in criminology and urban sociology to specify a contextual model of differences in adolescent violence between whites and five racial-ethnic groups. The model presented views these differences as a function of variation in community contexts, family socioeconomic well-being, and the social capital available to adolescents and families. Data from the National Education Longitudinal Survey (1988 to 1992), which included information on 14,358 adolescents across 2,988 US locales, were matched with community-level data from the 1990 US census to test the resulting model.The white-black disparity in adolescents’ fighting is explained by highe r levels of disadvantage in the communities in which black children often live. The disadvantage index accounted for the largest reduction in the black effect on fighting, reflecting the well-documented concentration of disadvantage in black communities. Importantly, and in agreement with the importance of family processes for social disorganization theory, the results indicate that the effect of concentrated disadvantage on fighting is mediated by more proximate processes that are linked to family well-being.Tolan, Gorman-Smith and Henry (2003) employ data from a longitudinal study of 284 African-American and Latino adolescent boys and their caregivers, living in poor urban communities, to test a developmental-ecological model of violence. Six annual waves of data were applied to evaluate the relations between microsystem influences of parenting and peer deviance, macrosystem influences of community structural characteristics and neighbourhood social organization, and individual in volvement in violence. Structural equation modelling analyses showed that community structural characteristics significantly predicted neighbourhood social processes.Importantly, it was found that parenting practices partially mediated the relation between neighbourhood social processes and gang membership. Consistent with the above research that social disorganization may influence the level of youth violence through its effect on family processes, other researchers have found that family processes may be used to mitigate the deleterious effects of social disorganization. Burfeind (1984), for example, examined the role of the family, within a larger social context, as it relates to delinquency.This study focused on 1,588 non-black junior and senior high school students in the US. Burfeind analyzed the interactive effects of five family dimensions in relation to four other causal variables commonly associated with delinquency involvement: community social disorganization, delinquent friends, attachment to peers, and delinquent definitions. Analysis revealed that family factors influenced delinquency in different ways. The level of an adolescent’s attachment to the father was found to be independently related to delinquent activity after controlling for all other effects (independent and interactive).Paternal discipline had an interactive effect on delinquency, such that the type of paternal discipline influenced the effect that community social disorganization and the number of delinquent friends had on delinquency. Sampson (1992) has attempted to consolidate the empirical findings that relate social disorganization to family processes and then to delinquency and youth violence. In so doing, he has developed a community-level theory of social disorganization, which places primary emphasis on family management practices and child health and development.He notes that the embeddedness of families and children in a community context is a central feature of the theory. Prenatal care, child abuse prevention, monitoring and supervision of youth, and other family management practices are intertwined with community networks of social organization. Social disorganization directly and indirectly influences the care of children and other family processes, and ultimately, rates of delinquency and crime FAMILY DISORGANISATION This describes breakdown, due to functional failure and role failure. Causes and effects of disorganization include: Death, disability or serious illness. †¢Births outside marriage. †¢Divorce, separation, desertion of living in an empty-shell marriage (partners live together but really all over). †¢Conflict, including abuse/neglect. †¢Disruption caused from outside by unemployment, war, imprisonment or persecution. CAUSES OF AN INCREASING DIVORCE RATE †¢Big increase since sixties. One in three in divorce. reasons include: CONSEQUENCES OF AN INCREASING DIVORCE RATE †¢More one parent families, c ohabiting, remarriage, step-parents, and reconstituted families, where both married before and both bring children to the new union. Increased welfare dependence. †¢Disadvantaged children, a subject of debate. †¢Decline in the importance of family IS THE FAMILY IN DECLINE? Arguments predicting decline: †¢It failed, oppressive (Leach), encourages violence (Dobash and Dobash), exploits women (Bernard). Supporters of the nuclear family condemn decline of family values (e. g. Marslands attack on single mothers). †¢Arguments against decline (by functionalist supporters of the family). †¢Divorce is because of higher expectations, so people think more of marriage as an institution. Divorce is the failure of individual marriages, not families in general. †¢Remarriage suggests discontent with a person, not an institution. †¢Serial monogamy (multiple marriages over a lifetime) and reconstituted family are change in structure, not decline in the family itself . †¢Other Views †¢ Marxist: Family changes as capitalism develops but continues to reproduce inequality. Feminist: Family changes but continues to exploit women. You need to be able to tell the difference between family and household, reality and ideal, etnhic and other forms of diversity. DEFINING FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS No agreed definition. Common characteristics are: oliving together oeconomic cooperation oreproduction osocialization of children. †¢A household is a group who live together or share aspects of life eg. eating together. †¢Nuclear families, are parents and immature children. Murdock argues this this is universal. †¢Extended families, add kin. †¢Ideal family, approved model by society. Other types might be frowned upon. Feminists say ideal family been promoted to exploit women. †¢Attitudes and language change. Lone parent families used to be (disapprovingly) unmarried mothers and children.DIFFERENT TYPES OF FAMILY AND HOUSEHOLD â₠¬ ¢Includes many one person, childless couples, unmarried with or without children, remarried sometimes with third outside person. †¢Many live in more than one nuclear family throughout life. Most live in variety of family and household arrangements during their lifetimes. IDEOLOGY OF THE FAMILY Ideology is a set of beliefs that forward a particular group, or their interests. Marxists and feminists referred to the ideology of the family. Increasing the pressure to have a happy family. ETHNIC DIVERSITYStudies often by outsiders confirming stereotypes. They do vary according to class, religion and individual factors though. Why are there distinctive patterns of family life? Economic influences – History of slavery may have encouraged female-led afro-Caribbean family. Unemployment may have encouraged persisting extended families. Cultural differences – more likely to persist if a group maintains a distinct language and religion. Discrimination and disadvantage â€⠀œ Racism encourages keeping distinct culture. Westwood and Bhachu (1988), say family is a main strength and resistance.

Race Essay Essay

In our society, racial inequality has always been a concerning issue for past decades, but certain parents’ state their opinions on the open discussions of our history and present with racism. The question of whether or not they should speak to their children about the racism that certain individuals receive has caused controversy in our society. There are parents who claim that they have unbiased judgments on the topic while others strongly commit to reminding the children that racism should be an important topic that should be talked over. Parents differ when it comes to the message they project towards children about race, but the message changes with children’s capacity to understand it. So the actual importance is if children should be introduced to the racial madness at such a young age like we have been doing in schools and in society or should the parents stand up and eliminate the racial topic for good. Although with the parents that are not overly racist, there is multiple concerns of whether or not to speak to their children about how their own race discriminates certain people in our society. Furthermore, there are numerous people in our society, especially parents, who believe we should consider not bringing up racism to future generations and instead take the step into a post racial era since we have improved tremendously in race relations. On the contrary, some parents believe the discussion of racism is important for children to be aware of the outcome it has produced and the background of why racism occurs, and in this case, I do strongly agree with the parents. There are a few parents whom have decided not to speak about racism. They believe the media nor did neighbors and friends play a crucial part in their decision making. They consider Reyna 2 themselves unbiased to all the controversy that occurs in their community over the racism topic, especially when it comes from a white individual. Without the society’s ideas swirled up in their mind, the parents are able to describe every perspective that can be observed of the racism. The importance of being able to see every angle of the racism that the minority group receives will help eliminate the bias judgment that we witness in the media or what we are told by others. With this in mind, the decision to consider the topic of racism in family conversations becomes easier to either bring up or shut down. It becomes easier because parents are able to discuss and inform their children that there is more than just one perspective that society defines as racism against the minority ethnicity. White parents can defend themselves from the ignorant comments and stories that people tell about their racial comments towards the African Americans. It is easier to speak about racism than to keep quiet in today’s society, but that seems to be the problem. On the contrary, white parents can also choose not to speak about the racial topic by ignoring it completely. Shutting down the media and any outside influence can assist furtherly with the unbiased decision to choose not to speak to their children about it. In today’s society, it is difficult to say that parents are not influenced in some way in their choices in life. Although parents can shut down the influence from the media, it is impossible to do the same to their children without turning them away from society as well. In all truth, once the child steps out of their home and their parent’s view on society and racism, the child is left vulnerable to society biased judgments on racism and everything else. There are parents who allow the media and any other influential speaker effect their decision on whether they, as not so overly racist yet biased parents, should intensify and enhance to their children about racism in their community and in the society. A majority of the parents are influenced by the media’s portrayal of discrimination on African Americans. Parents who choose to speak about racism to Reyna 3 their children after hearing and witnessing stories and racist acts throughout the country, will either help stop discrimination or unintentionally influence further acts of racism. In reference to the book of â€Å"The Color of the Water†, racial equality was shown to be unbalanced through the society and the effect it had on people since they witnessed it in their own family. In the book, James, one of the Ruth’s 12 kids, had taken it upon himself to write down every single detail that flooded back from his mother’s past. Throughout this James discovered how strong his mother was due to all the things she had to go through and the protection she enhanced for her kids. She protected them because she knew racism would be their biggest trouble and the consequences it would lead to. Society has a lot to do with the influence of racism. Future parents should remind their children of the horror of racism that occurred decades past, or should they just ignore it and try to move past it? In my opinion, speaking about racism seems to be the best way to go. Usually the second most influential people in parents’ decision making are neighbors and friends. They communicate with each other and speak of all their experiences which leads to further leverage on racism itself. Lastly, parents’ own assumption on racial inequality will influence their manner of discussing it to their children. Once parents decide to speak to their children about racism, question rise that become too difficult to answer and the biggest issue is parents’ own prejudice. If the answers aren’t well understood by the children it might lead to trouble and further racism. Sometimes children witness their parent’s unintentional discriminations towards other adults even when it is taught to be moral and caring for others which can also lead to further racism. This is why parents should try to educate their children of racism in order to avoid any misjudgments of their parent’s or anybody else’s actions, and this will help avoid their children’s own unintentional racism towards African Americans. Nelson Mandela inspired people with a few words that would better understand this topic, â€Å"No one is Reyna 4 born hating another person because of the color of their skin. People learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, then they can learn to love†¦ † In reference to all the parent decision on whether they, as white parents, should talk to their children about racism. In my opinion as well as most people, believe that the more parents talk about the racism the easier it will become to educate future generations of what they should not do in society. Our goal as a society, and the reason behind the social experiment that the United States is experiencing, is to create a post racial era. There is a fear that if people don’t remind their children about racial history then it is likely to cause racial discrimination to occur once again and have history repeat itself. As true as that might be, it is also more likely to be wrong. In many cases, the children might begin to get ideas of past discriminations to inflict on current black children. The stereotype about the minority group will keep at stand which will eventually lead to the continuation of the racism. Therefore, the parents and society as well are pressured to continue speaking to their children about racism in order to help them understand the meaning and the harm it does on the victims. [African Americans] Although the future may not be predicted, parents whom decide not to speak about racism, all because it doesn’t seem important to address it anymore, are probably causing our society more harm than good. Some parents do not intend to speak about the racial discrimination because it draws negative attention to the society, and even if all their reasons seem logical, education has always proved to be far more successful than any other option. The parents who refuse to bring up the topic of racism in their family have very strong views about it that should be considered by others. There was once a research program done in 2011 where a few psychologist wanted to ask questions to white parents about their communication with their children about racism. At first the parents didn’t know what the topic Reyna 5 of the questions would be during the research, but as soon as they were told the topic, many parent withdrew from the experiment due to it discussing racism with their children. The parents strongly believed that there shouldn’t be an open discussion with their offspring about race and the discrimination among the minority group. It came as a shock to the psychologists and scientist over the outcome that was displayed before the research was even done. Without even knowing, the research team developed new results on the topic of race without successfully completing their research on their primary experiment and questionnaire. The simple answer was that the white parents that were supposed to participate didn’t want their children to be aware of the inhumane discrimination over skin complexity. They, also, didn’t want to expose them to the violence that arises from racial discrimination such as the hate crimes, the segregation, and the bullying of children their same age. Although many won’t comprehend the reason behind the racism, discussing it will only seem to promote racism in the eyes of the children even when many parents disagree. The parents should not speak about racism because there is a fear, naivete and denial from the white parent’s own thoughts that if they do speak about it to their children the whole truth can become misinterpreted or in many cases, biased. There is an article by Dr. Harris-Britt that goes over the reasons why white parents should not speak about race. Dr. Harris-Britt speaks about the fear, denial, and naivete that parents encounter as being a negative decision. By them discussing to their children the increasing issue of racial discrimination, the attention that racism is receiving becomes unbearable. The point of view that the article feeds to the reader goes hand in hand with the section of this essay where the racism discussion in families and the white population should avoid each other. Parents may fear their own thoughts and the truth of their judgments towards African Americans. Parents can deny the color discrimination that happens in Reyna 6 their own home, or community. Many will believe that we are already in the post racial era, and will use this belief in order to not openly discuss the subject with their children. Although we do not yet live in a post racial era, we can soon get there if racial discussions can be eliminated. If people would stop dividing them self by race, and focused on their own unintentional discrimination that they might give off, the white race parents won’t find it necessary to warn or inform their children of the racial discrimination that will probably occur to their African American friends, acquaintances, or classmates. In my opinion, these should be used as examples to enhance and persuade other parents that it is far much better to inform all children of racism before they receive or misinterpret other information given to them by someone else, like the media. Some parents will argue that racial ignorance erases the history and experiences that led up to the freedom from racism, hence why those as parents should speak of other race’s experiences and hardships in order to prevent them from happening again. In reference to an article titled 5 Reasons We Need To Talk to Kids about Race in America by Bree Ervin, it states that parents of the white race should consider speaking to their children about race, especially by beginning at the youngest age where they can understand what they’re being told. With all the reasons given, Bree Ervin has sided with the parents who strongly suggest it is the right choice to speak out to our children about racial history and the changes that must be done to prevent history repeating itself. The strong argument is that when we are â€Å"color-blind,† we also tend to discount or dismiss other people’s experiences of race, racism, and bigotry. Parents should not only speak about racism, but should educate their children as well because educating their children about race helps them fight racism and create change. A good example of childhood education about racism would be a TED video of a woman named Chimamanda. Chimamanda Reyna 7 was a Nigerian woman that was well thought and informed at such a young age. In the TED video about Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, she spoke of a childhood story where her parents educated her about the African Americans racial history and that how their own black race was a part of our country’s history, not just the perspective of the whites that most books mention. They wanted her to have more than one view on what the people of our country have gone through. Although Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s parents were not of the white race, it was still necessary for them to teach and have discuss the topic with an open mind. By informing of the past to the next generation, parents will be able to prevent racism of African Americans. It is always a difficult decision on what is right or wrong for a child to know. No matter what decision the parents end up making at the end of the day, every parent thinks they are doing what is best for their child. Some parents are worried that by not informing their children about the active racism that is and has been going on for so long in the United States, the children will only end up falling into the black hole of the negative racism attention that is occurring. Although they may have a point, the rest of the parents aren’t prejudiced nor biased nor are they influenced by any other media source or individual and have concluded that is safer not to mention or allow children to discuss racism among the family or anywhere else because it only feeds on the negative attention that it promotes. It is hard to say which is the right choice that the white parents should make about racism, but they both do indeed have good reasons behind their view on it. We have to be armed with the fact to give our kids what they are owed which is honest conversations about the reality of the world that they are inheriting, but that can only be accomplished by allowing ourselves to acknowledge that racism and issues of race and bias are still present. Just as parents were informed of racism, in my opinion, children should be educated about what is going on in our Reyna 8 country about the racism against the African American race. The best way to solve a problem like this has always been through education. Although many parents believe that the racism will never end because we continue to bring it up, the future generations [the children] will end up never understanding the past racism if it fades away with time. Parents of the white race should consider communicating with their children about racism towards African Americans, but should keep in mind about any social media influence, such as the news, that the children will encounter. The children will hear about racism, but its best that it first comes from the parents in order to prevent any further incidents of it or negative promotion. Reyna 9 Work Cited Bree Ervin. â€Å"5 Reasons We All Need to Talk to Kids about Race in America. † August 2014. Web. Journal. Magazine Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: â€Å"The Danger of a Single Story. † TED Global. July 2009. Dr. April Harris-Britt. â€Å"Why White Parents Don’t Talk About Race. † October 7, 2013. Web. McBride, James. The Color of Water. New York. The Berkley Publishing Group. 2006 Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton Ph. D. Psychology Today: â€Å"Should we talk to young children about race? † April 2011. Article.

Strategic Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Strategic Human Resource Management - Essay Example A business strategy no matter how good it is, will succeed without the contribution of people. A proper analysis of data collected from human capital can help an organisation in developing business strategy process. In majority of the organisation people is regarded as the most important asset. To create value, an organisation has the task of utilising the knowledge, skills and also abilities of its people. Intangible value that is present in an organisation is its people. The HR personnel therefore have a greater task of managing the people of an organisation. An organisation will be able to achieve its objectives in the business front if strategic HRM is considered as a contributor in business strategy (CIPD, 2009). The case study is about Kazamy Manufacturing, a company having their business in both manufacturing and sales operation. Kazamy is different from other Japanese plants in this regard as most of them are involved only in manufacturing operation. Kazamy has established itself as one of the leading companies in Europe. It focuses on building a cordial relationship with their customers and also they enable their human resources i.e. their staffs to have a say in their marketing policy. Kazamy has given great importance to their manpower resources and utilised their knowledge and qualities in developing the company further. HR director of Kazamy joined in 1986. Since then he along with other members of kazamy hierarchy has worked hard in establishing their position in their business sector. Kazamy followed a strong HR philosophy. They didn’t want a traditional factory which is already present in UK. Their major policies were developed by the use of two principles. They firstly didn’t want to create a prototype Japanese plant existing in the rural Midlands area; secondly they strongly wanted to manage their manpower resource without the influence of any trade union. They valued

Affirmative Action Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Affirmative Action - Term Paper Example The following will explore job discrimination with an eye to how this form of discrimination affects certain groups of people in the labor market and how society has attempted to protect these people from discrimination. Taking a controversial approach to minority set aside programs, this essay will then persuasively argue that since these programs promote discrimination themselves, they are inherently defeatist and promote the same type of behavior that they try to eradicate. We now begin with an overview of the reasons for minority set aside programs – also called â€Å"Affirmative Action† in the United States – and this will follow with a concise rebuttal of the needs for such programs. Discrimination in the workforce affects people from all walks of life. Accordingly, the employment opportunities of half of our population are hindered by latent and overt sexism in the offices of America. It is well known that women in America earn substantially less than their male counterparts. The Equal Pay Act (EPA) of 1963 was established more than four decades ago to protect men and women who perform the same tasks from wage-based discrimination. Sexism is an unfortunate aspect of our modern society but the EPA seeks to combat it through positive legislation aimed at correcting the pay discrepancy between men and women in the labor force. Older workers also face a variety of impediments to their active inclusion in the labor force and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) of 1967 protects individuals who are 40 years of age or older from discrimination at work. Finally, people with disabilities face a plethora of hurdles in society and the Americans with Disabilitie s Act (ADA) of 1990 was established to ensure the full inclusion of people with disabilities in American society. Covering a wide variety of instances of discrimination, the ADA is one of the most recent pieces of legislation mentioned above which aims to tackle problems

Quiz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 14

Quiz - Essay Example With successful implementation, the company could have saved $40M annually (Milton). However, the project was halted in December 2013 with a write off of between $100M to $125M. Avon made a filling in early December 2013 to stop the project. The company sought to stop the project that was rolled out in Canada due to significant market and business disruptions. According to the filing made by the company, the system did not show any clear returns on investments and that the decision to abandon the project was based on the potential risks of further business disruptions (Milton). One of the most successful project in ERP projects of all time is the aluminum company ERP project (Acloa). The company that was started in 1881 embarked on an automation project in 2001. The company contracted Oracle to install and manage and ERP system for their operations in the company and its branches (Micheau 17). With such a big company with branches all over the world, the project was complex and demanding but Oracle managed to pull it off. The project is considered successful because the implementation was able to address all the critical areas of the company’s operations. These are mainly inventory, sales, production and human resource modules of the company. Currently, the company uses ERP system in all its operations including sales management, inventory management, production line management, sales management, and human resource management (Micheau

Electoral Reforms in Canadian Provinces Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Electoral Reforms in Canadian Provinces - Essay Example This is due to the use of First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) method of electing candidates. However, the Canadian society has undergone many changes since the FPTP method was introduced and even British itself has ever since changed its electoral system. Canadian society is now more diverse and mobile and as such, this electoral system is proving ineffective in dealing with issues that affect society today. In other words, the system no longer responds to twenty-first-century democratic values as political, cultural and economic reality has greatly changed (Law Commission of Canada 2004, p. 2). There is thus considerable pressure from citizen groups, academics, politicians and political parties to institute electoral reforms. In fact, provinces like British Columbia (BC), New Brunswick, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Quebec have gone as far as starting the process of electoral reforms. It is believed that adding an element of proportionality to the existing system may go a long way in sol ving many of the problems inherent in the current system. The question that needs to be answered is; will alternative methods succeed where FPTP has failed? This will be the focus of this essay. To answer this question, the essay will first discuss the shortfalls of the current electoral system. It will then examine the various proposals put forward for reforms such as the Alternative Vote (AV), Two-round or run-off system, list-Proportional Representation, Single Transferable Vote (STV), Mixed Member Proportion (MMP), and Mixed Member Majoritarian (MMM) systems. Their weaknesses and strengths will be evaluated to determine if they can be compatible with the Canadian democratic values and constitution. Various proposals in different provinces will also be examined to determine why they have not succeeded and what can be done to make them more applicable in a Canadian context.

Limitations of Wacc as a Method of Investment Appraisal Essay

Limitations of Wacc as a Method of Investment Appraisal - Essay Example The present paper has identified that, despite its use in investment appraisal, there are various assumptions that are made when using WACC, hence, limiting its use in appraising investment. The first restrictive assumption that has to be met is that the investment project should be small compared to the investing organization. This, therefore, limits the use of WACC in appraising small investment but cannot be used when a small organization wants to acquire a large organization. The second limitation in the use of WACC is that the business activities of the investment project should be similar to those presently being undertaken by the investing organization. In the light of this, a company cannot use WACC when appraising an investment to diversify its business activities. Student Account describes that when using the weighted average cost of the capital method in appraising an investment, the financing mix adopted to undertake the investment project must be similar to the present c apital structure being used in the investment company. This, therefore, means that if a company uses shareholders money to finance its capital investment, it cannot rely on borrowed capital to make an investment. This, therefore, limits those companies that do not have adequate resources from using this method to appraise investments. Student Account further describes that when using a WACC, the existing providers of finance to the investing company will not change their required rates of return following the investment project that is being undertaken. This is, however, not possible since the rates keep changing following changes in the rates of inflation. In addition, the rates of return on borrowed capital from banks change from time to time due to changes in the rate of interest. This also limits companies that may agree to reduce the number of dividends paid to shareholders from what is paid during the previous years to use these resources in an investment.

Court Report Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Court Report - Personal Statement Example Excessive formality involving security checks etc makes the proceedings look serious, but this is a necessary security precaution. The silence is important too as everybody needs to hear all proceedings clearly. Modern techniques of using multimedia display screens and air conditioning makes the proceedings easier for the judge(s), jury and others. Waites observes that flat-panel monitors are more conducive to the courtroom environment. They allow the judge and attorneys to review information together before displaying it to the jury (Waites, 384). Such systems have the option of delaying display on the large screen through 'delay switches'. This allows the judge to review information before presenting it to the jury. Moreover enhanced video and sound playback devices such as the ELMO, as acknowledged in the Litigant's report, improves the quality of information processing inside the courtroom (Webb). The courtroom looked well secured. All entrants are thoroughly examined through security devices such as metal detectors. The judge's bench is elevated about three steps above the floor, so that his/ her vision covers the whole courtroom, and he/she is equipped with security alarm as well. The hallways and the courtroom comes under surveillance of security cameras, moreover a docket box may be used to control for large number of arrestees, who wait there with the defendants before appearing in front of the judge in the courtroom. On a whole the courtroom looked well secured from any miscreant activity. Court Personnel Barristers: Barristers are specialist legal advisers found in many common law jurisdictions that employ a split profession in legal representation. They are court room advocates trained to advise clients on the strengths and weaknesses of their case. Barristers become involved in a case when advocacy before the court is required by the client. It is the solicitor who is in a direct relation with the client. As put in the UK bar council website a barrister could be compared to a specialist in medicine, who is consulted by a client's personal doctor when the case is complex and beyond the personal doctor's knowledge. Here the personal doctor or a general practitioner is taken to be the solicitor (What Barristers Do). The comparison is not entirely accurate though. There is no difference in the level of complexity in the practice of law by the different branches of the profession, though barristers tend to be instructed in complex litigation and in certain other specialist fields. Stenographer: He or she is an individual who records court proceedings either in shorthand or through the use of a paper-punching device. A court stenographer is an officer of the court whose appointment is largely governed by statute. She is an official under the control of the court and is, therefore, generally subject to its direction. The stenographer has the duty to attend court throughout the trial and record all proceedings. She must take notes of what occurs before the court and these notes must certify that all the evidence, and charges levied against the defendant were fully and accurately taken at the trial and that the transcript represents an accurate translation of the notes. In addition to preparing and protecting the legal record, the Bureau of Labor Statistics website informs that many stenos

Syria Revolution Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Syria Revolution - Research Paper Example The Syrian uprising compared to the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions was grounded on the revolt of peasants, a Sunni periphery protest against the regime of Baath that turned its back on the Syrian local population, (Hinnebusch 12). Later on, the uprising took on diverse dimensions with Muslim Brotherhoods – Jihadists – entering into the conflict because of the heretical aspects of the regime and due to its alliance with Iran Shiites and Hezbollah. Consequently, because of Jihad, various demonstrators from across the Arabic and Islamic world have emerged in Syria, although, the slogan of Jihad did not trigger Syrians to enter into the uprising. Another dimension that emerged during the uprising is revenge, basing from the extreme violent efforts from the regime to halt the protest waves. According to experts, the brutality of the reign acted to extend the circle of the protestors involved in the uprising, (Starr 41). A number of people who later joined the protest were encouraged by the desire to avenge their family member, friends, and relatives’ bloodshed, and destruction of their properties, cities, and settlements by the forces of the regime during the uprising. ... Similarly, the regime appeared to have neglected the periphery and the local populations. In the start of 2006, the Syrians faced a tremendous and acute drought and the Jazira location in the south and northeastern part of the nation experienced such as Hawran and Dara experienced the extreme destruction. This is because such regions were extremely affected the new economic policies of the government that sought to alter the Syrian economy character from a socialist to a social market oriented economy, (Phares 74). These policies intended to open the nation to the global economy, foster foreign investment and create activity in the local and private spheres to promote growth of economy and allow the regime to bear the economic and domestic limitations. The policies too enabled economic growth to allow the nation to overcome other challenges such as rapid population growth, infrastructural underdevelopment, overdependence of agriculture, and lack of technological industry. Assad suppo rted the new policy and overlooked the significance of the socialist party ideology of Baath, its networking and institutions in the local region. Assad response and effects of the uprising Assad responded to the revolution and protest by providing reforms and ordering the military to calm the uprisings. Various clashed have occurred in Hama, Homs and other places, however, bombings and demonstrations have started occurring in Aleppo and Damascus. Syrian protests have proved their staying power irrespective of the various deaths and substantial joint efforts to suppress the protest, daily demonstrations have continued. Similarly, the longer the

Is the Body Beautiful a guarantee for Happiness Essay

Is the Body Beautiful a guarantee for Happiness - Essay Example This ‘ideal’ image is usually defined as someone of a mid-20ish age, slender, with specific measurements and a certain good-looking charm. This limited view of the ideal automatically eliminates anyone who might have been born with a larger bone structure or other ‘defect’ that defies the reshaping of the scalpel from the ranks of the socially acceptable. Through the reality shows, though, those lucky few who are able to fit the ideal in any way, to attain the ‘body beautiful’, much is made of their subsequent happiness and success as a result of their ‘improved’ appearance. ASPS president Rod Rohrich pointed to the various individuals taking part in plastic surgery reality television indicating that many of them have unrealistic and unhealthy expectations for the results.1 It is perceived through these types of presentations that the only way to find happiness and fulfillment is through the construction of the ‘body beautiful ’, causing an extreme focus on the outward appearance many times to the detriment of the inner being. However, the question that must be asked in this scenario is: Does the body beautiful actually guarantee an individual the happiness they seek? From our earliest history, it has been through our outward appearances that we project who and what we are to other people. Studies have continuously shown that people dress a certain way and acquire certain things to try to evince an attitude of belonging to a particular subset of individuals who embody their ideals.2 With these outward appearances in hand, we can walk up to the ‘in crowd’ and proclaim ourselves a member. â€Å"Indeed Smith (1990) believes that women view their bodies as ‘objects of work’ requiring attention and upkeep in order to operate well and promote the desired effect.†3 Yet being a part of this crowd does not necessarily guarantee happiness as is evidenced by the lives of those people who help to set the standards, the movie stars

First Grade Curriculum Guide for Mentally Retarded Students Essay Example for Free

First Grade Curriculum Guide for Mentally Retarded Students Essay Various models of language, which are rich and are in various forms of literature, including, poetry, songs and fiction are to be introduced. The five major ideas in reading are some of the basis of the curriculum and the instructions. They inspire the various assessments that to be used. Phonemic Awareness: It involves the ability to and be able to manipulate sounds in words. It also involves the ability to isolate letters and sounds and also to blend sound and segment sounds. Alphabetic Principle: This refers to the capability of associating sounds with letters and uses these sounds to form new words. Fluency with text: Is the effortless and the ability of the reader to read words in connected text automatically. Vocabulary: Being able to effectively understand and use words so as to acquire and convey meaning. Comprehension: This process involves the intentional communication that takes place between the reader and the text to be able to convey meaning. Literacy Centers Each day a child will be expected to participate in centers. This will allow the children to be able to explore various materials, try to reinforce concepts already taught and direct their own learning. The centers are likely to change weekly. They include: Word wall centre, Art centre, Listening centre, poetry centre, spelling centre and Reading centre. Writing, Spelling and Phonics The children will be given the courage to apply their knowledge of letter sounds as temporal spelling. After the child knowing how to say words slowly as well as listening to the sounds, this should help him record the message and think of himself as a writer. As the child progresses, he will be expected to move toward a more convectional spelling and therefore will be held increasingly accountable. Words and spelling of high frequency are taught when working with words block of time. In each week, there will be an introduction of word wall words which will be seen by the child always during the time of reading and therefore he will need to spell frequently while writing. To add on that, through these words, the child will be taught letter sounds and some spelling patterns of the words that are well known such as â€Å"at† so that they are able to spell words like â€Å"fat†, â€Å"sat†, â€Å"mat† and even â€Å"cat†. The goal is to enable the child recognize the spelling patterns and then consistently use them while writing. The writers’ workshops will consist of ample time for writing, mini lessons and during guided writing sessions, there will be sharing of time. Grammar will be taught to children including the use of punctuation marks. There will be the use of modern manuscript as a form of handwriting. There will be no extra time being spent on teaching formal handwriting, but rather there will be incorporation of the teaching of proper letter formation into some other daily lessons. Reading Curriculum The development of literacy will form the primary focus of the first grade year. There will be a well balanced literacy program which will include a wide range of language experiences which involve reading, writing, listening and speaking (American Association and School Administrators, 2006) Reading aloud to children This will be a guided reading where by the teacher will be required to read allowed for the children to pay extra attention to be able to hear what is being read. The children listen carefully. The children will then read with the teachers help. This is achieved when the teacher reads then the children repeat what is being reading. Shared Reading This is also referred to as Independent reading. There are two forms of independent reading: †¢ Children read in group together †¢ Children read alone First, there will be grouping of children to enable them read as a group. In this they will be able to assist each other catch up. Those who are fast in mastering the words are likely to play important roles. After doing this the children will be allowed to read on their own (individually). This is the best time to determine whether a child has got something from the session.

Impact of international law on trade

Impact of international law on trade BUSINESS LAW A business has to be built within a defined set of framework regardless of its nature and where it is conducted. This structural framework has to be structured on law which provides the various options for the proprietors of the business to choose the best suited to their particular needs. The particular needs of the business proprietors relates to issues such as the business flexibility, the confidentiality of the business data, taxation and the source of finances. Today, the conduct of the business must be within the legal structure which acts as the vehicle for the business conduct. The term company is used in the civil law countries with a meaning of partnership and limited companies. The international business law originated from the customs, multilateral trities, international conventions and aggreements which came together to form a common framework for world trading and market. Trade and business transactions have enhanced the market globalization with the introduction of div erse business and trade laws. This has further contributed to the developing and growth of the regional trade promoting the business transactions in the international trade. The GATT , NAFTA treaties and the European Union are the main sources of the international law. These international organizational develops and reveiews the international stardards and the legal codes of conduct that binds the member nations. The law mainly addresses the ethical issues that affect the business operations in the global business environment. This involves the stardards set for the protection of the rules for international sales and other difficult issues between the individual nations on agreement. The international law also adreeses the processes involvedin the business disputes resolution in the international business transactions The international law of business determines the rights and the responsibilities of the parties in the business transaction. The US government has globally used its economic and political influences in forcing other nations to remove non-tariff barriers to the US import of goods and services. The spirit of free and fair trade has become widely contagious globally thus there was need for the laws and business guidelines to be conducted between the business partners. With the growth of the global economic integration, many nations have joined the business organizations such as the World trade organization to enjoy the world trade. This has led to the globalization of the global economy and opening up the world market for exports and imports of goods and services enabling the business prospects to the developing nations. The international business laws are the measures and rules followed by the business proprietors conducting the international business. This creates a conducive international business environment with flexibility in the law of international trade and investment. The international law gives the strategic plans in the basic market entry of many firms, protection policies of the intellectual property and licenses as well as the foreign investments. The law puts the emphasis to both the private and the puplic sectors in business environment. The private law which is widely apllied in the international business transactionsincludes the law of the international sales, business agreements and other governing laws. The public business international law includes the convections, business trities and the agreements among the countries that entails the legal frame work within the international business jurisdiction. Many countries has created customs and tarrif laws that open up the market to the international investors. The public international business law provides the foundation for the gorvernments regulation of the international business. Careful business planning and legal practices avoid and reduce the risks involved with the international law a s they affect the public and the private sectors of the business. A private law is considered when the rule of law affects the commercial transactions between two parties whereas the public law is considered in the determination of the rights and the responsibilities of the countries to one another. Management of the International business transactions needs well entailed strategies and better implementation mechanisms due to increase in the trade risks. Today world of business has many challenges in dealing with the illegal business which do not exist. Many business firms are trying to conduct international business illegally in avoiding the taxation in various levels of the business. Handling of the foreign mergers and dealing with the illegal markets goods has been a challenge to many nations in conducting the world trade. The international law faces challenge in dealing with the unexpected differences in foreign corporate law and the evaluation of the political stability in the less stable nations. Political indifference has been an affecting the international business laws with the government giving an outline on business conduct to their respective nations. This has led to the poor economic growth internationally with the international law stressing the strategic decision making processes. Cultural, economic, political and social factors have a great impact on the international business laws as they gives the variations in attitudes towards the law. They influence the way we do business internationally and impacts on the trade relations between the nations. There is difficulty in the Separation of the politics, foreign policies and the country trade evidently seen in the exports controls and trade sanction obligatory to foreign policy or the national security. Trade and the investment issues has also been a challenge in the international business with the occurrence of the nations investment policies. The legal environment on which the international business is conducted has become so intense with the social economic and political forces influencing the development of the business law making processes and legal institutions. The economic environment of conducting business has greatly improved in the developing countries especially China. This is due to the increase in the multinational businesses in world developments as many countries trade with each other. The custom and the tariffs laws enhance the business operation from the international levels allowing the firms to locate the overseseas market and facilitators in expansion of the business globally. Human rights and the international criminal law have been global issues which has affected the international business as many violators being locked out from the common trade organizations. In the developing countries trade and business are incorporated with governmental and regional laws with the development agenda of the fast economic growth. International business has more ethical issues and social responsibilities with outlined corporate codes of conduct in trade transactions. The principles of international business has been affected by the intergovernmental organizations with the laws such as codes of conduct, child labor, workers rights, protection of environment and wildlife, human rights There are a lot of added risks in the international business which includes the risk of the language and cultural differences, international hostility and political influences. The foreign legal actions and practices, trade controls and the restriction of the investment has also been an area of concern in the management of the international business laws. The major forms of the international business the importing and exporting trade, the transfer licensing agreement s and the legal protection of the patents, copyrights and other intellectual property. Active foreign investments have been developed through business mergers, acquitions and the joint ventures. The international business, trade and international licensing of the intellectual property provide the legal relationship between the international parties in conducting the international business transactions. These legal frameworks provide them with important means of foreign market entry with different level of commitment and involvement in the foreign market lifetime. The managerial challenges experienced expose the business entities to different set of legal business risks with long term economical implications. Economic Interdependence Todays world economy has led to the realization of the international business as many countries have realized that they cant rely on the domestic business due to the global competition. This has enabled the interdependency of the world economically enhancing the globalization of products, services and capital markets. The economic interdependence in the world economy has been contributed by the availability of the precious natural raw resources and the technological advances increasingly opening up the free trade and available markets for imports and exports between different sovereignty. The development of the free trade and the steady movement towards economic integration among nations has led to the increased foreign investments and the industrialization promoting the international business. The interdependence has attributed to the common international laws in the business environment with the interrelated financial markets, the world wide flow of capital and the coordination of the economic policies to create a globally competitive economy. The international law has a created comparative advantage to the economic concepts in many nations. Exporting in international business provides the business firms to reach wide range of market which requires modest capital investment and internationally recognized business laws. In the recent past the word was experiencing the legal barriers to the importing and exporting of the nations products. The international law creates the custom regulations identifying the legal controls on the exports and imports of products between countries. Many countries engage in exporting of goods in regular basis complying with the international business law in making of the exporting marketing decisions. Trade relations between nations create the dependence, influence affecting the power position of the nation and strengthening the economic coexistence of the country. Every sovereign nation can at any time influence or interrupt its own export and import trade affairs affecting the international tra de environment as the other countries relying on it must then get another markets and sources of supply or make economic adjustments . The power to interrupt the business relations with any country is a determinant of a countrys global power position. Sovereign nations have increasingly interrupted the trade processes with the increase in competition levels denying the importation and the export processes. Settlement of such business power disputes are fully engaged through the international business law on which a common ground is used in the crisis settlement. In the currency issues a foreign currency transactions requires the exchange rates on which the gain or loss results from the gradual changes on the exchange rates. The policies of securing the international foreign trade secure the controls over the oceanic trade routes increasing the trade partners benefits and trading with nations with mobility of the resources. Many countries have tried to create their own trade laws redirecting their international businesses to their politically friendly nations or the neighbors. The international business policy relies on the influence of the foreign trade between the sovereign nations. Resource mobility between the countries plays a major role in the relocation of the resources with the manufacturing and the trading countries having a major advantage. The international laws in business allow the countries to interpret and detect the relevant mechanisms to put in place to ensure that the rules and the laws dont influence the core business of the nation. Merge dealing policies is currently widely used by the businesses worldwide in order to make an extra revenue. This is achieved as the trade seeks for help in dealing with their distribution and sales of their goods on which they start with the merger plan. This policy allows the trade owner to fully regulate and monitors the business globally opening up to a wider market. International business acquisitions to foreign markets accessibility is a vital entity in business enterprises of all kinds and sizes. This is a major provision of the foreign production or marketing capacity in the global business transactions. Over the past decades businesses has faced difficulties in obtaining harmonizing product or service lines. Many of them run the services with high market risk and high costs. The law governing the global business provides business with methods to obtain regulatory and legal business approvals. legal practitioners and other experts involved in the international business law making need a user-friendly source of information covering the most important jurisdictions of the world trade. International Business Acquisitions has positively affected the business and trade issues due to the great value of the legal business issues. The policies and the business strategies encompass the basic international elements of trade, the licensing and the inves tment policies. The business prospects entering to foreign market depend on the host countries considerations and the sophistication of the firm internationally. With the gradual political changes in many countries the world economy has increased with the rise of the international trade. Many countries are moving towards greater political freedom and good governance. This democratic advance has led to creation of international business law that protects the world business. With this freedom foreign investors are freely integrating themselves in various global businesses creating a market oriented world economies. The greatest challenges facing the international business is the entrenched poverty level and the declining natural resources as excess resource exploitation is experienced in many regions. The environmental degradation, global warming international terrorism and the widespread of infectious disease has also been an area of concern in the international laws. The overlap occurs in business transactions with many countries creating their business plan that complies with the international standards. Ownership of the foreign business by the investors has to comply with the obligations of the corporate citizenship in the invested country. The international trade market has enhanced the investment of the foreigner in various countries enhancing the world economy.

The availability of International Business opportunities in Uzbekistan

The availability of International Business opportunities in Uzbekistan International trade is exchange of goods, services and capital across the borders of different nations. No country in the world has all the natural resources present in sufficient quantity to sustain continuous development. So the countries trade with each other by exporting those goods or products which they have in abundance while importing those which they are deficient in. International trade tends to be generally more costlier than domestic as most countries imposes additional tariffs or duties on the goods travelling through their borders. International trade between two countries comprises both the trade between 2 companies present in different country and trade between the government of a country and the business firm present in other country. The main objective of this audit is to analyze the availability of International Business opportunities present in the Uzbekistan. The report starts with examining the countrys attitude to international trade. Then a brief analysis of the countrys Cultural, Political and Economic Environments is done. After that the countrys business environment is analysed using some of the proposed theories of international trade and also Porters diamond model of national competitiveness. Finally recommendations based on the above analysis are offered. An Overview of Uzbekistan Uzbekistan or Republic of Uzbekistan (Ozbekiston Respublikasi) is a country which is part of Central Asia having largest population within the region. Uzbekistan became an independent state on September 1, 1991, from former Soviet Union. Uzbekistan elected Islom Karimov as its president who continues his office till date. Uzbekistan is a land locked country surrounded by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. Uzbekistan Essential Facts: Government Republic; Authoritarian Presidential Rule Capital Tashkent Geographic Area 447,400 sq km Population 27,865,738 Literacy Rate 99.3% Labour Division Agriculture: 44%, Industry: 20%, Services: 36% Budget Revenue: 10.54 Billion, Expenditure: 10.48 Billion (2009 estimates) GDP (GDP Growth) $77.55 Billion (6.7%) GDP Per Capita $2,800 Inflation 14.1% Industries Textiles, Food Processing, Machine Building, Metallurgy, Gold, Petroleum, Natural Gas, Chemicals Source: CIA World Fact Book (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uz.html) Uzbekistan attitude to International Trade Uzbekistan joined United Nations in 1992 as fully fledged member and cooperates with 8 UN agencies including The World Bank which supports Uzbekistan in its national reform efforts (United Nations, n.d.). Currently Uzbekistan has foreign diplomatic relations with about 124 countries of the world (Ministry of Foreign Affairs Uzbekistan, n.d.). Uzbekistan has membership in numerous, more than 33, International Organizations including Asian Development Bank (ADB), Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), International Finance Corporation, International Monetary Fund, Islamic Development Bank, Shanghai Cooperation Organization and World Trade Organization (observer status) (Library of Congress, 2007). The main purpose of these organizations is to promote and facilitate international trade among various countries. Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries are the biggest trade partners of Uzbekistan. Russian secures first place as foreign trade partner of Uzbekistan. Other countries like Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Afghanistan etc. are also heavy trade partners. Uzbekistan has very active trade relations with European Union. Bilateral trade between Germany and Uzbekistan amounted to 470 million USD in 2008. France, UK and Spain are other major trade partners (Ministry of Foreign Affairs Uzbekistan, n.d.). Figure 1: Major Trade Partners of Uzbekistan (2009) Source: http://www.buyusainfo.net/docs/x_6613529.pdf Business Environment of Uzbekistan Culture of Uzbekistan Figure 2: Ethnic Group Composition Source: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uz.html Figure 3: Major Religions Source: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uz.html Figure 4: Spoken Languages Source: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uz.html Uzbekistan since ancient time was the home of Arab Muslims and Turks. And then in Mid-Nineteenth century, Russia seeing the regions potential captured Uzbekistan. That is why there are traces of Russian language and ethnicity can be found in the country dominated by Uzbeks. Islam being the major religion (about 88%) the culture of country is bit conservative. For both Men and Women conservative business suits are expected, casual clothes like jeans, t-shirts etc are considered inappropriate. While greeting someone it is common for handshake between same sexes but simple hello is done between opposite sex. During a meeting it is important to go and speak to the most important person in the room first. These local customs must be observed in order to forge good business relationship in the country (Culture Crossings, n.d.). Political Civil Environment of Uzbekistan When Soviet Union broke in 1991, Uzbekistan gained its independence and appointed Islom Karimov as the Presidential head (Angus Reid Public Opinion, 2008). Since then Karimov have led an autocratic rule by extending his term of office in 2000 and 2007 in a series of democratic election that has come into fierce criticism from the international community (Harding, 2007). Next elections are scheduled to be held in 2014. In almost all international political and civil parameters Uzbekistan has shown downward trends indicating its worsening of the situation overtime. Figure 5: Uzbekistan Political Indicators. Source: Author Uzbekistan also has extremely high level of corruption. According to recent Transparency Internationals Corruption Perception Index (CPI), Uzbekistan ranks among the bottom of the 180 countries at rank 174. It has extremely poor confidence range of 1.5 1.8 (Transperency International, 2009). Figure 6: CPI Index 2009 Source: http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2009 Due to this firms frequently have to pay informal payments (bribes) to government to get the things done. About 67% percent of the firms are expected to make these payments to get things done (Enterprise Surveys, 2009). Figure 7: Informal Payments Statistics Source: http://www.enterprisesurveys.org/documents/CountryNotes/Uzbekistan_09.pdf Economic Structure of Uzbekistan Uzbekistan when it got freedom had relatively slow economic growth rate for first 12 years. Uzbekistan GDP, between 1994 to 2003, grew at average rate of 3.9% per year. But from 2005 onwards the country witnessed average growth of 8.2% (Asian Development Bank, 2010). Although the official data is doubtful as it probably overstates the level of economic growth. The U.S. Department of State Background Note for Uzbekistan states that many observers believe that employment growth and real wage growth have been stagnant (U.S. Department of State Background Notes, 2009). The poverty is quite prevalent in the country with 76.7% of population living below $2 a day (United Nations Development Programme, 2009). Although government is taking some positive steps to ramp up the economy. Policies like Anti-Crisis Program for 2009-2012 that government adopted in 2008 to combat the global recession had quite beneficial impact on Uzbekistan economy. Part of the policy was to promote foreign investment, for which government established free industrial economic zones in 2008, which provided foreign investors with tax and custom preferential facilities. Due to this government was able to tie up with 37 foreign investors for $500 million investment. This resulted in huge increase of 80% in foreign investment in 2009. Uzbekistan also observed very high import growth rate of 25.8% in 2009, mainly in infrastructure development, indicates governments acceptance to allow foreign investment in the country (Asian Development Bank, 2010). Figure 8: Uzbekistan Import/Export Indicators Source: http://www.adb.org/Documents/Books/ADO/2010/UZB.pdf Petroleum, Gold, Natural Gas and Cotton are the main 4 exports products of the Uzbekistan. According to the IMF estimations, energy products (Petroleum and Natural Gas) comprised about 26.3% of total exports in 2008 followed by gold at 15.7% and cotton at 13.1% (International Monetary Fund, 2008). International Trade of Uzbekistan International Trade Theory Framework is all about analysing from a countrys perspective about with whom they should trade and what products to trade. According to Daniels, Radebaugh and Sullivan (2010), there are five theories which try to explain a countrys advantage in International Trade. Figure 9: Theories of International Trade The advantage in international trade of Uzbekistan will be explained using two theories Natural Advantage and Factor Proportion Theory. Natural Advantage in case of Uzbekistan According to this theory a country produces those goods in which it has some natural advantage by way of its climate, people, resources etc. Uzbekistan has substantial advantage over most of the countries in the world in production of cotton due to favourable climatic conditions and availability of low cost labour. Climate in Uzbekistan is generally hot which is suitable for cotton growth. Hence Uzbekistan is the worlds 6th largest Cotton producer and 3rd largest Cotton exporter (National Cotton Council of America, 2010). Figure 10: World Cotton Export Rankings (2009) Source: Author Also the country has abundant energy resources. Uzbekistan is a major producer and exporter of Natural gas. Natural gas production was 2,387 billion cubic feet in 2008 ranking it at 14th place in the world. Out of this Uzbekistan exported about 22.20%, i.e. 530 bcf of natural gas (US Energy Information Administration, 2010). Factor Proportion Theory According to this theory different countries have different level of endowment of land, labour and capital. And the factor which is in more abundance will have lower costs than other factors. So the country tends to take advantage of this in the international trade by exporting those products that utilize the abundant factor and importing products that requires utilization of deficient factor. Uzbekistan has the advantage of low cost and skilled labour. It also has relatively low land. The country has very high literacy rate of 99.3% in 2003. There is lack of substantial capital or high level technology present in the country. Therefore Uzbekistans export mainly comprises of agricultural products, mined natural resources, services or low tech industrial products like chemical, plastic etc. Figure 11: Percentage Distribution of Total Exports Source: http://www.statistics.uz/data_finder/128/ On the other hand the country is severely lacking in the modern infrastructure and necessary technology or capital required to develop it. Therefore the bulk of its import, almost 50% comprised mainly of machinery and equipments. Figure 12: Percentage Distribution of Total Imports Source: http://www.statistics.uz/data_finder/128/ Porters Diamond of National Competitiveness Figure 13: Extended Porters Diamond Model of National Competitiveness Source: Porter (1990) Michael Porter introduced a diamond shaped model to analyze the areas of strength or weakness that gives a country a competitive advantage or disadvantage. This model includes four interconnected key elements: Figure 14: Key elements of Porters Diamond Factor Conditions: Uzbekistan has inconsistent infrastructure development. Main roads in the capital Tashkent and other major cities are relatively maintained outside the cities their conditions are poor. Suppliers have trouble in transporting goods from one place to another. The country has extensive rail network but only 17% is electrified. Although government recently announced big plans to improve both its national highway and rail network. Literacy in the country is very high at 99.3% for 15 years and up. The country also has abundant energy resources. The country is able to almost meet its coal requirement and produces enough natural gas that it manages to export 22% of it. Firm Strategy or Rivalry: Almost all the Industrial firms in the Uzbekistan are government owned and as such there is little to no competition among them. There are only few industries like energy, gold, foodstuff etc. present in the country which have some foreign investment. Most foreign investing companies are only allowed to invest by creating joint venture with state owned company in which the government owns majority stakes. Related and Supporting Industries: One of the most important supporting industry to establish a firm is financial sector which is seriously underdeveloped in Uzbekistan. It is dominated by state-owned banks and lacks competition. The government banks give loans to state owned companies at subsidized rate and for all else the interest rate is very high. Due to this private investors rarely take loans from local credit market. The whole country has access to electricity but the infrastructure is quite old and need modernizations. And as such there are frequent power outages. Demand Conditions: Due to widespread poverty of 76.7% there is not much demand of products apart from basic need like food, clothes, energy needs etc. And in these basic need the country is self-sufficient hence demand never exceeds supply. The government of Uzbekistan is the major importer of goods and services. Most of the imports comprises of equipments in energy, telecommunication and Information Technology hardware and software. Role of Government The government did not liberalise the economy sufficiently enough since freedom. It owns all major companies, strictly regulates foreign trade and follows the policy of import substitution. Monopolistic environment created by state-owned companies stifle the development of private sector. Recommendations for Uzbekistan The following are the recommendations the Uzbekistan government should implement for sustained growth of the country: Improving Business Climate: Government should stop pursuing the policy of import substitution and make it easier for foreign investment to invest in the country. Sustaining Macroeconomic Stability: Need improved macroeconomic policies to control inflation, eliminate restrictions on currency conversion, better regulation of financial sector would help in maintaining high economic growth rates. Boosting Agriculture Productivity: Better agricultural reforms, abolition of state dictated crop production, more power to farmers and investment in modern machinery would raise per capita income and reduce poverty. Improve Accountability and Transparency: The country ranks very poor in Transparency International Index at 174 of 180 nations. Corruption is rampant and Firms are frequently subjected to pay bribes. The government must put efforts in improving transparency for the firms to have any confidence in doing business in the country. Promote Open Competition: Government should end the policy of controlling all industries and creating monopolistic environment. Government should allow free control of industries by private sector. This will create more competition, promote innovation and would improve overall efficiency of the industries and boost economy.