Healthy Lifestyle

Healthy Lifestyle In a perfect world we would all be  eating the right food,  exercising, sleeping well  and just generally enjoying life. In the real world most of us manage a percentage of the  healthy lifestyle  and muddle through as best we can with the rest of it. Part of the problem is we are encouraged to think, mostly by the media, that we should be doing everything possible towards a healthy lifestyle, all of the time. For most of us this is just not possible. Constant concern about what we should or shouldn't be doing causes our stress levels to go up and that negates any good work that we've done. Yes, we should certainly try for a healthy lifestyle, but the two key words are â€Å"moderation† and â€Å"balance†. By applying these criteria to achieving a healthy lifestyle we won't be beating ourselves up for failing another diet or dropping out of the latest exercise regime. A common mistake that many people make when they decide to adopt a healthy lifestyle is to try to do too much too soon. They then give themselves a guilt complex when it all falls apart. It is also easy to be influenced by others, when we should only be adopting a healthy lifestyle plan to suit ourselves. Ah! Did I say lifestyle plan? Do you have one, or do you just try the next thing that is in your magazine or Sunday supplement? By all means read these articles and take them into account as you  plan how you want your healthy lifestyle to take shape. Leading a healthy lifestyle doesn't mean you have got to run a mile before breakfast, eat seeds and think pure thoughts. Great if that's what you want, but for most of us â€Å"healthy† means being in reasonable shape, eating our fruit and vegetables and generally having a feeling of vitality. Decide on your definition of a healthy lifestyle, and then plan a strategy that works for you. As part of my health plan I decided I wanted to walk in the mornings before breakfast, but there was no way I wanted to get up at the crack of dawn to do it. So I planned a ten minute circuit that includes a short flight of steps and a not too steep incline. I power walked that route every day and felt really good. Sure l wouldn’t make the City to Surf marathon, but I compromised and made it work for me. Today, much is made of organic foods, but the reality is that organic food is generally more expensive and well out of the range for most budgets. Yes organic is probably the best option, but it doesn't mean that if you're not eating all organic you are not eating right. If you're concerned about general produce, be a bit discerning when you shop. Look for fruit and vegetables that are fresh and unblemished. You should also buy product brands that you can trust. If you shop wisely, you can have a well-balanced healthy diet that won't break the bank. Basically living a healthy life means looking at your lifestyle as a whole, it is not just about diet and exercise. It is not always necessary to make major changes. Most people know their weak spots, and are happy if they can make a few changes that show results. A friend of mine was drinking several cans of soft drink a day. She was feeling tired and generally under the weather. When I read an article about the health risk of soft drink I copied it and gave it to her, whereupon she decided to give up the soft drink there and then. A week later she got back to me and said she couldn't believe the difference, her energy levels were up and she was feeling great. Just that one change was able to make a difference and she feels good about the healthy choice. Sleep and leisure time play a big part in a healthy lifestyle,   and for the most part people underestimate the value of good sleep. Our bodies aren’t designed to operate at peak performance twenty four hours a day. Anyone in industry knows that machines that have to work continuously need a lot of maintenance. When we are sleeping our body is healing and regenerating itself and we should wake up feeling refreshed and revitalized. We can go without sleep for extended periods, but we can't do it indefinitely. The amount of sleep an individual needs varies a great deal, and there is no such thing as the right time to sleep. Obviously most people sleep at night, but if you are one of those folk that comes alive in the small hours, you might need to catch up with your sleep during the day. A big part of healthy living is being comfortable with yourself. Don't be pressured into trying to attain a certain look, or push yourself down a career path you are not suited to. Constant worry about what you are doing will only have the opposite effect on your health. Don't get paranoid about your  diet,  about what toothpaste you should use or about expensive exercise equipment you need to buy. Allow a common sense approach to dictate when you are making lifestyle choices, and remember, there is nothing wrong with compromise if it means your healthy lifestyle plan will work for you. Article source : http://www. wellbeing-information. com/article-healthy-lifestyle. html Healthy Lifestyle Healthy Lifestyle In a perfect world we would all be  eating the right food,  exercising, sleeping well  and just generally enjoying life. In the real world most of us manage a percentage of the  healthy lifestyle  and muddle through as best we can with the rest of it. Part of the problem is we are encouraged to think, mostly by the media, that we should be doing everything possible towards a healthy lifestyle, all of the time. For most of us this is just not possible. Constant concern about what we should or shouldn't be doing causes our stress levels to go up and that negates any good work that we've done. Yes, we should certainly try for a healthy lifestyle, but the two key words are â€Å"moderation† and â€Å"balance†. By applying these criteria to achieving a healthy lifestyle we won't be beating ourselves up for failing another diet or dropping out of the latest exercise regime. A common mistake that many people make when they decide to adopt a healthy lifestyle is to try to do too much too soon. They then give themselves a guilt complex when it all falls apart. It is also easy to be influenced by others, when we should only be adopting a healthy lifestyle plan to suit ourselves. Ah! Did I say lifestyle plan? Do you have one, or do you just try the next thing that is in your magazine or Sunday supplement? By all means read these articles and take them into account as you  plan how you want your healthy lifestyle to take shape. Leading a healthy lifestyle doesn't mean you have got to run a mile before breakfast, eat seeds and think pure thoughts. Great if that's what you want, but for most of us â€Å"healthy† means being in reasonable shape, eating our fruit and vegetables and generally having a feeling of vitality. Decide on your definition of a healthy lifestyle, and then plan a strategy that works for you. As part of my health plan I decided I wanted to walk in the mornings before breakfast, but there was no way I wanted to get up at the crack of dawn to do it. So I planned a ten minute circuit that includes a short flight of steps and a not too steep incline. I power walked that route every day and felt really good. Sure l wouldn’t make the City to Surf marathon, but I compromised and made it work for me. Today, much is made of organic foods, but the reality is that organic food is generally more expensive and well out of the range for most budgets. Yes organic is probably the best option, but it doesn't mean that if you're not eating all organic you are not eating right. If you're concerned about general produce, be a bit discerning when you shop. Look for fruit and vegetables that are fresh and unblemished. You should also buy product brands that you can trust. If you shop wisely, you can have a well-balanced healthy diet that won't break the bank. Basically living a healthy life means looking at your lifestyle as a whole, it is not just about diet and exercise. It is not always necessary to make major changes. Most people know their weak spots, and are happy if they can make a few changes that show results. A friend of mine was drinking several cans of soft drink a day. She was feeling tired and generally under the weather. When I read an article about the health risk of soft drink I copied it and gave it to her, whereupon she decided to give up the soft drink there and then. A week later she got back to me and said she couldn't believe the difference, her energy levels were up and she was feeling great. Just that one change was able to make a difference and she feels good about the healthy choice. Sleep and leisure time play a big part in a healthy lifestyle,   and for the most part people underestimate the value of good sleep. Our bodies aren’t designed to operate at peak performance twenty four hours a day. Anyone in industry knows that machines that have to work continuously need a lot of maintenance. When we are sleeping our body is healing and regenerating itself and we should wake up feeling refreshed and revitalized. We can go without sleep for extended periods, but we can't do it indefinitely. The amount of sleep an individual needs varies a great deal, and there is no such thing as the right time to sleep. Obviously most people sleep at night, but if you are one of those folk that comes alive in the small hours, you might need to catch up with your sleep during the day. A big part of healthy living is being comfortable with yourself. Don't be pressured into trying to attain a certain look, or push yourself down a career path you are not suited to. Constant worry about what you are doing will only have the opposite effect on your health. Don't get paranoid about your  diet,  about what toothpaste you should use or about expensive exercise equipment you need to buy. Allow a common sense approach to dictate when you are making lifestyle choices, and remember, there is nothing wrong with compromise if it means your healthy lifestyle plan will work for you. Article source : http://www. wellbeing-information. com/article-healthy-lifestyle. html Healthy Lifestyle A healthy diet is one that helps maintain or improve health. It is important for the prevention of many chronic illnesses and other health risks such as: †¢ obesity †¢ heart disease †¢ diabetes †¢ cancer etc A healthy diet involves consuming appropriate amounts of all nutrients, and an adequate amount of water. Nutrients can be obtained from many different foods, so there are a wide variety of diets that may be considered healthy diets. There are a number of diets and recommendations by numerous medical and governmental institutions that are designed to promote certain aspects of health. However the most recommended diet is a BALANCED DIET. This diet is even indorsed and recommended by the World Health Organization A balanced diet is a diet that includes appropriate amount of nutrients especially the five major food groups. These five major food groups have been designed and put on a food pyramid to make it easier to understand. It is made up of †¢ carbohydrates †¢ vitamins and minerals †¢ proteins †¢ sugars and fats †¢ water The problem with eating unhealthy foods is  it makes you crave even more junk food. A  handful of chips usually leave you wanting more. Once you break the cycle of unhealthy eating, it’s easier to maintain good eating habits which lead to weight loss. Junk food includes foods such as hamburgers, hot dogs, ice cream, cake, hot chips and pizza etc Unhealthy food not only makes one prone to more illnesses, but they can slow down a child’s development. Smoking and regular drinking are also unhealthy. Smoking can cause lung and respiratory diseases, loss of memory as well as skin, nail and teeth damage. Drinking on the other hand can cause serious cases of liver damage, blurred vision and one can even become dependent on this substance. I advise you stay away from any drinking and smoking. So, next time when someone offers you a smoke or a drink, rather take a glass of clean and fresh water! Stay safe! 1. Not smoking 2. Healthy weight 3. Eating healthy – minimum 5 vegetables and fruit per day 4. Exercising 30 minutes, 5 times per week 5. Sleeping for at least eight hours The following five countries participated in the global Youth Tobacco Survey: Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe (Global Youth Tobacco Survey Collaborative Group 2002). The survey showed a significant number of youths age 13 to 15 smoked cigarettes; many more used other tobacco products. Upper Body Flexibility Exercises Stretch #1 Shoulder & Chest This can be performed kneeling or standing. Clasp hands behind back and straighten arms. Raise hands as high as possible and bend forward from the waist and hold. Stretch #2 Arm Across Chest Place one arm straight across chest. place hand on elbow and pull arm towards chest and hold. Repeat with other arm. Stretch #3 Triceps Stretch Place one hand behind back with elbow in air. Place other hand on elbow and gently pull towards head. Hold and repeat with other arm. [pic] Lower Body Flexibility Exercises Stretch #4 Glute Stretch Sitting on floor with right leg bent, place right foot over left leg. Place left arm over right leg so elbow can be used to push right knee. Hold and repeat for other side. Stretch #5 Adductor Stretch Stand with feet as wide apart as is comfortable. Shift weight to one side as knee bends. Reach towards extended foot and hold. Repeat for other side. Stretch #6 Single Leg Hamstring Place leg out straight and bend the other so your foot is flat into your thigh. Bend forward from the waist keeping your back flat. Hold and repeat with the other leg. Stretch #7 Standing Quadriceps Standing on one leg grab the bottom of one leg (just above ankle). Pull heel into buttocks and push the hips out. Your thigh should be perpendicular to the ground. Hold and repeat with the other leg. Stretch #8 Standing Calf Place feet in front of each other about 18 inches apart. Keep back leg straight and heel on the floor. Push against a wall to increase the stretch. Hold and repeat with other leg. Healthy Lifestyle A healthy diet is one that helps maintain or improve health. It is important for the prevention of many chronic illnesses and other health risks such as: †¢ obesity †¢ heart disease †¢ diabetes †¢ cancer etc A healthy diet involves consuming appropriate amounts of all nutrients, and an adequate amount of water. Nutrients can be obtained from many different foods, so there are a wide variety of diets that may be considered healthy diets. There are a number of diets and recommendations by numerous medical and governmental institutions that are designed to promote certain aspects of health. However the most recommended diet is a BALANCED DIET. This diet is even indorsed and recommended by the World Health Organization A balanced diet is a diet that includes appropriate amount of nutrients especially the five major food groups. These five major food groups have been designed and put on a food pyramid to make it easier to understand. It is made up of †¢ carbohydrates †¢ vitamins and minerals †¢ proteins †¢ sugars and fats †¢ water The problem with eating unhealthy foods is  it makes you crave even more junk food. A  handful of chips usually leave you wanting more. Once you break the cycle of unhealthy eating, it’s easier to maintain good eating habits which lead to weight loss. Junk food includes foods such as hamburgers, hot dogs, ice cream, cake, hot chips and pizza etc Unhealthy food not only makes one prone to more illnesses, but they can slow down a child’s development. Smoking and regular drinking are also unhealthy. Smoking can cause lung and respiratory diseases, loss of memory as well as skin, nail and teeth damage. Drinking on the other hand can cause serious cases of liver damage, blurred vision and one can even become dependent on this substance. I advise you stay away from any drinking and smoking. So, next time when someone offers you a smoke or a drink, rather take a glass of clean and fresh water! Stay safe! 1. Not smoking 2. Healthy weight 3. Eating healthy – minimum 5 vegetables and fruit per day 4. Exercising 30 minutes, 5 times per week 5. Sleeping for at least eight hours The following five countries participated in the global Youth Tobacco Survey: Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe (Global Youth Tobacco Survey Collaborative Group 2002). The survey showed a significant number of youths age 13 to 15 smoked cigarettes; many more used other tobacco products. Upper Body Flexibility Exercises Stretch #1 Shoulder & Chest This can be performed kneeling or standing. Clasp hands behind back and straighten arms. Raise hands as high as possible and bend forward from the waist and hold. Stretch #2 Arm Across Chest Place one arm straight across chest. place hand on elbow and pull arm towards chest and hold. Repeat with other arm. Stretch #3 Triceps Stretch Place one hand behind back with elbow in air. Place other hand on elbow and gently pull towards head. Hold and repeat with other arm. [pic] Lower Body Flexibility Exercises Stretch #4 Glute Stretch Sitting on floor with right leg bent, place right foot over left leg. Place left arm over right leg so elbow can be used to push right knee. Hold and repeat for other side. Stretch #5 Adductor Stretch Stand with feet as wide apart as is comfortable. Shift weight to one side as knee bends. Reach towards extended foot and hold. Repeat for other side. Stretch #6 Single Leg Hamstring Place leg out straight and bend the other so your foot is flat into your thigh. Bend forward from the waist keeping your back flat. Hold and repeat with the other leg. Stretch #7 Standing Quadriceps Standing on one leg grab the bottom of one leg (just above ankle). Pull heel into buttocks and push the hips out. Your thigh should be perpendicular to the ground. Hold and repeat with the other leg. Stretch #8 Standing Calf Place feet in front of each other about 18 inches apart. Keep back leg straight and heel on the floor. Push against a wall to increase the stretch. Hold and repeat with other leg. Healthy Lifestyle Healthy Lifestyle In a perfect world we would all be  eating the right food,  exercising, sleeping well  and just generally enjoying life. In the real world most of us manage a percentage of the  healthy lifestyle  and muddle through as best we can with the rest of it. Part of the problem is we are encouraged to think, mostly by the media, that we should be doing everything possible towards a healthy lifestyle, all of the time. For most of us this is just not possible. Constant concern about what we should or shouldn't be doing causes our stress levels to go up and that negates any good work that we've done. Yes, we should certainly try for a healthy lifestyle, but the two key words are â€Å"moderation† and â€Å"balance†. By applying these criteria to achieving a healthy lifestyle we won't be beating ourselves up for failing another diet or dropping out of the latest exercise regime. A common mistake that many people make when they decide to adopt a healthy lifestyle is to try to do too much too soon. They then give themselves a guilt complex when it all falls apart. It is also easy to be influenced by others, when we should only be adopting a healthy lifestyle plan to suit ourselves. Ah! Did I say lifestyle plan? Do you have one, or do you just try the next thing that is in your magazine or Sunday supplement? By all means read these articles and take them into account as you  plan how you want your healthy lifestyle to take shape. Leading a healthy lifestyle doesn't mean you have got to run a mile before breakfast, eat seeds and think pure thoughts. Great if that's what you want, but for most of us â€Å"healthy† means being in reasonable shape, eating our fruit and vegetables and generally having a feeling of vitality. Decide on your definition of a healthy lifestyle, and then plan a strategy that works for you. As part of my health plan I decided I wanted to walk in the mornings before breakfast, but there was no way I wanted to get up at the crack of dawn to do it. So I planned a ten minute circuit that includes a short flight of steps and a not too steep incline. I power walked that route every day and felt really good. Sure l wouldn’t make the City to Surf marathon, but I compromised and made it work for me. Today, much is made of organic foods, but the reality is that organic food is generally more expensive and well out of the range for most budgets. Yes organic is probably the best option, but it doesn't mean that if you're not eating all organic you are not eating right. If you're concerned about general produce, be a bit discerning when you shop. Look for fruit and vegetables that are fresh and unblemished. You should also buy product brands that you can trust. If you shop wisely, you can have a well-balanced healthy diet that won't break the bank. Basically living a healthy life means looking at your lifestyle as a whole, it is not just about diet and exercise. It is not always necessary to make major changes. Most people know their weak spots, and are happy if they can make a few changes that show results. A friend of mine was drinking several cans of soft drink a day. She was feeling tired and generally under the weather. When I read an article about the health risk of soft drink I copied it and gave it to her, whereupon she decided to give up the soft drink there and then. A week later she got back to me and said she couldn't believe the difference, her energy levels were up and she was feeling great. Just that one change was able to make a difference and she feels good about the healthy choice. Sleep and leisure time play a big part in a healthy lifestyle,   and for the most part people underestimate the value of good sleep. Our bodies aren’t designed to operate at peak performance twenty four hours a day. Anyone in industry knows that machines that have to work continuously need a lot of maintenance. When we are sleeping our body is healing and regenerating itself and we should wake up feeling refreshed and revitalized. We can go without sleep for extended periods, but we can't do it indefinitely. The amount of sleep an individual needs varies a great deal, and there is no such thing as the right time to sleep. Obviously most people sleep at night, but if you are one of those folk that comes alive in the small hours, you might need to catch up with your sleep during the day. A big part of healthy living is being comfortable with yourself. Don't be pressured into trying to attain a certain look, or push yourself down a career path you are not suited to. Constant worry about what you are doing will only have the opposite effect on your health. Don't get paranoid about your  diet,  about what toothpaste you should use or about expensive exercise equipment you need to buy. Allow a common sense approach to dictate when you are making lifestyle choices, and remember, there is nothing wrong with compromise if it means your healthy lifestyle plan will work for you. Article source : http://www. wellbeing-information. com/article-healthy-lifestyle. html Healthy Lifestyle A healthy diet is one that helps maintain or improve health. It is important for the prevention of many chronic illnesses and other health risks such as: †¢ obesity †¢ heart disease †¢ diabetes †¢ cancer etc A healthy diet involves consuming appropriate amounts of all nutrients, and an adequate amount of water. Nutrients can be obtained from many different foods, so there are a wide variety of diets that may be considered healthy diets. There are a number of diets and recommendations by numerous medical and governmental institutions that are designed to promote certain aspects of health. However the most recommended diet is a BALANCED DIET. This diet is even indorsed and recommended by the World Health Organization A balanced diet is a diet that includes appropriate amount of nutrients especially the five major food groups. These five major food groups have been designed and put on a food pyramid to make it easier to understand. It is made up of †¢ carbohydrates †¢ vitamins and minerals †¢ proteins †¢ sugars and fats †¢ water The problem with eating unhealthy foods is  it makes you crave even more junk food. A  handful of chips usually leave you wanting more. Once you break the cycle of unhealthy eating, it’s easier to maintain good eating habits which lead to weight loss. Junk food includes foods such as hamburgers, hot dogs, ice cream, cake, hot chips and pizza etc Unhealthy food not only makes one prone to more illnesses, but they can slow down a child’s development. Smoking and regular drinking are also unhealthy. Smoking can cause lung and respiratory diseases, loss of memory as well as skin, nail and teeth damage. Drinking on the other hand can cause serious cases of liver damage, blurred vision and one can even become dependent on this substance. I advise you stay away from any drinking and smoking. So, next time when someone offers you a smoke or a drink, rather take a glass of clean and fresh water! Stay safe! 1. Not smoking 2. Healthy weight 3. Eating healthy – minimum 5 vegetables and fruit per day 4. Exercising 30 minutes, 5 times per week 5. Sleeping for at least eight hours The following five countries participated in the global Youth Tobacco Survey: Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe (Global Youth Tobacco Survey Collaborative Group 2002). The survey showed a significant number of youths age 13 to 15 smoked cigarettes; many more used other tobacco products. Upper Body Flexibility Exercises Stretch #1 Shoulder & Chest This can be performed kneeling or standing. Clasp hands behind back and straighten arms. Raise hands as high as possible and bend forward from the waist and hold. Stretch #2 Arm Across Chest Place one arm straight across chest. place hand on elbow and pull arm towards chest and hold. Repeat with other arm. Stretch #3 Triceps Stretch Place one hand behind back with elbow in air. Place other hand on elbow and gently pull towards head. Hold and repeat with other arm. [pic] Lower Body Flexibility Exercises Stretch #4 Glute Stretch Sitting on floor with right leg bent, place right foot over left leg. Place left arm over right leg so elbow can be used to push right knee. Hold and repeat for other side. Stretch #5 Adductor Stretch Stand with feet as wide apart as is comfortable. Shift weight to one side as knee bends. Reach towards extended foot and hold. Repeat for other side. Stretch #6 Single Leg Hamstring Place leg out straight and bend the other so your foot is flat into your thigh. Bend forward from the waist keeping your back flat. Hold and repeat with the other leg. Stretch #7 Standing Quadriceps Standing on one leg grab the bottom of one leg (just above ankle). Pull heel into buttocks and push the hips out. Your thigh should be perpendicular to the ground. Hold and repeat with the other leg. Stretch #8 Standing Calf Place feet in front of each other about 18 inches apart. Keep back leg straight and heel on the floor. Push against a wall to increase the stretch. Hold and repeat with other leg.

Wood Polymer Composite (WPC) and its infiltration into Eastern European Markets

Wood Polymer Composite (WPC) has increased demand over the recent past due to benefits that these products possess. Countries such as the US have used these products over the last decade, but some countries are currently realizing the benefits that the products have in local markets. It is therefore very important to analyze the benefits that these products have over wood products and how they can be made available to countries that have realized their potential, especially those in Western Europe. This paper aims at analyzing the manufacturing process of Wood polymer Composite, the history of the same products and the benefits and costs that such products have over wood. The paper will also analyze the level of demand that WPC products have in Western Europe, the available opportunities and the challenges of expanding these opportunities. Finally, the paper will give a brief conclusion on the subject and give a recommendation on the same. Table of Contents Abstract 1 Introduction. 2 History. 3 How WPC is manufactured. 3 Benefits of WPC. 4 Weaknesses. 5 WPC demand in Western Europe. 6 Growth in the use of WPC 8 Countries to be targeted. 8 Distribution 9 Challenges of expanding the use of WPC. 10 Conclusion and recommendation. 11 Works cited. 13 Introduction. The use of WPC products has increased in several countries and this can be traced to the benefits that such products possess. WPC products have several qualities that make them superior to wood, and this is the major reason that makes them popular in several markets. They are usually used in the construction industry, and some countries use these products for outdoor activities. These products are also very useful in the automobile industry. It is important to understand the nature of the Wood Polymer Composite before analyzing it further . Wood Polymer Composite is a material that is manufactured through impregnation of wood with monomers, after which the resultant product undergoes polymerization. This enables the materials to be tailored to special needs, and this is necessitated by the resultant properties that such materials possess. These include enhanced mechanical characteristics and lightness, but these will be discussed at a later stage. WPC is used for a wide range of activities and these include automotive engineering, construction and building. WPC is used for a wide range of activities such as outdoor floors, indoor furniture, fences, railings, park benches, landscaping timbers, door and window frames among others. History. Karpov is reportedly the first person who did research on WPC and he did this during 1960. Other researchers such as Meyer, Kent and Kenaga also conducted various researches on the prospects of producing WPC in various countries. These countries include Japan, Canada, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Sweden, UK, South Africa and Denmark among other countries. The use of atomic energy such as gamma radiation has been a major contributor to development of WPC. The expansion of petrochemical industry market policies has also been linked to the development of WPC. These materials are relatively new to the market, especially considering the long history that wood has been used. However, their superior qualities are increasing their demand by a variety of consumers. These qualities that the WPC materials possess will be discussed at a later stage, but can be broadly classified as aesthetic and usage qualities. How WPC is manufactured. A palleted compound is fed through a gravity bunker into extruder. This mixture is heated until it melts to form a mass that flows uniformly in the extruder's cylinder. There is a screw present inside the extruder and this presses the melt flow through the die's slit. The extrusion process subsequently undergoes cooling with the use of a water tank. It is afterward pulled through water by a tractor to cool it . The sudden temperature change makes the extruded blank cool and shrink. the size of the final product is not only decided by the cooling but also by the traction speed. The extruded blank is further pulled by the tractor at a uniform speed to the handling and cutting table. The cutter subsequently holds the extruded profile and cuts it to the desired length. Benefits of WPC. Consumers are increasingly choosing WPC over wood due to the many benefits that they possess, over wood. Although they cost more than wood, they have superior features that make consumers ignore the price and purchase them. The consumers ignore the price since they reason that the long term costs of maintaining wood materials will supersede the cost of purchasing the WPC. Some of the benefits of WPC will be discussed below. One benefit of the use of WPC is that these products are weather resistant and moisture resistant. Another benefit is that these products have natural feel, longevity and dimensional stability. They are also more attractive than the natural wood, and this is the reason that they are used as finishes to various products. This makes them more popular than wood. They are also manufactured using various colors, which makes them attractive without the need for them o be painted. These products have also the ability to retain screws and nails for longer periods of time compared to wood. WPC products, unlike wood, are immune to termite attacks. This is one major problem that many consumers of wood products complain about, since termite attacks render the wood weak. This necessitates the need to replace such wood, which is expensive. Since WPC is resistant to termite attacks, this makes it popular with consumers. WPC is more environmental friendly than wood, and this is because of the following reason. As has been discussed, WPC products require lesser maintenance compared to wood. This means that these products last longer than ordinary wood, which necessitates fewer cases of replacing them. This translates to fewer trees being cut and hence is more friendly to the environment compared to wood. These products are also seen to be friendly to the environment as compared to wood, since they are mixed with other products during the manufacturing process. This means that the amount of wood used to manufacture these products is relatively less, and hence helps conserve the environment. WPC products are resistant to splitting and cracking. This feature makes them have the ability to be molded into various shapes and sizes, whether or not someone has the details on the wood grains. This is one feature that is superior to that of wood, since wood is prone to splitting when being molded. They also possess cellulose that can be as high as 70%, which makes them have similar properties to wood . Weaknesses. When WPC is being manufactured, there are many elements that are added to improve the capabilities of these materials. Such materials include adhesives and polymers and these complicate the process of recycling these materials. WPC is considered to have many impurities that make the recycling process more difficult, which means that fewer WPC materials are recycled, as compared to wood. This has a negative impact on the environment. Another weakness of WPC materials is that they are prone to staining due to the porous nature of such materials. These materials are porous and can be stained by some solvents, which might affect their beauty. The process of altering wood to a form where it can be used more effectively when finishing exposes some weaknesses. Since nitrocellulose polymers come into contact with organic solvents when carrying out the finishing operations, this makes organic solvents to be released in air before they dry. This presents a host of problems mainly to people who work around such environments. One problem is the danger of explosion or flammability of the solvents. The other is the potential health problems to workers due to inhalation of the vapor. When the air is released into the atmosphere, it poses a problem to the neighboring community. This final stage also presents another challenge to producers and this involves the drying process. As has been stated earlier, during this process, some organic solvents are released to the atmosphere. This solvent is expensive and some producers are not willing to ‘waste' it, thereby ignoring the process. Dispersing the vapor and recycling materials, in order to acquire the solvents is energy intensive and costly. WPC demand in Western Europe. The demand for WPC has risen in Europe, and this was after the success of similar products in American markets. European producers have envied their American counterparts for many years and they currently have an opportunity to reap the benefits of WPC products. The demand for these products has increased mainly because of the fact that the high purchase cost is compensated by the low costs of maintenance. This makes the products cheaper in the long run. Their durability is also another factor that has led to massive increase in demand of these products in Europe. According to the Hackwell group, the projected growth rate for WPC products in 2009 is expected to be close to 10%, which represents increase from 100,000 tonnes that were purchased in 1999, to approximately 144,000 tonnes. This is equivalent to approximately 290 million Euro. In 2004, Germany was producing approximately 5000 tonnes of WPC each year. In 2007, Europe produced approximately 100,000 tonnes of the same product, with Germany producing 20% of this total. When these figures are compared to those of North America, it becomes clear that Europe is lagging in the consumption of WPC. North America produced over 700,000 tonnes in 2005 and by 2010, the production is widely expected to rise to 1. 6 million tonnes. Most producers are based in countries which consume WPC the most and these include France, UK and Germany. However, there is a growing trend where suppliers establish themselves in emerging markets for these products, and these markets include Italy, Sweden and Netherlands. Currently, the major European consumer of WPC, is the automobile industry. Germany is among the highest European consumers and uses WPC for manufacture of vehicles such as BMW, Daimer Chrysler and Audi. These companies use between 7 and 10 kg for each vehicle, and WPC is used for car parts such as headliners, acoustic panels, interior panels, parcel shelves and seat panels. WPC especially convenient for these car parts due to its good strength, lower cost, ease in processing and light weight. In fact, estimates show that 90 million Euro has been used on research by automobile industry in Germany over the last decade. The general automotive industry consumes over 50% of the total WPC consumed in Europe. This is a stark contrast with the worldwide consumption trends, which reveal that automobiles consume less than 7% of the total WPC consumed worldwide. This means that there is a lot of untapped potential for the WPC in Europe, since furniture and construction are among the major consumers of WPC worldwide. Growth in the use of WPC There is optimism that consumption of WPC will increase in Western Europe due to certain technical innovations that aim at reducing the inefficiencies of the current WPC products. For instance, Austria's Melamine International developed melamine resin which is one of a kind since it can be extruded. Its thermoset is created in such a way that it allows the use of wood flour and fiber mix of 70%. This mix improves on the weaknesses of the current WPCs that are thermoplastic based. Such weaknesses include lower levels of stability when exposed to high temperatures, and they are solved through combining the product performance, and processing behavior of this thermostat. Products created using this technology are reputed to have higher resistance to scratch as well as better mechanical properties. In Netherlands, Holland Colours has produced natural colorants which are dust free which will be used in pigmenting WPC profiles. These additives allow faster color changes to be made, as well as reduce tear around the edges of such materials. Countries to be targeted. As has been discussed, there is a major potential for the use of WPC in Europe. Most economies are growing at a fast rate and there are increasingly new investments in most of the European countries. There has also been considerable growth in the real estate and automobile industry. This necessitates the need to develop and use WPC materials in a majority of these countries. Russia is one country which has the potential to make a major investment in this sector. Going by the success of the WPC in the US, Russia has an opportunity to reap the benefits that have been enjoyed by the US for over a decade. Germany has been seen to have invested in WPC in its automobile industry. As has been discussed earlier, Germany is among the leading WPC consumers in Europe. However, the bulk of the investment is in the automobile industry. This has been seen to go against the global trend where most of the consumption of WPC goes to construction sector. Germany therefore has a chance to increase consumption of WPC through diversifying its use beyond the automobile sector into other sectors of the economy. Another country that has the opportunity to take advantage of the use of WPC is France. France is one of the leading vehicle manufacturers and is also Germany's largest trading partner. France therefore should invest in WPC through importing the technology from Germany through their trade agreements. This will help improve the automobile industry, after which WPC will be used for other industries. This will not only create jobs, but will improve the overall utility derived by the consumers from these products. Distribution When undertaking distribution activities, it is imperative that there is a form of outsourcing for the minor services and operations. Outsourcing involves delegating the minor operations or activities that a company undertakes, to a third party so that the company can concentrate on its core duties and responsibilities. In undertaking distribution, these countries should outsource the minor functions so that they are not distracted from their core activities. One service that the companies can outsource is the maintenance of the warehouse. Outsourcing this service will enable the vendors, who are professionals in this operation, to provide warehousing services for the products that have been produced or imported. This will increase efficiency and reduce costs since the company can now concentrate on its core business. The companies should distribute the products to the clients through retailers and wholesalers. These are people who have high information an knowledge on the market since they are closer to the consumers. There should however be as few middlemen as possible in order to prevent the prices from rising. This is also done to prevent chances of the WPC products experiencing pilferage. When selling the products, the companies dealing in WPC product should use the correct forms of advertising so that they might capture a large number of clients. They may sell the WPC products under the theme ‘saving the environment' and organize for support from the local environmentalists. Some people might be against these products given the fact that these products still make use of trees, but as long as the products helps conserve the environment, even if it is one tree, the members of the public will identify with the product. Challenges of expanding the use of WPC. There are several challenges that face the use of WPC, which thereby hinder investment in this market. These challenges stem from the nature of the business and also the behavior of the investors. These challenges will be discussed below. The first challenge is that some European manufacturers are hesitant to the use of WPC in manufacture of car parts since these materials go against the European Union's directive of End of Life, when manufacturing products . The EU requires vehicles to be manufactured in such a way that once the life of a vehicle is over, 85% of it should be able to be recovered. Such vehicles have their parts recycled and metals extracted for the same purpose. However, in spite of the legislation, the growth of the use of WPC in automobiles is still expected to rise by about 4% each year. European environmental groups also oppose the use of WPC in manufacture of various products due to the perception that it has contents which are toxic . Another reason given by the groups include the perception that the manufacturing process emits some fumes which negatively affect the environment. There are also very few WPC manufacturers in Western Europe, since most are not willing to take the risk and experiment with new products. In Western Europe, there are only about ten producers of WPC, yet there are more than fifty such producers in North America. Most potential manufacturers are observing the market trends before fully investing in the trade. Financial analysts believe that by the end of the next three years, may producers will have invested in the trade, going by the current market demand. There needs to be incentives that encourage entry of new players in this industry . There are also challenges that are faced due to the rising costs of wood flour. This is one of the materials that are used in manufacturing WPC. According to senior managers in the wood industry, German prices for wood flour have increased by over 30% during the past year. This has the effect of increasing the prices of the final product which will discourage consumers from purchasing them. It is important for the German government to regulate the prices of material used in this process, since WPC products have benefits that far outweigh the costs. Conclusion and recommendation. It is evident that WPC products play a very important role in conserving the environment . Not only do WPC products conserve the environment, they have many features that make them superior over wood. These have been discussed in the paper, and it clearly proves that WPC products are better than wood. However, the fact that these products conserve the environment, this should be a major reason why people should embrace these products. This is because the environment is very important and it goes beyond the needs of the present generation. Environmental groups should come together and look for support in order to encourage people to use these products. It has also been seen that there is enormous potential that exists in Western Europe but is untapped due to many factors. Many producers are not willing to venture into an untested market, but they should observe the model that worked for the US government. The US economic environment is relatively similar to the economies of most of the Western European countries. This should act as an incentive for the European countries to invest in the WPC product market . The European Union should consider changing the legislation that requires manufacturers to manufacture vehicles in such a way that 85% of it should be able to be recovered. This will enable the consumption of WPC by motor vehicle manufacturers from the current 10% to approximately 80% each year . European governments also need to offer incentives to producers willing to invest in WPC products since this will encourage many investors to venture into this field. The benefits of this investment will not only be felt by these investors, but they will trickle down to the general population. In developing a distribution means, the companies that venture into this market should aim to reduce the costs of the products as much as possible. This is necessary especially considering the fact that this is a new product in the market and high prices will discourage consumers from purchasing it . The reduction in price can be achieved through the reduction of middlemen in the distribution process as well as outsourcing some non-core activities to vendors. Finally, it is important for all stakeholders involved to realize that benefits of such a kind of investment will not only help the current generation, but will help the future generation. The current generation will benefit from economic growth, employment opportunities and improvement in the standards of living. On the other hand, the future generation will benefit from the conservation of the environment which will ensure their future survival.

Global business managers should consider and deal with the knowledge Essay

Global business managers should consider and deal with the knowledge management challenges in a holistic manner taking into a - Essay Example â€Å"There are various ways used in gathering and dispensing of information and this is done in various departments† (Adas 2010, p. 30). They include human resource department, marketing department or information technology department. Data can be gathered from secondary and primary sources. There are many research secondary sources that provide information needed by a company. Trade magazines, newspapers articles, libraries, government agencies and the internet can be used as secondary sources. Primary sources involve collection of information through ways such as observation, networking, interviewing, focus groups or experimentation. Questionnaires are also used for collecting data. Observation is the simplest method. Networking is a more of an informal method to gather primary data from experts (Anderson 2006, p. 35). Business managers use knowledge for organization objectives like sharing intelligence, improving the performance of a company, for competition or innovation. Knowledge transfer is either through training, peer discussions and mentoring programs. For example, a company solves the problem of culture barrier by teaching different cultures of people to its employees. Learning different cultures of people help in understanding them well and hence avoid work conflicts (Anderson 2009, p. 56). Offering training to employees is important because it improves working efficiency. Dealing with Knowledge Management Challenges Global business managers should deal with the knowledge management challenges in a holistic manner in order to achieve their business goals. There are various knowledge management challenges that need to be solved in order to achieve goals. Information collected is sometimes not accurate and this affects decision making in a company. Global business managers should deal with this problem of data inaccuracy by validating the information presented to them. There is another problem of data misinterpretation (Allen 2011, p.98) Infor mation gathered should be interpreted the way it is. Data biasness results in making the wrong conclusion. Data collectors and researchers in a company should be very careful in recording the information given (Bartlett 2002, p. 34). They are not supposed to record mistakes or include information that is not provided by the respondent. Another transnational strategy of managing information is by having a good system of storing information. FedEx is a company known to have a good paperless system of storing data of its employees. They have programs called PRISM HIRS which records any information pertaining to a worker. This programs record jobs posting, applicants and training information (Birkinshaw 2001, p. 23). It is important to maintain this strategy because information can never be lost. Information stored in files is mostly misplaced. The information stored in this system can be accessed any time. Importance of International Knowledge Management International knowledge managem ent is important for global business managers because they will get and share knowledge concerning global markets. This is explained in the Theory & practice of knowledge management. There will be sharing of explicit knowledge from the international world. This is the transnational strategy used by global firms. This is important because the global environment is complex and need to be studied well. There are

Changes in the history of the world since 1400 C Essay

Changes in the history of the world since 1400 C - Essay Example This paper examines social exclusion/oppression and environmental degradation under a number of headings which include Social, Economic, Cultural and Political. It critically evaluates the causes of these issues and problems in history and then links them to the two major evils that have been identified in history. Social Exclusion Social exclusion has been a major part of the interaction between people of different social and racial backgrounds. Around the 15th Century, Europeans by far, had the best technology and military mights amongst humans. They set out to discover other lands, however, this process came with a lot of social exclusion which saw the exploitation and oppression of people from other racial origins in Asia, Africa and the Americas. Europeans began a system of internal colonization in Asia2. This was done by establishing trade posts in the various ports in modern Indonesia, China, Japan, the Arabian Peninsular and India. The Europeans used their presence in these p orts and posts to exploit Asian labor which was used to produce goods and products that were bought at very cheap prices at those ports and sold at very high prices in Europe. They also sold manufactured goods at very high prices to the locals and made high profits. ... Aside the colonization of the various parts of the continents, there was the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. The Spaniards started to buy Black African slaves as early as 1510 and this began the trend of slavery which saw millions of Black Africans being sent across the Atlantic to work perpetually for the benefit of European farm owners3. These slaves were not given anything more than what they needed to survive and were made to work from morning to evening all the days of their lives till they dropped dead for no rewards. They were effectively excluded from the many luxuries that reverted to their European masters. Economic Exploitation Economic exploitation affected people who were less privileged as well as the natural environment. The clash of European civilization and the other civilizations around the world led to so many forms of economic exploitations. Of course the exploitation of people in the Southern continents by Europeans brought in a lot of economic benefits to Europe. Th e Trans-Atlantic slave trade and the colonization of peoples in Africa and Asia gave the European nations access to wealth without a requirement of accountability in these lands. They only exploited and made massive wealth in these nations. After colonization was abolished, the Europeans living in the Americas, Australia, and South Africa continued to hold on to the wealth of the masses and this is a form of social oppression and exploitation. Even in other parts of the world where people of the same race and color live together, there are many places where the few rich people hold and control much wealth. It is common to find nations in Africa and Asia where leaders and a few elite, control up to 90% of the wealth of the land. This forms some kind of economic exploitation which is

Decision Making Method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Decision Making Method - Essay Example An advantage of the benefit-cost framework is that it leads to a positive or negative (or zero) number for each program or practice evaluated and, therefore, does not require knowledge of a cost-effectiveness cutoff level to decide whether a particular practice should be undertaken. Finally, a limitation of both approaches is that the benefits and costs to individual members of society need to be aggregated. If the equitable distribution benefits and costs across individuals or groups are of concern, a single cost-effectiveness measure will not do. However, as economists are wont to argue, over large numbers of programs and practices the inequities are likely to even themselves out and, with some exceptions, may reasonably be ignored. The main steps in this model include (1) identification of main problems and possible solutions to these problems, (2) analysis of financial costs and financial benefits of proposed programs, (3) selection of the best decision. The first step is a search for alternative solution. The first solution is to buy computers for the training classroom. The second solution is to use company's computers located in different department. The third alternative is to rent a training classroom (in college or university) for the training program. When generating alternative methods for solving the problem, decision makers must determine whether the decision problem should be solved by a single individual or by a group of individuals. Groups usually take more time to make decisions than do individuals; however, group decision methods allow for the pooling of information from many difference sources, which can be particularly beneficial when dealing with ill-structured problems requiring the synthesis of novel solutions. In this case, the decision to find the best solution will involve employees and management. In many situations, members of a group tend to develop an illusion of invulnerability that may encourage excessive optimism and risk taking. Another result of groupthink is that members of a group who express opposing views may be pressured by other group members and ostracized if they resist (Stacey, 1996). The second step is analysis of financial costs and financial benefits of both programs. If we assume that one computer costs $1,250 and the training room needs 10 computers, the company should invest $12,500 in new equipment. Also, installation and cabling will cost $2,500, and support software - $6,500, and 1 server - $2,000. The second solution is to use company's computers located in different department will help to save money spent on new equipment but will cost company the value of time lost from work. It is important to note that to value life years and quality of life in dollars, the traditional approach is to use the annual earnings of a worker as a measure of the value of a productive year of life. The rationale is that society, including the individual in question, would lose potential consumption of goods and services in proportion to lost productivity. Once benefits and costs have been somehow expressed in dollar terms, net benefits are derived as the difference between the two. If the company follows the second approach it will save some money during the first training period. If we assume that the training on software tools takes 10 weeks (2 hours per day (5 working

Sustainability at Millipore Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Sustainability at Millipore - Case Study Example This idea might act positively thereby reducing its propensity to present huge amount green house gases (GHG) that may hinder the planet as well as the agricultural lands as well. Due to the reduction of the emissions of GHG, the depletion of ozone layer minimised and the desertification of the agricultural lands also reduced significantly. Therefore, such a strategy proved extremely effective for the organization of Millipore thereby amplifying its sustainability initiative and environmental image significantly. The management of the organization of Millipore also decided to reduce its dependence over the petroleum based products. This helped to reduce the amounts of wastes thereby decreasing its negative impacts over the climate and the globe. As a result of which, the rate of global warming also reduced that not only saved the individual, but also the planet and environment as well. Apart from the above mentioned strategies, the director, David Newman also decided to reduce the amount of wastes thereby decreasing the operations and products. However, in order to make it successful, the organization implemented varied types of upgraded boilers, compressors and lightings. This helped the organization of Millipore to fulfil its sustainability initiatives. In this age of extreme global warming, the prime concentration of the organizations is reduction of green house gas emissions (GHG). Similarly, the director of Millipore, Mr. David Newman also decided to implement varied types of solar panels and solectria inverters in order to reduce over-dependence over non-renewable products. Along with this, he also instructed the use of upgraded boilers and machines in order to reduce the emissions of waste materials in the environment. Moreover, reverse osmosis procedure is also used in the manufacturing plants also proved effective for the organization in reducing

Sociology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Sociology - Essay Example The younger generation is more likely to involve in hate crimes. They may be classified as thrill seekers who attempt hate crimes in order to get pleasure. Individual may also commit such crimes to defend their communities and territories. A white perpetrator of hate crimes is more likely to adopt violent, aggressive and biased behaviors against blacks and other ethnic groups as they feel insecure and suspect those groups to steal their housing spaces, jobs and share facilities which belong to them being domestic civilians (Chakraborti & Garland 2009, pp. 138-139). A typical person who commits hate crimes may also belong to the minority group living in a diversified society like America. Minority groups often feel prejudiced or discriminated by other members of the society. This discriminating behavior leads to minority groups’ resentment and discomfort which leads to violent and antisocial behaviors. Since hate crimes are not committed for one particular reason, the targets o r victims of such crimes are also not identifiable by a fixed categorization technique. Hate crimes may be against a particular ethnic group, social group, political group, gender, religion, social class and so on. Hate crimes can be committed against people belonging to different categories. People may be categorized according to their profession, age, gender, social class etc. Hence, the identification of hate crimes is a difficult task as it requires an in depth information of the victim or target before categorizing it according to any trait or characteristic that a victim/targeted person holds (Bassette & Salem 1996, pp. 362-363). Crimes are often originated due to psychological distress, conflicts and disagreements in a society. The hate crimes are also associated with the inconsistencies on social, economic, political, religious and financial grounds. The unprivileged groups or individuals develop resentment and hatred against the privileged groups. Discrimination and bias on any grounds can develop the feelings of discontent and disagreements with other groups. Racial and ethnic bias due to increased population of a particular race or ethnicity may result in hate crimes. Legal and regulatory changes for disabled population, particular sexual groups, different religious groups, specific culture, ethnically diverse groups and others create negative thoughts and behaviors among people of one group for the other (Perry 2003, pp. 284-289). These behaviors and negative interpretation of the changes in laws and regulations provoke them to commit hate crimes. Economic factors including unemployment, increased competition, unavailability of resources and lack of competence also encourage hate crimes against those who are employed, have ample resources, skills and qualifications. If a particular racial group is given opportunities to get higher grade jobs while others are not, the biased distribution of opportunities would encourage hatred, harassment and negati ve reactions by other racial groups. In short, most of the hate crimes result due to prejudice, bias or personal hatred related to a particular person, ethnic group, race, gender or religion. Education is the first and most efficient manner of reducing crimes of any type. The education about crimes, their effects and possible outcomes for the perpetrator and the society would help in reducing the crime rates. Hate crimes are

Sap Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sap - Essay Example These posting keys are also crucial in controlling entries to be made in the line items. A statistical key figure is utilized in allocating internal costs between different cost centers that utilize services related to other cost centers (Padhi, 168). In this case, statistical key figures can be machine hour or the head count of any cost center. During the processing of a sales order, SAP R/3 utilizes a system of allocating prices to materials and products known as the condition technique. In allocating costs, there are three distinct methods utilized under SAP. The assessment method transfers primary and secondary costs from the dispatching cost center to the receiving control object. During utilization of this method, various business processes and cost centers can take the place of the sender, whereas a cost object, internal order or a cost center are the receivers of the assessment. The user can restrict the number of receiver categories through customization, where both the prim ary and secondary postings are allocated at the end of each period through utilization of user defined keys (Padhi, 175). With the distribution method, primary costs are transferred to receiving controlling objects form the sender cost center. In this method, the sender is restricted to cost centers and business processes only. The receiver can be an internal order, cost center or a business process. Primary postings are collected an each cost center and allocated through use of the user defined key at the end of each period. Under this method, distribution is restricted to primary costs, whereas the original cost elements remain unchanged. However, reversal of distributions is possible (Padhi, 180). Qn.2 CO documents are those controlling documents available to the company and are generated by the SAP system. These documents are mostly used for control purposes by the management. These documents include invoices and memos for utilization by customers and vendors. Included in this l ist are vendor and customer payment as well as general document whose transactions are posted in the general ledger account (Periodic Reposting). Financial accounting (FI) deals with analyzing finances available to the business and presenting the analysis in a balance sheet and income statement among other financial statements. In financial accounting, memos and invoices are classified as source documents. These source documents are utilized in preparation of income statements and balance sheet at the end of a financial year (Principles of accounting.com). CO documents are not the original documents but are utilized a source documents since they display a complete original document so long as proper accounting entries are made. These documents can be relied on since in case of a defective line item, the use can trigger corrective postings from the report or document generated. Source documents are mostly utilized by those businesses that do not maintain complete records for their tr ansactions. In preparation of financial statements of a business that maintains incomplete records, the accountant starts by making adjusting entries on trail balance and journal entries in the general ledger. There is need for the user to make adjusting entries before

English is seen by some as 'the global language'. Discuss with Essay

English is seen by some as 'the global language'. Discuss with reference to some of the domains in which English is gaining mos - Essay Example In order to do this, the countries force learning English through their educational system seeing to it that people master the language to decent extent. In case the countries, which adopt certain language as their ‘second language’, are influential enough in the world arena, it could be considered to be a global one. Why do we need a global language? The reason for some kind of international means of human negotiations is quite obvious: people from different countries need to have certain tool in order to communicate, understand and get on with each other concerning some mutual issues. In modern world, where exists a huge amount of languages, it is not possible to solve the problem through bilingualism and trilingualism and, thus, some commonly accepted and understood language is obviously needed. Such language is usually called lingua franca, and implies some simple rules application, so people would not meet a lot of difficulties when learning it. In these terms, a no tion of pidgin arises, which means that common language is drawn towards simplification and combines features from various languages (Todd, 1984). Furthermore, using common language is quite favorable in that sense that this practice significantly reduces costs for translation and interpretation work. Such international establishments as World Bank, UNESCO, the World Health Organization, and UNICEF spend a great part of their budget for removing all the discrepancies in their communication concerning diverse languages usage. Different business and scientific communities also favor from common language adoption as this would ease their exchange of experience essentially. Reasons why English is the global language There are a lot of factors, which forced English to be the global language and in order to analyze them we separate all the reasons into three main groups: geographical-historical, socio-cultural, and linguistic reasons. Geographical-historical reasons Geographical-historica l reasons are closely connected to English expansion through America, Asia, Africa, Australia and the whole South Pacific region, when English colonies were established in these areas. Specifically, English language came to British Isles from northern Europe in 5th century and rapidly widespread nearby areas of Scotland, Cornwall, Wales, and Cumbria. Further significant expansions of English occurred just at the end of 16th century, when English settlements were established in Virginia and New England. Active population movements within American continent led to English assimilation of new territories in the area of the Great Lakes, Texas, and California. Further, waves of immigrants moved to Canada and gradually expanded to the Caribbean islands and South Africa in 17th century, Australia and New Zealand at the end of 18th century (Kachru, 1988). Such powerful expansion led to presence of English an all parts of the world including St. Helena island in Atlantic region, Seychelles i n Indian region, the islands Hawaii and Fiji in Pacific region. Socio-cultural reasons Socio-cultural reasons are closely associated with dependence of various areas on English in terms of social and cultural development. A huge amount of world broadcasting programs are conducted in English, when you travel you always meet advertisements and signs written in English, if you

How trade restrictions affect international trade Essay Example for Free

How trade restrictions affect international trade Essay How do international sanctions, tariffs, quotas, and trade restrictions affect international trade and costs of production?International sanctions are set in place typically to protect countries involved in trade. There are many types of sanctions that have been in place for quite a while but the most common sanctions are used to stop terrorism, which is extremely important to even more so since September 11, 2001. Sanctions regarding trade restrictions on weapons, ammunition, and other materials used to make weapons or explosives are common among countries. When it comes to tariffs, it is a tax on imports imposed by the government to raise funds. There are also many types of tariffs, which are used by nearly every government in the world to exploit more money revenue for that government. In many cases a tariff is in place to protect an industry in that country. A Quota is a way to describe the checks and balance system for which a government or business determines its supply and demand quantity. Different international sanctions, tariffs, quotas, and trade restrictions all can hamper international trade and may also increases the cost of production. How do tariffs and sanctions on the import of auto engines into the U.S. affect production and costs at Acme?Tariffs and sanctions ultimately would hinder Acme Motors on the import of auto engines and parts because the price of the production pieces would rise noticeably. At this current time United States benefits extremely from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), since the U.S. does not impose tariffs and hampering sanctions on trades with Canada and Mexico. As explained in the first paragraph, that if tariffs were implemented the prices of these products would greatly increase because of the government take on this revenue which would lead to higher prices the consumers would end up paying. So far it has shown to be beneficial for the United States and Acme Motors having the lack of sanctions and tariffs. Do you agree with trade restrictions? When do you think they are successful?My personal thoughts are that trade restrictions are very important and that I do agree with these restrictions. While third world countries do not benefit from these restrictions it is still used to limit terrorist trade capabilities, maintains economies that are already  established, and controls the flow of productions that look to monopolize one or many different forms of business. The United States is heading into a recession or may already be knee deep into one but if the U.S. did not impose trade restrictions on certain countries the very foundation in which this country was established would be swept right out from underneath our feet. Reference: Sawyer, W.C., Sprinkle, R.L. (2003). International Economics, Second Edition. 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. Taylor, S. (2007, Feb 07). International Sanctions, Tariffs, Quotas, and Trade Restrictions. Retrieved on December 7, 2008, from http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/132626/international_sanctions_tariffs_quotas.html?cat=3

A Managerial Strategy Essay Example for Free

A Managerial Strategy Essay The principal purpose and function of healthcare organizations is to ensure that their services. Above all their duties is geared towards caring for their patient’s health and emphasize the ability of the organization to serve their patients skillfully and responsibly. Further, they offer different types of services which include medical and behavioral health care services, accordingly, this includes public and community health care programs and in the contemporary scenario, corporate power. As a matter of fact, it has been stressed in The Well-Managed Healthcare Organization that in order to ensure that a healthcare organization is really doing its task of safeguarding the health of its patients (and not really attracting them to be its client), a health organization should improve the quality of its services (Griffith White, 2006), which strengthens the argument of harnessing the managerial skills of healthcare practitioners. Moreover, it should also maintain a well-facilitated plant in which the patients are being accommodated.   Given with such instances, it highlights the perception that healthcare organizations are mandated to implement certain administrative methods to meet the mounting complications derived over by societal challenges (Griffith White, 2006). One of the cited feasible and efficient techniques in achieving managerial success is proper organization of the activities and the developmental plan of the entity.   It is through the alignment of program objectives that the goals are obtained and prevents the rise of problems which deals with conflicts or miscommunication. If the programs are aligned well, then the members of the organization shall have a clear vision on what to expect, and oversee necessary changes so as to improve their performance.   Simple logic basically revolves in the verity of the strategy; common problems arise when the organization has no definite goals which lead to disorientation. Similar to that of business entities, healthcare practitioners must also take the challenge of facing the waves of managerial confrontations. Reference Griffith, J. R., White, K. R. (2006). The Well-Managed Healthcare Organization (6th ed.). New York: Health Administration Press.

National Museums: Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage

National Museums: Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage Role of Bangladesh National Museum to Safeguard Intangible Cultural Heritage: A Review Bangladesh National Museum Abstract This paper aims to investigate the role of Bangladesh National Museum to safeguard intangible cultural heritage which is considered as the fundamental of tangible culture. Unfortunately, for the contentious impact of modernization, our intangible cultural heritages are under serious threat to its existence which is very alarming for us because if we fail to preserve our intangible cultural heritage, we will lose our entity as a distinctive nation in the map of the world. National Museum as a pioneer organization of the government play effective role to safeguard intangible cultural heritage in many ways. Introduction: The cultural heritage of Bangladesh is very rich and historically highly regarded by the world community as it has uniqueness and specialities which are very distinct in character. This heritage includes both tangible and intangible cultures. From the primitive age to the present day Bangladesh is an arable soil of intangible cultural heritage like song, rituals, tradition, dance, performing art, festive, games, cuisine, folktales and architecture.etc and these intangible heritages have significant influence on the way of life of the people which makes Bangladeshi people distinct from other nations. It should be mentioned that the tangible culture of Bangladesh is very uniquely unique like craft, different type of objects and all antiquities. Bangladesh National Museum has started its journey in 1913 as Dhaka Museum. Dhaka Museum was located at Nimtoli Baro Duari area of Dhaka with two rooms. Eventually, Dhaka Museum transformed upgraded as Bangladesh National Museum in 1983 and shifted to present building at Shahbag. Bangladesh National Museum has a collection of near 86 thousand antiquities. As a wing of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Namtional Museum is playing vaital role to preserve tangible and intangible heritage of the country and portraying rich, positive and bright image in front of the world community. On August 7, 2013 Bangladesh National Museum celebrated its 100 years of establishment. In its long journey, it has taken many milestone initiatives to safeguard intangible cultural heritages. 1.1 Methodology Both primary and secondary data have been used to prepare this paper. Primary data were collected from the interview and discussion of the Bangladesh National Museum staffs. And secondary data were collected from different books, journals and articles. What is Intangible Cultural Heritage? When sociologists talk about culture, they are more interested about the features of society which are learnt rather than inherited and these features help members of the society to co-operate and communicate with each other which facilitate them to create common platform to survive in a society. Culture consists of both intangible aspects and tangible aspects. Intangible aspects include belief, ideas, values and tangible aspect includes the objects, symbols and technologies which correspond to that aspect (Giddens, 2001). Culture comes from the Latin word ‘colere’ means ‘to cultivate’ to ‘to till the soil’. Smelse (1993) defined culture as ‘a set of values, views of reality, and codes of behavior, held in common people who share a distinctive way of life’. Schaefer (2006) identified culture as ‘ totality of learned, socially transmitted customs, knowledge, material objects, and behavior’. Giddens (2001) has given a bro ader view about culture .He says that culture refers to the ways of life of the members of the society, or of groups within a society. Ways of life of the members of the society or group consist of tangible and intangible culture. Intangible culture can not be touched which is opposite to the tangible. Intangible culture includes song, music, drama, skills, and others. Basic Texts of the 2003 convention for the safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage defined Intangible Cultural Heritage in page page-5 as ‘†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills-as well as the instruments, objects, artifacts, and cultural spaces associated therewith-that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage. This intangible heritage, transmitted from generation to generation, is constantly related by communities and groups in response to their environment, their interaction with nature and history, and provides them with a sense of identity and continuity, thus promoting respect for cultural diversity and human creativity†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.’ ‘†¦..the intangible Cultural Heritage, as defined above, is manifested inter alia the following domains: Oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of the intangiable cultural heritage; Performing arts; Social practices, rituals and festive events; Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe; Traditional craftsmanship†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..’ Why should Intangible Culture be safeguarded? Basic Texts of the 2003 convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage defined ‘Safeguarding’ in page page-6 as ‘†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..‘Safeguarding’ means measures aimed at ensuring the viability of the intangible cultural heritage, including the identification, documentation, research, preservation, protection, promotion, enhancement, transmission, particularly through formal and informal education, as well as the revitalization of the various aspect of such heritage†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..’ It is indeed very important to safeguard intangible cultural heritage like tangible cultural heritage. In fact, intangible cultural heritage is treated as the foundation of tangible cultural heritage. If we do not take appropriate measure to safeguard intangible cultural heritage, it will be very difficult for us to preserve and cherish our culture. Westernization, Americanization, Indianization, Urbanization, industrialization and above all because of the impact of the globalization our norms, values and rituals are changing and many of our folkways, morse and folk culture are disappearing and some are losing distinctiveness. Because of the information technology and media, foreign culture is becoming a part of our culture and influencing our life in many ways. To exist as an ethnic group and as a nation it is really essential to safeguard our intangible which is considered as the manufacturing element of tangible culture. To safeguard intangible cultural heritage public awareness, collective endeavors of local community and government organization and appropriate laws are needed. Some specific steps should be taken;; Identification of intangible cultural heritage, preparation of inventory and introduction of awareness programme (UNESCO, 2012). Role of Bangladesh National Museum in Preserving Cultural Heritage 4.1 The Oral History of Bangladesh Bangladesh is a land of poets, novelists, intellectuals, politicians, artists and journalist who immensely contributed and, in fact, are contributing to the socio-cultural development of the country and without this contribution society cannot be progressive or as a nation we could not be able to identify as an enlightened nation. Henceforth, in 1985 Bangladesh national Museum has taken a landmark initiative to interview eminent personalities of different fields in audio format and US Ford Foundation was kind enough to finance the project considering the importance and need which eventually helped enrich the collection of Bangladesh National Museum and opened an opportunity for the new generation to know about their distinguished predecessors and their views and philosophy of life and the society as a whole. The project title was ‘The Oral History of Bangladesh’. Under this project, Bangladesh National Museum was able to interview 100 eminent personalities including Abu Jafar Shamsuddin, Justice Abdus Sattar, journalist Md. Nasir Uddin, Poet Sufia Kamal, writer Monsur Uddin, Mokhlesur Rahman (shidhu mia), Basonti Guha Thakurota, Doc. Ahashanul Haque, with two different views firstly, to preserve the biography of those persons and secondly, to bring out socio-cultural, political and economic condition of the country of that time through their interviews. It was expected that this audio archive would able to work as a store house of knowledge for many research and references in future. Understanding the reality and significance, Bangladesh National Museum has taken further initiative to publish a book converting the audios named ‘A Hand Book of Oral History’ in English which is stored in the library of the museum and accessible for the people in large(Bangladesh National Museum, 1992). Keeping that success in mind and realizing the importance, national museum authority has initiated second phase of the project from 2012 where another 100 persons are enlisted to be interviewed and it would be recorded in video format and a book will be published in due course. This project is running successfully and ten interviews are already recoded. Professor Shordar Fajlul Karim, Mostofa Nurul Islam, Professor Shalauddin and Nurjahan Begum remarkable are among them. 4.2 Cultural Heritage of Districts Another notable step in respect of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage taken by Bangladesh national Museum was the making of video documentary of few districts which have historical heritage and are famous for rich culture. The districts are Rajbari, Mymensingh, Panchagor, Dinajpur, Rajshahi, Thakurgaon, Naogaon, Cumilla, Chittagong, Kushtia, Bhola, Pirojpur, Coxes Bazar, Bandorbon, Netrokona, Tangail, Jinaidaha and Bhola. The initiative was made in the year 1993. Three different steps were taken to complete the package. Firstly, all the historical places were recorded in video format and narration was added later on, secondly, with the help of the District Commissioner office a fair was organized and recorded accordingly to demonstrate the festive mode of Bangladeshi culture and its inner artifacts and folk song, Ghetu gan, lati khela, palagan, putulnach, snake-charming were included in the fair as well, thirdly, interview of the local eminent persons were recorded as witness statements to bring our the history, culture and tradition more authentically. It should be mentioned here that many historical places were comprehensively covered under this project like pirojpur kumar para, sundorbon, Monpura in Bhola district (Floating area), kantojirmondir in Dinajpur, Kusumba mosque in Naogaon, laloner mazar in Kustia, moynamoti in Comilla, paharpur bihar in Rajshahi including local famous mosques and temples. 4.3 Gramophone Record of famous Singers Bangladesh National Museum as a catalyst to preserve national history and heritage owns 123 gramophone record of many famous singers of Bangladesh which is not only significant in the history of Bangladeshi music but also reference source for future research. The records include the song of Abbasuddin, Kanon Devi, Komoldas Gupto, Shochin Dev Bormon, Baul Song etc. 4.4 Documentary on Liberation War In the year 1996 December, seven days long Reminiscence Programme on Liberation War was organized by Bangladesh National Museum. Seven different groups of people shared their memories of Liberation War and it was recorded in video format and the groups were constituted with Civil Freedom Fighter, Politicians, Cultural Personalities, Journalists and Artists, Administrative Officer of the Mujib Nagar Government, representative of Military, Para- Military and Police, family members of the Intellectual Martyrs and members of the Shadin Bangla Beter Kandro. The video documentary is preserved in Bangladesh National Museum as one of the valued documents of Liberation War with versatile information. 4.5 Documentary on Shitol Pati and Rickshaw Painting Documentary on Shitol Pati and Rickshaw Painting was made in the year 1999. A team from Bangladesh National Museum went to Balagonj of Sylhet district which is famous for Shitol Pati and made a documentary on that. All the steps of Shitol pati fabrication was recorded, starting from cane collection to weaving. National Museum officials also went to Rayer Bazar of Dhaka which is a famous place for Rickshaw Painting to record the technique of Rickshaw Painting which is considered as colorful folk paint. 4.6 Celebration of Bangla New Year Bangladesh National Museum takes initiative to celebrate Bangla New Year every year and fair and cultural programme performed by folk artist are organized as part of the celebration. In New Year fair different stalls are positioned with Pittha, handicrafts, pottery, dolls, local home decor, local musical instruments and others. Performers and singers from all over the country are invited in the New Year cultural fair. Concerned department of Bangladesh National Museum gives profound efforts to bring the artists from different parts of the country targeting those types of artists who have unique ability to perform folk song which are under serious threat of the influence of so called modern song. Our indigenous songs like Baul, Lalon, Vatiary, Jari, Sari and Pala are performed by the artist which create the interest among the spectators and give them opportunity to reiterate their love to the indigenous song. This initiative of Bangladesh National Museum should be considered as a perf ect inventiveness to transmit and promote indigenous song in a turbulent cultural atmosphere. 4.7. Exhibition of Traditional folk craft: Every year Bangladesh National Museum arranges an exhibition on our traditional craft. Here they exhibit the process of craft, like jamdani weaving, Shitol pati weaving, pottery making , tribal cloth weaving, Shola crafts, metal crafts etc. Every year Bangladesh National Museum arranges this exhibition to encourage the folk artists and also speared out this knowledge our new generation. Conclusion From the above discussion it is clearly understood that a leading organization of Bangladesh Government, National Museum is taking numerous steps to safeguard intangible cultural heritage through research, identification, documentation, preservation, protection, promotion, enhancement, transmission, particularly through formal and informal approach, as well as the revitalization of the various aspect of such heritage. For some predicaments like insufficient budget, bureaucracy, training and other requirements Museum is unable to extend the limit of its operation in regards to safeguard intangible cultural heritage. If these problems are solved, and if, it can work to its desired level, in future, she could play a very effective role to safeguard intangible cultural heritage which she is doing with lots of pride in the case of tangible cultural heritage. References Bangladesh National Museum (19912) A Hand Book of Oral History. Dhaka: Director General, Bangladesh National Museum Ginnens, Anthony (1997) Sociology. Cambridge: Polity Press Smelser, Neil J. (1993) Sociology. New Delhi: Prentice Hall of India Schaefer, Richard T. (2006) Sociology. New York: McGraw Hill UNESCO (2012) Basic Texts of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. France

The Life of Alan Shapiro and Analysis of “Country Western Singer” Essay

Alan Shapiro is a poet whom uses the sorrowful tragedies that occurred in his lifetime and turns them into beautiful poems in which he greatly expresses through his poetry. Most of his poems symbolize either a type of sorrow or tragic death, and the expressions used throughout his poetry make it noticeable that Alan Shapiro endured a life of hardship and tragedy. While Shapiro was growing up he lost his brother and his sister in which the poem â€Å"Sleet† by Alan Shapiro beautifully encompasses his feeling of grief and sorrow due to the loss of his siblings. Alan Shapiro was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on February 18th, 1952. He is the son of Harold and Marilyn Shapiro. Growing up Shapiro was a part of a Jewish household. Shapiro received his education at Brandies University. While attending Brandies University he discovered that his one and only passion was for the astounding art of poetry and he found an escape from all the devastating disasters he encountered in his youth (Garbett). Shapiro is also now an educator at Stanford University and he has also worked at Northwestern University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As Shapiro conveys in many of his works after researching Shapiro’s life it is known Shapiro’s brother and sister both died of cancer while Shapiro was very young, and these events highly contribute to Shapiro’s work as a poet. The memoir that Shapiro wrote which was entitled Vigil is about the tragic death of his sister due to the unfortunate events of being diagnosed with bre ast cancer. As it is well known Shapiro’s poems are very tragic and sorrowfully oriented it is no fault to say that different people happen to react and cope with death in different ways and Shapiro expresses his sadnes... ... This line implies that the drinking will never end and that no one can stop him from drinking no matter what you do. This poem is a poem that has beautiful imagery that consistently connects the reader to what’s going on in the actual poem like these lines from â€Å"Country Western Singer†, â€Å"And the blood I taste, the blood I swallow / Is as far away from wine / as 5:10 is for the one who dies at 5:09† (37-40). These lines have to do with the final push of the alcoholic and the fact that they lost the battle against alcoholism and did in fact pass away. In the most recent of years Alan Shapiro has not been as popular as he was some years ago, but no matter what Alan Shapiro poems will forever be engraved in the poetry world as the poems that many people of the world can relate to and I think that this will help him remain a staple in the poetry world for years to come.

The Theme of Carpe Diem in Francis Macomber and Capital Of The World Es

The Theme of Carpe Diem in Francis Macomber and Capital Of The World  Ã‚   The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber and The Capital Of The World  Ã‚     A lot of Hemingway’s stories deal with life and death. Death even found it’s way into some of the titles we have read so far. However, in discussing death, we first have to look at life or rather how a life was lived, to truly understand what death meant in the particular instance. Both short stories, The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber, and The Capital Of The World deal with lives cut short by a chance and accidental encounter with death, while the soon to be deceased seem to gamble and court death. Both also seem to have secondary characters that serve as guides of sorts into this journey. However only one of these characters seems satisfied when cut down, and that is what Hemingway thinks makes all the difference.   For example, in The Capital Of The World, were are introduced to the character of Paco. Early in the story, Hemingway writes, â€Å"Madrid is full of boys named Paco†(29). And, as stated in class, Francis, from The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber, to bears a rather unusual name. While â€Å"Paco† is told to be common, we recognize â€Å"Francis† as being an odd name for a man. The names are different, but the effect seems to be the same. Hemingway named his characters to give us a picture of who they are. With â€Å"Paco†, we see just another faceless boy, and with Francis we assume a poor example of a â€Å"Hemingway man†. Both of these are then set up to be unremarkable characters that may have to prove their worth. And that is what drives each particular story.   Both stories also have characters that drive each respective protagonist into his... ...;The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber ends with Wilson saying, â€Å" ‘I’m though now†, he said,’I was a little angry. I’d begun to like your husband’†(28). What Hemingway is telling us plainly is that Macomber was able to achieve something. His death, although tragic, is not as tragic as Paco’s. As we have said many times in class, Hemingway knows death does indeed come for everyone. From short stories like The Killers to novels like For Whom The Bell Tolls, death can almost even be described as a reoccurring character in Hemingway’s work. However death impact is weighed by comparing it to life. For Macomber, death came at his highest point. He went down like man. Paco however, lost his life before he could lose his innocence. He was not even given the chance to live. And that is what Hemingway thinks is all the more tragic. To die not like a man, but a boy.   

Computer Crimes :: Identity Theft

Computer Crimes Computer Crimes are on the rise in the state of Oklahoma with three of the most common being identity theft, credit card fraud, and computer hacking. A confused caller was having troubles printing documents. He told the technician that the computer was saying that the computer ''could not find the printer.'' The user had even tried turning the computer screen to face the printer, but his computer still could not 'see' the printer. Identity Theft Instances of identity theft have increased as the willingness of lenders like issuers of credit cards to extend credit without physical human contact, the ability to transact sales and other business at a distance (online and via telephone), and the availability of personal information, and its volume held by third parties, has increased. Credit card scams are three most common identity theft case reported so protect sensitive information and when at the ATM cover your pin and if there is a line ask the person behind you to step back. When doing transactions on the internet verify that the site is secure and remember the name of the sites bank are what the name of the transaction will be called on the bank statement. If online banking is available from your bank check the account weekly, 70% of identity theft is detected by the victim and victims who do this through electronic monitoring suffer less than 1/8th that of the one who reply on paper. Identity theft is the number one computer crime in Oklahoma City. Their were over 6,000 complaints in the state of Oklahoma in 2005 and 484 in OKC alone, Edmond and Tulsa are not far behind with over 300 cases. Nationally Oklahoma is 28th in the country for identity theft case reported. A few techniques for obtaining identification that most identity thieves might include: Stealing mail, rummaging through rubbish (dumpster diving), stealing personal information in computer databases, and infiltration of organizations that store large amounts of personal information. Credit card fraud Do not give account information on a cell phone use a house phone if possible, and do not give your pin number over the phone if some one ask you for your pin(personal identification number) over the phone report that person immediately because they are jeopardizing your information and it could be a scam. Persons that commit credit card crime largely go unpunished and repeatedly victimize consumers and businesses.

Sociology: Ethnicity and Crime

Using material from Item B and elsewhere, assess explanations for apparent ethnic differences in involvement in crime (21 Marks) According to official statistics, ethnic minorities are largely linked to crime and their involvement if often over exaggerated. Item B shows that black people make up 11% of the prison population, despite the fact they make up just 2. 8% of the population. Whilst, Asians make up 4. 7% of the population yet 6% of the prison population.These statistics emphasise that ethnic minorities are over-represented in the criminal justice system, and so the use of alternate sources of statistics may help show a more accurate picture. Victim surveys ask individuals what crimes they have been victims of and help identify the correlation between ethnicity and offending. They tend to show a great deal of intra- ethnic crime but also include several limitations as they rely on victims memory of events which could result in over- identifying certain ethnic groups as the off ender.Whereas, self- report studies ask individuals to disclose their own dishonest and violent behaviour. The findings of self- report studies challenge the stereotypes of black people as being more likely than whites to offend. However, self-report studies also have their own limitations as inconsistency is shown through the evidence of ethnicity and offending. There are ethnic differences at each stage of the criminal justice process. Policing is often seen to be oppressive, as members of ethnic minorities are more likely to be stopped and searched with Asians being twice more likely than blacks to be stopped by the police. Feature Article –  Sociology TestThese allegations have meant ethnic minorities have limited faith in the police and therefore feel under protected. Police racism is one of the many causes behind stop and searches with the MacPherson report identifying institutional racism within the police force. These types of racist behaviour and stereotypes are endorsed and upheld by the â€Å"canteen culture† of rank and file officers and lead to deliberate targeting of stop and searches. In 2007, just over a quarter of the male prison population were from minority ethnic groups.As such, blacks were five times more likely to be in prison than whites while blacks and Asian offenders are more likely than whites to serve longer prison sentences. This is because ethnic minorities are less likely to be granted bail while awaiting trial. The official statistics on the criminal justice process shows striking differences between ethnic groups, and these patterns have been examined by lef t realists and neo- Marxists. Left realists, Lea and Young focus on the statistics which represent real differences in rates of offending by different ethnic groups.They argue that crime is the product of relative deprivation, subculture and marginalisation whereby racism has led to the marginalisation and economic exclusion of ethnic minorities, who face a higher level of poverty and unemployment etc. In contribution to this, the media’s emphasis on consumerism promotes relative deprivation amongst ethnic groups, who are unable to attain these materialistic goods by legitimate means. This results into the formation of delinquent subcultures, most notable amongst unemployed black males.Utilitarian crimes are most likely to come of this, such as theft and robbery as a means of coping with relative deprivation. As these groups are likely to be marginalised, it means they are also likely to express their frustrations through non-utilitarian crime such as violence or rioting- thi s explains the involvement with crime by ethnic groups. Lea and Young acknowledge that the police may act in unjust ways but they don’t believe that discriminatory policing fully explains the differences in the statistics.Evidence to support this is that 90% of crime is reported to the police by the public rather than discovered by the police themselves. Lea and Young conclude their argument that the statistics represent real differences in levels of offending between ethnic groups, and that these are caused by real differences in levels of relative deprivation and marginalisation. Despite this, Lea and Young are criticised on several grounds that arrest rates for Asians may be lower than that of Blacks yet this isn’t because they are less likely to offend but because police stereotype the two differently.On the other hand, neo- Marxism tends to view statistics as a social construct resulting from racist labelling and discrimination in the criminal justice system. Item B brings to light Gilroy’s argument over the myth of black criminality that â€Å"black criminality is a myth created by racist stereotypes of African Caribbean’s. In reality, this group is no more criminal than any other. However, as a result of the police and criminal justice system acting on these racist stereotypes, ethnic minorities come to be criminalized and therefore appear in greater numbers in the official statistics†.The item helps us understand the extent of stereotypes and its effects on ethnic groups, yet Gilroy furthers his argument by identifying working class crime is a political act of resistance to capitalism and a racist society. Lea and Young refute Gilroy’s argument, by suggesting that most crime is intra- ethnic, so it can’t be seen as an anti-colonial struggle against racism. Lea and Young also criticise Gilroy for romanticizing street crime as somehow revolutionary, when it’s nothing of the sort.Moreover, Stuart Hal l et al also adopts a neo- Marxist perspective and found that the 1970’s saw a moral panic over black â€Å"muggers† that served the interests of capitalism. As unemployment and strikes were increasing, the ruling class needed to use force to maintain social control. In their view, the emergence of the black mugger and the capitalist crisis was no coincidence, as the black mugger was used a scapegoat to distract attention from true causes of problems such as unemployment. By presenting black youth as a threat to society, the moral panic began dividing the working class on racial grounds.However, Hall et al doesn’t argue that black crime was solely a product of media and police labelling. The crisis of capitalism was increasingly marginalising black youth through unemployment which resulted them into committing petty crime as a means of survival. Hall et al’s study of policing the crisis was criticised for not presenting how the capitalist crisis led to a moral panic, nor do they provide evidence that the public were blaming crime on blacks. During recent years, the focus of ethnicity and crime has largely been on the over representation of black people in the criminal justice system.However, more recently there has been shift in other issues such as the racist victimisation of ethnic minorities. Racist victimisation was brought into greater public focus with the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence and the police handling of the case, where most information is brought to life by victim surveys such as the British Crime Survey. The British Crime Survey found that most crimes go unreported and found that the risk of being a victim varies by ethnic group, whereby statistics showed that people from mixed ethnic backgrounds had a higher risk (36%) of becoming a victim of rime than blacks, Asians and whites faced. While the statistics recorded the instances of victimisation, they do not necessarily capture the victims’ experience of i t. Sampson and Phillips note, racist victimisation tends to be on going over time, with repeated minor instances of abuse and harassment interwoven with incidents of physical violence. This has led minority ethnic communities becoming more active in responding to victimisation, with situational crime prevention measures to organised self- defence campaigns taking place.Such responses need to be understood in the context of accusations of under- protection by the police, who fail to record or investigate reported incidents properly. The Macpherson enquiry into the Stephen Lawrence case concluded that the police investigation into death of the black teenager was â€Å"marred by a combination of professional incompetence, institutional racism and a failure of leadership by senior officers†. Ultimately, we have learnt the differences in ethnicity and crime but have established ethnic minorities also becoming subjected to victimisation.