Should Medicaid Pay for Abortion

Should Medicaid pay for abortion? This is a very touchy subject and one that has been in the newspapers for months now. It is also the main reason that the passing of the historic health was postponed for the amount of time that it was. I think that even though abortion is a touchy subject and won that has been a main topic since â€Å"Roe vs. Wade in 1973,† I think that is a very important topic and one that will always be discussed for much more time. I think that abortion should be legal and be the decision of the parties involved to make the decision on whether to have one or not.Also, I believe think that abortion should be covered by the tax payers in the case o rape or incest because both of those instances could result in a very tough life for the baby. Either the child will be hated by its mother because every day she looks at him/her it reminds her of her rapist, or the child is born with birth defects. To thoroughly make a good decision on where you stand with the a bortion topic, I think that you must first find out what abortion actually is.Abortion is the induced termination of a pregnancy with destruction of the embryo or fetus, any of various procedures resulting in the termination of a pregnancy, cessation of normal growth, especially of an organ or other body part, prior to full development or maturation, and the premature ending or abandonment of an undertaking. Abortion procedures include manual vacuum aspiration and dilation and suction curettage, both of which can be performed in early pregnancy.The social acceptability of abortion as a means of population control has varied from time to time and place to place throughout history. â€Å"It was apparently a common method of family limitation in the Greco-Roman world, but Christian theologians early and vehemently condemned it. It became widely accepted in Europe in the middle Ages. Severe criminal sanctions to deter abortion became common in the 19th century, but in the 20th century those sanctions were gradually modified in many countries. † In the U. S. the 1973 Roe v.Wade decision had the effect of legalizing abortion during the first three months of pregnancy; states were able to implement restrictions on access to abortion after the first trimester, though within constraints set by the courts. Since that decision, there has been a fierce debate between supporters and opponents of a liberalized abortion policy. As you see this is something that has been debated for centuries upon centuries. I have read many articals on abortion and how the procedure is actually conducted.The procedure seems to be very gruesome, that is why I can understand why some people like rep. Bart Stupak are diehard pro-life supporters. If you can recall Bart Stupak who is a senator from Michigan (our own state) was the democrat who along with twelve other pro-life democrats held up the passing of the healthcare bill with his votes until President Obama agreed to sign an executi ve order stating that government funding will not go to covering abortion in this new health care bill. After words Stupak said â€Å"We stood strong,† said Stupak. â€Å"We stood on a principle. Stupak’s argument really goes all the way back to Roe v. Wade. After Roe v. Wade decriminalized abortion in 1973, Medicaid covered abortion care without restriction. In 1976, Representative Henry Hyde (R-IL) introduced an amendment that later passed to limit federal funding for abortion care. Effective in 1977, this provision, known as the Hyde Amendment, specifies what abortion services are covered under Medicaid. Over the past two decades, Congress has debated the limited circumstances under which federal funding for abortion should be allowed.For a brief period of time, coverage included cases of rape, incest, life endangerment, and physical health damage to the woman. However, beginning in 1979, the physical health exception was excluded, and in 1981 rape and incest excep tions were also excluded. In September 1993, Congress rewrote the provision to include Medicaid funding for abortions in cases where the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest. The present version of the Hyde Amendment requires coverage of abortion in cases of rape, incest, and life endangerment. The first challenges to the Hyde Amendment came shortly after its implementation.The Supreme Court has held that the Hyde Amendment restrictions are constitutional and that states participating in Medicaid are only required to cover abortion services for which they receive federal funding rather than all medically necessary abortions. Challenges under state constitutions have been more successful. Several lawsuits have been brought in individual states arguing that state constitutions afford greater protection for privacy and equal protection than the federal Constitution. The Hyde Amendment affects only federal spending. States are free to use heir own funds to cover additional abortion se rvices. For example, Hawaii, New York, and Washington have enacted laws funding abortions for health reasons. Other states, such as Maryland, cover abortions for women whose pregnancies are affected by fetal abnormalities or present serious health risks. These expansions are important steps toward ensuring equal access to health care for all women. Prior to the 1993 expansion of the Hyde Amendment, thirty states chose not to use their own Medicaid funds to cover abortions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest.Initially, a number of states expressed resistance to comply with the expanded Hyde Amendment, and presently thirteen states are under court orders to comply and cover rape and incest in addition to life endangerment. â€Å"Every court that has considered the Hyde Amendment's application to a state's Medicaid program since 1993 has held that states continuing to participate in the Medicaid program must cover abortions resulting from rape or incest in order to be compli ant with the Hyde Amendment, regardless of state laws that may be more restrictive. Federal funding has been covering abortion for years and according to the Hyde Amendment it covers incest and rape. My research has also led me to see that Michigan is one of twenty seven states that receive funding under the Hyde Amendment. This means that one of the states that use federal funding for abortion in special cases has the main representative that is arguing that exact system. This is kind of ironic to me. If the federal funding is there and actually has been there for seventeen years what the point of arguing the bill that will eventually save the government money.I have found some interesting information that if looked at maybe by some of our politicians they would not cause such a big fuss like Stupak and some other extreme conservatives like Sarah Palin about a the health care bill that not only is in the best interest of the people but also the best interest of the government in te rms of the budget but also the insurance companies who now will have more policies out there to bring in more revenue. Here are some interesting facts that I found about what type of women have abortions and why. Women with family incomes less than $15,000 obtain 28. 7% of all abortions; Women with family incomes between $15,000 and $29,999 obtain 19. 5%; Women with family incomes between $30,000 and $59,999 obtain 38. 0%;Women with family incomes over $60,000 obtain 13. 8%. † The reason women have abortion are as follows, â€Å"1% of all abortions occur because of rape or incest; 6% of abortions occur because of potential health problems regarding either the mother or child, and 93% of all abortions occur for social reasons (i. e. he child is unwanted or inconvenient). † So why not allow the health care bill to cover abortion? If the bill is basically just going to keep the Hyde Amendment rule in place or maybe take it another step forward and require police reports on alleged rapes and incest it really will not make a difference. If only one percent of all abortion are due to rape or incest, that amount of spending will not even dent the federal funding. I think more money is spent by politicians on their private jets that take all over the United States just to make appearances.While abortion remains perhaps the most contentious issue in American politics, what is one person’s principled stand is another’s crime against humanity. Abortion is a decision that should be made by the person going through the process not some politician from Texas for example who lives in a ten thousand square foot home and makes probably a million dollars a year after kick backs. Also if the system of states covering under the correct circumstances has been working for almost twenty years then I say why change it.Many times people let their emotions and personal feeling make their decisions when all they have do is put themselves in the position of the women who was raped, or the male is out of the picture and the mother will not be able to financially support a child and the child might end up in a dumpster, in the street or living in foster homes its whole life. I look at this way and I’m going to state a question to some of these people who think federal funding should not pay for this. Financially speaking as a nation, Is it financially better to cover a $500 dollar procedure once or pay for Medicare, housing, and food for eighteen years?From doing the basic math I think the $500 is a lot cheaper. The United States is a business. And just like any other business it needs money to survive. To maintain that money it has a budget, and that budget at this point is in a major deficit. This bill will save trillions of dollars over the next fifteen years imagine how much more money they could save all states allowed the lower income poverty striking women to have abortion under the state insurance, trillions more would be sav ed. Basic math is the key to answering this, in the end its all business.WORK CITED 1. Gregg Cunningham, WHY ABORTION IS GENOCIDE Winter 2000 2. AMERICAN GOVERNMENT TEXT BOOK 3. Megan Carpentier, Bart Stupak is no healthcare hero (march 22, 2010) 4. Peter Roff, The Next Healthcare Reform Fight: Make the Abortion Executive Order Law (March 24, 2010) Pr 5. Steven Ertelt , New Catholic Bishops Memo: Abortion in Health Care Despite Obama Order (March 30, 2010) 6. Tres Sugar, Congress Debates Whether Health Care Should Cover Abortion (07/09/2009) 7. Angela Blair, Obama's Healthcare Bill Requires All Americans to Pay For Abortions (3/7/2010) 8. The Henry J. Kaiser Foundation, â€Å"Medicaid's Role for Women. Issue Briefs: An Update on Women's Health Policy (November 2004). 9. The Guttmacher Institute, â€Å"State Funding of Abortion Under Medicaid. † State Policies in Brief (June 1, 2005). ———————————â₠¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ [ 2 ]. American government: page 102 [ 3 ]. www. abortion. com [ 4 ]. www. csmonitor. com [ 5 ]. The Henry J. Kaiser Foundation, â€Å"Medicaid's Role for Women. † Issue Briefs: An Update on Women's Health Policy (November 2004). [ 6 ]. The Guttmacher Institute, â€Å"State Funding of Abortion Under Medicaid. † State Policies in Brief (June 1, 2005). [ 7 ]. www. abortionno. org [ 8 ]. www. abortionno. org

Settling the Rio Grande Valley

Settling the Rio Grande Valley The Rio Grande Valley consists of the southern most part of Texas, along the Texas/Mexico border. The population growth in this area was very slow until the 1900's, when it began to skyrocket. From 1920 to 1930, the population in the Valley more than doubled. One of the main factors for this population increase was the railroad construction. The St. Louis, Brownsville, and Mexico railroads all were completed in 1904. This furthered the expansion of the already popular method of irrigation farming in this area. The railroad system allowed for commercial production of different fruits and vegetables. Irrigation farming became extremely popular in this area and citrus orchards began popping up in this area. The farmers even discovered a tree that would thrive in the Valley climate. Irrigation farming became so successful that an amendment was added to the Texas constitution encouraging irrigation and drainage districts. Though it was becoming very popular, irrigation farming was far more expensive than the dry farming done in West Texas. It was almost impossible for small farmers to compete with the corporate farms and wealthy land owners. The large, corporate farms required extensive staff and therefore increased the population. The railroads continued to encourage population growth into the 20's and 30's by running excursion trains. These trains transported people, free of charge, from North Texas cities into South Texas. The passengers would often times buy land in South Texas and a single excursion could generate up to one million dollars in land sales. The economy continued to thrive and population continued to grow. Since most of the Valley consisted of large, corporate farms; the farmers relied on low paid laborers and the farms had their own cotton gins, stores, and employee housing. This created a wide gap between the wealthy and the poor, this gap was wider and more apparent than in other areas of the state because there were less small farmers to buffer the gap. Many of the low-wage laborers were African- American or Mexican-American. With that said, not only did rifts between classes become more evident, but also the racial tension became heavier. Earlier, â€Å"tradition and a relatively static social and political order† made people more sympathetic with the Tejanos. But during the twentieth century, these wealthy land owners were far more unsympathetic to the Tejano traditions and culture than in earlier years. This made discrimination more rampant and people became more outspoken with their bigotry. There are many documented events, like the Brownsville Affair to shed light on the extreme racism. In 1906, a documented fight broke out between a black soldier at Fort Brown and a local merchant. Since the soldiers arrived at Ft. Brown, the black soldiers were subject to extreme hatred and racism. With this particular incident, shots were fired and a white man was killed. This just goes to show the intense division between the classes and the hatred that was shown between the two groups. The railroads, the newly popular irrigation system, and the high land sales all contributed to the population growth, but because the corporate farms dominated the area, racial tension was very prevalent.

Case Study of a Cross-Cultural Organization

Organizational Behavior Final: Clayton J. Ollarvia [email  protected] com Organizational Behavior October 4, 2012 Looking into Nestle S. A and its disconnect with Cross-cultural communication and decisions Nestle SA is a Swiss Company engaged in the nutrition, health and wellness sectors. It is the holding company of the Nestle Group, which comprises subsidiaries, associated companies and joint ventures throughout the world. It has such business units as Food and Beverage, Nestle Waters and Nestle Nutrition. It is also active in the pharmaceutical sector.It divides its products into Powdered and liquid beverages, Water, Milk products and Ice cream, Nutrition, Prepared dishes and cooking aids, Confectionery, PetCare and Pharmaceutical products. The Nestle Group is managed by geographies (Zones Europe, Americas and Asia/Oceania/Africa) for most of the food and beverage  business, with the exceptions of Nestle Waters, Nestle Nutrition, Nestle Purina Petcare, Nespresso, Nestle Profes sional and Nestle Health Science which are managed on a global basis – these we call the Globally Managed Businesses. We also have joint ventures such as Cereal Partners Worldwide and Beverage Partners Worldwide.In regards to the operations elsewhere, Nestle USA caters to cravings on this side-of-the-Atlantic, from a child's sweet tooth to a grown-up's caffeine fix. The company is a major subsidiary of Swiss food  giant  Nestle S. A. Nestle USA  produces hundreds of well-known food brands, including frozen pizza (Tombstone, DiGiorno), chocolate and candies (Baby Ruth, Goobers), beverages (Nestea, Taster's Choice,  Nesquick), juices (Juicy Juice), canned milk (Carnation), ice cream (Edy's, Haagan-Dazs), baking goods (Nestle Toll House, Libby's), and prepared  meals (Stouffer's, Lean Cuisine). http://www. hoovers. com/company/Nestl%E9_USA_Inc/cysfyi-1. html Specifically where I see Nestle could benefit from understanding some of the Organizational Behavior practices i s in the realm of (cross-cultural) decision making and in Personality Traits. Nestle needs to recognize how to make decisions based upon more than just sales goals. A common definition of  decision-making  is the process of choosing a course of action for dealing with a problem or an opportunity. Schermerhorn, John R. (11/2011).Organizational Behavior, 12th Edition [1] (VitalSource Bookshelf), Retrieved from http://online. vitalsource. com/books/9781118426319/id/L9-1-1 One of the biggest problems with Nestle is that it is indeed a global company. A majority of the Presidents and Vice-Presidents and senior staff all reside in Switzerland and travel inconsistently to other countries and regions. This traveling issue makes it hard for management to be able to effectively know how to 1. Communicate with others in other countries and 2. Understand the differences in cultural mores from country to country.Moreover things that affect the economy in the Eastern countries does not effect the west. However, more than likely they expect things to work in similar if not the same ways from culture to culture and economy to economy. What this problem lends itself to is a lack of cross cultural management and ability to understand the proper ways to address other cultures. Although those of the Swiss culture tend to be very manner-able and well liked, often times we would find them somewhat unrelenting and slightly rude on conference calls and communications.A large faction of what I saw was miscues from managers not being able to communicate across different ethnic and cultural lines. This was even more evident with regional managers having to disseminate information to retail operations across the border and into other geographies. After going through all of our upcoming TCO’s I would like to investigate how given an understanding of the communication process and given specific incidents of cross-cultural communication problems, I plan to develop a strategy for improving organizational performance through the improvement of cross cultural management process. Nestle should first look at adopting a very extensive guide to cross cultural awareness * All managers should be privy to cross cultural communication programs to ensure compliance with cultural guidelines At the beginning of every cross-cultural management process is an encounter between two or more members of different cultures. In this encounter both participants communicate, watch, and react to  each other’s behavior. This behavior and communication is often not interpreted in the correct way, but according to the cultural program of the observer.Because it is dif? cult to understand the other’s thinking, interpretation is often wrong and does not allow insights into the attitudes and values of  the communicators or interactions. Culture can best be described through three main concepts: values, attitudes, and behavior. All three signify culture and allow us to di fferentiate from other cultures. A survey of current literature consistently indicates that the contemporary business context is globally interdependent and interconnected.It further demonstrates that corporate leaders should provide opportunities for their managers in international assignments to learn cross-cultural business etiquette in order that they will excel in their interpersonal relationship overseas. (Sizoo, 2007, p. 84) Being that Nestle has so many plants, locations and does business in over 100 countries worldwide, one could argue that it would be essential to have multi cultural norms and ethics guidelines. Throughout my tenure, the main focus of the organization was to produce sales based upon projections from Head Quarters.This can be problematic seeing as expectations for sales is not weighted based upon the social economy. Cross-cultural misunderstandings often have some seemingly deep roots. Even if we speak with people in English and communicate directly what we intend to say, the message comes across differently than anticipated. Recognizing the need for a Nestle cultural program would be a dif? cult task. Most people are born and bred in a very particular cultural environment, they can only perceive and understand the world, their deeds, and counterparts’ reactions through their very own cultural perspective.This perspective is a strong ? lter through which most people understand, interpret, and process information in a particular way. And in most cases, these same people do not recognize this ? lter. Our own culture and way of doing business seems sovereignly logical and â€Å"normal† that we can hardly think of a better or different way of doing things and managing in ? rms. I would argue that this view is also true for managers who grew up on the other side of the world; they have their own (very logical and often very successful) ideas about how to do business.A good portion of cross cultural misunderstandings come from how people think and feel about other cultures, which I would argue is made up generally of stereotypes. Stereotypes are generalisations help us to simplify, classify and in general attempt to make sense of the world. They occur when we infer qualities about a person based on evidence of a single characteristic. For example, we may assume that because someone is Hindu that they work in the IT department. This assumption is likely to be based on our previous experience of people with Hindu people or from information we have gathered from the media or other people.The problem is of course that stereotypes do not always apply. It is certainly not the case that all Hindu people work in information technology. We are most likely to hold stereotypes about groups of people who we do not perceive to be like us and of whom we have limited experience. It is essential for a company the size and with as much reach as Nestle to be able to understand the negative aspects of both behaviors of cro ss-cultural misunderstandings and avoid stereotypes and learn how to cross-culturally manage both organizationally and or on the institutional level.I would argue that this means having enough awareness of both their host culture and their home culture to be able to make correct managerial decisions regarding its organization’s work force, its commercial markets, the community in which it operates, and the country, which is its host. A good example of Nestle’s non-understanding of cross cultural awareness is the all but forgotten Nestle Infant Nutrition scandal of the 1970’s. Here Nestle sent several of its work-force into third world countries in order to push their infant nutrition.Now at the time the formula was doing well in countless other countries and was practically flying off the shelves. However, one of the KEY necessities for the formula was for it to be added to water. Being that at the time no one in Switzerland chose to know enough about these thir d world locations to see that the water that they had access to was wildly polluted and all but poisonous to small children. If Nestle had taken steps in preparing managers for multinational assignments, they would have been abreast of cultural sensitivity, understanding the importance of maintaining business relationships, and impression management.They should be informed about the complexities in international cultures and human resources management The way people communicate varies widely between, and even within, cultures. One aspect of communication style is language usage. Across cultures, some words and phrases are used in different ways. For example, even in countries that share the English language, the meaning of â€Å"yes† varies from â€Å"maybe, I'll consider it† to â€Å"definitely so,† with many shades in between. (http://www. pbs. org/ampu/crosscult. html) This theory alone is what makes having a viable and understandable guidelines for multi-cul tural communication.We will admit that the difficulty in crafting such a document would be not only time consuming but also, extremely tiring as in order to create such guidelines one would have to familiarize themselves with hundreds of different cultures at any given time, however I would argue that a successful guidelines would not just solely be based on the specific interactions of each country but instead be focused on a general understanding of how managers and ALL employees should seek to treat each other across local, national and especially international lines.The critical process of making decisions, reaching mutual agreements, and building consensus has taken a new dimension because of differences in business etiquette and ethical practices. Cross-cultural awareness skills and interpersonal negotiation competence are a pre-requisite to effective management of a multination workforce. (Okoro, 2012, p. 132) Cross-cultural awareness encourages the recognition of cultural di fferences while also noting similarities through which communication, understanding and relationships can be forged. The following points reflect the value of gaining a stronger sense of cross-cultural awareness:Reduces misunderstandings and enhances trust †¢ Understanding and trust can be deepened when each government is more aware of how its and the other government’s cultural background influence their perceptions, values and decisions. Aids in planning, setting goals and problem solving †¢ Each organization can plan and problem solve more effectively as they will be more attentive to what is important to them and the other party Communication, though variously defined, generally describes a process by which information is exchanged among two or more people in a given context.Ultimately, this process of exchanging information is bound by a purpose: that is, to reduce uncertainty and develop a common understanding among the participants (Kawar, 2012). Cross Cultur al communication is another area that I believe Nestle could greatly benefit from on a global scale. Not all too dissimilar to that of awareness communication allows you to take what you know via that of awareness and be able to translate those things into how you speak and interact with you clients worldwide.Success or failure in managing a diverse or multicultural workforce largely depends on the ability of managers to communicate effectively with people from different backgrounds and nationalities. International business is the outgrowth of globalization, which is driven primarily by economic interdependency and advances in technology, but the success in global business ventures will be affected by the inability of international managers to understand appropriate business etiquette, customs, and values needed to conduct business among nations of the world. (Okoro, 2012, p. 132)Okoro assesses that management and communication scholars have consistently argued that the success of m anagers on international assignments depends largely on effective cross-cultural communication. Because of its importance, a number of high-growth organizations competing globally make a conscious effort to hire multi-lingual people from varied cultural backgrounds and nationalities. Here in particular is a place of great opportunity for Nestle to grow fundamentally. Having a manager in play that is already familiar with the customs and languages of the area is vitally important to the success and overall outcome of the business.Now the issue comes into play is that while Nestle does have staff all around the world in numerous countries that are indigenous to those specific areas, they still have a strong expectation and in some ways an imposing will on those people. How does that affect the communication process? Well If in any given country it is impolite to wags one finger as they speck yet that practice is customary in Switzerland, that in and about itself makes for very difficu lt deliberations. Cross- cultural communications problems may occur if all individuals within a team do not use the same language, nor norms.In these situations, for ease of communication, the team often chooses a common language that they can use for group communications. Communication differences between individuals can occur on several different levels but for the sake of consistency I will use the finger example I used in the previous paragraph: Gestures form a significant part of methods of communication. However, there are few if any universal gestures. Non-verbal behaviours or ‘body language' vary considerably from one culture to another.For example, a high level of eye contact is considered a sign of attentiveness in some cultures and a sign of rudeness in others. In some cultures individuals are encouraged to express their emotions openly, while in others openly demonstrating feelings is discouraged. These differences in body language can lead to misunderstandings bet ween people of different cultural backgrounds. Norms are culturally defined rules for determining acceptable and appropriate behavior (Okoro) They include those that govern social situations and conversational routines such as greetings, making requests, and expressing various emotions.In intercultural communication interlocutors may be tempted to transfer their cultural norms to contexts that are not appropriate In conjunction with this Sizoo states that, while some organizations recognize the importance of international business, training and development programs often deal inadequately with the potential conflicts that result from cross-cultural interactions. Too often this training addresses only the cognitive level–focusing on the dos and don’ts. When managers pursue careers in international business they must prepare for a life in a foreign cognitive, affective, and behavior context.That preparation must include learning cross-cultural considerations intellectual ly, emotionally, and experientially. I believe that Sizoo’s outline for effective communication training is as outlined. I. Cross Cultural Interview II. Handling a Cross Cultural Event With Cross Cultural interviews the gist of it is each participant interviews one foreigner who is from a culture different from his or her own, and whom he or she has never met before. This exercise provides experience and builds skills at the first two levels of cross-cultural management, self and interpersonal.This orientation into cultural norms will help management better decipher different cultures and how to break the ice. I have seen the contrary of this especially within Nestle in the early stages of my career. In two distinctly different interactions with management I was told, once that my manager had never worked with an African American man and that he needed to adjust how he communicated since there may be a barrier between us. In a different interaction another manager, while spea king with an Asian coworker said hey I love Chinese food, can you make any by yourself.Having to initiate and manage an interaction with foreign stranger addresses the emotional challenges of developing cross-cultural expertise. With handling cross-cultural events Sizoo states that, each cultural incident describes a realistic cross-cultural misunderstanding, four plausible explanations for the misunderstanding, and an evaluation of each explanation. In this activity trainees discuss and demonstrate the cross-cultural incidents. The emphasis is on having participants project themselves into the scenario so they â€Å"experience† the cultural conflict motionally as well as intellectually. This type of training could be paramount in helping managers overcome communication problems that may arise while dealing with a cross-cultural organization. I use the example of the formula debacle once again here. I would argue that although no one could have readily predicted that such a t ragedy would have occurred, if managers were trained on how to defuse problems culturally then I would argue that the explosion of public opinion would not have happened.Being amply prepared to deal with cultures is one of the key fundamental necessities of any successful business. Now while Nestle was able to eventually recover if people had been trained in this process a bit earlier than, again perhaps things would not have escalated to the points that they did. Through this process managers would learn how to accept the virtual inevitability of making some cross-cultural errors, but not to accept repeating the errors. They would also learn that errors in appropriate behavior are far worse than mere inability to speak the host country language.The participants further learn to strategically recover in such situations and soon afterwards seek out explanation of their cross-cultural error from a member of the host culture. The key take away with this exercise is that management lear ns how to develop and over time eventually master communicating cross-culturally in hostile environments. Within the cross-cultural news portion of the exercise, managers would be required to find a newspaper or magazine article that describes an American work organization adapting, or having difficulty in adapting, to the culture of a foreign country.Participants present an analysis of the cross-cultural differences to the group as a whole and explain why the American organization was successful or unsuccessful in resolving its cross-cultural differences. This allows for managers to get firsthand experience of a similar company to Nestle (ideally) and analyze some of the struggles that they are currently experiencing. This first hand ensures that managers will be able to not only potentially defuse similar situations in the future but even potentially understand the communication process in order to better facilitate a smoother transition to other cultures.In cross-cultural communi cation, anxiety and uncertainty are heightened by cultural variability. If the differences between cultures are profound, anxiety and uncertainty would increase when members of the different cultural groups engage in cross-cultural communication. In the same way that theories such as The Theory of Communicative Competence (as described by T. A. McCarthy) suggests that cross-cultural norms practices etc should be taught in schools, is the same was one could argue that cross-cultural communication should be taught by all those organizations, similar to Nestle that have offices all other across the globe.With both of these initiatives I would think that Nestle would be able to propel itself by leaps and bounds over cross-cultural boundaries. And yes to be honest Nestle has moved to rectify SOME of the issues outlined in this expose, however again I do believe that there does still exist some behavior and speech that is not conducive to the cross-cultural atmosphere. 1. Schermerhorn, Jo hn R. (11/2011). Organizational Behavior, 12th Edition [1] (VitalSource Bookshelf), Retrieved from http://online. vitalsource. com/books/9781118426319 2. Sizoo, S. , Serrie, H. & Shapero, M. (2007). Revisiting a Theory-Supported Approach to Teaching Cross-Cultural Management Skills. Journal Of Teaching In International Business,18(2/3), 83-99. doi:10. 1300/J066v18n02_0 3. Okoro, E. (2012). Cross-Cultural Etiquette and Communication in Global Business: Toward a Strategic Framework for Managing Corporate Expansion. International Journal Of Business & Management,  7(16), 130-138. doi:10. 5539/ijbm. v7n16p130 4. Kawar, T. (2012). Cross-cultural Differences in Management. International Journal Of Business & Social Science,  3(6), 105-111.

LS week7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

LS week7 - Essay Example This includes individuals who are directly or indirectly connected to the company. The company is also responsible to the planet that we are living in. This approach views the shareholders in the company as being part of the stakeholder. In this paper, triple bottom line is to look at its integration in management. Background Organisations that are involved in community support, and they affect the community surroundings beyond the organisation. By doing this, they reduce risk. Organisations that support the triple bottom line approach are regarded as safer investments. Hence, these organisations are able to procure funds; they also avoid legalities with the governments by fostering good publicity and avoid angering special interest groups. Strategies in adopting triple bottom line Adopting a TBL perspective will require focused commitment through a long-term strategic thinking, planning alignment, and implementation (Kaplan, 2004). Companies should adopt two strategies to incorporat e the triple bottom line principle to the organisation operations. The organisation should understand that sustainability requires innovation; the sustainability strategy should also be customised. Triple bottom line organisations take pain to do away with ecological footprint. This type of organisations strives for sustainability. They recognise the fact that paying more attention to the environment may be profitable. They argue that it is not all about the money. This can be seen as a sacrifice when these companies take pains to reduce their energy use, dispose toxics in safe ways and try to produce products that are safe for consumption. This approach, viewed by many people, can seem as a waste of time but in the real sense, it can prove worthwhile, to some extent. Many companies today, for example sports teams and media companies, hire people for their success. They motivate and retain good people in the company’s profiles. These people become the stars and are not the sh areholders in the company. Hence, such companies remain with no option but to focus more on their customers. In many parts of the world today, good people are in short supply; hence, companies need to look after their workers well. If the organisation will not be able to look after its workforce well, then they will not attract and retain the people they need to work in that particular organisation. Triple bottom line contributes to the hiring of top talent, retaining of top talent, increased employee productivity, less manufacturing expenses, increased revenues and market share and easier financing. Companies that follow the triple bottom line way of doing things have big considerations on how they impact the people that they get involved in. This can include the people who supply the raw materials to the company, and the company chief executive (Kaplan, 2004). The company makes sure that they consider everyone’s well-being. They may offer health care, provision of good work ing hours, education and job advancement. Analysis and Challenges of triple bottom line Triple bottom line comes with its challenges when applied to an organisation. Profits in this approach are just an aspect of their mission; the approach encourage that companies focus on how they impact their customers. The goal to generate a profit, despite other outcome, is tampered by the need for the company to consider the societal and the environmental consequences of actions it carries out. This

Stock Investment Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Stock Investment Analysis - Assignment Example What each and every investment requires is to perform well and fetch good returns. This is made possible when the business or investment is able to consistently build and maintain a long term growth on capital. The FLCSX fund tries to meet this general requirement through the investment in large capitalization stocks across the world (Vishwanath, & Krishnamurti, 2009). These large capitalization companies are the companies that are firmly established and have a high return on their capital. The FLCSX fund maintains a massive 80% of its investments in these kinds of companies (Elton, 2010). In essence there are some benefits that are expected to be drawn from these kinds of companies which include security and lower risk as compared to the small and middle cap companies (Vishwanath, & Krishnamurti, 2009). However these companies may not offer good returns as compared to the middle and small cap companies when one invests in stocks, which are the main area of investment for the FLCSX f und. This fund also poses some possibility of risk due the investment in foreign stocks. Naturally the foreign stocks experience some difficulties especially in areas such as economic developments political state of the invested country among other factors (Vishwanath, & Krishnamurti, 2009). ... The FLCSX fund fetches good returns which are increasing and though the C&P 500 fund started off at a higher level. As time went by the FLCSX fund was able to create a margin between the C&P500 fund to a high of more than 5% (Elton, 2010). However in the past three year period it was able to pick up and close the margin to 3%. This is greatly attributed to the recession of 2009 taking into consideration the earlier discussed in their investment strategy of FLCSX fund. However the trend reversed and in the past one year there has been a margin of 6%. Therefore it can be concluded that the performance of the FLCSX fund has been above bar. The fund initially started off at a point below the benchmark of C&P500 but it was able to strengthen and register a high of 6% above the benchmark in the past one year. The financial performance of the FLCSX fund has had an upward trend over some years. However the fund is faced by some volatility risks that include currency exchange rates, political structures, interest rates and regulatory risks among other risks. These risks impact in their own unique way to the returns that the company gets (Elton, 2010). The currency exchange rates are known to change day in day out and their fluctuations can lead to a gain or a loss. When the rates go down the company is set to realize low profits as they will get less after the exchange. However when the exchange rates go up the company will realize more after they trade in the currencies (Elton, 2010). The political state also affects returns that are fetched from the stocks and securities of FLCSX. These securities trade in the local and foreign markets this increases the risk as the political situations of the in the companies invested in

Anything related to Munich or Nuremberg Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Anything related to Munich or Nuremberg - Essay Example The city is alleged to be instituted by Benedictine, a monk, in 1158. The post administrative structure of Munich has been autonomous in leadership divisions, and consultative decisions must be made. Leaders are picked through anindependent legal system for a duration implemented by the constitution, normally four years. This was after war waged by the Americans and later revealed that supremacyis intended for the locals (Stolleis 2004). Nazis movements organised and controlled the better part of Munchin and Germany as a whole for the period of the first world war. (Kopleck 2006)explains thatthemovement formed was anextremist, who were racists and anti-communists. Its presencewas to forcepopulaces to be nationalists, rather than socialists. The associationprohibited democracy as it assumed it profited the jew. Munich through the denunciation of this association fought against it escalating to its territory.It wasbombarded with bombs and heavy loss was gathered (Kopleck 2006). However, it waslater restored andsalvaged its splendour after the close of the second world confrontation, and the resignation of Hitler. Munich is a traditionalist township, (Hendriks 1999)and has remainedgoverned byonly SDP Party since the second world hostilities, conceding just once to the opposition, CSU. The present-day mayor is Christian Ude from the SDP party, who has reigned since 2008 (Munich Sister City Association of Greater Cincinnati 2009). Munchen is celebrates historic events which has led to whittling the political structure of the contemporaryregime. The administrative and statutorysystem areadopted into command by a prevalent party which rarely loses its approval. The inhabitants are known to be very conformist and their optimal choice of leaders is determined by their choice of political party3. Its political thinking was grounded in Aristotle’s viewpoint, which stressed on morals and coherent thinking.They Maintained

Airline Deregulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Airline Deregulation - Essay Example Although the different airlines were competing on different levels the major airlines Delta, American and United airlines adopted the hub- and spoke system that entailed a shift in the route structure, so as to increase their bargaining power as a supplier. The intensity of competitive rivalry Competition between airlines are increased as more and more airlines joined the market ever since.The impact of the five components consists, Entry of new airlines This made the customers enjoy low pricing from the different carriers, making customers have a variety of airlines to choose from increasing the quality of services from the airlines. The major airlines had to do product differentiation so as to keep their clientele base by opting for a method called the hub. The government had to do a distribution in the routing of the airlines so as not to affect the original Airbus so much making adjustments in who the carriers should operate to what destinations. Due to the competition that the d eregulation enforced on the airlines, the major carriers opted for this FFP’s loyalty strategy. This was a way to win the trust and loyalty of their customers and to maintain their clientele base, they were rewarding their customer's free flights, if there could frequently be flying in their bus, this strategy brought about loyalty that was necessary to keep the hub operation going. Such products were able to put the big air companies on the market, increased their customer base and ensured sustainability of their business.

Non-Governmental Organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Non-Governmental Organization - Essay Example In spite of that, an NGO is never constituted as a political party, a criminal group, a government body, or a violent guerilla agency. (Willetts, 2002); (Baehr; Gordenker, 1986) In 1910, around 132 international NGOs formed a coalition under the name, the Union of International Associations. At that time, the NGOs had a variety of names for themselves including international institutes, international unions, and international organizations. Although the initial scheme of the UN charter did not consider any plan to combine forces with private organizations, a grand meeting at the San Francisco conference changed this fact. Thence came into being the United Nations, in 1945. The participation of NGOs in UN greatly increased its role in the social and economic issues around the world, and it also raised the status of the Economic and Social Council to a principal organ. So, in order to differentiate the two types of organizations involved in the UN, specialized agencies was the term set for organizations formed by intergovernmental agreements, while non-governmental organizations was set for private agencies. Both these terms were entered into the official UN vocabulary, but NGO gained a much larger popularity, especially since the 1970's, and so entered into general use. (Willetts, 2002) Growth The number of NGOs increased exponentially after the Second World War, at the national and local level. On the international level, NGOs came into being supporting global issues like human rights, rights of women, and maintenance of the environment. Along with these issues, international NGOs also gained importance in the matter of global politics associated with the UN and its subsidiary organizations. (Karns, 2008); (Ahmed; Potter, 2006) Some of the factors that have contributed to the growth of NGOs worldwide are given below (Karns, 2008); (Baylis; Smith, 2001): Globalization. A rise in popularity of global issues like human rights, environmental protection, etc. An increase in international conferences held under the sponsorship of the United Nations. The boom in technology, which lead to smooth communications between individuals or organizations through facsimile (fax), Internet, and e-mail.An increase in the popularity of democracy, which gave rise to the civil society and provided the opportunity to every person to constitute and manage organizations more freely. General Role NGOs take part in a variety of activities. They provide significant information and consultancies to both governmental and international organizations, for instance agencies affiliated with the UN, regarding current global issues. The data supplied to these organizations is often not available to the local government. (Karns, 2008) NGOs may decide to have a particular policy to tread on, like banning of landmines, acted upon by the International Campaign to Ban

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Discussion - Essay Example There is a lot of corruption in the world which causes people to forget about the main problem, which is health. Third-world countries increasing population makes it harder for governments to focus on one major aspect which is good health and proper sanitation. Poverty, corruption and uncontrolled population are some clear reasons for the lack of a healthy life in many parts of the world. However, the notion that all is well in the First World and things are irredeemable in the Third World is an overstatement. While healthy habits and personal hygiene are better looked after in developed countries thanks to their economic stability, the fact that medical services have become extremely expensive in these countries poses a threat to common people when they are required to take prolonged treatment for their illnesses. Moreover, the after effects of recession make it difficult for people in developed countries to buy quality food in the global market, while those in the Third World are still able to have healthy food on daily basis thanks to the local markets that don’t charge exorbitant prizes for meat, fish, fruits and vegetables. It is true that in places like India, the idea of hygiene in public places have to evolve in order to mee t international standards. However, large scale pollution from industrial areas that harm the entire world comes mainly from the First World, as they move blindly towards profit. When compared to this catastrophe, a lifestyle change among common people in the Third World would be easier, with proper awareness programmes. Issues of poverty can somehow be managed, but the other two problems, of corruption and population, are to be addressed more seriously, and a farsighted approach to minimize them should be the priority of governments. 2. Providing the means of a healthy life to the world’s people is too costly. Poor decisions are made everyday when it comes to feeding our families in order to avoid such an

Discussion Question 1 Week 4 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion Question 1 Week 4 - Assignment Example In a cigarette industry where I am employed, in the past twenty years, the U.S. cigarette companies used to spend as much as $1.1 billion on marketing alone. That marketing involved advertising, labeling and promotion of cigarette smoking. Before the enactment of the law in 1970, brands of cigarettes regularly sponsored the American television and radio programs in 1960s and 1950s. In early 1970s, marketing of cigarettes then extended to newspapers, magazines and to billboards. Ten years before the enactment of the tobacco law, all tobacco companies continued to advertise, promote and label cigarette packages with messages such as â€Å"approved by doctor† along with images of beautiful models and athlete who are enjoying their life with cigarettes in their hands to raise the awareness, sales and preference of the cigarette brand. Due to the kind of cigarette advertisements by cigarette companies, consumers of cigarettes continued to smoke without knowing the health impact of excessive usage of tobacco and cigarettes. That was because smoking advertisements were majorly focused on glamorizing smoking and did not expose the grim realities of using tobacco. For all that period, the cigarette companies did not succeed in fulfilling the promise of enlightening its consumers about health effects caused by smoking. Adamson (2010) states that the failure of manufacturers of cigarettes to discharge these promises making the consumers to remain misinformed concerning the smoking risks associated with their health. The Tobacco Control Act was endorsed to regulate advertising and marketing of cigarette and tobacco. These included introduction of new warnings for products of smokeless tobacco and prohibition of manufacturing products that used deceptive descriptive terms like â€Å"low†, â€Å"light† and â€Å"mild†. In the next 10 years, if this law is not repealed, it will lead to a negative impact on cigarette business. This is

How Does Hosseini Tell the Story in Chapter 2 Essay Example for Free

How Does Hosseini Tell the Story in Chapter 2 Essay During this early stage of the novel, narrative is fundamental in forming the basis and definition of Amir, the protagonist and teller of the story. As well as this, several expectations for the novel are also established, particularly in terms of characterization and plot. Whilst the book as a whole can be described as a psychological exploration into the complexities of guilt and jealousy, this chapter differs in the sense that the narration deliberately refrains from discussing any thoughts or emotions of Amir. Founded on factual knowledge such as dates, times, births, deaths, and directly quoted dialogue, the formal tone may reflect the writer’s attitude to the material being discussed; perhaps he is ashamed and wants, during this chapter, to distance himself from emotional implications and accountability? Instead, we are introduced to the voices of other characters, such as Baba, Ali and Sanaubar. This begins to embed the idea that the plot will revolve around a delicate web of interpersonal relationships. Furthermore, Hosseinis first-person narrator makes the larger story of Afghanistans troubles seem very personal, as Amirs tale of personal abuse, betrayal, and redemption, mirrors the tale of Afghanistan itself. Hosseini uses contrast to illustrate the inverse lives of Amir and Hassan. Endless description of infinite luxury, marble surfaces, the warmth of fire, and curved walls steering through one room after another, is followed by a single sentence, almost as an afterthought, mentioning Hassan and Ali’s humble mud hut at the bottom of the garden. The choice of sentence structure is reflective of their positions in society; their respective lifestyles are the culmination of ethnic tensions and intolerances. However, a degree of similarity remains, a similarity that is irrelevant of society. Both Hassan and Amir have lost their mothers, and as a consequence, only have their fathers and each other. They are closer than regular friends, or more like brothers. Their relationship plays a central role in the book, and it figures in another theme that is introduced in this chapter: standing up for what is right. But despite this undeniable connection, Amir cannot call Hassan a friend, in the same way that Baba never refers to Ali as a friend either. The looming division of religious beliefs is further intensified by the blasphemous language used by the soldiers in reference to Hassan’s mother, which gives an impression of the control and sadistic ways associated with the treatment of Hazaras by the Pashtuns. The significance of setting becomes increasingly apparent as the book goes on, and in this chapter we are introduced to the pastoral environment that sets the scene for the childhood that Amir and Hassan shared. Hosseini crafts a typical landscape in descriptive detail of the Afghanistan that once was, of sunlight, trees, fruit, and autumn colours. This imagery is recurrent in passages of retrospective throughout the novel, and is part of a structural plan to effectively shock the reader in later chapters when Amir returns to Afghanistan.

Legacies of colonialism in the world today Essay Example for Free

Legacies of colonialism in the world today Essay The colonization of one country by another is rampant throughout history. One country invades and subdues another, extending its sovereignty over the said country or territory for various reasons. Mainly, it is to use the resources of the invaded territory in order to enrich and strengthen itself. As early as the 16th Century, various empires were colonizing nations and territories all over the world. The Portuguese, French, Japanese, British and Spanish were all out to enlarge their territories and empires. When the age of colonialism was finally over, many of the colonized people found that there way of life had changed. Their colonizers had left legacies, both good and bad. Three area’s were the legacy of colonization is felt strongly are economic development, civilization development and cultural transformation. 2. 0 Economic Development Prior to colonization, the indigenous people of any country traded mostly with the surrounding peoples. Most of it was a barter trade that was aimed at making sure there was an even distribution of resources among the people. When the colonizers invaded the countries, they came in search of what resources they could use to enrich their own country, often at the expense of the natives. They looked at agriculture, what crops would easily grow in the region based on the climate of the colony that would satisfy the demands of the people in their home country. They also looked at the natural resources and minerals available in the said colony. In so doing, the colonizers dominated trade, trade routes and even products that could be traded. In the 15th Century Portuguese ships were exploring Africa, Asia and the America’s. Henry the Navigator was pursuing trade in gold and slaves on the West African coast, Bartolomeu Dias was discovering the Cape of Good Hope on the Southern tip of Africa, and Vasco da Gama reached India (Portuguese Empire). Islands like Madagascar, discovered by Trista da Cunha, did not escape. In all these places they established trading posts and fortresses, moving aggressively in their quest to dominate. They took over the ports and controlled trade in the bordering oceans. Brazil, discovered in the year 1500 by Pedro Alvares Cabral, become Portugal’s most important colony. The Portuguese were able to get gold, sugar cane, coffee, precious stones as well as other cash crops from Brazil (Portuguese Empire). 2. 1 Trade in Brazil The economic backbone of present day Brazil is still agriculture, mining and manufacturing. Having discovered the importance of their natural resource during the error of colonization, Brazil’s economy has been doing very well with a GDP per capita of US$ 10,300 estimated in the year 2008 (Central Intelligence Agency, 2009) With the rise of the sugar industry in Brazil established by the Portuguese, it became apparent that there was a great need for labour to ensure that the crop received the needed attention. This gave rise to a new form of international trade with a new product, African slaves. Diagram 1 – Slave Trade Routes Source: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill http://www. unc. edu/wrc/maps/08-Map. png Using their connections in Africa, Portuguese slave traders imported slaves by the millions to meet the demand for labour in the sugar plantations (Portuguese colonization). It is important to note though, that slave trade had began way before the need ever arose in Brazil, by the year 1470, the capital of Portugal, Lisbon, was already a major slave port. The rise of coffee plantations in the 19th century further increased the demand for slaves. There were other advantages to Portugal in businesses that were associated with the slave trade. These included the trade of Portuguese commodities that were traded and exchanged for slaves as well as goods produced by the slaves. In this period the Portuguese imported approximately three and a half million slaves (Slave routes, 2009). Due to this importation of slaves as well as the immigration into Brazil of other cultures, native Brazilians today are a minority. Of the approximately 180 Million Brazilians, 55% are Europeans mainly from Portugal, 38% are of mixed African and European descent, 6% are African and 1% are classified as other, which includes Amerindian (Brazil demographic profile). 2. 2 Introduction of new cash crops and plants. When the Portuguese came to Brazil they started the plantation method that had worked very well so far in their African colonies. This plantation method continued even after they left and is still in effect in Brazil today. Seeing as it is the world’s largest producer of coffee, sugar cane, orange juice frozen concentrate and tropical fruit, it is easy to understand why they have kept the plantation method all these years. Additionally, Brazil is also the world’s largest producer of beef, with 170 million head of cattle. Among the other cash crops produced by Brazil are soybeans, cotton, tobacco, cocoa, corn as well as forest products (US Department of State, 2009). Many plants were introduced to Brazil by the Portuguese when they came to colonize. Mangoes were among them, introduced to Brazil in the 1700’s (Tropical fruits). They also introduced rice and coffee, which was introduced in the 1600s and became the major cash crop of Brazil by the 1800s. Additionally, they brought sugarcane from South East Asia in the late 16th Century. Furthermore, the dende palm tree, whose oil is used in making most Brazilian foods was also introduced from Africa in the early 17th century and with it came hot peppers as well. Another plant introduced to Brazil by the Portuguese is okra, used in many Brazilian dishes today (Hamilton, 2005). It is therefore clear that Brazil owes much to their Portuguese colonizers who taught them how to farm by introducing the plantation method, introduced many plants and cash crops that are now the backbone of the Brazilian economy, and brought racial diversity to the country that in turn has created links to many parts of the world. 3. 0 Civilization Development Civilization development is tied in with human development. In many of the colonized territories, though the people had empires already in place, they were not literate, did not written laws or medical facilities. The colonizers brought these aspects to the colonized territories. However, in the process of bringing in their civilized ways, they erased much of the indigenous culture found there. 3. 1 French West Africa Much of West Africa was colonized by the French with a port set up in Senegal in 1659. By the early 1900s, countries like Mali, Benin, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Niger and Guinea were under French rule. They were French subjects and were used in forced labor as well as imprisonment in a bid by the French to expand and maintain their interests. Agriculture was the main economic sector and they farmed cotton and peanuts where the climate allowed. They encouraged migration by the natives to areas where these plantations existed by touting them as wage-earning areas (Ali-Dinar). This is a legacy that has remained and pervaded all of Africa, with people in the countryside migrating to the cities in search of jobs. This has led to the creation of issues related to urban cities such as the creation of slums as low income housing, vices like prostitution as well as high crime rates. By the year 1960 all French West African countries were independent (Ali-Dinar). Diagram 2 – French West Africa Source: Earlham College http://www. earlham. edu/%7Emodelun/images/gif/west-africa. gif 3. 2 Legacy in Government in Senegal Prior to the French Colonization of Senegal, the Wolof Empire was ruling. It was ruled by a King who also doubled up as a religious ruler. The Portuguese, who had already been in Senegal before the French, had a mutually beneficial trade partnership with these people before the French came on the scene. (Wolof Empire, 2009). After they were colonized, the Senegalese people took a new form of Government that was introduced by the French. Even after the French were gone, that same form of government remained. Along with it, laws that had been laid down by the French stayed as well. In so doing, the traditional rulership of the Senegalese people was erased and the new form, which was very French, took over. The constitution, created in 1963, backs up a civilian government that has an executive branch, a judiciary that is independent and a National Assembly. In addition to these, the Senate, which is also legislative, was formed in 1999 (Diajayette). The president has the power to elect his Prime minister and together they elect the Council of Ministers who serve as the cabinet. The National assembly is made up of 140 members while the Senate is made up of 60. Of the 60 in the Senate, 45 are elected to office by local government officials and members of the National assembly, 12 are presidential elections, and Senegalese citizens in the Diaspora have the privilege of electing 3. Senegal is divided into 10 regions that are ruled by a governor. In regards to the Judiciary, Senegal has four courts above the level of tribunals and lower courts. These are the Council of State, the High Court, the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Council (Profile-Senegal). In addition to taking on French law and government as the basis of the countries executive, legislative and judicial system, the Senegalese also took on the French education system. Prior to colonization, there were no formal schools of any kind. Today the system includes primary, secondary and tertiary education. Senegal has six national languages and one official language, French (Bruhn, 1984). French is also the language of instruction in tertiary institutions although the Senegalese are undertaking English lessons as well. 3. 3 Formal Education in Senegal Along with the introduction to formal education that opened the Senegalese up to the rest of the world, there was an introduction to medicine. Whereas previously the sick would visit a witch doctor or a medicine man, now they have access to modern medicine. It is important to note that as the colonizers traveled, they brought with them diseases that the natives had no immunity against. As such, many of them died from these diseases since they did not have a cure for the same. This went a long way in causing the defeat of the natives, especially in the America’s where a small pox outbreak would kill almost whole colonies. The diseases brought by the colonizers included chicken pox, typhus, dysentery, measles, scarlet fever, typhoid fever, cholera and dysentery (Eddins). The legacies of colonialism in government, education and medicine have been beneficial and far reaching.

Motivating factors for sports tourism

Motivating factors for sports tourism SPORT TOURISM: FACTORS INFLUENCING MOTIVATION FOR SPORT TOURISM. OVERVIEW AND BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY Introduction.3 Purpose of the Study .3 Aims and Objectives.3/4 LITERATURE REVIEW.. Defining Sport Tourism4 Event Sport Tourism..4/5 Motivation Theory.5 Fan Motivations..5/6 METHODOLOGY.. Questionnaire based interviews6 Street Surveys..6/7 Focus Groups.7 Introduction purpose of study The purpose of this study is to provide an insight into visitor motivation for sport tourism. The proposal will investigate the importance of sport to individuals and the motivation to travel for sporting purposes. Sport tourism is an ever growing industry which has continued to thrive in all aspects, particularly of late. This is highlighted by Gibson (1998) who states that â€Å"the concept of sport-related tourism has become more prominent in the last few years as both an academic field of study and an increasingly popular tourism product†. The definitions of sport vary between authors with â€Å"some critics insisting that an all-embracing definition is impossible because sport is a socially constructed activity that has varied across historical eras, societies and cultures† (Ritchie Adair, 2004). Others have suggested that â€Å"sport has specific and timeless characteristics, such as being goal-oriented, competitive and a forum for the creation of winners and lo sers (Rader, 1979, Paddick 1975,Goodman, 1976)†. Furthermore, it is evident that like various other topic areas, sport tourism has a vast and broad research base. Sport and tourism are currently two of the most important industries, with a significant increase in tourists travelling for sport related purposes in recent years. However, researchers such as Delphy (1998) and Gibson (1998) have recognized that people have been travelling to participate or watch sports for centuries. Furthermore, Hall (1992) postulates that â€Å"sport tourism falls into two different categories, travel to participate in sport and travel to observe sport†. Sport tourists choose to travel to either participate or spectate. With regard to this, particular focus of this study will be placed on spectators and what motivates them to travel, attend and observe at various sporting events. Visitor motivation is a significant topic area which will be investigated rigorously within this study. The research will focus on the factors which influence motivation for sport event tourism. According to Mullins (2008) motivation is a force which drives any person to show a specific behaviour towards any condition or situation or things. Motivation is perceived by various authors as being either Intrinsic or Extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is widely regarded as a self generated procedure which encourages an individual to act in a particular way. Extrinsic motivation on the other hand is perceived as an external influence which encourages an individual to act in a certain way. In other words something is done for an individual to motivate them to behave in a specific way. Specific examples of motivation within businesses include freedom to act and responsibility (Intrinsic) and also promotion and praise from others (Extrinsic). Visitor motivation will look at tourist’s beh aviour, profiles and the motivation they have to attend various sporting events. Aims Objectives The main research question will be to ascertain what motivates individuals to travel for sporting events. The following aims and objectives will be pursued throughout the study in order to critically examine the topic area. To analyse visitor motivation theory To discuss the importance understanding of Sport Tourism To discuss factors of influence on travel motivations for spectators To attend numerous sporting events in order to get a feel of the influences on travel motivation The scope of research will be primarily focused on the relationship between motivation and sport tourism. In order to meet the aims of the study the following objectives will be set to enable a successful investigation into the research area: Assess the concepts, theories and models related to motivation Sport Tourism Examine previous studies related to sport event travel motivation Conduct primary and secondary research to understand the spectator experience Critical Literature Review The following literature review will provide an introduction on sport tourism, highlight the key authors related to the field and also provide a deeper understanding of the factors influencing people to conduct sport related tourism. Sports tourism is defined by Gibson (2006) as leisure based travel that takes individuals outside of their home communities to participate in physical activities (Active Sport Tourism), to watch physical activities (Event Sport Tourism) or to venerate attractions associated with physical activities (Nostalgia Sport Tourism).On the other hand, Standevan and De Knop (1999) define sport tourism as all forms of active and passive involvement in sporting activity, participated in casually or in an organised way for non-commercial or business/ commercial reasons, that necessitate travel away from home and work. The key authors related to this field of study include Heather Gibson, James Higham, Mike Weed and Thomas Hinch to name a few. Notable academic books and journals include Sport Tourism: Concepts and Theories (Gibson, 2006), Sport Tourism – Interrelationships, Impacts and Issues (Ritchie, B. Adair, D. 2004) and also The Journal of Sport Tourism. Although both definitions mentioned are very similar it is interesting to note that Gibson (2006) has separated sport tourism into three different segments. This includes Active Sport Tourism, Event Sport Tourism and also Nostalgia Sport Tourism. However, Standevan and De Knop (1999) have opted on a more broad definition stating that sport tourism is all forms of active and passive involvement in sporting activity. The definition provided by Gibson (2006) illustrates a clear and concise understanding of what sport tourism is whilst also depicting the different types of sport tourism specifically. Robinson and Gammon (2004) like Gibson (2006) have also separated sport tourists into different segments. They depicted that sport tourism could firstly be divided into two areas of focus, differentiating between those who travel primarily for sport (sport tourists) and those where sport is perceived as a secondary consideration (tourism sport). This study however, will focus on what Gibson (2006) describes as Event Sport Tourism. This refers to tourists who travel to spectate physical activities or events. Event tourism includes travelling to attend a range of different events although it is interesting to note that sporting events have had the most significant impact on the industry. This is backed up by authors Chalip and McGuirty (2004), Turco (2003) and Saayman and Uys (2003) who state that Although event tourism includes arts festivals and cultural activities as well as sport events, the latter have played a key role in the growth of the event industry. One reason for this is that sport events have been seen to make an effective contribution to the economic development mix of cities and regions. Furthermore, this study will aim to ascertain what motivates tourists to travel to watch sporting events. In order to determine this successfully the literature related to motivation theory will need to be critically discussed. According to the Journal of Sport (2004) The motivation(s) of the sport tourist has been a regular source of discussion within much of the sport tourism literature (Gammon and Robinson, 1997; Gibson, 1998a; Hinch and Higham, 2004; Kurtzman and Zauhar, 1995a; Standeven and De Knop, 1999). Every year there are numerous events taking place with increased numbers of tourists travelling. Tourism is conducted domestically as well as outbound in order to actively take part or spectate at sporting events. Hollyforde Widdett (2002) postulate that motivational theory â€Å"outlines a researchers answers to questions such as â€Å"why do people make the choices they make? Or what makes someone persist at one activity and yet quickly give up another â€Å". Abraham Maslow is a renowned psychologist who proposed the motivational theory the hierarchy of needs. This theory has been an important framework related to motivation and assumes that human motivations proceed through various stages of needs. The hierarchy of needs starts off with the more primary basic needs such as physiological and safety needs at the foundation further leading to belongingness love and esteem needs and lastly ending with self-actualisation. According to Gibson (2006) psychologists such Maslow and also Murray have long postulated that behaviour is a function of needs, indeed, much of their work has provided the theoretical foundation for studies that have investigated the relationship between leisure or tourism and need satisfaction. Fan motivations are an important aspect when determining the reasoning behind â€Å"Event Sport Tourism†. Tourists love for the game/sport provides a big influence in them wanting to travel in order to watch their favorite team/player or event live rather than from a television set. A good example of this would be Football, where individuals purchase season tickets in order to watch their team play on a regular basis. This includes home games only but first option on away games is usually provided. Tourists will also be motivated to attend the away games especially on the big European nights away from home in order to support their team. This relates to Simon Hudson’s theory that â€Å"sport events away from can have an appeal based on their uniqueness or their quality that, when combined with escaping from the familiar and routine, generates personal and interpersonal benefits which make it a worthwhile expenditure of time and resources. Sport event tourism also provide a range of positive impacts for the consumer, destination and also the events. This is backed up by Hudson (2003) who states that, Special events can attract more tourists than regularly scheduled games. Sport events attract corporate sponsors. When sport facilities are built, they become permanent event venues. Major sport events can be catalysts for new facilities and new or improved infrastructure. Sport events can assist in destination branding by providing powerful, active lifestyle images and making cultural themes come alive. (Hudson, 2003) It is envisaged that this study will further strengthen the current body of literature related to sport tourism. A conceptual framework will be used in order to meet the aims and objectives of the research, placing particular focus on â€Å"Event Sport Tourism†. Methodology The following section will provide details of how the planned research will be conducted, what method(s) will be used and how long it may take to obtain relevant data. According to the research methods workbook â€Å"the research process or methodology is the approach to the entire study – it is the master plan. It is the blueprint for achieving objectives, one of which is the production of the dissertation† (Workbook, 2014). There are generally two main processes of conducting research, the qualitative approach and the quantitative approach. Quantitative data is primarily concerned with assessing numerical data and conducting statistical tests. Conversely, qualitative data focuses on descriptions that can be observed and includes methods such as participant observation and unstructured interviews. In simple terms the main difference between the two approaches is that quantitative data collection deals with ‘quantity’ of research whereas ‘qualitative’ data collection emphasise quality research. The methodology section will emphasise how the research will be conducted in order to attain relevant information regarding sport tourism and motivational theory. Within this study it is envisaged that the research process will consist of questionnaire based interviews with tourists that attend sporting events. This will be completed in order to determine the factors which influence their decision/desire to attend. It is believed that interviews can have a number of positives including â€Å"the encouragement of participation, clarification of any confusion regarding questions and also the inclusion of people who are incapable of reading (Long, 2007)†. By mixing the two concepts of questionnaire and interview it will in a sense provide the â€Å"best of both worlds† and enable the researcher to gather sufficient data. Authors such as Kendall (2008) postulate that â€Å"while questionnaires can provide evidence of patterns amongst large populations, qualitative intervi ew data often gather more in-depth insights on participant attitudes, thoughts, and actions†. Furthermore, alternative research methods will also be taken into consideration in order to determine the most efficient and effective way of obtaining information. Street surveys and focus groups will be the other two approaches in question, they will be looked at in detail as potential research methods. Street surveys are a quantitative research method whereas focus groups provide a qualitative approach to data collection. Street surveys are a tempting research method considering it is an efficient way of gathering data from individuals. According to Long (2007) â€Å"street surveys are a quick and cheap route to gathering survey data. The ‘street’ in this may represent any convenient location for ‘capturing’ respondents (e.g. the mall or refectory/canteen). Street surveys will be conducted outside specific sporting events in order to receive data from relevant sport tourists. However, there are disadvantages like any other method, including relatively low response rates due to the typical locations in which surveys are conducted. The lack of quality of data gathered and the overall amount of data collected are also negatives of using this method. Conversely, surveys can also have various positives including the ease and efficiency of conducting the process. According to March (1982: 147) â€Å"Surveys have a lot to offer†¦.since experimentation cannot be used to inves tigate a wide range of macro-social processes, there is often no alternative to considering variation across cases in a systematic fashion†. Focus groups will also be taken into consideration when depicting the ideal research method to use in order to conduct research for this study. Focus groups are a traditionalist method of research, enabling the researcher to obtain information on a face to face and personal basis. Therefore, the researcher is able to obtain descriptive answers rather than numerical or statistical data. It is envisaged that â€Å"Qualitative research is generally based on the belief that the people personally involved in a particular (leisure or tourism) situation are best placed to describe and explain their experiences or feelings in their own words. They should be allowed to speak without the intermediary of the researcher and without being overly constrained by the framework imposed by the researcher† (Veal,2006) . With regard to this, focus groups should be high on the list of potential research methods. However, there are also disadvantages of using this method like any other. Focus grou ps can become difficult to control, analyse and conduct. It is easy to get a group of people together but it is not as easy to avoid disagreements, conflicts between individuals and irrelevant discussions. Transcribing a focus group is also a very time consuming process due to the amount of people involved within the discussion. Participants may also feel under pressure to follow the lead of a dominant individual within the group therefore succumbing to peer pressure and holding back their own views. Regardless of which research approach will be used, significant methods will need to be included within the process of obtaining information. This includes personally attending various sporting events in order to get an idea of the â€Å"spectator experience†. It is interesting to note that Weed (2008) postulates that in order to ascertain ‘why’ sport tourists travel, researchers need to focus on participation experiences underpinned by ontological research. Furthermore, significant library based research will need to be conducted as well as the visitation of numerous libraries and archives. Fieldwork will also be conducted during event visitations in order to broaden knowledge in relation to the topic area. The subjects of research will include randomly selected individuals with an interest in Event Sport Tourism. Conversely, small groups may be required if focus groups are chosen as the most suitable research method. The timeframe for the research to be conduct ed is yet to be finalised however, it is understood that the following research will take several months to complete in order to obtain the relevant data required. Bibliography Books Altinay, L and Paraskevas, A (2008) Planning Research in Hospitality and Tourism, Butterworth Heinemann, London Clark, M et al (1998) Researching and Writing Dissertations in Hospitality and Tourism, International Thomson Business Press, London Delpy, L. (2003). An introduction to sport and adventure tourism. In Hudson, S, Sport and Adventure Tourism (pp. 1-25). Haworth Hospitality Press Inc: Binghamton Gibson, H. (1998a). Active sport tourism: Who participates? Leisure Studies, 17, 155-170. Gibson, H. (1998b). Sport tourism: A critical analysis of research. Sport Management Review, 1, 45-76. Gibson, H (2006) Sport Tourism: Concepts and Theories, Oxon: Routledge Hall, C. (1992) Hallmark tourist events: Impacts, management and planning, London: Bellhaven Press Higham, J. and Hinch, T (2011). Sport Tourism Development. Bristol: Channel View Publications Hinch, T. Higham, J. (2008). Sport tourism: A framework for research. In Weed, M, Sport and Tourism: A Reader (pp. 40-56). New York, NY: Routledge. Hollyforde, S Widdett, S (2002) The Motivation Handbook. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development Hudson, S (2003) Sport and Adventure Tourism. New York: Haworth Hospitality Press. Hudson, S. Ritchie, B. (2001). Cross-cultural tourist behaviour: An analysis of tourist attitudes towards the environment. Journal of Travel Tourism Marketing, 10(2), 1-22. Long, J (2007) Researching Leisure, Sport and Tourism: The Essential Guide, London, SAGE Publications. Maslow, A. (1954). Motivation and personality. New York: Harper Ritchie, B. Adair, D. (2004) Sport Tourism – Interrelationships, Impacts and Issues, London: Cromwell Press Robinson, T. Gammon, S. (2004). A question of primary and secondary motives: Revisiting and applying the sport tourism framework. Journal of Sport Tourism, 9(3), 221-233 Standeven, J. De Knop, P. (1999). Sport Tourism. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Vernon, M.D (1969) Humanmotivation.London : Cambridge U.P Veal, A (2011) Research Methods for Leisure and Tourism: A Practical Guide, Longman, Essex (4th edition) Weed, M (2008). Sport Tourism. Oxon: Routledge. Weed, M and Bull, C (2012). Sports Tourism. 2nd ed. Oxford: Elsevier Journals Harris, Lois R. Brown, Gavin T.L. (2010). Mixing interview and questionnaire methods: Practical problems in aligning data . Practical Assessment, Research Evaluation, 15(1). Available online: http://pareonline.net/getvn.asp?v=15n=1. International Journal of Sport Management, Recreation and Tourism Journal of Sport Tourism-Abingdon Taylor Francis Ltd Kotze, N (2006). Urban Forum.Cape Town and the Two Oceans Marathon: The Impact of Sport Tourism. 17 (3) 1 | Page

industrial revolution Essay -- essays research papers

In the last part of the 18th century, a new revolution gripped the world that we were not ready for (Perry, 510). This revolution was not a political one, but it would lead to many implications later in its existence (Perry, 510). Neither was this a social or Cultural Revolution, but an economic one (Perry, 510). The Industrial revolution, as historians call it, began the modern world. It began the world we live in today and our way of life in that world. It is called a revolution because the changes it made were so great. They were also sudden, although the preparation for these changes took many years. It is called industrial because it had to do with manufacture. â€Å"Manufacture† means the making of every kind of useful article, from cotton cloth to brass pins. The Industrial Revolution changed how the world produced its goods and altered our societies from a mainly agricultural society to one in which industry and manufacturing was in control. The Industrial revolution began in England in the middle of the 18th century (Perry, 511). It was in full swing at the time of the American Declaration of Independence in 1776 and England at the time was the most powerful empire on the planet (Perry, 511). So, it was inevitable that the country with the most wealth would be a leader in this revolution. This revolution transformed the entire life of the people and it the habits of workers-the men and women who produced the goods. It brought down prices, so that people were able to ...

Australian Climate Essay -- Weather Environment Australia Essays Paper

Australian Climate Australian Climate Zones When looking at the climate of Australia, we can break up the continent into three basic areas of climate. The tropical region containing the northern peninsulas of Australia, as well as the city of Darwin, is hot and extremely wet. Average maximum temperatures range from 30 - 39 °C with an average annual rainfall of up to 400 cm. The tropical north is covered with rainforests and is regularly hit by tropical monsoons, hence the extreme amount of precipitation. Secondly, the central deserts and grasslands cover over seventy percent of the inland and receive the least amount of rain, from 12 to 100 cm annually. The maximum temperature ranges from 24 °C in the southern deserts to over 36 °C in the northern grasslands. This enormous section of Australia is usually referred to as the â€Å"Outback† and is not densely populated. The third and most heavily-populated climate area is the temperate south and southeast. The big cities in Australia – Melbourne, Sydney, Canbe rra, Brisbane and Perth – are all located in the south, and all in the southeast except for Perth. We will focus on the southeastern coastal area when talking about this temperate climate zone, as the vast majority of Australians live in this area. The climate here is very moist and mild; although not as wet as the tropical north, receiving anywhere from 50 to 320 cm of rain annually, but much wetter in comparison to the Outback. The average maximum temperature in the southeast ranges from 12 to 27 °C, which is more livable compared to the rest of the continent. To understand just how these climate zones function, we must look at the subtropical high that exists in the southern â€Å"horse latitudes† of around 30 °S. The Subtropica... ...on of El Nino, which many think has to do with increased pollution and other human influences on the environment, has created an almost constant state of drought in Australia. For the citizens of Australia, we can only hope that the global community can strive to treat the environment better, as the smallest detrimental actions can have far-reaching consequences when it comes to weather and society. Bibliography Australia Bureau of Meteorology, â€Å"Bureau of Meteorology Home Page,† http://www.bom.gov.au/ Dimantina Touring, â€Å"Outback Australia Climate,† http://www.diamantina-tour.com.au/outback_info/climate.htm Earthsci.org, â€Å"Australia Climate,† http://earthsci.org/weather/austwea/autwea.htm Monash University, â€Å" Australia ’s Climate,† http://www.monash.edu/international/australia/climate/ Weathersavvy.com, â€Å"Deserts,† http://weathersavvy.com/Q-Deserts1.html

Leda and the Swan Analysis Essay -- essays research papers

In William Butler Yeats poem â€Å"Leda and the Swan†, he uses the fourteen lines of the traditional sonnet form in a radical, modernist style. He calls up a series of unforgettable, bizarre images of an immediate physical event using abstract descriptions in brief language. Through structure and language Yeats is able to paint a powerful sexual image to his readers without directly giving the meaning of the poem. â€Å"Leda and the Swan† is a violent, sexually explicit poem with its plain diction, rhythmic vigor, and allusions to mystical ideas about the universe, the relationship of human and divine, and the cycles of history. It can be seen as a poem about the way a single event is to be understood as part of a larger scheme; the result of the god’s assault on Leda is the birth of Helen of Troy...

“Fat Tax” brings Fat Benefits Essay

Junk food. Do any of us know the meaning of the term? Do the consequences of developing lethal diseases not concern us? Apparently, today’s society is well aware of what it is, (food with a low nutrition value and is usually processed or ready-prepared (Junk Food)) and what it can do, yet they prefer not to have truth repeatedly slapped in their face by the media. The way I see it, that’s exactly what these individuals are asking for. They say diets are productive, but it’s based off of self-encouragement which can only take you so far. According to an article composed by William Dietz, Obesity is a matter of personal responsibility. Poor dietary decisions cost individuals the expansion of their waist lines. What many do not realize is that as they continue to visit fast food restaurants for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, they develop an addiction. Sooner or later, they find themselves wrapped around junk food’s salty fingers and haven’t bothered to n otice that they no longer can see their toes standing upright. Higher taxes should be imposed on processed goods because it could lower death rates and medical bills that tie into obesity, encourage the consumption of healthy products, and educate American’s about adapting correct eating habits. Americans today are consuming 20% more calories than they did in the early 1980’s,† (â€Å"Would Imposing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  par. 3). Also, during that time period, only one third of American’s populace were identified as obese which is equivalent to 13%. However, over the past 25 years, America has exceeded to about 60% of the population being fat (Oliver par. 8). Due to the continuous establishments of fast food restaurants, Americans have noticed that their waist lines have expanded substantially. Hundreds of years ago, McDonald’s, Jack in the Box, Wendy’s, and Burger King were non-existant. With McDonald’s Big Mac meal containing approximately 1,300 calories, it’s no wonder America has been suffering an obesity epidemic. It’s because of these successful  companies that we have to pay for the over flowing stacks of health expenses they’ve created for us. Comparing Americans then with Americans now, you could literally see the difference without the need of any statistical information from surveys, documents, and whatnot. One of the many reasons why the government is taking this â€Å"fat tax† into consideration is due to the overwhelming figures of premature deaths and medical bills occuring across the nation. According to studies, officials are hoping that taxation on junk food could â€Å"†¦avert 2,600 deaths, 9,600 heart attacks, 240,000 new cases of diabetes every year,† (Chan par. 2). That’s not the end of it. These numbers are ascending as I we carry on with our normal daily lives. For all I know, 2013’s statistics for premature deaths due to obesity could escalate to 3,500! Almost every year, America’s government is burdened by the stunning $117 million in debt they have to pay because of people becoming diagnosed with multiple heart diseases thanks to the consumption of fast food. With that being said, the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) informed the public that too much of today’s society relies on the cheap and convenient take outs our restaurants provide us. They encounter at least 400,000 individuals with health problems, charging them almost $100 million a year (Lewis par. 4). For this reason, it is why unhealthy grubs are purchased regularly. If people were to choose between a $2 cheeseburger and a $10 salad wrap, what are the chances of them picking the $10 salad wrap? That’s what I thought. It’s disappointing knowing that profits made from fast foods are used to assist our nation’s debt. Why can’t the money derive from potent nourishments? Why do we allow the selling of unsalutary meals, knowing we are feeding them death munchies? In Addition, America has judgement skills that are completely frail and incompetent. Here we are placing exorbitant prices on healthy products when it should be the life-threatening comestibles that should be prohibited. A hand full of officials in the country have required several fast food restaurants to display â€Å"calorie-count labels† to drive individuals’ taste buds from convenience food. But even that won’t prevent obesity (Mozes par. 7). Nevertheless, even a simple a simple label couldn’t stop the hungry beasts of America from  gobbling down chunks of blubber. Due to these astonishing numbers, Americans are looking towards taxing junk food similarly to â€Å"sin taxes†. It’s a tax on harmful items (such as alcohol, tobacco, etc.) that could reduce its consumption. Officials have been pushing for states to insitute a â€Å"fat tax† and consider it as a â€Å"sin tax†. According to several smokers in New York, they discovered that paying a total of $14.50 for one pack of cigarette wasn’t worth their money. Some of them knew that complaining wouldn’t get them anywhere, so they eventually â€Å"ditched the dependency† (Sutherland par. 2). With the assistance of this sin tax, â€Å"smoking rates dropped by 12%,† (â€Å"Would Imposing†¦par. 3). This specifically proves to opponents that bomming junk food tariffs can depreciate premature death percentages and medical expenses as well. Obviously, pricey items attract less customers nowadays; so the higher the taxes, the lower the consumption. Plus, our government could distribute these taxes to health services and programs that illustrate the essence of corpulence. Also, whether the populace continues to ignore the government’s warning through tariffs, either way the tariff generated †¦$30 million in new revenue, tax records show. Basically if fast food customers wish to pursue their daily routine visiting McDonald’s, it’ll still bring the economy extra dough to support the country. Even if our main focus is to sever society’s tongue from higher cholestrol levels, we can only succor those who wish for assistance. Moreover, authorizing taxes on fast foods could subsidize the nutritional products that actually supply our physiques with the appropriate energy it naturally pines for. Knowing that the â€Å"†¦poorest in the country rely on cheap junk food,† (Lewis par. 5), automatically discloses that this necessitates more natural resources. However, in America it’s vise-versa. The more nutrition an item contains, the more you have to pay. With higher taxes on junk food, there would be no need for the federal to tax our fruits and vegetables. Society will eventually quit their whining and chase cheaper alternatives. Representatives throughout the country have â€Å"†¦calculated that an 18% tax  on junk food would result in a 56-calorie decline in total daily intake†¦along with significant reductions in the risks of most obesity-related chronic diseases,† (Fiore par. 12). Doctors have stressed that the recommended calorie consumed should be in the range of 2,000 calories. By the looks of it, American’s today are exceeding these limits. And they wonder why they are experiencing strokes, heart attacks, and becoming diagnosed with diabetes. Lastly, more health education could influence the population’s mindset about the need to eat sugary items. Media has played a huge role in advertising greasy items. Instead, we could use this strategy to discourage our customers from purchasing fast foods, stressing our concerns of obesity. Our targets would be the same audience that was exposed to fattening commercials. Raising awareness within our communities, and then our country is what the U.S. lacks today. It has been said that â€Å"You are what you eat,† but are any of us aware of exactly what we are putting in our mouths? They may display what supplies make that particular meal, but do they show how much butter they use to cook steaks? Apparently, the â€Å"U.S. Department of Agriculture says hamburgers have been growing from 1 ounce in 1957 to 6 ounces in 1997,† (Oliver par. 11). If 1997 was sixteen years ago, just imagine how hefty burgers are today? Notifying our customers about junk food should be our leaders’ priority. â€Å"It would be irresponsible not to try everything we can to save lives†¦People are dying everyday due to sugary products,† (Bloomberg qtd. in Heaton par. 5). I couldn’t agree more with Mayor Bloomberg of New York. He is probably the only official that wants to institute a fat tax to give back to the people he represents. American’s are self-centered, and their main focus is money. No one cares if they’re putting one’s life in jeoparady by creating harmful grubs. If one was to take a stand against these fast food companies, it’ll have to start with our leaders. On the other hand, controversies have made society equivocal about the implementation of taxation on packaged foods. As expected, citizens of America claim that the government is becoming too controling, and their freedom of choice is being stripped from them. While our officials’  intensions are to perpetuate the corpulence widespread, others feel provoked because they believe the government is trying to dictate their intellect (Lewis par. 3). Our leaders stress that taking care of the well-being of our internal organs should be our priority. However, the public refuses admit to the valuable advice they articulate. Many feel as if they were to say, Who are you to tell me what I can eat and not eat? It’s only fair that the people have the last say. After all, this country was established fighting For the people, by the people†¦ (Star Spangled Banner). On top of that, as stated in an article by Jen Kalaidis, tax also costs [the] country an estimated 1,300 jobs because employees would no longer be needed in food retail sectors. Although an collection of occupations would be lost, many tend to give in and develop the mindset of a pessimistic. As Alexander Graham Bell, (an eminent scientist, engineer, innovator, etc.), proclaimed, When one door closes, another door opens. The message he speaks of is about preserverence and circulating nothing but positive thought within your mind. American’s who fear losing their jobs should realize that plantation fields and factories will demand more and more employees once the fat tax is instituted. The fields will require more man power for labor work, and for manufacturing purposes as well. You will soon after notice that grocery markets will have job oppertunites. It’s actually a ripple effect, and once the economy is back to the way it was before the nation debt came about, the unemployement will be no more. Therefore, it is essential to communicate the outweighing benefits of a fat tax to the public now, before America begins to hit a downfall in the next five years. Junk food should not be outlawed, nor should it be cheap. If American’s want to continue this portliness evolvement, they can expect to see excessive aftermath in death rates. These unhealthy eats are about to rebuild our country’s values soon enough. However, with the assistance of this Twinkie Tax, I believe we could expect a tangible decline in America’s death progression and health expenses, a promotion of organic products, as well as more programs raising awareness of corpulence. Works Cited Chan, Amanda L. â€Å"Raising Junk Food Prices Could Spur People to Consume Less: Study.† The Huffington Post. The Huffington Post.com, 12 Dec. 2012. Web. 26 Apr. 2013. Dietz, William. â€Å"Obesity ProCon.org† Obesity ProCon.org. Search Engine Optimization, 19 Apr. 2013. Web. 26 Apr. 2013. Elder, Larry. â€Å"Just How Fat Are We?† WSJ: World Stream. WND Commentary, 1997-2013. Web. 26 Apr. 2013. Fiore, Kristina. â€Å"Junk Food Tax Could Improve Health.† ABC News. ABC News Network, 10 Mar. 2010. Web. 06 May 2013. Heaton, Richard. â€Å"NYC Soda Ban Overturned then Appealed.† Digital Journal (2013): n.pag. Print. â€Å"Junk Food.† Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com. n.d. Web.05 May 2013. Kalaidis, Jen. â€Å"Should the U.S. Adopt a Fat Tax?† The Week [New York] 25 Feb. 2013: n.p. Print. Lewis, Catherine. â€Å"The Junk Food Tax: How Much are We Willing to pay to get America Healthy?† Your Health Information Center. Insider’s Health, 2011. Web. 5 May 2013. â€Å"Medical Weight Loss Resources.† Top 10 Obesity-Related Diseases. American Heart Association, Centers for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health, 23 Apr. 2013. Web. 16 May 2013. Mozes, Alan. â€Å"The Fat Tax.† A Controversial Tool in War Against Obesity. (23 May 2005): 2-3 Print. Oliver, J. Eric. â€Å"A Big, Fat Problem.† Fat Politics: The Real Story Behind America’s Obesity Epidemic. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2006. 1-4. Print. Sutherland, Amber. â€Å"Smokers Huff & Puff Over New Cigarette Tax.† New York Post. New York. 3 July 2010: 1-2. Print â€Å"Would Imposing a High Tax on Fast Foods and other Unhealthy Foods Help Combat Obesity Issues in U.S.?† Debate.org. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 22 Nov. 2010. Web. 29 Apr. 2013.