Heritage and Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Heritage and Culture - Essay Example This paper discusses achievements of the above mentioned writers in depicting their ancestral elements and thereby making their traditional aspects integral parts of the works. It also explores how Hawthorne and Marshall differ from each other in the two mentioned novels as far as their inherited and Puritanical standpoints are concerned. Nathaniel Hawthorne's Puritan ancestry is evident in many of his literary works. The beliefs of Puritans are often linked with human nature in his writings. The characters of the books depict the author's personal feelings regarding Puritanism. A puritan ancestry coupled with an ancestor, who served as judge in the witch trials in Salem, further served to influence the inclusion of Puritan themes in many of his books. It is generally opinionated that Hawthorne used his work as an outlet for expressing his guilt for the Puritan ways. His torment against the cruelties of Puritanism is very effectively portrayed in 'The Scarlet Letter.' Through this book he revealed the grotesqueness of the Puritan principles. (Gervens, 2006) The puritan era and its cultural aspects have been depicted through Hawthorne's novel 'The Scarlet Letter.' Hard work linked to servitude to God is a dominant Puritan philosophy. But the rather ascetic views on certain other aspects of life; have been portrayed in many of Nathaniel Hawthorne's work. ... In the book, Hester a young woman is forced to wear the letter "A" hewn on a red cloth with gold thread in an elaborate and intricate design. This letter is a badge of disgrace imparted by the Puritan elders for Hester's actions of bearing an illegitimate child. The Puritan elders had thus set an example for sinners who dared to disobey the principles of the Puritan society. (Lots of Essays, 2008) The author's feelings about the Puritan punishments are evident in the contrast with which he depicts the grace of Hester with the cold severity portrayed by the Puritan elders. His abhor and disgust for the Puritan practices has been exemplified through this book. Paule Marshall and West Indian Heritage Marshall's views on her West Indian heritage are expressed in her book 'Praisesong for the Widow.' For instance the use of Creole dialect, even only for a weekend by the out - islanders in the book is proof of the close ties that is maintained with their ancestry. The author has expressed her own feelings through the journey of the protagonist - Avey in the book. Avey's appreciation of the traditional Creole dance is a way of reconnecting with her roots, which is something that the author personally wants to do. The author's feeling has been aptly described in the book, through Avey's feelings, when she says, "centered and sustained restored to her proper axis" [Praisesong for the Widow 254]. Avey reestablishes her ties with her heritage, and eventually rediscovers her own self somewhere. The author portrays her ancestral heritage brilliantly through the character of Great Aunt Cuney. The dream that Avey remembers, which inaugurates the chain of events in the book, is that of a younger Avey with her Aunt Cuney, with whom she

Breastfeeding moms college graduation by Lisa Flam Essay

Breastfeeding moms college graduation by Lisa Flam - Essay Example One hereby asserts that the display of information that the article exposed was inappropriate for the venue and situation. Initially, the author presented the point of view of Thurman who argued that she had no inclination that posting the photo would generate such a controversial stir. Thurman was acknowledged to have decided to post the photo in a Facebook page, Black Women Do Breastfeed, to holistically support another woman who was noted to be a recipient of dirty looks while she apparently breastfed in public. In her honest reaction, she was disclosed to indicate that she believed breastfeeding is natural and that there is nothing wrong, even if the nursing is done in public. In addition, some of her classmates, who attended the May 22 graduation ceremony was reported to have quipped that the act was cool and some even commended her for promoting breastfeeding. Flam indicated in the article that the public display came at an opportune time when the promotion was most needed. Cit ing a pediatrician, Dr. Lori Feldman-Winter, from Cooper University Hospital, black women were reported to have the lowest breastfeeding rates among women of ethnic origin (Flam). Concurrently, although there were comments relaying support for breastfeeding, subsequent reactions from those who encountered the post were noted to have signified negative comments. For those who had opposing views regarding breastfeeding in public. For those who had opposing views regarding breastfeeding in the public.

Effectiveness of Product Placement of Cars

Effectiveness of Product Placement of Cars Product placement is a marketing tool where a product is put into a movie scene where it is heard or seen, or its brand name heard (Lehu and Bressoud 2008). This marketing practice has since mushroomed in movies. The communication potential of product placement in the movie is considered as a feasible and attractive branding method (Cowley and Barron 2008). As a marketing strategy, product placement has been regarded for its advantages such as a captive audience (Cowley and Barron 2008); lack of clutter (Belch and Belch, as cited in Lehu and Bressoud 2008); and exposure, frequency, support of other media, source association, cost and recall such as other advertisements (Belch and Belch, as cited in Lehu and Bressoud 2008, p. 92). Among the very first industries to use product placement as a marketing strategy has been the auto industry. Car makers were among the first to use the technique because of the potentially very large audience for a low cost (Parrish, as cited in Cowley and Barron 2008). For the year 2007 alone, total spending for product placement reached $2.9 billion in the United States, with the car and apparel industries claiming the biggest chunk (Pope 2008). British luxury carmaker Aston Martin has been in the business since 1914 and is known for its high-profile product placements in popular films. Aston produces high-end and low-volume cars that fit the companys image of sophistication, elegance, credibility, and glamour. The companys marketing strategy has been closely associated James Bond films. Its relationship with the Bond franchise has been one of the most popular partnerships and has contributed to the companys image worldwide. Starting with Sean Connery in the 1964 Bond installment Goldfinger, Aston has sustained its product placement strategy with the most recent placement of Aston Martin DBS for the 2007 film Casino Royale (Superbrands 2009). Studies have suggested that product placement boosts brand recall and promotes greater brand exposure for a product. In a study by Delorme and Reid (1999), product placement appeared to have influenced the audience to develop familiarity and a sense of belonging associated with the brand shown in the movies. The study also concluded that the context in which the brand appears in the movie is also important for brand exposure and that young people are the most susceptible for product placement. DeLorme and Reid (1999) said that, [They] had grown up with much more marketing and advertising therefore, they expect to encounter brands in present day movies (p. 83). Another study also examined what forms of placement are most effective in boosting brand recall (Sapolsky and Kinney 1994). The researchers found that a combination of visual cues and verbal references to the brand in the scenes of a movie are the most effective and also the most expensive placements. Brand recall is also high when a product appears jointly with a major character or the star in the film and provides it with greater visibility. Companies that have used product placement have reported a boost in sales after movie releases. For instance, Reeses candy experience an escalation of sales by 70 percent when the movie ET: The Extra-Terrestrial after the blockbuster movie was released. Reeses candies were featured in several scenes in the movie. BMW AG also experienced a spike in profits as customers decked the showrooms after the release of the 1996 Bond installment Golden Eye featured its Z3 roadster (Pope 2008). Determining how effective product placements are has been a focus of a study by Morton and Friedman (2002). The researchers explained that the brand performance of a product as a result of product placement strategy could be measured according to different variables: revenues, sales or hits at the official company website. The authors suggest that product placement is an effective type of product promotion. Audience receptivity as a result of product placement is key to achieving sales or profitability objectives or not achieving them entirely. Marketing practitioners and executives should ensure that product placement results to the reflection of greater profitability outcomes. Furthermore, researchers have also concluded that the role of marketing executives is to obtain access to opportunities for product placement and guarantee that the appearance of the product works synergetically with the companys image and market positioning (Morton and Friedman 2002). Research Question and Research Objectives This study aims to investigate how product placement is as a marketing strategy in Aston Martin and evaluate its effectiveness. The central research question for the proposed study is: How effective is product placement as a marketing strategy for luxury carmaker Aston Martin? There are specific sub-questions to the main question, to wit: How is product placement used as a marketing strategy at Aston Martin? What are the perceived benefits of product placement as a marketing strategy? Is it an effective marketing strategy in terms of a) producing brand and company awareness; and b) generating sales for the company? The objectives of this study are: To trace, identify, and describe product placement in the companys history since it first placed Aston Martin DB5 in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger until present. To gather the perceptions of the marketing practitioners at Aston Martin on the benefits of their choice of marketing strategy. To gather the perceptions of the marketing practitioners on how placing Aston Martin cars in movies offers competitive market positioning for the company. To collect information on revenue and sales of Aston Martin cars as a result of product placement. Philosophy of the Research Design and the Methodology to be Used This study will be a qualitative case study research in design. This study follows the qualitative tradition of research and will be guided by a detached social constructionist approach. Qualitative research is characterized by an open research design that is suitable for studies which are small-scale in scope. The social constructionist perspective views the social as the process of articulating individual selves and the world. It is a challenge to the primacy of the individual, in effect, placing relationship, the social, as prior and primary (Stacey 2001, p. 51). This study proposes the case study methodology, which is a strategy for doing research which involves an empirical investigation of a particular contemporary phenomenon within its real life context using multiple sources of evidence (Robson 2002, p. 178). The phenomenon to be investigated for this study is product placement as a marketing strategy and how it contributes to positive profitability outcomes. The researcher in a case study uses multiple sources and methods (Yin 1994). Following the multi-method focus of qualitative research, this study proposes to utilize primary and secondary sources of data. Primary data will be gathered by interviews with marketing executives of Aston Martin. Interviews will be necessary in order to understand the reasons behind their decisions on marketing strategy as well as their opinions on how marketing strategies are effective in fueling company growth. Moreover, interviews provide the opportunity to obtain answers by allowing interviewees to explain and build on their responses. Secondary data will be used to triangulate primary data sources. Among the targeted sources of secondary data will be company revenue statistics, company documents, archival material, and news articles that could verify and elaborate on the responses in the interviews.

Death And The Maiden - Film Vs Essay -- essays research papers

The Polanski film Death and the Maiden is a wonderful and intelligent interpretation of Ariel Dorfman’s human rights problem play. Polanski has produced, in this film, an exceptional piece of direction, in which his own personal, emotional input is evident. The main theme of the play is an extremely personal one for both playwright (and scriptwriter) and director. Both Dorfman and Polanski have had to face and flee the horrors of dictatorship and human rights violations: Dorfman in Chile, under General Augusto Pinochet, and Polanski in Poland under the Nazis. But despite this similarity in past experience, significant differences exist between the original play and the film. Apart from the specific techniques of lighting and composition, whose possibilities are greatly widened in the medium of film, we see differences in both the different emphases and implied viewpoints on the various themes that the play touches on and, perhaps more importantly, the way the characters are por trayed. While the old concept of “whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger'; is present in both the play and the film (particularly in the characterisation of Paulina), it is much more prevalent in the movie. We can see Paulina’s strength from the start. As she strides confidently around the house and violently tears off a piece of chicken, the suggestion that she is unsuited to the domestic position which she has obviously been forced into by the side effects of her traumatic experience need not be made any clearer. Although possessing remarkable strength in both texts, the movie shows a much stronger, almost completely masculine Paulina. This Paulina has been almost entirely defeminized by her ordeal, physically, symbolised by the scarred breast and her desire to “adopt'; a child, which also serves as a glimpse of the vulnerable element of womanhood in her character that still remains. Throughout the bout of verbal jousting that goes on in the opening scene Paul ina is able to hold her ground much more firmly than she appears to do in the play. In Polanski’s version of the scene she actually manages to use her domestic role to gain power in the argument, fiercely flinging the dinner in the bin. Weaver’s powerful acting conveys the unmistakable tension associated with an incredible amount of suppressed anger. I... ...0;'; For all the rage contained in the film (significantly more than the play), and its portrayal of Paulina, there is a certain helplessness to the film, and a disturbing truth in its unresolved ending. One might argue that Polanski – in making Roberto give an overall much more genuine confession at the end of the film than Dorfman provides in the play – is falling into the Hollywood trap of offering a simple resolution to its many moral conflicts and thus making it accessible to a wider audience. I believe this circumstance serves a very important purpose, emphasized by its juxtaposition with the very last scene. It underlines this important impotence in the film’s ending: the fact that despite her having faced her demons Paulina has been permanently changed by her ordeal. And although she may have “…reclaimed [her] Schubert…'; in that she can now sit in a concert hall and listen to the music, the music will never be able to tell her the same things again. And even if Roberto is not there in person (as he is in the final scene) he will always exist as a vague presence, a “phantasmagorical'; shadow on her soul.

Security Council

Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is the organ of the United Nations charged with maintaining peace and security among nations. While other organs of the United Nations only make recommendations to member governments, the Security Council has the power to make decisions which member governments must carry out under the United Nations Charter. The decisions of the Council are known as United Nations Security Council Resolutions. The Security Council is made up of 15 member states, consisting of five permanent seats and ten temporary seats.The permanent five are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. These members hold veto power over substantive but not procedural resolutions allowing a permanent member to block adoption but not debate of a resolution unacceptable to it. The ten temporary seats are held for two-year terms with member states voted in by the UN General Assembly on a regional basis. The Presidency of the Security Counci l is rotated alphabetically each month. Members. Security Council members must always be present at UN headquarters in New York so that the Security Council can meet at any time.This requirement of the United Nations Charter was adopted to address a weakness of the League of Nations since that organization was often unable to respond quickly to crises. The role of president of the Security Council involves setting the agenda, presiding at its meetings and overseeing any crisis. It rotates in alphabetical order of the members' names in English. There are two categories of membership in the UN Security Council: Permanent Members and Elected Members. Permanent membersThe Council seated five permanent members who were originally drawn from the victorious powers after World War II: 1. The Republic of China 2. The French Republic 3. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics 4. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland   5. The United States of America The five permanent mem bers of the Security Council are the only nations recognized as possessing nuclear weapons under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, although it lacks universal validity, as some nuclear nations have not signed the treaty.This nuclear status is not the result of their Security Council membership, though it is sometimes used as a modern-day justification for their continued presence on the body. India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel possess nuclear weapons outside of the anti-proliferation framework established by the Treaty. In 2004, four of the five permanent members were also the world's top four weapons exporters when measured by arms value; China was seventh. Each permanent member state has veto powers, which can be used to void any substantive resolution. A single veto from a permanent member outweighs any majority.This is not technically a veto, rather just a â€Å"nay† vote; however a â€Å"nay† vote from a permanent member blocks the passage of the resolut ion in question. Elected members Ten other members are elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms starting on 1 January, with five replaced each year. The members are chosen by regional groups and confirmed by the United Nations General Assembly. The African bloc chooses three members; the Latin America and the Caribbean, Asian, and Western European and Others blocs choose two members each; and the Eastern European bloc chooses one member.Also, one of these members is an Arab country, alternately from the Asian or African bloc. The current (2007) elected members, with the regions they were elected to represent and their Permanent Representatives are: 1. Belgium (Western Europe): Amb. Johan C. Verbeke 2. Republic of the Congo (Africa): Amb. Basile Ikouebe 3. Ghana (Africa): Amb. Nana Effah-Apenteng 4. Indonesia (Asia): Amb. Rezlan Ishar Jenie 5. Italy (Western Europe); Amb. Marcello Spatafora 6. Panama (Latin America and Caribbean): Amb. Ricardo Alberto Arias   7. Peru (Lat in America and Caribbean) – Amb.Oswaldo de Rivero   8. Qatar (Asia, Arab): Amb. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser 9. Slovakia (Eastern Europe): Amb. Peter Burian 10. South Africa (Africa): Amb. Dumisani Kumalo Veto power Under article 27 of the UN Charter decisions in the 15-member Security Council on all substantive matters—for example, a decision calling for direct measures related to the settlement of a dispute— require the affirmative votes of nine members. A negative vote—a veto—by a permanent member prevents adoption of a proposal, even if it has received the required number of affirmative votes.Abstention is not regarded as a veto despite the wording of the Charter. Since the Security Council's inception, China (ROC/PRC) has used five vetoes; France, 18; Russia/USSR, 122; the United Kingdom, 32; and the United States, 81. The majority of Russian/Soviet vetoes were in the first ten years of the Council's existence. Since 1984, the numbers have bee n: China, two; France, three; Russia/USSR, four; the United Kingdom, 10; and the United States, 43. Procedural matters are not subject to a Security Council veto.This provision is important because it prevents the veto from being used to avoid discussion of an issue. Status of non-members A state that is a member of the UN, but not of the Security Council, may participate in Security Council discussions in matters that the Council agrees that the country's interests are particularly affected. In recent years, the Council has interpreted this loosely, enabling many countries to take part in its discussions or not depending on how they interpret the validity of the country's interest.Non-members are routinely invited to take part when they are parties to disputes being considered by the Council. Role of the Security Council Under Chapter Six of the Charter, â€Å"Pacific Settlement of Disputes†, the Security Council â€Å"may investigate any dispute, or any situation which mig ht lead to international friction or give rise to a dispute†. The Council may â€Å"recommend appropriate procedures or methods of adjustment† if it determines that the situation might endanger international peace and security. These recommendations are not binding on UN members.Under Chapter Seven, the Council has broader power to decide what measures are to be taken in situations involving â€Å"threats to the peace, breaches of the peace, or acts of aggression†. In such situations, the Council is not limited to recommendations but may take action, including the use of armed force â€Å"to maintain or restore international peace and security†. This was the basis for UN armed action in Korea in 1950 during the Korean War and the use of coalition forces in Iraq and Kuwait in 1991. Decisions taken under Chapter Seven, such as economic sanctions, are binding on UN members.The UN's role in international collective security is defined by the UN Charter, which gives the Security Council the power to: * Investigate any situation threatening international peace; * Recommend procedures for peaceful resolution of a dispute; * Call upon other member nations to completely or partially interrupt economic relations as well as sea, air, postal, and radio communications, or to sever diplomatic relations; and * Enforce its decisions militarily, if necessary. The United Nations has helped prevent many outbreaks of international violence from growing into wider conflicts.It has opened the way to negotiated settlements through its service as a center of debate and negotiation, as well as through UN-sponsored fact-finding missions, mediators, and truce observers. UN Peacekeeping forces, comprised of troops and equipment supplied by member nations, have usually been able to limit or prevent conflict, although sometimes not. Some conflicts, however, have proven to be beyond the capacity of the UN to influence. Key to the success of UN peacekeeping efforts is the willingness of the parties to a conflict to come to terms peacefully through a viable political process.

Globalization Impact in Brazil

GLOBALIZATION IN BRAZIL HOW HAS GLOBALIZATION AFFECTED THE ECONOMIC, POLITICAL AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS IN BRAZIL? GINA MARIE HELLAND HAUGE MARIE THERESE MAGNUSSON MASTER THESIS August, 2011 Pages: 97 STUs: 240 410 COPENHAGEN BUSINESS SCHOOL MASTER OF SCIENCE IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SUPERVISOR: JOACHIM LUND Department of Business and Politics Executive summary This thesis investigates the concept of globalization and its effects on the economic, political and social development in Brazil. For many years Brazil suffered from economic instability, high inflation and high levels of income inequalities and poverty.New reforms and opening up of domestic markets has had positive effects on Brazil in terms of stabilizing the economy. Globalization is a growing phenomenon and its effects on the world and people have been enormous. Trade liberalization has led to increased foreign direct investment inflows and it has also increased Brazil’s international trade. During the era of globali zation and economic growth, Brazil has received more power within international organizations and has become an important addition to international politics.But, even if the trade liberalization had positive effects on Brazil during the 1990s, inequality and poverty levels did not decline. This was due to the lack of functioning social policies. Governmental changes in the 21st century led to social reforms and by introducing new policies poverty levels were reduced. Today Brazil is experiencing a growing middle class and a further reduction of inequality levels. For globalization to have a positive effect on Brazil it must be controlled and the working economic reforms must be introduced.This happened during the mid 1990s and since the beginning of the 21st century Brazil has experienced the benefits of globalization. 2 Table of Contents Executive summary Abbreviations 1. Introduction 1. 1 Background 1. 2 Problem specification 1. 3 Delimitations 1. 4 Methodology approach 1. 5 Liter ature review and previous research 1. 6 Structure 2. Globalization 2. 1 Definition of globalization 2. 2 Measuring globalization 2. 3 The economic dimension of globalization 2. 4 The political dimension of globalization 2. 5 The social dimensions of globalization 3. Social evelopment in Brazil 3. 1 Overview 3. 2 A historical perspective 3. 3 Social Security Development 3. 4 Rural vs. urban areas 3. 5 Bolsa Familia 3. 6 Social participation 3. 7 Public policy councils 3. 8 Conferences 4. The economic and political history of Brazil 4. 1 Before democracy 4. 2 1985- ­1992 – Years of instability 4. 2. 1 The Cruzado Plan 4. 2. 2 The Bresser Plan 4. 2. 3 GDP growth 4. 3 1992- ­2002 4. 3. 1 The Real Plan 4. 3. 2 A change in the economy 4. 3. 3 Fiscal Responsibility Law 4. 3. 4 Challenges from the outside 4. 4 Governmental change 5. Brazil s a â€Å"BRIC- ­country† 5. 1 Origins of the term 5. 2 The development and growth stages 5. 3 Obstacles and financial crises for the BRICs 5. 4 Summits 5. 5 The role of Brazil 6. Economic Analysis 6. 1 Foreign Direct Investment 6. 2 Foreign Trade 7. Political Analysis 7. 1 Mercosur 7. 2 The World Trade Organization 2 5 6 6 8 8 9 10 11 11 11 18 19 21 23 26 26 28 30 32 32 34 34 35 36 36 37 38 39 40 40 40 43 44 45 50 53 53 55 56 58 59 60 60 64 67 67 69 3 7. 3 The International Monetary Fund 7. 4 The World Bank 7. 5 The United Nations 8. Poverty and income distribution nalysis 9. Discussion 10. Concluding remarks Bibliography Appendix 1 71 72 73 75 80 87 90 101 4 Abbreviations BRIC: EU: FDI: IMF: OECD: UN: UNCTAD: WIR: WTO: Brazil, Russia, India and China European Union Foreign Direct Investment International Monetary Fund Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development United Nations United Nations Conference on Trade And Development World Investment Report World Trade Organization 5 1. Introduction 1. 1 Background Globalization is a complex phenomenon that has had enormous effects on the world economy and i ts people.Today, one is used to have shirts produced in Bangladesh, the coffee originates from Brazil and the camera is imported from Japan. A few decades ago the word â€Å"globalization† barely existed, but today it is a widely used expression and the effects of globalization is discussed in a great number of economic articles and journals. At one extreme, globalization is seen as a force that delivers economic prosperity to people around the world. At the other, globalization is blamed for making rich people richer and the poor poorer.Globalization is referred to as a process of interaction and integration among people and companies, and the process of globalization have effected the environment in different countries, the culture, the people and the political systems within the economy. Globalization also has a major effect on economic development. Policy and technological developments of the past decades have stimulated international trade and investments to that extent that many believe that the world has entered a new phase in its economic development.The current wave of globalization has been driven by policies that have opened up economies around the world and by technological developments during the past decades (World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization, 2004). Even if globalization in many situations has been referred to as something positive, the word globalization is a deeply controversial term. Proponents of globalisation argue that it allows poor countries to develop economically and socially.Opponents, on the other hand, argue that globalization has benefited multinational corporations in the Western world at the expense of small, local firms and common people (de Soysa and Vadlamannati 2011). According to Kiggundu, globalization offers developing countries new opportunities and challenges such as economic, political and social development, but it also gives these countries an opportunity to reduce poverty and increase w ages, and thereby adding wealth to the economy (Kiggundu, 2002).There are several different ways to measure and define globalization, but the most used measurement methods are to divine the effects of globalization into one economic, one political and one social dimension and thereby evaluate the effects (Dreher, 2006). Globalization and internationalization are two words frequently used today. Boundaries become smaller and world trade and investments abroad are increasing. The world has 6 become familiar with terms such as †emerging markets† and †BRIC-countries†.Globalization has indeed provided more opportunities for countries and their people. But, obviously countries are facing challenges in the globalization process. Globalization generally refers to an increasing interaction across national boundaries that affect many aspects of life: economic, social, cultural and political. It is a process driven by international trade and investment and aided by info rmation technology. This process has effects on the environment as well as on political systems, and on economic development in societies around the world.This process has speeded up dramatically in the last two decades as technological advances make it easier for people to travel, communicate, and do business internationally (de Soysa Vadlamannati, 2011). It is hard to say when the globalization process in Brazil started, but what one can say is that it definitely has changed Brazil, economically, politically and socially. Brazil is the largest economy in South America, and is because of its size offering one of the most promising markets in the world (Brazil Country Brief).Brazil is, together with India and China, ranked as one of the countries that will offer the highest predicted development in the next 25 years. During the past decade, Brazil was number two of the emerging economies in the world receiving high levels of foreign direct investment. The Brazilian economy has faced some substantial changes in the past five decades. During these decades the economy also changed from being a strong state-oriented economy to a more market driven economic model.In the 1990’s and in the early 2000’s, many market-orientated reforms within trade liberalization and privatization were made. In the beginning of the 1990’s, the country faced economic problems due to high inflation and an unstable economy. This was why the Real Plan was introduced in 1994. The plan aimed to avoid many of the problems with inflation and what it brought in terms of economic instability, and it was based on fiscal adjustment (Gouvea, 2004). In the past decades, Brazil also has attracted a large amount of foreign direct investment (hereafter denoted as FDI).For many years FDI was restricted to certain sectors and were highly regulated. In the 1990’s, Brazil opened its doors to FDI inflow and the economy experienced an enormous growth in FDI (Baer and Rangel, 2001) . When considering overall subjects for this thesis, the authors wanted to go in depth and look at the development of emerging markets as these are becoming more and more important in the global economy. During the first years of the study program, the main focus was on Asia and the development of important economies such as China and India. Therefore, we wanted    7 o focus on a different, but just as important region. South America, and in particular Brazil has shown to be an important player in the international economy, which makes it an interesting market to investigate. 1. 2 Problem specification The aim of this thesis is to investigate the effects globalization has had on Brazil in terms of economic, political and social development. This is a major task and it looks both at how globalization has affected the Brazilian economy and the role of Brazil in the world economy on one side, and the people of Brazil on the other.To do this one will have to look at many different asp ects of the country and its role within the world. The specific and interesting episodes from the country’s economic and political history to what role Brazil plays in the world economy, and also the importance of the Brazilian market in the world is worth noticing. What also falls under this theme is FDI in Brazil, since globalization often starts with the opening up of domestic markets to the global economy.How is the inflow of FDI in Brazil and how has it developed during the time of liberalization? By looking into the wave of FDI-inflow in Brazil during the past decades, it will be investigated how the economic dimension of globalization has affected the political and the social structure in the Brazilian economy. It is also interesting to look at how higher FDI-inflows in Brazil has affected the poverty and the income inequalities, i. e. if the economic dimension of globalization has helped Brazil to develop socially.Our research question is as follows: â€Å"By investi gating the previous and current economical, political and social conditions in Brazil, we want to find out how it has developed during the globalization, as well as what globalization has offered. † 1. 3 Delimitations Restrictions to this paper are necessary due to the scope of the paper and the limit of time. As the topic is very broad it has been necessary to narrow it down to a specific period of time. The thesis aims to investigate how the recent globalization process in Brazil has affected the economic, political and social structure in the country.At first a definition of globalization and how globalization has affected Brazil is necessary to set the outline of the thesis. It is also necessary with an overall background of Brazil in terms of historical, economical, political and social development. To be able to make a significant analysis of the globalization process    8 in Brazil the time limit is important. Hence, the paper aims to take a look at the recent globali zation process in Brazil, starting in the beginning of the 1990’s until today.The thesis aims to bring up the problems Brazil was facing in the beginning of the 1990’s, the introduction of the Real Plan, the political development during this period and the social structures in Brazil. In addition to this, the authors will make connections between the economic development and social development in the country, to see if there is a relationship between higher FDI-rates, which derived from a liberalization of the Brazilian market, and social conditions such as poverty and income distribution.Hence, the thesis aims to link economical, political and social development in Brazil and cannot be used for generalization to other countries. The limitation regarding the time period is necessary in this paper, but it might have dismissed different interesting topics that could have added value to our research. 1. 4 Methodology approach This thesis aims to explain how globalization has affected the economic, political and social structure in Brazil. The first objective is to explain and define important and commonly used terms such as economic, political and social globalization.Since a main part of the thesis is based on the economic history and development of Brazil, it is significant to define important terms. The thesis approaches the research question primarily with an explanatory approach. An explanatory study is best suited because the paper aims to understand how the globalization has affected the economical, political and social development in Brazil. The goal of explanatory research is to go beyond the traditional descriptive designs of the positivist approach to provide meaning as well as description.The purpose of explanatory research is broader than descriptive research; it is conducted to build theories and predict events. Objectives for explanatory research include explaining why some phenomenon occurred as well as interpreting a cause-and-effec t relationship between two or more variables (McNabb, 2008:100). In this paper there will be conducted an analysis of the effect the globalization process has had on Brazil and how the country has developed during the past two decades.The research design has furthermore been of quantitative nature, using already existing research papers from organizations such as the United Nations (UN), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In the collection of quantitative data such as FDI-rates, poverty rates and income 9 distribution, The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the IMF websites have been helpful sources. The authors aim to use secondary data as the main source of information.For this type of research approach the authors believe that using secondary data is sufficient for answering our research question. In this thesis the aim is to use existing theories and data to analyze. Most of the data has been collected through research and an extensive use of journal articles and reports from reliable sources. Hence, the authors are not aiming to explore new theories. 1. 5 Literature review and previous research The literature this thesis is based on has been gathered from various sources, which are considered recognized and reliable.The authors have used various literatures within the subject of international business. Specific literature about foreign direct investment and globalization has been used to get a broad understanding concerning the chosen subject. The authors have been aiming at finding as recent literature as possible to get reliable information. Inspiration from respected newspapers such as The Financial Times and The Economist has proven to be helpful when exploring the subject of globalization in Brazil. Within the subject of globalization, there seem to exist different literature and well-known and respected authors.One of these is Jagdish Baghwati, who is a professor of economics at Columbia University and known for his research within international trade. His book â€Å"In Defense of Globalization† (2004) has proven helpful in the research to get a better understanding of why globalization is positive for the world. Another important person within the liberal approach is Axel Dreher, a German economist known for the KOF Index of Globalization. This index measures mainly three dimensions of globalization; the economic, political and social dimension, which has been used as a measurement of globalization in this thesis.The literature is mainly specialist literature about globalization, both pro and con. For the background part, literature about Brazilian history has been gathered from recognized sources such as Science Direct and Business Source Premier, which are recommended by the CBS library. The authors have also found books on Brazilian history and the development of the Brazilian economy to be reliable sources as they have been written by respected professors at well-known universities. 10 When analyzing income inequality and trade liberalization, a report written by Bergh and Nilsson has been very helpful.According to this article, there is a positive link between income inequality and trade liberalization, but only for certain types of reforms. These are trade liberalization, deregulation of product and labor markets and economic globalization such as inflow and outflow of FDI. 1. 6 Structure This thesis consists of ten chapters. After a brief introduction where the problem is discussed and specified, the methodology approach and the delimitations are presented. Chapter two is mainly a globalization chapter where a definition of globalization is introduced.Since globalization can be measured in many different ways, a presentation of the measurements is made in section 2. 2 to 2. 5. In chapter three, the social development of Brazil will be assessed. In chapter four, the economic and political h istory of Brazil will be presented. Here, the authors will review the history of Brazils economic and political development with focus on the different plans such as The Real Plan and The Cruzado Plan, but also development in terms of economic growth such as GDP.In chapter five, the authors will evaluate Brazil as a BRIC-country, trying to get a better understanding of why Brazil has had such a strong growth the last decades and what this means to Brazil. In chapters 6 through 8 an analysis of how Brazil has been affected by globalization in terms of economic, political and social aspects will be conducted, and a discussion on this will follow in chapter 9. In the last chapter there will be a conclusion on the findings. 2. Globalization 2. 1 Definition of globalizationAn extensive amount of research has been done within the field of describing globalization. According to a report from the OECD the term â€Å"globalization† refers to the dynamic and multidimensional process of economic integration within a country and can be explained by the fact that national resources are becoming more and more internationally mobile. Furthermore, globalization has for a long time been used to describe the increasing internationalization of financial markets and the different markets of goods and services.There are mainly three forces that are contributing to the process of globalization and these are the liberalization of capital movements, the opening of global markets to trade and    11 investment, and the increasing use of information and communication technologies. Governments and international organizations have also played a very important role in the globalization of the world economy. The WTO has for example helped with making global markets more open by reducing trade barriers such as tariffs through trade negotiations, while the IMF has worked to ensure a smooth international monetary system.Also the OECD has played an important role by liberalizing capita l movements. The globalization in terms of trade in goods and services is opening up new and important markets in the world. In terms of financial markets, the increasing trade has triggered a growth in investments abroad and movements in capital over seas (OECD Handbook on Economic Globalization Indicators, 2005). As mentioned before, there are many pros and cons to globalization. Authors such as Jagdish Bhagwati and Martin Wolf argue that globalization provides economic, political and social benefits for the people in the orld. Free markets denote voluntary exchange and the allocation of goods according to supply and demand, where success and failure in the market is based on effort and talents. The ones that are skeptic to globalization fear that unfairness between people such as income inequalities and higher poverty rates will rise when the globalization process heats up. According to these people, globalization will hinder economic and social development in developing countrie s because it takes away the independence of governments to act in the people’s interests (de Soysa and Vadlamannati, 2011).It seems appropriate to take a brief look at globalization versus internationalization. Although it seems like two quite similar concepts, there are important differences between globalization and internationalization. It can be said internationalization is a phenomenon that is older than globalization. It is important to note how globalization is different from internationalization. According to Daly, internationalization refers to the increasing importance of international trade, international relations, treaties, alliances, etc.Inter-national means between or among nations. The nation remains the basic unit, even as relations among nations become increasingly necessary and important (Daly, 1999). According to Petrella, â€Å"the internationalization of economy and society refers to the ensemble of flows of exchanges of raw materials, semi-finished and finished products and services, money, ideas and people between two or more nation-states†. The mist visible instruments that are used to measure and monitor the nature, scope and direction of internationalization is    12 rade and population movement statistics. In modern capitalism, internationalization took shape through the conquest of colonies and the rise of mercantilism. George Modelski used the term â€Å"globalization† in 1972 to refer explicitly to the European-lead expansion to gain control over the communities in the world and integrate these into one global trading system. The pattern and degree of internationalization has changes over the centuries as old powers have declined and new ones emerged with different interests and strategies (Petrella, 1996:63). Globalization is as mentioned more recent phenomenon. Therefore, the forms and processes occurring are more difficult to capture in a single sentence. In short, globalization refers to the global econ omic integration of many formerly national economies into one global economy mainly by free trade and free capital mobility (Daly, 1999). Petrella lists some of the principal characteristics of globalization. He mentions that there is a globalization of financial markets and there is a transformation of consumption patterns into cultural products with worldwide consumer markets.There is globalization of financial markets and there is a diminished role of national governments in designing the rules for global governance (Petrella, 1996:64). The one factor that has changed more than others is about the effect of globalization. For example, the production of wealth in countries such as Germany, France, Japan or Costa Rica is no longer dependent upon the performance of their â€Å"local† firms in local technology, capital and labour markets, but instead on those firms which are increasingly part of global networks of financial and industrial corporations.They respond to strategic interests that are not bound to their own country’s national needs and they are even more dependent on technology designed, produced and transformed everywhere in the world, on capital made available at the global and world level, which is confirmed by the fast growing globalization of financial and capital markets. They are also increasingly dependent on highly skilled labour, not necessarily trained in their own country (Petrella, 1996:68). One can say that internationalization is a predecessor to globalization.Internationalization seems like a Western phenomenon, the Western states were trading only with each other at some point and now the whole world is trading with each other. Globalization reaches wider than internationalization, and it also grasps a larger part of the world. More countries are involved in the global process it does not only include the more developed countries. Today globalization is hard to avoid and it affects people around the world on a daily bas is. 13According to economists David Dollar and Aart Kray, globalization has since 1980 contributed to a reduction in poverty as well as a reduction in global income inequality (Dollar and Kray, 2001). However, studies have shown that a number of people in different countries hold the view that the benefits and burdens of †the economic developments of the last few years† have not been shared fairly. In developed countries, those who have this view of unfairness are more likely to say that globalization is growing too quickly- especially in Germany, France, South Korea, Japan and Italy.In some developing countries, in contrast, those who perceive such unfairness are more likely to say that globalizations is proceeding too slowly. These countries include Turkey, Indonesia, The Philippines, Kenya, Brazil, Mexico and the Central America countries. When working on raising living standards throughout the world it is important to create a climate that enables countries to realiz e maximum benefits from globalization (BBC World Service Poll). According to Wolf, liberal globalization is a movement in the direction of greater integration, as both natural and man made barriers to international economic exchange continue to fall.The increased impact of economic changes in one part of the world on what happens in the others is a natural and necessary consequence. In the question of the effect of globalization one has to consider what has happened within developing countries and high-income countries separately. Critics say that globalization only benefits the rich countries. An important term is capitalism and the relationship between capitalism, inequality and globalization. Does capitalism benefit all and does it lead to less inequality within societies? When looking briefly at this the focus will be on Latin America as a region. 14 Figure 1. Liberal apitalism, inequality and welfare states. Source: Schneider and Soskice, 2009 Capitalism is a social formation i n which markets and commodity production are pervasive, including capital markets and labour markets. Capitalism is considered to be the most dynamic economic system in economic history. Its driving logic involves the expansion and diversification of multiple markets (Hodgson, 2003). Liberal capitalism has an impact on both the market distribution of income through labour markets, and on redistribution and the welfare state through the preferences of middle class voters, and business on the political system.With    capitalism comes a greater demand for skilled labour, which leads to a higher educated middle class. More middle class investment in the education system leads to inequality of education outcomes. This increase in education has had a major impact on labour. The focus is now on general skills, which rewards general education. However, this penalizes those with low educational competences, which in turn will lead to a more inegalitarian income distribution. Liberal capita lism leads to weaker unions since the society becomes more individualistic and no one wants to share their wealth.The median voter from the middle-class does not want a welfare state because recipients of welfare state benefits are the poor. According to Schneider and Soskice, capitalism leads to demand for general skilled labour, which leads to increased inequalities and a minimal welfare state. 15 Keynes draws attention to the disadvantages for demand-led economic development as a result of great inequality in distribution. Too wide a distribution gap results in the rich increasingly saving up their income instead of spending it for investment purposes, while the poor lack sufficient income and thus also purchasing power.This will lead to a decline in the general demand for investment and consumer goods and thus growth will be limited (Eissel, 2008). Research has shown that capitalism does not benefit all. Inequality has increased among what the World Bank calls the â€Å"new glo balizers†, its twenty-four countries with an aggregate population of close to three billion people (Wolf, 2004:167). According to the World Bank, the â€Å"new globalizers† have approximately doubled their ratio of trade to GDP. These countries include India and China.On the other hand, about 2 billion people live in developing countries that are trading less today than they did twenty years ago (Soubbotina, 2004:84). It has been argued that trade helps growth and that the poor tend to share in equal proportions with the rich in any rise in subsequent incomes. It has also been argued on the contrary, that inequality rises initially with growth, before declining once again. The evidence suggests modest widening in inequality in growing economies (Wolf, 2004:167,168). According to Leiva, three decades of neoliberal labour policies in Latin America have failed to deliver the promised results.Neoliberals sees the opening of the economy to international competition, deregula ted labour markets and â€Å"labour flexibility† as a recipe for eliminating unemployment, poverty and inequality. This is seen differently in Latin America. The expansion of capital enabled by labour market flexibility is seen as the cause, not the solution to rising poverty, inequality and unemployment in the Latin American region (Leiva, 2006). Latin America is a continent with relatively high wages and a history of protection aimed at distributing income from the agricultural sector to the industrial working class.One would in these cases expect liberalization to create greater inequality (Wolf, 2004:168). Looking at Brazil in relation to capitalism it is clear that with so many poor people and a high level of inequality, capitalism will not benefit the people that are considered poor. The people that are not able to receive an education still rely on the welfare state. In the developing countries it take longer for the poor people to see how they can benefit from capital ism and globalization. 16Globalization is reshaping how we have traditionally gone about studying the social world and human culture. It is evident that a field of globalization studies now is emerging across the disciplines. The globalization studies arose around sets of phenomena that drew researchers attention from the 1970s onwards. One of them was the emergence of a globalized economy that involved new systems of production, finance and consumption and worldwide economic integration. A second one was new transnational or global cultural patterns, practices and flows, as well as the idea of â€Å"global cultures†.The third was global political processes, the rise of new transnational institutions and the spread of global governance and authority structures. A fourth one was the multidirectional movement of people around the world that involved new patterns of transnational migration, identities and communities. Finally, there is the phenomenon of new social hierarchies, f orms of inequality and relations of domination around the world and in the global system as a whole (Robinson, 2007). The scholarly literature on the phenomena has spread, as have specific studies on the impact of globalization.The increasing literature on globalization reflects the enormity of the task of researching and theorizing the breadth, depth and pace of changes underway in human society in the early twenty-first century (Robinson, 2007). Since this paper is an analysis of how globalization has affected the economic, political and social conditions in Brazil, it is appropriate to review the perspectives and effects of globalization. According to McGrew there are four modes of analyzing globalization. These are defensive globalism, critical globalism, post-globalism and glocalism.In the view of defensive globalism, globalization is an existing and enduring condition that is changing societies around the world. The view can be divided into liberal and transformationalist pers pectives. Globalization is generally seen, in the liberal view, as a benign process that has continuities with the past and historical changes. It is primarily economic in nature and leads to increasing integration through the market and technology. Liberal theorists Martin Wolf and Jagdish Bhagwati emphasize how globalization is re-structuring the world economy.As trade has become more open and there is now a transnationalization of production, this creates a new world division of labour. This facilitates the rise of new economic powers such as China, India and Brazil. The liberals show awareness to the fact that there are problems associated with globalization, and they adopt the view that it can be made to function better (McGrew, 2007). 17 The transformationalist position is that globalization is unique in history and that it involves much more than economic changes. There are benefits to globalization, but there are also problems such as great inequality in and across societies (McGrew, 2007).Castells argues that economic globalization is associated with a divided world, as the gap between the rich and poor widens, whilst much of humanity remains on the margins or is excluded from its benefits (Castells, 2000). Critical globalism takes on a critical view of globalization because it is associated with the extension and transnationalization of power. Theorists say that a new globalized social formation is in the making, which, according to critical globalist theory, requires new ways of thinking about and acting in the world.Post-globalism says that globalization never occurred or that it is in decline or disappearing. Due to the fact that borders of nation-states are being reasserted, as is the case with the border of United States and Mexico, and nationalism is being revived, this can be seen as involving deglobalization. This view is under the impression that the whole idea of globalization has been â€Å"oversold† as a description of social reali ty, an explanation of social change and as and ideology of social progress. Glocalism is the final mode of analysis.Holton argues that there is an interpenetration between the local and the global that has to be observed. He says that the global and the national or local may under certain circumstances depend on each other (Holton, 2005). According to Brenner, global and local cannot simply be dissolved into one another due to the fact that they retain their distinctive forms (Brenner, 2004). Hence, the explanation of one needs an account of the other (McGrew, 2007). It is obvious from these modes of analysis that different theorists have different views on the impact of globalization and what its implications are. . 2 Measuring globalization There are many different ways to measure globalization and the effects of it. A proxy often used for globalization is trade openness, which can be measured as total trade of GDP, FDI and portfolio investments. However, trade openness can be inf luenced by location of a country and access to the sea, which is important to take into consideration. Many efforts have been made to measure and quantify globalization, but the most common ways of measuring it is to split globalization into economic, political and social dimensions.According to the KOF Index, developed by Axel Dreher, these three measures are used. The advantage of using Dreher’s three dimensions for globalization is that it is the most 18 comprehensive measure, not only taking the trade openness into consideration but also the political and social structure. By looking at Axel Dreher’s index of globalization, we have decided to use the following as a measurement for globalization and the effects of it (see appendix 1).Economic globalization: This dimension consists of two dimensions, actual capital inflows that measure the extent to which a country is exposed to foreign capital and trade with the world including income payments to foreign nationals. The second part of the economic globalization consists of restrictions of capital and trade flows, which work as obstacles to market access. Political globalization: Measures the degree of a country’s political integration. For example it measures diplomatic relations with the rest of the world and international relations.Social globalization: Indicators on social globalization can be for example poverty, unemployment and income distribution. Taking Dreher’s globalization index into consideration, we have decided to look at how the economic dimension of globalization has affected the political and social dimension. As proxy for economic globalization, we will look at FDI-inflows in Brazil from 1990 until today. After this, a review of the political landscape in Brazil will be made, telling us a little bit about what happened in Brazil during these years.Furthermore, as proxies for social globalization we will use poverty rates and income distribution, as these two meas urements can say a lot about how the people’s welfare in Brazil has developed during the recent era of globalization. 2. 3 The economic dimension of globalization FDI remains a key element in the rapidly developing globalization process and it provides means for creating direct, stable and long-lasting links between economies. FDI can also serve as an important vehicle for local enterprise development, and it may also help improve the competitive position in the receiving economy.FDI encourages the transfer of technology and know-how between countries, and it provides an opportunity for the host economy to promote its products more widely in international markets. Additionally, FDI has a positive 19 effect on the development of international trade (OECD Handbook on Economic Globalization Indicators, 2005). FDI plays an important and growing role in international business since it can provide a firm with new markets and marketing channels, access to new technology, products, s kills and financing, as well as cheaper production facilities.For a host country or foreign firm that receives the investment, it can provide a source of new technologies, processes, capital products and management skills, which in turn can provide a strong impetus to economic development (Graham and Spaulding, 2004). The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has defined FDI as â€Å"an investment made to acquire lasting interest in enterprises operating outside of the economy of the investor†. In cases of FDI, the investor’s purpose is to gain an effective voice in the management of the enterprise.The foreign entity or group of associated entities that makes the investment is termed the â€Å"direct investor†. Another important term is â€Å"direct investment enterprise†, which refers to the unincorporated or incorporated enterprise-a branch or subsidiary, respectively, in which direct investment is made. Some degree of equity owner ship is almost always considered to be associated with an effective voice in the management of the enterprise. The Balance of Payments Manual, which has been developed by the IMF, suggests a threshold of 10 percent of equity to ownership to qualify an investor as a foreign direct investor.This is the level of participation at or above which the direct investor is normally considered as having an effective say in the management of the enterprise involved. However, countries differ in the threshold value for foreign equity ownership, which is seen as evidence of a direct investment relationship. As mentioned it is suggested to be at 10 percent for FDI, for data on the operation of Transnational Corporations (TNC) it involves chosen ranges of between 10 and 50 percent. Countries that do not specify a threshold point rely entirely on other evidence.This included the companies’ own assessments as to whether the investing company has an effective voice in the foreign firm in which it has an equity stake. The quantitative impact of differences in the threshold value used is relatively small, owing to the large proportion of FDI, which is directed to the majority-owned foreign affiliates. It is necessary to define which capital flows between the enterprise and entities in other economies should be classified as FDI, once a direct investment enterprise has been identified.Only capital that is provided by the direct investor either directly or through other enterprises related to the investor should be classified as FDI, since the main feature of FDI is    20 taken to be the lasting interest of a director investor in an enterprise. Equity capital, the provision of long-term and short-term intra-company loans (between parent and affiliate enterprises) and the reinvestment of earnings are the forms of investment by the direct investor, which are classified as FDI.To get a deeper understanding for FDI one need to understand the difference between FDI and other typ es of investments. Direct investors have different investments motives than investors in portfolio investments. Investors that invest in FDI intend to have a long-term relationship with the foreign company to enable them to have a significant influence on their management. Portfolio investors or other investors may also have a long-term outlook, but they have no intention of establishing a long-term relationship with the management of the foreign company in question.Portfolio investors either invest a relatively small amount in the voting shares of the foreign company or acquire other types of claims in the foreign company (UNCTAD, 2009). In the past decade, FDI has come to play a major role in the internationalization of business. New information technology systems and decline in global communication costs have made management of foreign investments far easier than in the past. Proponents of foreign investment emphasize that the exchange of investment flows benefits both the home a nd host country (Graham and Spaulding, 2004). . 4 The political dimension of globalization The political dimension of globalization is all about the political forces that shape the waves of globalization in a country. Political decisions such as openness to trade, income distribution and membership in international organizations are all things that might affect the way globalization hits a country and its people. According to Acemoglu and Yared, openness to globalization is the same as openness to trade, and how open a country chooses to be to foreign investments is mainly a decision that the government takes.This means that changes in the political atmosphere can change the whole process of globalization for a country. They also state that countries that are experiencing greater militarization and those countries witnessing greater militarization among their trading partners have seen smaller increases in trade over the past 20 years. This means that political changes and a strong military could be a reason for a smaller increase and exposure to the globalization.Political integration is a dimension of the globalization process that binds states together through bilateral contact and as members of international organizations. A higher participation from one country in global 21 politics, closer the political ties between governments and lead to greater cooperation. The political integration within a country is definitely a reason for the welfare of the people of the state (Acemoglu and Yared, 2010). The political dimension of globalization has been discussed in the globalization literature ever since globalization was â€Å"discovered†.The emphasis has been on the decline of the nationstate under the impact of global forces. When globalization increases, boundaries are becoming smaller and borders are erased. For some, the process of globalization has opened up new possibilities while globalization for others has lead to a loss of independence. One of the most common forms of political globalization is the worldwide spread of democracy. Democratic government exists in some form in most parts of the world and where it does not, as for example in China, there is a considerable demand for it by democratic movements.Since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the communist regimes in Europe after 1991, democracy has become the universally acceptable form of government (Delanty and Rumford, 2007). Taking Dreher’s measurements of globalization into consideration, political globalization can be measured as a degree of a country’s political integration. To analyze the impact of it, one can analyze the political forces that have affected the growth in the country in question. Political globalization can also be measured by diplomatic relations with the rest of the world and international relations.Hence, a good way of assessing this way of globalization would be to look at a country’s integration with the re st of the world as for example membership in international organizations, but also to look at what forces that has been behind a country’s decision to open up its markets to trade (Dreher, 2006). According to the WTO Trade Policy Review, globalization is making all nations increasingly independent, which means that the world needs better global rules, policies and institutions that ensure that globalization does not lead to larger inequalities around the world.People experience both opportunities and problems with an increasingly interconnected world, and the importance of politics and stable institutions is increasing. Policies within nations continue to be a key factor in determining whether or not countries and people benefit from globalization. According to the report, globalization leads to economic adjustment in all countries, both industrialized and developing. New economic opportunities emerge, but they may demand new skills and may also appear in new locations.Reloca tion of production between countries can destroy jobs in one place and create employment in others. Whole regions where production is concentrated in declining sectors suffer, while other sectors    22 benefit from new opportunities. The whole role of the political dimension of globalization is that governments need to manage these changes in coordination with key actors to support adjustment and new opportunities and to protect citizens from insecurity. The challenges are especially important in many of the developing countries, where unstable institutions and infrastructure are key problems.The basis for good governance is a well-functioning democratic political system that ensures representative and honest governments that are responsive to the needs of the people, which means more than just holding of regular and free elections. It also involves respect for the human rights of the people, and involves basic civil rights such as freedom of expression. Financial liberalization e xposes countries to greater risks of economic fluctuations, and can be especially devastating when a financial crisis occurs.This risk requires a strengthening of the role of the government in providing social protection for the people. At the same time as globalization create new jobs it can also relocate jobs, which mean that some people get new jobs while other people lose theirs. This effect on employment emphasizes the need for stronger people that can only contribute and benefit from globalization if they are endowed with knowledge skills and values and with the capabilities and rights needed to pursue their basic needs. They need employment and incomes, and a healthy environment.These are the essential conditions that empower them to lead a self-determined, decent life, and to participate fully as citizens in their local, national and global communities. These goals, which are at the heart of the Millennium Declaration1, can only be reached if national governments ensure a go od education, basic infrastructure and the environment needed to create the institutional framework for it (World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization, 2004). 2. 5 The social dimensions of globalizationOne can say that there are people that benefit from globalization while others do not. Globalization has by critics been called a global apartheid, with increasing inequalities and huge contrasts between those who benefit from it and those who do not. As an example of this, one can take Bill Gates, who earned 120 million USD per day in 1999 while 1. 3 billion people still live on less than one USD per day. Another example is the industrial countries, 1 The Millennium Declaration was adopted in 2000 by all 189 member states of the UN General Assembly.The Declaration sets out within a single framework the key challenges facing humanity at the threshold of the new millennium, outlines a response to these challenges, and establishes concrete measures for judging performance through a set of inter-related commitments, goals and targets on development, governance, peace, security and human rights. (http://www. undg. org/index. cfm? P=70) 23 which have 88 percent of all Internet users while 2 billion people do not even have access to electricity.At the same time, it is important to remember that globalization provides opportunities for human development (The Social Dimensions of Globalization, 2000). The social dimension of globalization refers to the impact globalization has on the life of the people in the country. Concerns are often raised about the impact globalization has on employment, working conditions, income and social protection. The social dimension of globalization also includes security, culture and identity. These will however, not be assessed as measurements in this paper (International Labour Organization).There are no doubts that globalization brings potential for development and wealth creation. But there are many different views and p erceptions among people as people are concerned about its economic and social impact. Some argue that the present model of globalization has created problems such as unemployment, inequality and poverty, while others argue that globalization helps to reduce these issues. These problems predated globalization of course, but it is clear that for globalization to be politically and economically sustainable, it must contribute to their reduction.Hence, the goal of globalization is what meets the needs of all people (International Labour Organization). While some people benefits from the waves of globalization, others suffer from it. Concerns about increasing income inequalities in the world have become more and more widespread over the past 20 years. Rising income inequality does not generate concern only in the high-income countries, but also in emerging markets where fast growth has led to concerns about growing income differences.To be able to make an analysis of income distribution, inequalities and poverty, it is necessary to distinguish between these terms since they are often confused. According to Duncan, there is no doubt that between the richest and the poorest countries the gap in average incomes has been growing for the last decades. But, one must also consider that many of the poorest countries some decades ago, does not count as one of the poorest countries today. It is also important, according to him, that global welfare should be measured in terms of people, not countries.China and India together, for example, account for close to half of the world’s population. Both countries have been increasing the per capita GDP very quickly in recent years, much faster than the high-income countries. Within developing countries, research has not been able to find any systematic relationship between economic growth and changes in income inequality. Within globalization and inequality, it is interesting to look at what role globalization played in    2 4 changes in income inequality. Most research on this issue has been concentrated in recent years on the changes in income inequality in the high-income countries.The focus has been on whether the widening wage gap in the US or the increasing unemployment in the EU is due to increased imports of labour-intensive goods from developing countries (Duncan, 2000). Poverty, on the other hand, as a public concern is now widely considered to be a multidimensional problem, whether it is at the global, national or community level. According to Lister, â€Å"how we define poverty is critical to political, policy and academic debates about the concept† (Lister, 2004:12). Three alternative conceptions of poverty have evolved as a basis for international and comparative work since the 1880s.The ideas of subsistence, basic needs and relative deprivation is what they principally depend on. These ideas have influenced scientific practice as well as international and national policies for over 100 years (Chambers, 2006). The organization distinguishes between â€Å"absolute† and â€Å"overall† poverty. Absolute poverty has been defined as â€Å"a condition characterized by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health shelter, education and information.It depends not only on income but also on access to services. † Overall poverty is defined as â€Å"lack of income and productive resources to ensure sustainable livelihoods; hunger and malnutrition; ill health; limited or lack of access to education and other basic services; increased morbidity and mortality from illness; homelessness and inadequate housing; unsafe environments and social discrimination and exclusion. It is also characterized by lack of participation in decision-making and in civil social and cultural life. Overall poverty occurs in all countries, and can be recognized as for example loss of lives as a result of economic r ecession, sudden poverty as a result of a war, poverty of lowwage workers and humans that fall outside of family support systems, social institutions and safety nets (Gordon, 2005). The UN agreed upon this definition in 1995, however, in 1998, the organization introduced a new definition that does not distinguish the different levels of poverty. The UN now has the following definition of poverty â€Å"Fundamentally, poverty is a denial of choices and opportunities, a violation of human dignity.It means lack of basic capacity to participate effectively in society. It means not having enough to feed and cloth a family, not having a school or clinic to go to, not having the land on which to grow ones food or a job to earn ones living, not having access to credit. It means insecurity, powerlessness and exclusion of individuals, households and communities. It means susceptibility to violence, 25 and it often implies living on marginal or fragile environments, without access to clean wat er or sanitation† (Gordon, 2005).As mentioned above, poverty can be divided into absolute and relative poverty. But, it can also be divided into new and old poverty. Old poverty is when people have a lack of food and basic services as medicine and education. New poverty is drug addiction, violence at home, family break down and environmental degradation. According to The Economist, the problems of new poverty are more complex than the problems of old poverty because they often occur in big, fast growing cities particularly in developing countries (The Economist).Poverty is a phenomenon that has to be understood as a painful reality experienced by millions of human beings and as a construction of competing conceptualizations, definitions and measures (Lister, 2004:36). What we see from the definitions is that people are in poverty when they are deprived of income and other resources needed to obtain the conditions of life that enable them to play the roles and participate in th e relationships and customs of their society (Townsend, 2006).Income inequality is usually measured by the Gini coefficient; one of the most commonly used proxies of economic inequality. For a completely equal income distribution in which the whole population has the same income, the Gini coefficient will be 0, while a value of 1 indicates that all incomes in a country are concentrated to one single person (The World Bank). 3. Social development in Brazil 3. 1 Overview According to Maluf and Burlundy, Brazil can be classified as a â€Å"large middle income country†.The condition of being a â€Å"large country† is an important differentiating factor with implications in terms of socioeconomic patterns, international relations and institutional capacities. A country is usually considered large when it possesses a high population; from the economic viewpoint this factor is expressed in the size of the domestic market, which increases the possibility of diversification in the productive base. In addition to population, a second variable to consider is the country’s geographic scale, a feature that is receiving    26 ncreasing attention not only because of issues related to spatial distribution of people and infrastructure, but also the implications in terms of the availability of natural resources, regional diversity and the need for decentralized strategies, among other questions. Here, the classification â€Å"middle income† differentiates economically those countries grouped under the euphemism of â€Å"developing countries†, where the income level clearly shows an intermediary condition between the developed countries and the other nations making up the periphery of the global economic system.It may be presumed that large middle- income countries possess a distinct institutional capacity across the various areas of public action (Maluf and Burlundy, 2007). Generally, the evolution of poverty, especially in Latin America, de pends on three elements: the level of inequality, the variation in this level and the economy’s rate of growth. Even if the country displays a more pronounced economic dynamism, which is measured by the GDP growth rate, the conversion of the latter into greater social equity depends on the existing level of inequality and the adoption of measures to reduce it.In Brazil, the persistence of absolute poverty is largely the result of the well-known inequality in the distribution of income. Poverty levels are more sensitive to alterations in levels of inequality than the variations in economic growth (Maluf and Burlundy, 2007). A term that describes the social conditions in Brazil in quite a way is inequality. When looking at the social development of the country it is important to understand why Brazil has become such an unequal society even though it is such a large economy.To understand the current gap between the rich and poor in Brazil, one has to look at the socio-historical factors. According to a report by the World Bank written in the late 80s, Brazil has one of the most unequal distributions of national income in the world. Glaring disparities in the living standards, health status and educational attainment of different segments of its population have persisted despite several decades of remarkable economic growth (Bruns and McGreevey, 1988). This has not changed.According to Beghin, Brazil is still one of the most unequal nations in the world, although it is one of the wealthiest (Beghin, 2008). It has high levels of social spending compared to other developing countries, measured as a share of GNP and of total public spending (Hunter and Sugiyama, 2009). This year, Brazil was ranked as the eighth largest economy in the world, surpassing Italy (DR, 2011). Despite the size of the economy, the income distribution is unequal to such an extent that it can be compared to some of the poorest African countries such as Sierra Leone, Lesotho and Namibia ( Beghin,    27 008). In Brazil, the richest one percent of the population – less than 2 million people – have 13 percent of all household income. This percentage is similar to that of the poorest 50 percent, about 80 million Brazilians. This inequality results in poverty levels that are inconsistent with an economy the size of that of Brazil. Also, 30,3 percent of the population, 54 million people, are considered poor, and within this group, 20 million people, 11,5 percent of the population, are ranked as extremely poor (Beghin, 2008).Brazils high incidence of poverty, low educational achievement, and middling health indicators explain why it ranked 73th globally in overall human development in 2010 (UNDP, 2010). 3. 2 A historical perspective The main reason why so many Brazilian families are living in poverty is not a general lack of resources, but rather their distribution. Inequalities and poverty in contemporary democracies result from tensions between the ethical requirements related to â€Å"rights† and the imperative of economic efficacy; between the legal order that promises equality and the reality of exclusion brought about by the exercise of power.Back in time, in many western countries, there came a time when social disparities were so extreme that society mobilized g

Frackvilles Historical Geography essays

Frackville's Historical Geography essays From the chopping down of trees or removal of swamp land, to the building of many houses and the installation of major roadways, Frackvilles geography has changed dramatically throughout its existence. The town lies on top of a mountain in the northwestern part of Schuylkill County, which is in the northeast region of the United Sates. Since being a part of the northeastern region of the U.S. Frackville is in a temperate climate zone, other physical features include a few ponds and streams and a good bit of forested land. Residents of the community have to adapt to all kinds of weather since they live in a temperate climate zone, some adaptations include: basic clothing wear for all kinds of temperatures and climates, the architecture of their house (not only has to be able to keep you warm and have sufficient roofing for snowfalls in winter, but also has to have proper installation for hot summer days), and also people just need to adapt their minds to know what to do with their s urrounding environment. The town itself had started off being mostly a forested area with a few acres of swamps here and there but within its 125 year existence has changed into a town of sprawling houses, businesses, and a few industries. There have been many changes done to the boroughs land in recent and past years, some of which were good and some of which were realized to be mistakes. The construction of Interstate 81 through Frackville has brought many bright spots for the town, even though the removal of large amounts of forested area was necessary, such as: business had an uprising just off the Interstate because of travelers stopping, this earned a great deal of money, it also was a main factor in the building of the Schuylkill Mall which is a popular stop for many people, and it gave local people an easier way of traveling far distances. In the instance of the Interstate, the removal of the forest was for the good, but people in...

Approaches to Indigenous Issues essays

Approaches to Indigenous Issues essays Some people have asked the question, how the Australian Aborigines helped shape non-Aboriginal Australians. The response is to say that contact between the two races, both British and Indigenous Australians often resulted in bringing out the worst in people. Human beings have the innate capacity to be either moral or sinister. In 1788 Governor Philip arrived with the best of intentions in British treatment of the Australian Aborigine, however there was a determined effort by various governors, to drive the Aborigines from settlements and punish those who would not conform to the new 'way of life'. Often the Aborigines refused to accept British standards and could see no advantage in changing their ways. By the turn of the century, the settlers had no time for the Australian Aborigine. The Indigenous community was seen as being a pest and a nuisance, but of course, there were exceptions. By the middle of the nineteenth century, there was a belief in the colony, that the Aboriginal race was reaching its end. Until this had happened they were to be kept out of the way of the British population and were herded onto reserves and missions, to live out their days away from the Australian population where they would not interfere with progress. The ethnocentric attitude that fuels the first racist statement by Cunningham in 1834, of allows an insight into the extreme racist views that were widespread within the colonies at that certain time in Australias history. The allowance of such views was rampant, and allowed for the negative actions to be supported in the racist colonies of Australia. The statement made by Cunningham would have had a frightening negative impact on the general community. Such a statement shows the ignorance of the British colonists, their total lack of knowledge of the Indigenous community around them, and furthermore a certain desire to keep an absolu...

Answers to Questions on Multicultural Organizations

Answers to Questions on Multicultural Organizations Explain briefly the meaning of organizational culture and ethnic culture and also explain the main difference between those cultures. Provide suitable examples to support your explanation. Culture refers to the following Ways of Life, including but not limited to: Language: The firstborn human establishment and the easier medium of expression. Arts & Sciences: most advanced and refined forms of human expression. Thought: ways in which people perceive, interpret, and understand the world around them. Spirituality: importance of organization transmitted through generations for the inner well-being of human beings, expressed through language and actions. Social activity: shared recreations within a cultural community, demonstrated in a variety of festivities and life-celebrating events. Interaction: social features of human contact, including the give-and-take of socialization, negotiation, protocol, and conventions. Reference (http://www.roshan-institute.org/templates/System/details.a sp?id=39783&PID=474552) Organization culture is build on the value, beliefs and behavioral norms of organizations it is includes values, beliefs dress code, language, way of personality, rules and regulation, policy and the way they work together. For Example: Imagine and spend one full week inside any one organization – from Monday to Friday – and on Friday at 5:00 PM , conclude the most part such as, the eye catching decision-making style, team-based decision-making, process of sharing information, communication, using symbols, individual responsibility, equal opportunities, etc. these all the process and activity based on so many issues. Generally, this function is the part of organisation and role definition. Situation that the thoughts, meanings, beliefs and values people learn as members of society determines human nature. Persons what they are learned. The Optimistic cultural determinism places no limits on the abilities of human beings to perform their task tow ards the organisational goal and/or objective. Ethnic culture: A characteristic of a people, esp. a group (ethnic group) sharing a common and distinctive culture, religion, language, or the origin, classification, racial, characteristics, etc., Being a portion of an ethnic group, esp. of a group that is a minority within a larger society: for example: ethnic Chinese in New Zealand. Designate or of an inhabitants subgroup having a common cultural heritage or nationality, as distinguished by customs, characteristics, language, common history, etc. Ethnic culture has own group in the organisation for achieving the organisational goal trough the sharing ideas and performing as a team player but for that they should understand the different culture , respect other values, beliefs, tradition, dress code and skills and experiences. For Example: Culture exists everywhere, at various levels of society, and everyone belongs to at least one, at the supranational level (Western and Eastern civi lizations), at the national level (American, French, Japanese), at the ethnic level (Chinese and Maori in New Zealand, WASPS, Blacks and Hispanics in the USA), and so on. Culture can also be applied to other social units such as occupational group (lawyers, accountants, and physicians), corporations (IBM, CALTAX, McDonald) and even tourism sectors (restaurants, hotels, airlines). Question 2:- Select a leadership example from a culture other than your own and: (a):-Explain how cultural perceptions may influence the leadership style and behavior of the individual or organization selected. Give suitable and relevant examples to support your arguments.

Sin and Homosexuality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sin and Homosexuality - Essay Example Andrew Sullivan would reject ideas and opinion expressed by Cardinal Josef Ratzinger citing the examples of the Bible and Hebrews Scriptures. Homosexuality is a sin because it is unnatural for a person to have sexual relations with the same sex. This issue is stated in Leviticus: â€Å"you shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination† (Sullivan 188). At the level of policy, Sullivan argues that the Church oppose homosexuality, which by its very nature is at odds with the norm of the procreative family, a norm which is major contribution to the civilization of humanity. The essay is an effort to make explicit this "civilizing" role of heterosexual marriage, a role recognized, emphasized, and sanctified by biblical religion. In contrast to Andrew Sullivan, Cardinal Josef Ratzinger states that homosexuality cannot be regarded as a sin because â€Å"human beings, therefore, are nothing less than the work of God himself; and in the complementarity of the sexes t hey are called to reflect the inner unity of the Creator† (Ratzinger). The church should express Christ's love and compassion toward homosexual persons, but should also uphold the vision for sexuality and marriage. Thus, Andrew Sullivan would agree with some ideas expressed by Cardinal Josef Ratzinger recognizing the difference between homosexual acts and homosexual orientation. â€Å"Persons with a homosexual orientation are not to be condemned or prosecuted, but treated with dignity, respect and compassion† (Sullivan 190). The homosexual movement is interpreted by the colloquium as part of a larger sexual agenda rooted in a destructive lack of discipline and restraint. He concludes that homosexuality is such a threat to heterosexual marriage (which does involve commitment to a common good) that society ought in every acceptable way possible discourage homosexuality. Similar to Andrew Sullivan, Cardinal Josef Ratzinger states that: "as in every moral disorder, homosexual activity prevents one's own fulfillment and happiness by acting contrary to the creative wisdom of God" (Ratzinger). The main difference between the critics is the way they use arguments and perspectives of the Scripture. Andrew Sullivan uses direct meaning of the Scripture while Cardinal Josef Ratzinger applies general concepts and views on human nature and divine nature of every person to homosexual relations. Thus, Andrew Sullivan would oppose Cardinal Josef Ratzinger because homosexual behavior odds with God's purpose for sexual union, a purpose which is revealed in Scripture. Jones defends a "high view" if Scripture which, he argues, explicitly condemns homosexuality and establishes heterosexual marriage as God's standard. Andrew Sullivan would state that a homosexual person should hide its sexual orientation because "it violates the God's plan for human sexuality" (Sullivan 188). The distinction between homosexuality as a condition of sexual predispositions and homosexual behavior becomes important. Its opposition to homosexual behavior is rooted in the interpretation of Scripture as unequivocally viewing homosexuality as immoral and is founded

Everybody's History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Everybody's History - Essay Example This was an organization, which sometimes referred to themselves as â€Å"Lincoln Inquiry,† and included of historians, lawyers, genealogists, collectors, college presidents, teachers, and new paper editors. These participants were upset that Lincoln biographers either ignored Indiana or featured it as a backwoods place that Lincoln was glad to escape. They thus joined together in the1920s and 1930s to recuperate a part of Abraham’s life which his biographers had left out: the ages between seven and twenty-one years, when he resided on the Indiana border. To prove the biographers wrong, they conserved, researched old records, recorded, and shared the Southern Indiana history as essential to Lincoln’s life and to the history of the American border. Along the way, they involved most of the historical agencies of the State, competed with his contemporary biographers, civic commemoration, and conflicted with the Ku Klux Clan. They also interviewed aging witnesses, bu ilt a historical village, hosted pageants, and presented their findings in print publicly. They successfully rescued some of Indiana’s history through correcting an eliminated chapter of Lincoln’s life. The â€Å"Lincoln Inquiry† felt that is was important for them to tell about Lincoln’s youth in the Indiana State since despite the omission from his biography’ he indeed grew up here. ... because he spent fourteen of the most determining years of his life growing into manhood from youth (1816-1830).Many of the moral values and character traits that made him one of the most respected leaders in the world were created and nurtured in Indiana. It was in this rural farm where Lincoln learned to chuckle with his father, mourned over the death of his mother, studied the books that opened up his mind, and conquered the hardships of life on the frontier. Prior efforts to claim Abraham for Indiana were focused on relating external events of his adulthood with items during his youth. The group argued that to be a lawyer, Lincoln read a book on law while living in Indiana. They believed that Illinois is what it is because of Lincoln’s making, cultivated by his life experiences in Indiana. But until they provide data to back their claim, then people will be left to create vague assertions on Indiana being significant, critical, or formative. The historical society preserve d evidences that they could convince people about the youthful years of Lincoln. His boyhood National Memorial, which is a component of the National park service was utilized as site to conserve the farm on which Abraham spent his life during the seven to twenty-one age bracket. The park consisted of a memorial visitor center put up by the Indiana state in 1940s; a hut site memorial, the graveyard where his mother was buried, as well as a recreated living history ranch where visitors get an understanding of the frontier life. Here, the group could bring in visitors and those interested in Lincoln’s history and educate them much about his real biography. Groups such as the Southwestern Indiana Historical society have plaid a big role in American politics and more so, on myths about Lincoln.