Amul Case Study

| Amul-GCMMF | â€Å"The Taste of India† to â€Å"Taste of World† | | Project Case International Business SECTION D – GROUP Ashutosh Singh Khushwaha (GL) | 269 Sachin Maan | 175 Frana James | 219 Paran Gupta| 240 Parth Shah | 249 Pratik Upadhyay| Amul: â€Å"The Taste of India† to â€Å"The Taste of World† With a presence in over 40 countries in 2012, Amul has done more than testing its products in the overseas markets. Since its venture into the International markets in late 80s, it has steadily grown in sales and today it has more than Rs. 00 crores revenues from exports. Though the world dairy product prices are increasing constantly and the Government of India has banned the export of Milk Powder since February 2011, Mr. R. S. Sodhi, the Managing Director of GCMMF expects exports to increase by 20% on the back of surging demand. Mr. Sodhi, along with the top management of the cooperative now faces several questions which will define Amul’ s International strategy for the coming years.With the increasing demand and successful venture in overseas markets, should Amul restrict to export and distribution or partner with/acquire other firms in these countries or should it go further towards becoming a global brand by setting up manufacturing and processing plants across the globe? If so, what products should it manufacture and what should be the degree of localization in order to succeed? Should it stick to dairy products or should it look towards the non-dairy food products as well? How will it source milk and other raw materials in these countries with diverse forms of established dairy networks?These are important decisions that need to be made because they will help Amul realize the goal of becoming world’s leading food brand. Major food brands such as Britannia and Nestle are already eating into Amul’s domestic share. The top management has to decide a strategy that will help Amul compete against world class dairy and food brands in Indian market and in the overseas markets. Profile Amul is the world's 18th largest dairy firm with a 0. 5% share in global milk production, according to the International Farm Comparison Network 2011 list.The brand Amul is managed by Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, GCMMF which has several cooperative dairies operating across the country. During the financial year 2010-11, GCMMF registered a top line growth of 22. 1%, achieving turnover of Rs 9774 crore. Amul is the largest food brand in India and world's largest pouched milk brand with an annual turnover of  US$2. 2  billion  (2010-11). Currently Unions making up GCMMF have 3. 1 million producer members with milk collection average of 9. 10 million liters per day.AMUL is also the largest exporter of dairy products in the country. AMUL is available today in over 40 countries of the world. AMUL is exporting a wide variety of products which include Whole and Skimmed Milk Powder, Cott age Cheese (Paneer), UHT Milk, Clarified Butter (Ghee), Indigenous Sweets, Amul butter, Amul butter milk, Amul pizza cheese, Amul shrikhand, Amulya dairy whitener, Amul fresh cream, Amul fat milk, Amul cheese spread, Sagar Tea and Coffee whitener, Amul ice creams like cassata , cool candy and frostik, Amul milk chocolate and Amul Eclairs.It has also started preparing and selling pizza slices which feature generous portions of Amul cheese. These pizza slices reach the customers through super markets and large departmental stores that have snack counters. It has tied up with Walmart to sell its dairy products, in its shelves, under the brand name of Amul itself. It also has tie-ups with Glaxo, for the production of baby foods. The major overseas markets for Amul are USA, West Indies, and countries in Africa, the Gulf Region, and  SAARC  neighbors, Singapore, Hong Kong, The Philippines, Thailand, Japan and China.Its growth is more than 20% in these markets. Market presence has also gone up by 25 to 30 per cent in some markets such as Singapore, Hong Kong, UAE, the US and Bangladesh. Global Dairy Industry at a Glance: The growth story of the dairy industry in India is centered on the inception of Operation Flood of the 1970s, recognizing the power of cooperative farming giving rise to the GCMMF and the engine behind the whole revolution was the brand Amul (Anand Milk Union Limited). This model helped the dairy farmers to direct their own development by placing control of their resources in their own hands.This cooperative model resulted in making India one of the largest producers of milk and milk products. In terms of the growth of the dairy market projected over the years 2011-2016, India ranks fourth, behind the other BRIC nations, i. e. Brazil, China and Russia. [Exhibit 1] The scenario of the important dairy industries in other countries was not on the similar lines. To think of the expansion plan in terms of geographic location as well as the strategy th at Amul would employ would be dependent on the past and the current nature of the industry in those countries.Dairy Industry in European Union: The European Union, inclusive of 27 countries, is the largest milk producer in the world with Germany and France being the largest within the EU. However, within the EU, dairy production is not uniform due to various government regulations and production quotas in some countries. In Germany, the drinking milk product category is still driven by health and wellness. The drinking milk product category which saw a decline in 2010 by 1% observed a growth in the value sales by the same amount in 2011.In the Eastern European dairy market, Lactalis, becoming the fourth largest player in the region in 2008 with a 3. 3 % value share targeting countries like Croatia, Ukaraine and Czech Republic. Lactalis followed the expansion through acquisition strategy and it is through these intense acquisition activities that Lactalis planned its move into the We stern European countries where it had to make much heavier investments. The Western European dairy market is quite mature as the expected CAGR for these countries is only about 0. % over the span of five years from 2011-16. This market is different from the other markets since they are not driven by milk consumption but the key driving opportunities lie in milk products like cheese, yoghurt and sour milk drinks and thus making these markets more value growth rather than volume growth. Muller Dairy, already competing in the yoghurt and chilled/shelf-stable desserts market in UK is seeking to expand into other fast-growing dairy categories using its existing distribution network and leveraging on the brand amongst the British consumers. Exhibit 2] To gain market share in this mature market, some companies like Kraft Foods used unique marketing strategy of positioning its Philadelphia Cream Cheese both as a spreadable cheese and as a cooking ingredient. This move reignited the growth i n the otherwise mature spreadable processed cheese category. Dairy Industry in Japan: In the year 2004, with 28800 domestic dairy farms, 8. 3 million tons of cow’s milk used to be produced. 60% of this was processed into milk for drinking purposes and the rest was used for consumption as dairy products.The Japanese believed that processing plants must be located close to the source of production since milk, being a perishable good, must be processed and sold when fresh. In 2004, there were 692 processing facilities throughout Japan. Expecting a growth in the consumption of milk products, maintaining a stable supply of safe, fresh milk was viewed as a challenge since it was important to Japanese consumers. To answer this demand for fresher products, a solution was to develop stronger cooperation between dairy producers and processors.However, by 2005, Japan’s aging population had essentially stabilized and the nation was being termed as a â€Å"mature economy†. A s a result of this, the total milk production remained unchanged approximately at 8. 4 million tons. Amul failed to enter the market once in 1994 but succeeded in 2005 when it grabbed a major exports order. GCMMF managing director B M Vyas then said , â€Å"We have had a distributor in Japan since 1994 but no major presence in that country.But a few days ago a delegation from Japan, under the aegis of Agriculture and Livestock Industry Corp (ALIC), visited our facilities at Anand (Gujarat) and were pleasantly surprised with the sheer scale of our dairy operations†. It exports Ghee and Paneer to the country currently with a single major importer. Dairy Industry in Australia: Australia's third largest rural industry is the dairy industry which is also a major regional employer, not only on-farm but also through processing, manufacturing and distribution of a range of high quality products.With about 7950 dairy farms located across Australia, the industry produced 9. 2 billion l iters of milk during 2007-08. The Australian dairy manufacturing sector is  diverse and includes farmer-owned co-operatives, public, private and multinational companies. The Farmer owned co-operatives is no longer the dominant players in the industry as they now account for less than 35% of the entire market share. In 2011, the Australian Dairy market faced another challenge of being considered to be one of the most competitive in terms of retailing the milk products in supermarkets.In January 2011, Coles and Woolworths, two supermarket companies, entered into a price war during which the prices of house brand staples like milk, bread and meat were pushed down. This trend continued for the entire year and as a result the Dairy lobby groups demanded for a mandatory Australian Drinking Milk Code of Conduct to look into such matters. Despite the aggressive marketing efforts, fresh/pasteurized milk registered a growth of only 3%.However, niche products in fresh milk category have eith er retained or have shown significant growth. Around 60% of manufactured milk-products are exported and the remaining 40% is sold on the Australian market. In drinking milk, some 97% is consumed in the domestic market. Cheese products, utilizing around one third of Australia’s milk production in 2010-11, have retained that spot for a few years now. Dairy Industry in Sri Lanka: As a country, Sri Lanka is self-sufficient in terms of all types of animal products except milk products.Their self-sufficiency in dairy products is about 15–20% though that level has been achieved mostly with imported milk powder. Sri Lankan government adopted the open economic policies in the 1970s and since then the consumption of the daily products has increased. Apart from the Northern conflict regions of the country, milk is produced in all the districts. The marketing of milk in Sri Lanka is done through various channels and so becomes very complex. There are individual farmers who sell di rectly to processors, consumers, hotels, cafeterias and canteens * Cooperatives are organized primarily for the purpose of collecting and selling milk to either hotels or processors * The formal, or processed dairy, market consists of small dairy cooperatives, larger local cooperatives, district dairy cooperatives, dairy cooperative unions and networks of collection points and milk chilling centers operated by cooperatives or the main dairy processors Apart from the above mentioned ways, some farmers do not see the need to become members of the farmer societies or cooperatives.There are a few large-scale processors who have organized such farmers to sell their milk directly to them. Amul set up a milk processing plant in Sri Lanka in 2005 producing several products such as sterilized milk, milk powder, yoghurt,etc. It was a 51-49 Joint venture between the GCMMF and the Sri-Lankan government. It handed over the operations completely to the Sri-Lankan government after an year of succe ssful running. Before planning the project, Mr. Verghese Kurien, often called â€Å"the Milkman of India† said, †We are located right in the middle of this milk-deficient region.So, we are planning to take advantage of this. Even China is a potential market in the future†. International Ventures: GCMMF is India's largest exporter of Dairy Products. It has been accorded a â€Å"Trading House† status. GCMMF has received the APEDA Award from Government of India for Excellence in Dairy Product Exports for the last 13 years. The decision of going International: Reasons that lead to the foray of Amul into International Markets * Reduced subsidies on milk products as per WTO guidelines made Indian milk products competitive in international markets.   Significant demand for its products amongst Indian families in foreign markets * Local facility would enable better control over logistics   and cut 45 days of shipping time * Tie up with retail chains like Wal-Ma rt, use established distribution channel * Non-availability of single products like ghee in other markets presented a good opportunity * Long term vision to become a global food brand The problems and issues faced are: * Non-tariff barriers in European countries * Competition with global players Absence of proper distribution channel Export: Main exports products are Amul UHT Milk (Long Life) ,Amul Gold Extra Cream Milk,Amul Taaza Full Cream Milk,Amul Slim and Trim Milk,Amul Pure Ghee,Amul Mithaee Gulabjamun,Nutramul Brown Beverage,Amul Fresh Cream,Amul Kool Beverages,Flavoured Milk,Butter Milk,Lassee,Amulspray,Amul Butter,Amul Shrikhand,Amul Cheese,Amul Malai Paneer,Amul Ice Cream,etc. Despite unfavorable conditions in international dairy market, their export business reached Rs. 133 crores against Rs. 125 crore in 2011.They have further consolidated their growth in consumer products including Paneer, Butter, Cheese, UHT Milk etc. This is extremely encouraging and indicates the hig h trust that the customers place in Amul Brand. They have not been able to export Milk Powder in bulk packing in larger quantity due to fall of world market prices by nearly 50% as compared to previous year. Distribution: Amul’s strategy when it first entered international markets was to use the existing distributors and partner with local companies to market its products.Amul has been in the US since 1998 through Kanan Dairy, which markets Amul processed cheese, pure  ghee, Shrikhand, Nutramul, Amul's  Mithaee Gulab Jamuns  to more than 1,000 ethnic Indian grocery stores in the US through a network of seven distributors. Then Amul identified major supermarket and chain stores as the vehicles overseas to promote Amul dairy products ranging from milk powder, butter, ghee, cheese, butter, ice creams and tinned Indian sweets. As growth through bulk exports was variable, GCMMF opted for sustained growth through retail sales that ensure brand recall and customer loyalty.It s till did not decide on setting up manufacturing and processing plants as it was quiet successful with its marketing and distribution plan for overseas markets. Then Amul identified major supermarket and chain stores as the vehicles overseas to promote Amul Amul sells products through Wal-Mart’s extensive distribution system, having a separate counter for stocking and selling their products. It also has an arrangement with Mustafa supermarket chain in Singapore, Lanka Milk Foods (CWE) Ltd and John Keels chain in Sri Lanka, as also Choithram, Carrefour and Lulu chains in the UAE. Marketing:In India Amul caters to Intelligent marketing. It spends only 1% of Sales turnover on advertising and it is famous to come up with innovative adds. Will it be able to sustain the same strategy in international markets is a very important decision from the marketing point of view for GCMMF. Amul will have to customize its products and look outside the ethnic box to suit the American and other ethnic palates. It simply cannot use its home-ground strategies in the US and expect to make a mark, even if Wal-Mart plans to push the brand only in stores and only in states like New York and New Jersey, where the Indian community is very strong.Competition: While Amul has substantial grip over the Indian market due to its robust supply chain and cooperative business model; the international arena challenges it like never before. In the overseas markets it faces stiffer competition in matching the stringent quality standards of several local and international brands that have well established markets in different countries; in addition to fundamentally understanding these new markets, cultures and their needs. As a brand, Amul faces stiff competition from two major players: Britannia and Nestle.Both these brands have international presence and each seeks to expand its business horizons. Apart from these international brands, it also has to compete with local dairies in different c ountries that sell products at very competitive prices. Nestle: Nestle is  one of the world's leading nutrition, health and wellness company. The  company  was founded in  1866 by Henri Nestle in Vevey, Switzerland, where the headquarters are still located today. It employs around 2,80,000 people and have factories or operations in almost every country in the world. Nestle sales for 2009 were CHF 108 bn.Nestle's relationship with India dates back to 1912, when it began trading as The Nestle Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company (Export) Limited, importing and selling finished products in the Indian market. The Company continuously focuses its efforts to better understand the changing lifestyles of various countries and anticipate consumer needs. The culture of innovation and renovation within the Company and access to the Nestle Group's proprietary technology gives it a distinct advantage in these efforts. It helps the Company to create value that can be sustained over long ter m by offering consumers a wide variety of high quality products.A description of the competitive advantages growth drivers and operational pillars is given in Exhibit 1. Nestle is in a strategic international position because of its presence in many countries and long tradition of innovation. An analysis of sales trading and operating profit by both geography and product line is given in Exhibit 4 and Exhibit 5. Britannia: It is not globally as big as Nestle but it is expanding at a threatening pace and this can be a major concern for Amul. This fact is validated by the following statistics. The company is growing at a steady rate.The company's sales grew at a compound annual rate of 16% against the market, and operating profits reached 18%, between 1998 and 2001. More recently, the company has been growing at 27% a year, compared to the industry's growth rate of 20%. Dairy products contribute close to 10 per cent of Britannia's revenue. Britannia trades and markets dairy products, and its dairy portfolio grew to 47% in 2000-01 and by 30% in 2001-02. Britannia holds an equity stake in  Dynamix Dairy  and outsources the bulk of its dairy products from its associate.On 27 October 2001, Britannia announced a joint venture with  Fonterra Co-operative Group  of New Zealand. It is an integrated dairy company involved in many activities from procurement of milk to making value-added products such as cheese and buttermilk. Britannia planned to source most of the products from New Zealand, which they would market in India. The joint venture also allowed technology transfer to Britannia. In March 2007, Britannia Industries Limited formed a Joint Venture with the Khimji Ramdas Group, one of the largest and the most respected business conglomerates in the Middle East.Britannia and its Associates have acquired a significant stake in Dubai based Strategic Food International Co. LLC and Oman based Al Sallan Food Industries Co SAOG. The two companies are key regional players in the biscuits, wafers and cookies segment in the GCC markets and export their products across the world. Strategic Food International Co. LLC (SFIC) is one of the largest biscuit and wafer manufacturing companies in the Middle East. An ISO and HACCP certified company, SFIC is also a proud winner of the Dubai Quality Appreciation Certificate.It offers a wide spectrum of products under the brand  Nutro, which is a leading biscuit brand in the Middle East. Al Sallan Food Industries Co is one of the foremost companies for the production of cookies, rolls and chocolates. The products are well known under the brand name of  Baker's Pride. Though not directly in the dairy market, Britannia is constantly increasing its presence worldwide. Key statistics about the company performance are given in Exhibit 6. Future Plans: Amul is now all set to consider the decision to setup a manufacturing plant in the United States to specifically cater to the demand for its products in the US and Europe.And then expand to other countries with similar plants so as to decrease its costs. The company intends to start with manufacturing of ghee and paneer and then gradually start manufacturing other products. Amul will have to customize its products and look outside the ethnic box to suit the American and other ethnic palates. It simply cannot use its home-ground strategies in the US and expect to make a mark, even if Wal-Mart plans to push the brand only in stores and only in states like New York and New Jersey, where the Indian community is very strong.Amul has come a long way from 1946 – when it collected only 247 litres of milk a day – to the six million liters of milk per day it now collects from about 10,675 separate village co-operative societies throughout Gujarat. With access to low cost milk, an innovative and  almost ‘just-in-time' supply chain, a ready market among the Indian community and 50 years of understanding milk, Amul can definitely build the ‘taste of India' in the US and other countries. Chairman Mr. PG Bhatol says, â€Å"When we plan to improve productivity as well as production, we also need to keep in mind the markets where such huge quantity of milk will be consumed.We need to explore new opportunities and markets. India has graduated from milk deficit country to largest milk producer in world. However, our exports of milk and milk products still remain insignificant in comparison to the existing players. We have been following the policy of not exporting milk powders to foreign countries so that availability in our country does not get hampered. Opening of export markets would not only serve as outlet for excess of milk produced over the domestic requirements but also will keep the domestic prices stable. We strongly feel that branded milk powders in consumer packs should never be banned.Thus, now when we plan to produce such large quantity of milk, it is imperative to relook at our export polici es. † Amul has come a long way from 1946 – when it collected only 247 litres of milk a day – to the six million liters of milk per day it now collects from about 10,675 separate village co-operative societies throughout Gujarat. With access to low cost milk, an innovative and  almost ‘just-in-time' supply chain, a ready market among the Indian community and 50 years of understanding milk, Amul can definitely build the ‘taste of India' in the US and other countries and then the Taste of the World.Exhibit 1: Top 10 Fastest Growing Dairy Markets 2011-2016 *Passport – Tracking Growth Opportunities In The Global Dairy Market Exhibit 2: Top Five Western European Dairy Market By Absolute Market Value Growth 2011-2016 *Passport – Tracking Growth Opportunities In The Global Dairy Market Table 2: Milk production zones in Sri Lanka Zone features| Dry zone| Coconut triangle| Mid-country| Upcountry & estate| Wet zone & urban|Location  | Dry zone districts in the NC, Northern and Eastern Provinces and parts of Central, Southern and NW Provinces| Intermediate and wet   zone areas of the NW Province, and Gampaha district of the Western Province| Wet   zone areas in the Central Province –Kandy and Matale districts| Nuwaraeliya district in the Central Province and Badulla district in the Uva Province| Districts in the Western,  Ã‚   Southern and Sabaragamuwa Provinces and cities| Animal types| Indigenous cattle, Zebu cattle and crosses, buffalo| Crosses of exotic breeds, Zebu types, crosses of indigenous animals and buffalo| Pure exotic animals and crosses, and Zebu crosses| Pure exotic animals and crosses| Crosses of exotic breeds and Zebu type and indigenous animals and buffalo| Husbandry| Free gazing, or nomadic-type Large herds or sedentary small/medium-sized herds | Medium-sized herds, limited grazing tethered under coconut palms| Small herds, some tethering, stall feeding| Small herds, zero grazing| Limited gr azing, medium-sized herds or small herds, zero grazing| Herd size  | Few: 25 | 5 cows | 2–3 cows| 1–2 cows| 2–3 cows| Average yield| 2. 1 litres/cow/dayTotal 300–400 litres/cow over 180–200-day lactation| 3–4 litres/cow/dayTotal 500–800 litres/cow over 200-day lactation| 2–4 litres/cow/dayTotal 1 300 litre/cow| 6 or more litres/cow/dayTotal 1 700 litres/cow| 3 litres/cow/dayTotal 1 500–1 600 litres/cow| Source: Ranaweera and Attapattu 2006| Exhibit 3 Exhibit 4 Exhibit 5Exhibit 6 Performance of Britannia Exhibit 7 Amul overseas presence References: I. Primary data in the form of Interviews of employees involved with International projects II. Dairy Food Industry Overview in India to 2014-market research report,www. reportlinker. com III. GCMMF Annual Report, Financial Years 2007-2011 IV. Nestle Annual Report,2011 V. http://www. amul. com/m/organisation, 24-Feb-2012 VI. http://articles. timesofindia. indiatimes. com/2011 -03-30/india-business/29361638_1_cheese-amul-britannia-industries VII. Utterly-Butterly amul’s new raod map-CNBC-TV18. html, 26-Feb-2012 VIII. http://www. dairy. co. jp/eng/eng12. html

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Israli culture - Term Paper Example his, the ticket officer says to the customer, â€Å"I suggest you to purchase a ticket for yourself and watch a movie while putting your children on a plane.† This is an example of a negotiation between an Israeli and an American. Israelis are creative and helpful in their negotiation, but they are often misunderstood and misinterpreted by the Americans. â€Å"The Israeli, who is often perceived as being arrogant, aggressive and pushy, is actually being direct and honest. And the American, European and Asian, who are seen by the Israeli as being artificial, phony and weak - are actually displaying politeness and respect† (â€Å"Tips for Doing†). Lack of understanding of the business culture of Israel can make the process of negotiation difficult and challenging between them and the Americans. While Israelis may be perceived as aggressive and straight-forward, Israelis think of such negotiation partners that think Israelis are being aggressive as impatient and ins incere (Salacuse). At the face, Israel has a low-context culture. Israelis cultivate unique ways of carrying out tasks. For example, they have distinct style of negotiation, their style of presentation is unique, they usually have very different expectations for meetings compared to others, and they develop relationships with their clients differently than people from other countries. â€Å"The unique cultural qualities found among Israelis can give a leading competitive edge if leveraged effectively, but if not understood, they can sabotage successful business results† (â€Å"Innovation & Investment†). The first and the foremost difference one should understand is between the negotiation style of the Israeli Arabs and the Jews. While the focus of the Jewish Israelis is short-term benefits, the Israeli Arabs have an emphasis on the long-term benefits (Winter). However, both Israeli Arabs and Jewish Israelis place value in long-term relationships and try to be in a win-win situation with their negotiation

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Nanotechnology - Essay Example Synthesis techniques used for the production of carbon nanotubes have also been taken into consideration, which include arc discharge, laser ablation, electrolysis, chemical vapor deposition, ball milling, diffusion flame synthesis, polymer heat treatment, and low-temperature solid pyrolysis (Cheap Tubes Inc.). Techniques for the purification of these tubes, like oxidation, acid treatment, centrifugal concentration, annealing, sonication to break down carbon nanotubes, filtering and functionalization techniques, have also been discussed. The types of energy storage for which carbon nanotubes are used, their modeling aspects and storage features, have been taken into account. These types mainly include electrochemical hydrogen storage, electrochemical lithium storage, gas-phase intercalation, and charge storage in supercapacitors (Loyseau 530). Carbon nanotubes’ exclusive characteristics and matchless nanostructure makes them fundamental components of forthcoming energy storage devices (Luniya). Hence, special focus has been put on the use of carbon nanotubes in energy device industry to discover the limitations and opportunities that exist in this field. The report is accompanied by an extensive literature review to support the significance of the topic. Luniya, Robin. Technology Insight Report: Carbon Nanotubes in Energy Storage Devices. Andrà ¡s Paszternà ¡k, 04 Aug 2010. Web. 14 Sep 2010.

The Caribbean Mosaic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Caribbean Mosaic - Essay Example Before the Cuban Revolution took place, thousands and millions of women and Cuban citizens who had an African descent suffered a lot from social and racial discrimination (Prevost, 2009, p. 138). Due to the unequal educational opportunity between men and women, majority of the women were allowed to work only as a domestic helper and prostitutes. Because of the Cuban people’s desire not only to gain national independence from other countries like the United States and the Soviet Union but also to construct a society that is capable of improving its health and educational program without having the people undergo social problems related to racism and sexism, the Cuban Revolution which applies â€Å"the concept of military organization as a basis for communist revolution† took place (Horowitz, 1998, p. 566). Given that the United States is pro-democratic type of government, the United States has maintained a trade embargo status with Cuba making it illegal for any U.S. cor poration to conduct business transactions in Cuba. As stated in the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992, the United States will continue to maintain trade status until such time that the Cuban regime decided to move towards democratization and high respect for human rights (Department of State - United States of America, 2009). For the past 36 years, the United States has no formal diplomatic changes towards Cuba. For this reason, this study aims to discuss the best US foreign policy applicable with Cuba. Should the US foreign policy towards Cuba remain as the current trade embargo status? Have we reached the point whereby the US foreign policy for Cuba should start lifting up the trade embargo status? As part of going through the main discussion, whether or not the foreign relationship between the United States and Vietnam – which is also a communist state should be considered as a precedent for normalising relations between the United States and

Georges Braque And Pablo Picasso Essay Example for Free

Georges Braque And Pablo Picasso Essay The Frenchman Georges Braque (1882-1963) and the Spaniard Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) are considered the most influential artists of the twentieth century and the artistic geniuses who created and developed the cubist movement, undoubtedly the most revolutionary one in Western art. During a certain period of time, both artists worked together in the same studio breaking down subjects they painted into several facets and presenting their different aspects at the same time, experimenting with geometrical forms, and exploring unconventional techniques in painting all of which either shocked or impressed and interested the audience. Although Braque and Picasso’s partnership did not last for long and their artistic careers later went their own ways, the cubist movement they created and developed while working side by side in their Paris studio has influenced the whole generations of artists around the world (Mataev). Georges Braque Born in 1882 in Argenteuil-sur-Seine, France, Georges Braque attended the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Le Havre during 1897-1899 and then moved to Paris where he received his craftsman certificate. During 1902-1904, the young artist studied painting and worked at the Academie Humbert. Impressed by Matisse and Derain’s fauvist ideas, he produced and then presented his first fauve paintings in Paris’ Salon des Independants in 1907. By 1908, however, Braque lost interest in fauvism and adopted the artistic style that would be later called cubism (Georges Braque). In 1909, Braque started to work with Pablo Picasso and their fruitful partnership resulted in the development of the revolutionary cubist movement in painting. The styles that both of them adopted were quite similar for about two years during which they introduced collage elements into their works and experimented a lot with the pasted paper technique. In â€Å"Page # 2† his paintings, Braque explored the effects of light and perspective and challenged traditional artistic conventions of that time. His works of this period were characterized by neutral color and sophisticated patterns of form as it can be seen, for example, in his â€Å"Violin and Pitcher† (Georges Braque). The fertile partnership with Picasso ended in 1914 when Braque enrolled in the French army and went off to war. In 1915, he got severely wounded in one of the battles and after recovering in 1917 Braque resumed painting and began an artistic collaboration with Juan Gris (Georges Braque). After World War I, Braque’s style was characterized by more freedom, a richer color range, and the presence of human figures. He produced a considerable number of still lifes and rose to prominence particularly in 1922 after showing his paintings in the Salon d’Automne in Paris. By 1930, Braque interpreted nature more realistically although some aspects of the cubist style were still present in his paintings. After that, the artist produced many works including sculptures and graphics that became particularly somber during World War II (Georges Braque). During the 1950s, Braque depicted various themes including seascapes, landscapes, birds, and also made lithographs and designed jewelry. The great French artist died in August, 1963, in Paris after several years of suffering from health deterioration. Braque’s most known paintings include â€Å"Violin and Palette†, â€Å"Piano and Guitar†, â€Å"Guitar and Clarinet†, â€Å"The Table†, â€Å"The Round Table†, â€Å"The Day†, the â€Å"Studio† series, and many other works (Russell, 1982). Pablo Picasso Pablo Picasso was born in 1881 in Malaga, Spain, where he lived until the age of ten. In 1892, Picasso began to attend the School of Fine Arts in La Coruna and then in 1895 he â€Å"Page # 3† entered the School of Fine Arts in Barcelona where he showed his first academic work â€Å"The First Communion† at a local exhibition. Picasso pursued his studies at the Royal Academy of San Fernando in Madrid, dropped out after only a couple of months, and began to visit the Prado where he copied the works of the old artists trying to imitate their styles. In 1900, Picasso opened a studio in Paris and the first painting he produced there was â€Å"Le Moulin de la Galette† (Mataev). Suicide committed by his friend and poet Casagemas in 1901 came as a great shock to Picasso influencing him to paint first the â€Å"Death of Casagemas† in color and then the â€Å"Death of Casagemas† in blue, and also â€Å"Evocation – the Burial of Casagemas†. At that period, the artist used predominantly green and blue and depicted despair, poverty, and unhappiness showing his restlessness and loneliness. The paintings that Picasso produced during 1901-1904 are known as the Blue Period works. The Rose Period, which was the next stage in his artistic career, started around 1905 when Picasso’s palette became lighter, and pink, rose, yellow, and beige were pervasive in his paintings in which he mostly portrayed graceful acrobats, circus performers, and harlequins. (Mataev; Pablo Picasso) Impressed with African ethnic art, Picasso began to combine its angular structures and his modern ideas about geometrical forms which, in 1907, resulted in the creation of â€Å"Les demoiselles d’Avignon†, his first cubist painting. Picasso and his new friend Braque explored the possibilities of the new artistic style and in the beginning their paintings could not be easily distinguished. 1909 saw the beginning of the painter’s analytical cubism whose main characteristics, faceted stereo-metric shapes, can be seen in his â€Å"Bread and Fruit Dish on a Table† or â€Å"Woman with Pears†. After the exhaustion of analytical cubism, Picasso experimented with collages which lead to the arrival of synthetic cubism: works with large, schematic patterns as it can be seen in â€Å"The Guitar† (Mataev; Hughes, 1998). â€Å"Page # 4† After the cubist period in Picasso’ artistic career came the Classicist period with rather traditional patterns such as in â€Å"The Lovers†. But during this period he occasionally returned to cubism and in 1921 produced â€Å"Three Musicians†, one of his most important masterpieces. Picasso’s classicist paintings also include â€Å"The Pipes of Pan†, â€Å"Women Running on the Beach†, and â€Å"The Seated Harlequin†. After that, Picasso was greatly influenced by the surrealist movement and produced â€Å"His Woman with Flower† and several other interesting paintings. In 1937, he expressed his personal view of the tragic events in the Basque province that was bombed by Germans in his huge mural work â€Å"Guernica† and in â€Å"Weeping Woman†. While living in his villa near Cannes, in 1956 Picasso painted his â€Å"Studio â€Å"La Californie† at Cannes† and â€Å"Jackeline in the Studio†. Then he moved to the Chateau Vauvenargues where he lived and painted until his death in 1973 (Mataev). â€Å"Still Life with a Guitar† and â€Å"Mandolin, Fruit Bowl, Bottle, and Cake† Both Pablo Picasso’s painting â€Å"Mandolin, Fruit Bowl, Bottle, and Cake† and Georges Braque’s painting â€Å"Still Life with a Guitar† were produced in 1924 in France and are now located in the European Modern Paintings section of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Both works are still lifes with the presence of cubist elements, are painted in oils on canvas, and each of them represents a certain stage in Picasso and Braque’s artistic careers. If during 1909-1914 both artists worked side by side to create cubism and their styles and paintings were mostly indistinguishable, in 1924, however, when the above mentioned works were produced, the divergence in Picasso and Braque’s cubist ideas could be easily seen in their paintings (Mataev). While Picasso’s still life â€Å"Mandolin, Fruit Bowl, Bottle, and Cake† is composed of only man-made objects (a cake, a fruit bowl, a bottle, and a mandolin), Braque’s painting â€Å"Still Life with a Guitar† depicts both man-made (a pipe, a jug, sheet music, a cup, a fruit bowl, and a guitar) and natural (pears placed next to sheet music and in the fruit bowl) â€Å"Page # 5† objects. The presence of musical instruments and fruit bowls in both paintings invokes some common themes or at least it makes the viewers think of them when they look at them for the first time. The main objects in both paintings are placed on tablecloths spread in a different manner on what appears to be tables. The objects in Braque’s picture are much smaller than those in Picasso’s work in which the size of some of them is somewhat disproportionate when compared to other objects. Braque and Picasso use space in their paintings in an entirely different way. There is quite a bit of space between the objects located in the foreground of Picasso’s still life and the viewer can easily see their whole forms. By contrast, in Braque’s paintings the objects in the foreground seem to be concentrated closely to each other in one place and parts of some of them are hidden by other objects. The use of space by Picasso gives the audience the impression of more freedom and ease while Braque seems to impose certain limits in movement and space. In Picasso’s painting, the viewer’s attention is first attracted by the main four objects in the foreground, and then by the objects and forms located in the background, particularly by what appears to be a wall and part of a window. By contrast, it seems that Braque’s intention is to concentrate the viewer’s attention only on the objects that can be seen in the foreground. He does not provide any detail as to what is in the background as though he does not want to divert the audience’s attention from the center of interest of the painting. Another important difference between the paintings as far as the objects and their forms are concerned is that Braque’s work is much more realistic than Picasso’s. Except for the window in the background, Picasso seems to depict in his picture not the objects such as the cake or fruit bowl but rather the shapes that invoke those objects. What attracts the â€Å"Page # 6† viewer’s attention in particular is the flatness of the forms of Picasso’s objects that are defined by lines. Although some parts and forms of his objects are disproportionate, Braque’s objects, however, are unambiguous and closer to reality. The use of color is another important characteristic that distinguishes Picasso’s painting from Braque’s work. In Picasso’s â€Å"Mandolin, Fruit Bowl, Bottle, and Cake† bright and vivid colors are predominant and much brighter and richer than those in Braque’s â€Å"Still Life with a Guitar† conveying to the viewer a light and pleasant mood. By contrast, the somber aspect of Braque’s painting whose color range varies from dark brown to dark beige makes the viewer impressed with its gloom and sadness. In Picasso’s picture, the general color range of objects in the foreground is slightly more somber compared to the color range in the background. By contrast, in Braque’s work, the relatively somber objects in the foreground are placed against an even darker background. The only bright-colored objects in this picture seem to be sheet music and a pipe appearing incongruous to a certain extent against the backdrop of its general color range. Another distinctive characteristic is the color of the objects themselves. Except for the window in the background, the color of most objects in Picasso’s painting is plain, for example, a plain dark red bottle, a plain bright yellow fruit bowl, and so on. Braque, by contrast, adds to the color of every object thick brush-strokes of black as if to emphasize the somber mood of the painting. There is also some difference in how the artists paint the objects in the pictures with their brushes. In Picasso’s â€Å"Mandolin, Fruit Bowl, Bottle, and Cake† the paint is applied thinly in most areas, although in some places it is quite thick. In â€Å"Still Life with a Guitar† Braque’s bold brushwork is pervasive. REFERENCES: 1. Georges Braque. Retrieved May 10, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www. mcs. csuhayward. edu/~malek/Braque. html 2. Hughes, R. (1998, June 8). Pablo Picasso. Time magazine. Retrieved May 10, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www. time. com/time/time100/artists/profile/picasso. html 3. Mataev, Y. Pablo Picasso. Retrieved May 10, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www. abcgallery. com/P/picasso/picassobio. html#Between 4. Pablo Picasso. Retrieved May 10, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www. artchive. com/artchive/P/picasso. html 5. Russell, J. (1982, January 17). Rediscovering Georges Braque in his Centenary Year. New York Times on the Web. Retrieved May 10, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://query. nytimes. com/gst/fullpage. html? res=990DE5DB1138F934A25752C0A964948260sec=spon=pagewanted=all

Furthering Emotional Intelligence through Video Games

Furthering Emotional Intelligence through Video Games The field of serious digital learning games that aim to develop players empathy along with their cognitive competencies has made tremendous strides in the past decade. Today, virtual simulations and video games for social change have much to offer the field of education. Even though the benefits of these offerings are still making themselves apparent, a growing number of teachers are trying to stay on the front-end. Many teachers are experimenting with new ways to connect with students through the very same technologies that occupy hours of young peoples leisure time. Teachers are increasingly interested in whether and how digital games and simulations might contribute to civic engagement and action. If video gaming and virtual simulations are so appealing to young people, how can we better harness these forms of entertainment to foster emotional intelligence and empathy so that students can exhibit a more caring and active response to relevant social issues? How can computerized sim ulation games help foster global empathy and interest in global civic learning/action? How might simulations help learners to empathize and identify with the lives of global Others? These are just a few questions that contribute to classroom learning in significant ways. Before considering the value of video games and virtual simulations in relation to empathy, it is important to recognize why empathy should be taught in schools. In our era of globalization, there is a growing need to educate for global citizenship, especially as people across the globe become more and more connected. A true global citizen values empathy and the ability to understand other people across borders and cultural divides. As a significant factor of being human, empathy is often defined as an emotional state that involves feeling in oneself the feelings of others. Empathy is emerging as an especially significant disposition for global citizenship because it enables us to perceive the world through others perspectives, experience the emotions of others, and communicate and act in ways that consider others views and needs (Bachen et al., 2012, p. 438). As adults, we come to see ourselves not only as citizens of our local community, country, or ethno-cultural group, but also a s global citizens willing and able to empathize with other peoples and their situations elsewhere in the world. While students can certainly learn about the plight of disadvantaged peoples around the world, adding empathy to the learning experience helps them retain and relate to this knowledge in a more profound way: emotion plays a variety of important roles in thinking and learning. First, when we are processing information, we store it more deeply and integrate with our prior knowledge better when that new information has an emotional charge for us, when we feel something is at stake or matters (Gee, 2008, p. 35). In addition, just as empathy can be used to increase understanding of various global issues, the more students are asked to analyze and relate to global issues through the eyes of an Other, the deeper their empathic response becomes. As a result, empathy is a key component of social justice education. If a primary goal of social justice education is to cultivate a responsibility to take action, then we cannot truly teach social justice without empathy. Social justice education is based on a need to identify and change structural inequalities and disparities worldwide. An effective way to teach this is to provide students with opportunities to not only gain contextual knowledge but also have experiences that create empathic insights into the lives of people who are oppressed. Segal (2011) believes that when there is a shared definition of the empathic insights into discrimination, injustice, or inequality, individuals are better able and more willing to take action that promotes social justice (p. 268). Therefore, the capacity to experience empathy through a true contextual lens deepens our understanding of the society we live in and compels us to feel a social responsibility that can result in social justice. Segal (2011) states that exposing children to others who are different f rom themselves gives them an opportunity to practice affect sharing or mirroring and self/other-awareness while at the same time enhancing their awareness and understanding of different social conditions (p. 274). This awareness, in conjunction with empathy, can lead to a greater desire to take action for social change. Video games and virtual simulations are a simple and effective vehicle to connect students to the lives of people from various social groups. These tools are effective in promoting empathy within a social justice context because they feature compelling narratives that draw players into a given situation. The power of narrative thus serves as a fundamental aspect of educational gaming: Narrative-centered learning environments afford significant opportunities for students to participate in motivating story-based educational experiences. Virtual characters can engage users in a variety of task-oriented educational and entertainment roles. Fantasy contexts in educational games have been shown to provide motivational benefits to learning. Because of the power of story to draw audiences into compelling plots and rich settings through the promotion of suspension of disbelief and increased story involvement, narrative can contribute to learning in important ways. (McQuiggan et al, 2008, p. 1511) Besides hooking students into a story, narrative-based games invite players to adopt the point of view of a person who may be very different from the players own self, which then results in a number of judgments about the Other being altered, as the player exercises empathy: By encouraging us to exercise our moral imagination, we develop our capacity to more fully put ourselves in another persons situations and thus those different to ourselves in circumstance, identity or practice can no longer be dehumanized or Other-ised as disgusting or subhuman' (McRobie, 2014, n.p.). Narrative-based games and simulations forge connections between humans from different parts of the planet, and the player can learn to better identify with and understand the plight of someone whom he or she may never otherwise meet in real life. Furthermore, this role-playing facet of gaming, with all of its imaginative capacity, can result in better identification with the Other as empathy continues to develop in the player: Empathy may be further developed when a player not only takes the perspective of another, but also begins to identify with the character represented (Bachen et al., 2012, p. 440). Increased identification with the media character has further benefit, as Bachen et al. (2012) explain that this leads to greater attention to and retention of messages associated with those characters (p. 440). As a result, educators can exploit games and virtual simulations because they not only connect students to various peoples across the globe, but ultimately can result in deeper learning because students become immersed in their learning and take more away with them by the end of the experience. A key difference between traditional written narratives (stories, novels, etc.) and virtual simulations is the ability to simulate (and virtually live) a real-life experience that a student would otherwise only read about. Video games and virtual simulations open up the possibility to interact with a time and place that can be worlds away: a virtual world provides an experience set within a technological environment that gives the user a strong sense of being there (Warburton, 2009, p. 415). Because of their narrative feature, videos games and virtual simulations present players with a character that they adopt, while living out a set of experiences from the perspective of the character (Gee, 2008). They allow for exposure to authentic content and culture and allow for reproduction of contexts that cannot be reproduced easily in real life: Most games for change simulate real physical casualties so that the player develops an awareness of a situation where war and genocide may be cent ral to everyday life (Huang and Tettagah, 2010, p. 138). This, in turn, allows students to experience complex and potentially dangerous situations without risk, virtually adopting the perils of the characters life, while simultaneously feel[ing] sympathy and/or empathy for the characters in the game (Huang and Tettagah, 2010, p. 138). Raphael et al. (2010) propose that [r]ole playing games permit players to explore institutional, geographical, and temporal settings that would otherwise be inaccessible, allowing players to learn from the consequences of choices made in the world of the game that would be impractical or dangerous to experience directly (p. 200). Within this role-playing context, players exercise agency, as they are given the freedom to experiment according to their own goals. Players are permitted to do and act according to their own judgments. This experimentation can help the player better understand the potential consequences of certain actions or choices. In virtu ally living out the consequences, the player is more likely to empathize with the character in the situation, which hopefully will lead to increased understanding of inequities around the world and the need for action to address issues of social justice. To put my discussion of game-playing, empathy and social justice into an educational context, I would like to present three examples of virtual simulations and video games that can be used in classrooms to encourage empathy and action. The first is called Real Lives (http://www.educationalsimulations.com/), a simulation game designed for middle and high school students in which the player is born into a life from any country in the world. For instance, students can experience life as a peasant farmer in Bangladesh, a factory worker in Brazil, a policeman in Nigeria, or a computer operator in Poland. As players adopt the perspective of the given identity, they apply knowledge to solve real problems while comparing different value systems as they play the game. Students must make a variety of decisions that involve work opportunities, financial standing, health, marriage and family life, and participation in civil society. The game prompts players to engage in ethical reflection, alway s in the context of challenges or opportunities prevalent to the given country (based on real-world statistics for the countrys poverty rate, infant mortality rate, and so on) (Raphael et al, 2010, p. 216). The efficacy of this game in creating empathic insights is evidenced by Bachen et al.s (2012) study, which did show that Real Lives had a considerable effect on players development of global empathy: Comparing students who played the game with those who participated in an alternate computer-assisted learning activity, we found that playing the simulation game was associated with significantly higher levels of global empathy (Bachen et al., 2012, p. 450). Games like Real Lives are well suited to developing personal responsibility or character. Raphael states games for social change lend themselves to exploring individual ethics rather than the ethics of institutions or society although they still introduce students to the dynamics of large-scale structures that shape lives giving them little power to alter those structures but demanding ethical evaluation of them (p. 219). As in Real Lives, games of responsibility can also force players to grapple with the question of how to live a good life in a society that may be imperfect and unjust (Raphael et al, 2010, p. 221). A second virtual simulation video game that evokes player empathy is Darfur is Dying (http://darfurisdying.com/). This online game is based on the genocide in Sudan and is described by the games developers as a narrative-based simulation where the user, from the perspective of the displaced Darfurian, negotiates forces that threaten the survival of his or her refugee camp. It offers a faint glimpse of what its like for the more than 2.5 million who have been internally displaced by the crisis in Sudan (http://www.darfurisdying.com/aboutgame.html). I have used this game in my classroom teaching with grade seven students and have observed that many enjoy the experience because of the game-based challenges that students must be overcome as their characters risk their lives to protect their village while still seeking to maintain survival. Huang and Tettegah (2010) state that the goals of the developers and instructional designers of Darfur is Dying include raising awareness so that the player/user shares fear, empathy, and other emotions associated with victims of war. Darfur is Dying was developed with goals to educate, provide support and inspire (p. 142). Characters depict actual situations that occur in real life, summoning the players emotive capacity as s/he virtually becomes a displaced Darfurian who must take serious risks while completing seemingly mundane daily tasks, such as gathering food and water. I use this game in my classroom with the hope that students develop empathy for the character, based on the experiences portrayed in the game, and that this leads to cultural awareness and a deeper human connection to the peoples of Sudan. In other words, empathy becomes the main learning outcome as opposed to acquiring specific content. Finally, Against All Odds (http://www.playagainstallodds.ca/) is a third internet-based video game simulation for social change that can be used to teach empathy within a social justice framework. The game was developed by the United Nations Refugee Agency and is designed to teach 12- to 15-year-old players about the plight of refugees. Players take on the role of a refugee, and play through stages, from depiction of persecution and flight from their native country to eventual integration into a foreign country as an asylum seeker. I find this game particularly pertinent today, especially in view of our current political climate and the displacement of Syrian refugees. Many students are hearing about these issues in the news and in discussions at home, but do not fully understand what it means to be a refugee, the struggles refugees face, and how individual citizens in Canada might be able to aid in this situation. Raphael et al. (2010) argue that virtual simulation games that promot e empathy, such as Against All Odds, can encourage students to seek out more knowledge beyond the game and make efforts to act rather than merely observe: playing or developing games may increase students motivation to learn and drive them to consult sources outside the game, inspire critical reflection on history and politics and how they are represented, provide multiple viewpoints on contested events and ideas, allow players to draw on distributed knowledge and develop skills in leadership and collective action that can be used to tackle real-world political problems, or afford opportunities to explore ethical choices and develop empathetic understanding by projecting oneself through an avatar into places and times otherwise inaccessible. (p. 200) My ultimate goal in using video game simulations such as Against All Odds is to promote civic action. It is not enough for students to know about a problem, empathize with those affected, and then go on living their normal lives without further reflection. I hope that the empathy that is established by the game playing incites students to take action, even in a small way, so that they understand that global citizenship is an active task and that we are each individually responsible for the Other. Given that a fundamental part of social justice is developing a community of citizens who take action, it is important that students who play video game simulations such as Real Lives, Dying in Darfur, and Against All Odds are provided with an outlet to both show understanding of empathy and take action. The question that remains for me is what can students do with this experience? Based on their experiences playing one or more virtual simulation games, students can now create their own video game simulations presenting a day in the life of a refugee of their choosing. Using online software called Twine, students can create a narrative that allows players to choose various paths, much like a choose-your-own-adventure book. As students create their game, they demonstrate an understanding of the daily struggles faced by a particular refugee, thus exhibiting empathy for lives of people who may be very different from themselves. In order to make this task an activist one, my middle-schoo l students will be asked to create their game for a younger student in our neighbouring elementary school. This allows students to do something with what they have learned, and as they share the game with a younger child, they take on the role of educator and active citizen. Social justice video games can provide real opportunity for reflection and learning in todays classrooms. For teachers who wish to engage students in learning about real world issues, or who are seeking alternative resources to enhance student learning, pairing young peoples interest in games with a serious social justice topic has the potential to result in powerful educational experiences. The narrative component of virtual simulation games is a real hook that can entice students to learn about the lives of people around the world, and the interactive features require students to both become the character while exercising agency to solve authentic civic problems. The problem-solving aspect of these virtual games puts students in the shoes of the Other, allowing them to better understand hardships and hopefully strongly empathize with a life that may otherwise seem distant and irrelevant. While video game simulations are not a magic solution to increasing student engagement or devel oping empathy, they certainly can be a great tool that allows students to realize that they play an important role in making change around the world.

Economic Policy Essay -- essays research papers

Economic Policy in Recent U.S. History In the highly materialistic world that we live in, success is generally measured in financial terms. The same is true in politics, where the success of a politician, especially the President, is measured by how well the economy did during his term in office. It is specifically measured by how well they bring down unemployment, grow the economy and fight inflation. Two basic modes of thought on the subject have pervaded public policy since World War II: supply-side and demand-side economics. Demand-side economics is generally known as Keynesianism, named after the English economist John Maynard Keynes. He believed that governments should force interest rates down by printing money and lending it from the central bank at a discount. This would put more money in consumers\\\' hands and encourage them to spend and consume more, thus creating an incentive for investment. This helped to solve some of the problems, but in the long run it is extremely inflationary, because with the increase of the money supply it becomes devalued. Keynesianism also calls for the government to spend more to try to help the economy grow. Keynesianism was a short-term solution to the problem and could only do so much for the economy before inflation caught up with it, and took it into recession. On the other hand we have supply side economics, which works on more of a long-term basis. It basically attempts to stimulate economic growth, which would reduce inflation, and raise the standard of living. Supply side proponents say that by reducing government regulations and taxation, this will stimulate more economic growth, and market equilibrium will be reached on it’s own, without government impositions. Keynesianism was popular until the late 1970’s during a period of ‘stagflation’, where both unemployment and inflation were rising together. Policymakers realized that they could not solve this problem with Keynesian ways of thought. When Reagan came into his Presidency he was faced with an economy that was in recession; the prime interest rate was 15Â ½ percent, the unemployment rate was over 7 percent and inflation was running close to 14 percent a year. Reagan and his advisors took a conservative approach to solving the problem and looked to supply-side, or ‘trickle down’ economics to accomplish their goal of bringing the country out of this... ...ngress in fact adopted the tax reductions, and a set of spending reductions was incorporated into the First Congressional Budget Resolution. The budget process for 1982 was never completed, however, and the 1981-82 recession intervened. The net result of these efforts has been that tax rates are lower now than in 1980, but not lower than rates in 1979. The reductions in aggregate federal expenditures relative to GNP, however, have not materialized. Indeed, during the first three years of the Reagan administration, federal spending as a percentage of GNP increased to historically high peacetime levels. Because the decline in the rate of growth of tax revenues has not been matched by a decline in the growth of expenditures, the government\\\'s budget deficit in real terms has also reached unprecedented peacetime levels. The 1983 deficit was almost 6 percent of GNP. Projected deficits for 1985 and 1986 exceed 4 percent of GNP. These levels are of the same order of magnitude as those reached during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Without a reversal of the tax reductions or significant real spending cuts, the projected deficits will not fall below 3 percent of GNP until 1989.

Panoptical Power in China Essay examples -- Prison Jail Imprisonment E

Panoptical Power in China Jeremy Bentham, a leading English prison reformer of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, developed an architectural plan for an ideal prison that he called the Panopticon. Such a prison would consist of a ring of individual cells encircling an observation tower. Each of the cells would open toward the tower and be illuminated by its own outside window. So, by the effect of backlighting, a single guard in the observation tower could keep watch on many prisoners--each of whom would be individually confined--without himself being seen. And because the prisoners could not see their supervisors, they would have to assume that they were being watched at all times--even if they were not. The Panopticon was designed to maximize the power of a dominating, overseeing gaze upon a transparent society of inmates. The purpose of the Panopticon was not so much to punish wrongdoers as to prevent wrongdoing by immersing prisoners in a field of total visibility in the expectation that the possibil ity of constant surveillance would serve to restrain the inmates (Foucault, 1980). Such surveillance would be aimed toward the interiorization of the supervisor's gaze so that each prisoner would, in effect, become his/her own overseer. Thus, through self-policing, surveillance would become permanent and pervasive in its effects--even if it was not continuously exercised. Although relatively few prisons have been constructed according to the plan of the Panopticon given Bentham's optimism about its practical utility, Foucault (1975/1977; 1980) has articulated the Panopticon as a generalizable model of the functioning of power in modern disciplinary societies with applications beyond the prison including hospitals, the... ..., J., Dubois, A.-M., Le Barbier, F., Olivier, J.-F., Peemans, J.-P., & Wang, N. (1979). China: The people's republic, 1949-1976. New York: Pantheon. Cheshire, G. (1992). The long way home. Film Comment, 28, 36-39. Foucault, M. (1977). Discipline and punish: The birth of the prison (A. Sheridan, Trans.). New York: Vintage. (Original work published 1975) Foucault, M. (1978). The history of sexuality, Volume I: An introduction (R. Hurley, Trans.). New York: Vintage. (Original work published 1976) Foucault, M. (1980). Power/knowledge: Selected interviews and other writings, 1972-1977 (C. Gordon, Ed.). New York: Pantheon. Link, P. (1992). Evening chats in Beijing: Probing China's predicament. New York: Norton. Min, A. (1993). Red azalea: Life and love in China. London: Victor Gollancz. Rayns, T. (1992). Nights at the opera. Sight and Sound, 2, 10-13.

Hawthorne Romanticism Essay

The stories â€Å"The Maypole of Merry Mount,† â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil† and â€Å"The Wedding Knell† by Nathaniel Hawthorne contain themes that deal with the idea of darkness and death coming to overtake life. The elements of Romanticism present in these stories represent the extremes of this movement. Romanticism deals with freedom and spontaneity in happiness and brightness, and it also deals with wildness of nature—especially the dark side, such as storms and dark atmospheres. In his treatment of the characters, plots, and settings in these stories, one finds that Hawthorne uses these elements to conflict with each other. Therefore, in these three stories one finds the lighter side of Romanticism coming under attack from the darker side in a symbolic representation of good versus evil. In â€Å"The Maypole of Merry Mount,† the scene opens to festivities, as the people in the town are shown to have great celebrations around the Maypole. The carefree gaiety does reflect the idea of spontaneity and vivacity that is an element of Romanticism. Yet Hawthorne combines this with the darker (gothic) side of Romanticism in his declaration that â€Å"Jollity and gloom were contending for an empire† (Hawthorne, 55). This foreshadows the coming of a damper on their festivities, as Hawthorne identifies shadows in human (Puritan) form that come to cover the brightness of the celebrations and declare them ungodly. This shadow is representative of hypocritical evil and darkness that come to dispel the light and the good by making illegal the use of the Maypole in dance and merriment. In this way, Hawthorne identifies both the Romantic gaiety and the gothic gloom and pits them against each other in a fight that is won by the darkness. Hawthorne demonstrates this idea of gothic evil attacking light-hearted good also in â€Å"The Wedding Knell.† During the wedding of two elderly persons, the funeral ring (knell) of a church bell starts spontaneously sounding. The dark meaning of this occurrence becomes evident in a spectator’s remark, â€Å"Good heavens! What an omen! † (Hawthorne, 27) The idea of the mournful funeral bell tolling when wedding festivities should be occurring gives a gothic element to this story as well. The story becomes ominous, as the idea of bad luck for the marriage is implanted in the minds of the characters and readers. Hawthorne (through the character of the groom) puts on a show as the groom enters the church in the center of a group of mourners. He writes, â€Å"When the spectral procession approached the altar, each couple separated, and slowly diverged, till, in the centre, appeared a form, that had been worthily ushered in with all this gloomy pomp, the death knell, and the funeral† (Hawthorne, 31). The effect of this is also Romantic in the gothic sense, and does demonstrate a kind of mixing or struggle between gaiety and gloom. Finally, â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil† also demonstrates the gothic side of Romanticism as this Puritan minister, Mr. Hooper, persists in wearing a veil throughout the decades that he serves his town. He even wears this when with his wife and to his grave. The fact that the veil is black reminds one of death and darkness that are characteristic of the gothic aspect of Romanticism. This black veil is a symbol of the evil of hypocrisy that men have a tendency to harbor. It can also be seen as evidence of the common theme in all the stories: that of the conflict between the gloomy and festive sides of Romanticism. The minister’s wife says to him, â€Å"There is nothing terrible in this piece of crape, except that it hides a face which I am always glad to look upon. Come, good sir, let the sun shine from behind the cloud† (Hawthorne, 45). From this speech it can be seen that the veil prevents the minister’s wife from experiencing the joy of seeing her husband’s face. It represents, therefore, an attempt made by shadow to obscure the light of happiness and freedom. The three stories by Hawthorne contain strong themes of the conflict between good and evil, and each of these two contenders is represented by two extremes of Romanticism. The events in the stories find happy situations being frowned upon by the law, circumstances, or by people. In each case, gothic darkness triumphs in its attempts to dispel happiness and freedom.

Liberalism in Zambian Governance

Every country worldwide is ruled with certain rules and regulations which whether accepted or not by the preponderance, are still accepted as right. Thus, the aim of this essay is to elaborate on the various forms of liberalism, discuss on each of them, and explain while giving clear examples which one of them has been prominent in Zambia from 1991 to present day. It will begin by defining the main concepts; then the forms of liberalism shall be presented and discussed. Thereafter an analysis of which form of liberalism has been pursued by the Movement for Multiparty democracy and the Patriotic Front in the ruling of the country of Zambia shall follow. A conclusion will then be drawn from the main body. Liberalism has been explained or defined in many ways. It comes from the word liberal, which implies freedom. Therefore if incorporated in the aspect of human life, liberalism means an ideology that advocates for gradual reform in the different aspects of a human life, for instance, social, political and economic aspects. According to Doyle (1986:2), â€Å"liberal resembles a family portrait of principles and institutions, recognizable by certain characteristics, for example, individual freedom, political participation, private property, and equality of opportunity. † From generation to generation, different forms of liberalism have emerged due to various reasons. Classical liberalism is said to be perhaps the oldest form of liberalism, which according to historians, emerged in the 16th, and 17th century though became prominent in the late 19th century. Some of the major pioneers of this type of liberalism were John Locke, David Ricardo and Adam Smith. Classical liberalism hence is said to uphold a French ideology laissez-faire which literally means â€Å"to allow. † When applied to classical liberalism it advocates for non-state participation in the affairs of its citizens, (www. cambridge. org). To sum it up, classical liberalism advocates for â€Å"limited government, protection of personal freedoms, and free markets, they rely on rules of thumb derived from experience,† the Policy (2009:15). Classical liberalism has been criticized heavily that it only benefits the few elite. This led to the emergence of Social liberalism in the mid 19th century. The word in the center of social liberalism is â€Å"equity†. This is where each individual has equal opportunities in society and benefits equally from the economic activities of the state. There is common ownership of means of production and goods are produced not for private profit making but for the benefit of society. Thus, in summary, Social liberalism advocates for equal opportunity, for self realization by the citizens and improvement in social status of everyone with the state as the major player. It is said to be â€Å"committed to individualism but includes protecting individuals from acts of omission as well as commission,† the Policy (2009:16). Another type of liberalism is Political liberalism which focuses on the freedom of citizens in the participation of political activities without interference or hindrance by the state. This type of liberalism was mainly pioneered by John Harsanyi and John Rawls, (Policy, 2009). According to the Policy (2009:4), political liberalism emphasizes that â€Å"everyone has an equal opportunity to hold political office and to influence the decisions made in the political sphere. Green liberalism is liberalism with a notion of sustainable growth. It focuses on preserving the environment even in the midst of growth. Steinberg (2012:1) emphasizes that â€Å"green liberalism is the idea that market forces combined with individuals all doing their part can save the planet. † Though supported by many, this type of liberalism has be en criticized that it is not logical in that for development through liberalism to occur, nature or primary goods are involved hence their exhaustion is inevitable. Neo-liberalism, another form of liberalism, is regarded as a re-introduction of liberalism. Various proponents and scholars have alluded that Neo-liberalism was first coined by the German economists who were trying to compare it with classical liberalism. Boas and Gans-Morse (2009), clearly state that neo-liberalism is both in rejection of laissez-faire policies and emphasizes on humanistic values. Neo-liberalism supports free market trade, private capitalism and private property while it reproves government intervention or interference. This type of liberalism is likened to classical liberalism though it â€Å" goes even further than classical liberalism in that its ultimate goal is to create a world where political action is governed entirely by the free market, so that all decisions are unbiased and fair,† (www. ehow. com). The Neo-liberal policies were and still are widely advocated by International Monetary Fund and World Bank, (struggle. ws). The policies advocated by Neo-liberalism have been criticized in that there is usually unequal distribution of development within a country. Privatization measures are said to benefit the foreigners more than the local people. Even though the IMF and World Bank emphasize that these measures would help improve the welfare of the vast majority, it has been argued that privatisation is characterised with corruption, trade is controlled by the super powers which has seen to the market being populated with cheap imported goods and hence discouraging local producers. These policies are said to only benefit the few elite, (Simutanyi, 2009). Zambia is a landlocked country in the southern part of Africa which after being colonized by the British, gained its independence in 1964. After independence the country had its first president Dr Kenneth Kaunda, leader of the United National Independence Party who according to scholars saw to the rise of autocracy in the country. Thus the country was turned into a one-party state where the state controlled a major part of the economy. Some of the characteristics of Kaunda’s rule include â€Å"a system of terroristic police control; control of all means of effective mass communication, control of all means of effective armed combat,† (Phiri: 2001,2). Since the main aim of the government was to ensure equity, therefore it can be right to say that during that time, Zambia was under Social liberalism, (Simutanyi, 2006). Due to the many shortcomings of the UNIP government for instance the food riots, foreign debt, economic decline and social disintegration, the Multi-Party Movement for Democracy which was headed by Fredrick Chiluba took over leadership and adopted the Neo-liberal policies. There was â€Å"independent rational attitude, free expression and the promotion of private self-interest over general system,† (www. ambiastruggle. com). Sorabjee and Bourne (1996:27), stated that when MMD was elected, there were major changes in the country such as â€Å"privatisation or liquidation of state enterprises, the relaxing of import controls and of investment regulations and barriers, removal of subsidies and other protections, and freer regime in agriculture and manufacturing. † These policies were â€Å"implemented lar gely at the insistance of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank,† House (1991:2). Since the economy was and still is mainly dependant on the mining sector, many mines were privatized so as they can be more productive and efficient. According to Simpere (2010:7) â€Å"under the influence of its lenders especially the World Bank and following the election of a new government in 1991, Zambia decided to dismantle and privatize its mines. † The mines were not the only state-owned enterprises privatized but many other companies, approximately two-hundred and sixty three (263) companies were taken over by foreigners. This happened between 1994 and 2004, which was predominantly during the reign of the MMD precisely Chiluba and Levy Mwanawasa, (Simutanyi,2006). There was also the liberalization of foreign exchange and import. â€Å"Since late 1991, Zambia has fundamentally changed its trade and economic policy. The trade regime has been considerably liberalized and there has been substantial decentralization and deregulation in other spheres of economic activity,† (www. wto. com). The dominance of neo-liberal economic programs in Zambia promised fast and sustainable economic growth, where Adam Smith’s invisible hand comes in play that the majority of the poor would benefit, (Zambian Economist, 2007). Thus the MMD fully adopted the Neo-liberal policies and the government enacted economic and political liberalism in the country. The Patriotic Front led by President Michael Sata is the current party in government in Zambia. It was elected into power in 2011 during the tripartite elections held in Zambia. It is not clear whether the state under the current government is undertaking a neo-liberal type of governance or a socialist. Some spectators have argued that due to the move of the Patriotic Front to join the Socialist International, the country seems to be heading into the direction of a socialist state, (www. zambia. com). Even though this is so, the Patriotic Front government has corrected the misunderstanding that they shall continue to advocate for socio-economic liberalism spearheaded by neo-liberal policies as was stated in their manifesto, (m. lusakatimes. om). Nothing much has, in reality changed during the past twelve months of the Patriotic Front’s rule as compared to the twenty year rule of the MMD. Companies are still privatized, trade liberalism still exists, democracy still prevails and the existence of property rights exists as well. The country of Zambia still values the foreign investors and their relationship with other capitalist societies with whom they enjoy the benefits of trade liberalism. Therefore, neo-liberalism as proven above has been the dominant type of liberalism in Zambia from 1991 to present day. Even with the consequences of neo-liberalism such as increase in the poverty level, increased debt, uneven development, Zambia continues to boast of being one of the most liberalized states in Southern Africa. In conclusion, liberalism has been a major player in determining the role of the state in Zambia, hence among the many types of liberalism Neo-liberalism has been adopted by the country of Zambia to spear-head its development. What is not certain is, if it were not for the government being pressured by the IMF and the World Bank, would it have, on its own adopted the neo-liberal policies or it would have continued as a social state?

Intake Interview

Patient: Smith, Jane DOB: 06/ 13/ 1985 Date of Interview: 02/05/2010 Date of Report: 02/06/2010 IDENTIFYING INFORMATION: Ms. Smith is a 24 year old white woman currently residing in Vancouver, WA. She is employed as a hairstylist and currently lives in an apartment with two friends and their newborn son. Ms. Smith has been seen for mental health symptoms previously as a teenager, and was referred again on this visit by a colleague. The following report information is based on information collected from my interview with the patient, her medical chart, and psychological testing. CHIEF COMPLAINT: â€Å"I feel like sometimes my life is too much to handle. It makes me sick to think about things and I am not sure I can stand much more. I feel like there is no hope. I am all alone and I think I will always be alone. † HISTORY OF PRESENT ILLNESS: Ms. Smith says she frequently suffers from anxiety attacks and is often times unable to cope with stress while at work. She states she feels sweaty, weak and dizzy when thinking about life. Over the last two years she has been unable to relax, often has difficulty falling or staying asleep, and often feels ill and tired. She says her primary way of coping is alcohol. When unable to drink she reports her anxiety levels being â€Å"unbearable† and tries to stay away from social interaction. She also reports that her anxiety increases after nights of drinking as she feels like everyone is watching her. Ms. Smith has been diagnosed with high blood pressure which may be caused by her weight gain over the last three years. SOCIAL HISTORY: Ms. Smith is currently single and has no children. She was living with her father until she was forced to leave after a domestic dispute caused a no contact order between them two years ago. Her mother and father separated four years ago and her mother moved out of their house into her own apartment. She states that until the separation she heavily relied on both parents for social and financial support. She has two older sisters, both of whom do not live in the area. While she says that one sister is caring she describes the other as â€Å"self-centered† and says she has a hard time staying close to either due to location. She recalls her childhood as â€Å"normal† although she felt like her parent’s attention was given primarily to her sisters. She says that she has a large group of friends, but tries to hide her emotional distress and anxiety from them as she does not want to be burdensome. Ms. Smith reports suffering from significant financial distress after moving out of her parents. She also says she is unhappy with her living situation and the new addition to their household. Ms. Smith also shows great concern over being single and without a relationship since she was 16. She attributes her problems in dating to her gain in weight and says it has dramatically decreased her self esteem. CURRENT/PAST PYCHIATRIC HISTORY: Ms. Smith reports that at age 16 she visited a mental health clinic for the same symptoms and was diagnosed with general anxiety disorder and depression. She was prescribed an antidepressant and also attended counseling sessions one to two times weekly. Ms. Smith said that her symptoms improved within six months and she discontinued both the use of her prescription and counseling. She said after discontinuation symptoms once again started to reappear, however with less intensity, until the past few years when intensity has increased. CURRENT AGGRESSIVE IDEATION AND BEHAVIORNO X YES ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE USE HISTORYNO YES X Patient reports that she consumes alcohol on average five times a week. She drinks five to ten drinks per sitting. She also reports that on occasion the smokes marijuana. While Ms. Smith states that she does not think alcohol or drugs are negatively affecting her, she does report increased anxiety and paranoia after drinking. She has also been ticketed and charged for having a controlled substance after her car was searched for a routine traffic violation. DSM- IV DIAGNOSTIC IMPRESSIONS AXIS I: Generalized Anxiety Disorder Dysthymic Disorder AXIS II: Deferred AXIS III: High Blood Pressure AXIS IV: Adjustment to weight gain and changes in finances, social support, and lifestyle AXIS X: Global Assessment of Functioning Scale Score: 80 CLINICAL FORULATION: Ms. Smith presents as very depressed and anxious. Her symptoms appear to be that of dysthymic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. I believe that these are onset by interlinked biological, psychological and social factors. It is likely that the dysthymic disorder results from maladaptive, flawed, or irrational cognitions taking the form of distorted thoughts and judgments. Ms. Smith has experienced traumatic family situations, unwanted separation, as well as lack of social support from family and friends. It appears that these have caused her to feel negatively about herself which has affected her feeling of self-worth and ability to successfully respond to the tasks and stressors present in daily living. It is likely that these maladaptive behaviors were learned from friends or family. These stressors are causing increased anxiety and hopelessness. The anxiety disorder developed a result of not being able to cope with the dysthymic disorder. Due to the fact that these are so closely intertwined, without treatment the depression and anxiety Ms. Smith is experiencing, as well as alcohol dependency will likely worsen. TREATMENT PLAN: Outpatient therapy may involve medication and/or therapy. Behavior therapy will help Ms. Smith to examine her behaviors as to determine exactly what is decreasing her mood or keeping her from achieving goals. This therapy should be conducted in individual therapy sessions, one or more times a week until symptoms improve. As well as therapy Ms. Smith should be prescribed an antidepressant to deal with the contributing biological factors. Ms. Smith should seek evaluation for alcohol and drug dependency, as it appears she is using these substances for self medication. It is important that she discontinues use in order to learn new coping mechanisms.