Early Language and Development Essay Example for Free

Early Language and Development Essay Language is a complex and abstract endeavor, wonderfully creative at the same time governed by a multitude of rules. Before the age of 1 year, babies communicate with intent, primarily through the use of body orientation, facial expressions, gestures, and nonsymbolic vocalizations that mimic the intonations of their native language. At the end of the first year, however, many babies are beginning to use word approximations, consistent combinations of sounds as a transition to language, a symbolic system of communication. During the toddler years, language development is focused on semantics, or the meaning of words, and on syntax the rules of grammar for the language. (Slentz, et al. , 2001) Early language developments are crucial stage to one’s life. Baby’s language are through actions, and it could mean various meaning. Babies can’t speak yet, but they have their own ways to let us know how they feel. From the beginning, a mother and baby can be seen attuning to each other. They copy each other’s movements and expressions with mutual relaxed smiles, and later with laughing delight. (Clulow, et al. , 1993) Attunement is an essential factor for speech and language in general. According to John Bowlby (1980) early month – infant bonding and attachment are crucial to early language and development, thus it should be given importance by the mother to her baby as soon the baby was born. It is also noted that our feelings are easier to convey or communicated with infants. For an instance, baby cries when he hears another baby crying or when a mother the mother is angry while holding the baby, the baby becomes fussy. (Klein, 1987) Moreover, at an early stage, the mother’s speech affirms and responds to the infant’s eagerness to become involved in â€Å"proto-conversation†, a non – verbal form of discourse. Speech engages attention, communicates feelings, and facilitates social interaction as well as facilitating language acquisition. (Clulow, et al. , 1993) If a mother cannot attune to her baby’s rhythm then, as a result the baby will become distressed. This in turn stresses his mother, usually upsetting more, so that a vicious circle is likely. From birth onwards, children can be regarded as active participants in interaction. As for intentionality, young children develop along a continuum, in which they gradually learn to use more sophisticated and conventional means to communicate and also demonstrate increasing competence in intentionally conveying meanings to their interactive partners. The most common communicative functions of early intentional communicative acts have been found to be requests for objects/actions and comments on objects/actions (Paavola et al. ,2005) A mother’s ability to monitor her child’s visual attention and exhibition of a vocal or an exploratory act and then to respond promptly, contingently and appropriately is usually referred to as responsiveness. There is a lot of evidence for the supporting role of maternal responsiveness in child language development However; the efficacy of maternal responsiveness may not be global. Instead, it has been suggested that certain aspects of responsiveness are more predictive than others to particular language outcomes in the child. Furthermore, it is possible that children differ in their needs to be guided and supported by their mothers, which leads to differences in maternal role in early interactions (Paavola et al. , 2005) According to Harris (1992) the relationship between the cognitive/perceptual processes involved in development and the childs linguistic experiences. The first steps in language development and the role of adult-child interaction (both verbal and nonverbal) are very important. The focus is on the way parentsmothers in particularstructure the childs language-learning experiences so that they are conducive to the steps the child must take to master the first stages of language acquisition. Moreover, Harris (1992) concludes that early lexical development (the learning of an initial vocabulary) may be more sensitive to individual differences in parental interaction styles than has been demonstrated to be the case for syntactic development. Hence, the emphasis of the monograph is on the period and processes of parent interaction and child language development from the pre-verbal phases, from 6 month of age, through to the appearance of word combinations, around 2 years of age; that is, roughly Browns (1973) Stage I and early Stage 2. There are 3 major theoretical controversies about the nature and process of language development; the research into the influence of adult speech on childrens learning language; the role of the social interactional context in assisting language development; the childs use of the immediate referential context in progressing through the first steps in language development; and what constitutes appropriate evidence with which to address these issues. (Harris, 1992) In the early weeks of life, pragmatic skills (responding to verbal and non-verbal aspects of language) develop as babies interact with their carers through crying, blinking and smiling. First words appear between 12 and 18 months. (http://www. literacytrust. org. uk/Research/earlylanguage. html) ? 12-month-olds can distinguish between words, mouth sounds and object noises. They have linguistically specific knowledge of the privileged status of language. (Pruden, et al. , (2006) ? Children aged 18 to 35 months demonstrate learning through integration of earlier instruction with subsequent problem-solving experience. Toddlers are not passive learners. (Chen and Siegler, 2000) Furthermore, according to the website http://www. literacytrust. org. uk, Mother-child dynamic in language learning has been central to early year’s research. Mothers are often the predominant influences in childrens early years. The concentration on maternal speech input implies that mothers share a unique relationship with their children as they learn language, that mothers are programmed to respond to childrens sounds in a way that reinforces early language development and, in turn, that the child has an innate capacity for learning language. Early studies in this area found that mothers speech facilitates, and, in some cases, hinders the language development of young children. Social contact between parents and infants are considered to be a contributing factor in language development. It is also noted that social interaction with other people can either impede or development the babies language. Environment and culture can influence one’s speech as well. A baby whose parents are Asian and American and living in Europe could somehow impede his speech especially when there are different languages at home. Being specific at an early age could help the baby understand more and becomes attuned to his surroundings. Additionally, when the child verbally establishes complex connections and relations between perceived phenomena with the help of an adult, the child introduces at each moment essential qualitative changes in the receptivity and interpretation of sensory input to his brain. When a child acquires a word which isolates a particular thing and serves as a signal for a particular action, the child carries out an adult’s verbal instruction is connected to this word. (Eveloff, 1971) Toddlers build vocabulary based on unique experiences, and new words are acquired at an average rate of one word per week until children are 18 months old. Some toddlers focus on primary words that refer to objects and people, and developing strategies such as asking â€Å"what’s that† to elicit noun labels in response from adults. Other youngsters had vocabularies with more words for affect, motion or location, expressive language. Language is considered to be the most significant adaptive measure available to developing human. Language is highly related to developmental hierarchies such as neurophysiologic, cognitive, and affective. .(Slentz, et al. , 2001) Overall, early language and development starts with parents or the babies caregiver, it is an essential factor for parents to be educated properly on what are their roles in developing their babies language. Babies’ language development can impede or progress, depending on the ability of the parents and how they interact with their babies. I personally believe that education is the best tool in order to achieve great results for communicating well. Language, speech, and emotions can be linked together. Emotions are greatly expressed through words, and thus this will lead to how we can influence the child’s language and development. Parents are foremost educators on developing the characteristic and personality of the child. Language factor is another contributing aspect on how the child will become in the future. References: Bowlby, J. (1980) Loss: Sadness Depression [Vol. 3 of Attachment and Loss]. London: Hogarth Press; New York: Basic Books; Harmondsworth: Penguin (1981). Brown, R. W. (1973) A First Language: the Early Stages. Cambridge, Harvard University Press Chen, Z. , Siegler, R. S. (2000). Across the great divide: bridging the gap between understanding of toddlers’ and older children’s thinking. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development 65 No. 2 Clulow, C. (1993) Human Development: An Introduction to the Psychodynamics of Growth, Maturity and Ageing. Psychology Press UK Eveloff, H (1971) Some Cognitive and Affective Aspects of Early Language Development Child Development, Dec71, Vol. 42 Issue 6, p1895-1907, 13p; Harris, M (1992) Language Experience and Early Language Development: from input to Uptake Hove, UK: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Paavola, et al. , (2005) Maternal responsiveness and infant intentional communication: implications for the early communicative and linguistic development.. Child: Care, Health Development, Nov2005, Vol. 31 Issue 6, p727-735, 9p; Pruden, et al. , (2006) The Birth of Words: Ten-Month-Olds Learn Words Through Perceptual Salience Child Development 77 (2), 266–280. Slentz, K. , Krogh (2001) Early Childhood Development and Its Variations. Mahwah, N. J. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. â€Å"Early language development: a review of the evidence for birth to age three† can be accessed at http://www. literacytrust. org. uk/Research/earlylanguage. html (accessed February 22, 2007)

Cultural Distance How Is It Measured Commerce Essay

Cultural Distance How Is It Measured Commerce Essay Culture is a wide concept whose definition may vary depending on the discipline it comes from, and many litterateurs have attempted to give it a precise and unique definition, which could be taken as valid in every field, always in vain. This essay will dwell upon the significant role culture plays in the global market, given that it is a vital element not to be neglected for a successful career when doing business abroad. Academics of various subjects, especially anthropologists, have been wondering about the definition of culture for decades, with the result of conveying plenty of explanations about its core and how it is perceived among populations. As already said, while this notion has been quested and analysed throughout the anthropological field, it had been widely disregarded in other fields (Taras Steel, 2009). The first intellectual who moved his analysis of culture to the market sector was Geerte Hofstede (Taras Steel, 2009). Thus, this articles intention is to focus on a different approach to culture, i.e. how cultural difference is able to affect marketing operations around the globe. Firstly, this text will go through Hofstedes method (1980) and elucidate why, despite being a broadly criticised model, it still remains the most relevant reference work for cross-cultural successive analysis. Secondly, it will compare and contrast the famous concepts of Hofstede, Trompenaars and Hampden Turner and Schwartz Value Inventory. Subsequently, the article will try to give empirical evidence of how culture diversity affects the markets of the whole planet by providing the example of various cultural clashes of a famous American fast food company in three different Asian countries. Hofstedes model: Lots of criticism but still the most used in the world Hofstedes model of cultural dimensions (Hofstede, 1980) was a pioneering method elaborated in order to measure cultural distance. It was developed during the late 70s after an attentive examination of work-related values in the IBM employees in 40 countries (Lee Carter, 2012). As the first model ever created, all subsequent studies relate to it, by evaluating, comparing, analysing and obviously criticising e.g. Hofstedes model of national cultural differences and their consequences: A triumph of faith a failure of analysis (MacSweeny, 2002). Among all those aforementioned relations to the study, criticising is the one which most drew the attention of the people who approached Hofstedes research. Nonetheless, there are also some scholars which take Hofstedes side and question MacSweenys fallacious presuppositions, by thoroughly analysing his work and by pointing out his main misunderstandings; MacSweenys critique lacks consistency in terms of clarification about the paradigm he uses to confute Hosftedes cultural research. (Williamson, 2002). Despite being a source subjected to pure criticism, the work of Geert Hofstede, a Dutch organizational anthropologist, is perhaps the most widely used and accepted approach to cross-cultural analysis (Lee Carter, 2012, p. 130). Hofstedes work is still considered to be the most exhaustive and easy-to-understand study of cultural diversity (Holden, 2003). Culture is a broad concept and its definition may vary depending on the context it is related. In fact, it was argued that conceptualising such a wide topic like culture and apply it to every random context could be considered quite presumptuous, surely awry and as a misguided attempt to measure the unmeasurable (MacIntyre, 1961; Smelser, 1992 cited in MacSweeny 2002, p. 90). As a consequence of what just asserted, Hofstedes research was accused of being carried out only in one field and, besides, in a non-market field in which the test persons of IBM were not examined as consumers, negotiators or market intermediaries (Holden, 2003). Afterwards, because its data collection dates back to the late 70s, it was claimed the impossibility of implementation in a plausible current market scenario. Hence, it was judged as out of date, considering that the society had changed (2003). Furthermore, it is bizarre that the most used investigation related to global marketing operations in the worl d has been written by an anthropologist who has nothing to do with being a real marketer (2003). Although these understandable criticisms, Hofstedeans work Cultures Consequences (1980), cited more than 5000 times, still remains the most accepted and utilised method in the cross-cultural analysis. Hofstedes model in comparison and contrast with Trompenaars and Hampden Turner and Schwartz Value Inventory The data, vital for the elaboration of the model, was collected during a certain laps of time and both Hofstede and Trompenaars and Hampden Turner extrapolated their data from questionnaires distributed among workers, with a tiny difference though: Hosftede opted for employees of a specific company, whereas Trompenaars and Hampden Turner for managers of various organisations (Dahl, 2004). Expanding the research into different companies could have been a notable advantage, because it allowed the study to get different perspectives from the respondents. In terms of question typology, Hofstede, as previous stated, decided to ask people about precise work-related value questions, while Trompenaars and Hampden Turner did not only concentrate on the work situation but on the leisure one as well (2004). In any case, they both questioned their actors about preferred state and behaviours. Unlike the other two researches, Shalom Schwartz with his Schwartz Value Survey (1992) took a differen t questioning approach and asked 60,000 people from 63 countries to appraise 57 values as guiding principles of ones life. (Lee Carter, 2012). Schwartzs method (1992), unlike Hofstede (1980) and Trompenaars and Hampden Turner (1998), gives a different vision by evidently separating the individual-level from the cultural-level analysis and by differentiating value types from value dimensions (Dahl, 2004). As a result, Schwartz method allowed to create a category as a value dimension by take into consideration one of the value type identified by the respondent and its opposite value type. The cultural-level and individual-level analysis are separated and their data cannot be evaluated as a whole, i.e. knowing the actors individual values is not necessary to deduce the culture of each individual (Javidan et al). Hofstede used to call this assumption ecological fallacy (Dahl, 2004). According to MacSweeny (2002), Hofstede did not used to make a differentiation between the meaning of culture at large and national culture. He treated it as a nationally discrete part, core, a nucleus (MacSweeny, 2002, p. 92); in other words, he c onceived it as a shared constituent of culture which is made of other different sub-cultures (MacSweeny, 2002). In order to remark Hofstedes idea that a population within a nation, in a certain way, shares the same culture, MacSweeny gives an explicit example by declaring that Hofstede treats the country Great Britain as a single nation with a unique national culture. Regrettably, it is debated that Scotland, even though being inside Great Britain, does not have the equivalent culture of an English citizen. Unlike the aberrant supposition called ecological assumption, both Hosftede and Trompenaars and Hampden Turner accept the so called onion assumption, which has layers to be peeled off (Dahl, 2004), that explains why knowing values in a culture tell us what actually happens in that culture (Javidan et al, p. 899). Yet, a substantial difference lies in the conception of this onion-like model, i.e. Hofstede conceives it as four layers onion, whereas Trompenaars and Hampden Turner fantasise it as a only two layers onion. Still, in spite of the different cognition of the onion, both Hofstedes and Trompenaars and Hampden Turners methods represent the same concept as Cowley and Hanna (2005) assert: The objective of this unit was to learn to exfoliate the perceptible manifestations of culture (artefacts and products), to peel away the layer of norms and values, to discover the core. The most emblematic diversity from these two models is that Hofstedes study investigates through the values of the respondents, while Trompenaars and Hampden Turner is more focused on their behavioural attitudes both in work and recreation moments (Lee Carter 2012). Another comparison can be made in terms of identification of some given value dimensions. Hofstede identified four (with a later fifth in addition) (Hosftede, 2001?), the Schwartz Value Inventory classified ten value types and four main value dimensions and finally Trompenaars and Hampden Turner categorised ten. All these results can be associated and most of them seen as parallel in concept terms, e.g. Hofstedes Power distance bears a resemblance to Trompenaars and Hampden Turners Achievement vs. ascription (Lee Carter, 2012). In addition, another dimension might be considered almost identical: Communitarism vs. individualism of Trompenaars and Hampden Turner with Individualism vs. collectivism of Hofstede (2012). In his work, Hofstede wanted to create a valid framework which was able to classify and distinguish different cultures, and to be aware of potential cultural collisions within a business environment. Thus, Hofstedes interpretation of culture envisages a tight correlation between an invisible level, values and a visible level in which these values manifest, in other words practices (Javidan et al). Empirical evidence of cultural distance impact on global marketing operations Obviously, cultural distance is an issue that affects large companies which are able to broaden the horizons and look for great fortune abroad. Start setting new investments into a foreign market requires a high volume of money and that is why only great organisations can afford such a treacherous move. Why treacherous? A foreign market can absolutely be as profitable as disadvantageous, depending on how much companies take the cultural factors into account. According to Pankaj Ghemawat, (2001) economist and global strategist at the IESE Business School of Barcelona, graduated at Harvard University, many companies are so attracted by foreign markets that sometimes they underestimate the financial threat they are running into. Following, the article is going to present a clear example of how the Asian culture shaped the business of a worldwide company like McDonalds. It will go through all the changes the company had to make in three different countries: Japan, Hong Kong and China. According to what Harris P. (Managing Cultural Difference, 2002) wrote, there is a big gap between the western culture and the eastern one. Through this table (Figure 1), it is quite self-explanatory in what the main principles differ one from another and what the American fast food company McDonalds had to be aware of when moving its brand to Asia: (Figure 1) When people think about McDonalds, the first word crossing their mind might be standardization. Hofstede (1980) would have thought of organizational culture instead. McDonalds is the emblematic example of a company which aims at keeping the same level of quality, cleanliness, customer service, food taste and value. Its main strengths rely on fast service and standard taste of the food, and these have demonstrated to be very profitable in the western market. Unluckily, Asian people were not used to having lunch or dinner in a dozen of minutes, for this reason McDonalds had to cogitate a strategy to get customers and make profit. Referring to Hofstedes classification of power Distance countries worldwide (geert-hofstede.com), Japan has been rated as one of the countries with the lowest score (55), which means it is less inclined to accept a high organizational culture as McDonalds. Nonetheless, the famous fast food company, thanks to some strategies, managed to succeed and survive the Nippon market. First issue of the organisation was that the Japanese society is famous for eating rice during the day as a filling meal. Because of that, McDonalds introduced new products made of rice in the market, like Chinese fried rice, curried rice with chicken and fried egg burger. Thanks to the lanching of these new products the company managed to be taken into consideration from the Japanese society. Secondly, in Japan, such as in other countries like Italy or Spain, there is an elevated sense of commensality, something which is not included in the McDonalds brand. Notwithstanding, the company had to do something to get around this cultural problem and, as a result, it started furnishing its restaurants with tables and chairs where Japanese could eat and spend some time together as being home. Finally, another problem arose when the Japanese society regarded the typical hamburger as snack and not as a whole meal. McDonalds implemented a good strategy by taking this misleadin g perception and converted it into an advantage to create then a place suited for young people who want to get a fast meal and chill out for a while. (McDonalds in Japan, 2009) The situation slightly changed in the state of Hong Kong. According to Hofstedes chart of Power Distance countries, Hong Kong has been rated a little bit more than Japan (68) which, as a consequence, described this country as more open to a centralized organization as the American McDonalds. In fact, People of Hong Kong were already familiar with a market fast food conception, but despite this, McDonalds was doubtful about spreading its companys values onto this Asian market. McDonalds first step was to leave the sign of the company in its original language without any translation, and in addition the founder of the restaurant in Honk Hong, Daniel Ng, opted for a smart solution which consisted of transliterating the name. Transliteration is a good strategy to avoid a cultural translation issue. It renders the English sound of the word into Chinese characters, without running into the problem of translating the meaning of the word. It would be a tough task to avoid. The strength McDon alds used, relied on not imposing the companys values to the locals, but on shaping its organizational culture in order to get approval from them (McDonalds in Hong Kong, 2009). China, in Hofstedes Power Distance chart (1980), has been rated with a very high score (80), therefore McDonalds problems had got nothing to do with the adaptation of a centralized organizational culture. What happened in Beijing was the emblem of cultural difference a big organisation such as McDonalds must take into account: Despite having accessed the Chinese market, McDonalds was not able to clearly convey the values of its work to the locals, and for this reason could not get rid of the competition. Chinese people, even though were familiar with the fast food chain, did not consider it part of their cuisine culture. After years, they kept seeing it as an American brand in Chinese territory. Hence, this was not an advantage at all. Ideological, political and economic differences were an obstacle for an American brand which was operating in the Chinese market. The resolution to this issue lied on the fact that the organisation had to start blending more with the local culture, avo iding to stress firmly its Americanism. Understood so, McDonalds began to introduce Chinese traditional food in its menu in order to show the Chinese population its inclination to respect and use the territorial food culture. In addition, all the restaurants were decorated with Chinese paper-cuts design. This way, customers commenced to trust the brand and see it from a different perspective. This is the same path KFC had to follow to be a very profitable company in the Chinese market nowadays (KFC and McDonalds a model of blended culture, 2004). Conclusion The aim of this article consisted in giving a brief analysis of the models used in cross-cultural distance in order to provide a general understanding. The essay has taken exactly three methods into consideration: Hofstedes, Trompenaars and Hampden Turner and Schwartz Value Inventory. Their investigation is all about identifying cultural differences among people who live in different part of the globe and the usage it has been done with these methods is the most relevant feature this article wants to point out. Big organisations which operate in different countries have to study and analyse the culture of the place they would like to settle in, because culture is the key to be successful, increasing popularity and cash flows. These companies, such as McDonaldss, make use of the cross-cultural distance methods in order to evaluate all the cultural factors they could be running into and be prepared to overcome them easily with an effective strategy implementation. To sum up, these models are vital for a company which sets its investments outside the borders of its country and

Indonesia And Its Past Economic Crisis Economics Essay

Indonesia And Its Past Economic Crisis Economics Essay Indonesia is one of the most promising and fast developing countries in the world. After the financial crisis in 1997, this country has managed to demonstrate the great pace of development and to become one of the worlds leading economies. It has become possible because of the combination of internal and external factors and reasonable macroeconomic policy of the government. The economic and geopolitical potential of Indonesia is tremendous. It has a lot of natural and human resources, large potential market and appropriate corporate and organizational culture of doing business. It also rely lowly on exports, hence Indonesia performed better riding through slump. Exports are equivalent to only about 25% of GDP, compared with over 100% in Malaysia in 2008. Moreover, Indonesias core exports are dominated by gas, oil and coal, so the country was less exposed to the sudden and drastic destocking that caused trade in manufactured goods in Asia to dry up in late 2008 (Indrawati 2009). The countrys $514 billion economy, which is the biggest in South Asia, has 240 million citizens. It means that the country is a great potential market in terms of domestic consumption. An emerging middle class (35 million) is driving the economic growth in the country. It means that the country is able to create demand for the goods and services provided not only by national manufacturers, but also by multinational companies. The middle class creates not only an attractive market for multinational companies, but also a basis for the development of small business. Under modern circumstances, small business is a foundation for an effective economy. It creates new working places, contributes to the national GDP and makes the national economy more flexible and resistant to crisis and fluctuations. Indonesia is also rich in different natural resources. The country is the worlds leader in the export of coal. It has the largest gold mine and the single largest reserve of recoverable copper. As we can see, export is an integral part of the countrys success. On the one hand, it creates a lot of benefits for Indonesia. However, on the other hand, it makes the countrys national economy dependent on the situation on global markets. Fluctuations in these markets may hinder the development of the country. This situation however may be improved by having a higher share of value-added goods. These goods are produced by using educated labor force, knowledge and IT technologies. Thus, Indonesia will be able to occupy another niche in the global market and make its economy more competitive. It will also make the development of the country more intensive. One should mention that the current development has an extensive character. The development that has an extensive character is based on the use of resources, labor force, etc. At the same time, intensive development is based on innovations, investments, production of high value-added goods. The country also has some geopolitical advantages. It is close to China and Japan its biggest export markets. It means that transaction costs are insignificant. As a result, the efficiency of business is increasing. Moreover, these countries are not only Indonesias biggest partners, but also some of the biggest markets of the world. The combination of all the above-mentioned factors leads the country to the status of one of the best-performing economies in the world. According to the experts, the national economy of the country is going to grow 6 percent this year. It will make it the best-performing economy after China and India. The current GDP per capita is about $4.000 in Indonesia. Respectively GDP of Indonesia was about $960 billion in 2009 (Indonesia GDP Per Capita (PPP)). According to the experts, Indonesia should be included in BRIC club in the nearest future. Probably, we should explain what the so-called BRIC club is. The BRIC thesis posits that China and India will become the worlds dominant suppliers of manufactured goods and services, respectively, while Brazil and Russia will become similarly dominant as suppliers of raw materials (Brazil, Russia, India And China BRIC). It only proves our assumption that one of the strong sides of the countrys economy is its export of raw materials, including coal, metals, etc. However, as we have already mentioned, the share of these raw materials should reduce in the nearest future. Being a powerful country in the worlds economy also means being a leader in the worlds politics. Thus, the political influence of Indonesia in the world is also going to grow. At least in the Asian region, it is expected to happen very soon. We have said a lot about the countrys competitive advantages. Now it is time to analyze the potential risk factors that may scare the foreign investors and hinder the sustainable development of Indonesia. First of all, one should mention terrorism among the disadvantages that create risks for investors. Terrorist attacks in Jakarta and other similar countries scare foreign investors and thus hinder the economic development of such countries. Islamist terrorist actions have always been usual for the country. Foreign companies do not have any desire to invest in a country, where their facilities may be destroyed or their managers and workers may be killed. That is why decisive steps should be taken to solve this problem. Such steps are currently being made. The current government of the country is fighting against Islamist terrorist factions. However, its efforts should be combined with the assistance of the international community. We believe that this risk factor is going to be eliminated in the nearest future. Another risk factor is potentially dangerous natural factors. We mean, for example, tsunami in 2004 that killed a lot of people and shocked the world. In fact, there is a risk that such a cataclysm may occur again. The scope of that cataclysm can be described by the following words. Massive sea surges triggered by an earthquake under the Indian Ocean have killed over 10,000 people in southern Asia, with many more feared dead. Indonesia is thought to be the worst-hit country in the region, with 94,000 dead, 132,000 missing and 132,000 (Government of Indonesia 2005). Possible consequences of natural disasters may be the following: death of thousands of people (labor force and intellectual potential); destruction of infrastructure; destruction of material objects, including factories, offices, etc.; expenditure of billions of dollars on reconstruction of the country, etc. In general, it, of course, hinders the sustainable development of the countrys economy. This factor should be taken into account by the investors in Indonesias economy. Not only does the country have to fight against possible natural disasters, but it also has to handle other problems related to the natural environment, including climate change and depletion of natural resources. It can be proven by the following quote. The government in 2010 faces the ongoing challenge of improving Indonesias insufficient infrastructure to remove impediments to economic growth, while addressing climate change mitigation and adaptation needs, particularly with regard to conserving Indonesias forests and peatlands (Indonesia Economy 2010). After comparing the advantages and disadvantages of Indonesias economy, we have to talk about the main problems of its current state and prospects for the near future. Nowadays the main problem of Indonesias economy and financial system is a danger that its financial market may be overheated. It is essential to take this factor into account because a few years ago it caused a lot of problems. Ten years of growth resulted in the financial crisis in 1997. One of the reasons was the overheated regional financial market, including that of Indonesia. The influence of that financial crisis on the national economy was enormous. After an average annual rate of between 5% and 7% during a long-term growth in the last two decades, Indonesia has been hard hit during the recent wave of the Asian monetary crisis. With an economic growth of 4.7% in 1997, the 1998/99 State Budget envisages a minus 12% economic growth with an inflation of 66%, which gradually developed into an economic crisis (Indonesias Economy. Economic Growth and State Finance). That is why it is very important to evaluate whether the market is overheated now or not in order to avoid a similar crisis. We believe that we have to explain the term overheated market. It means that market prices of different assets, including stocks, raw materials, etc., do not correspond to their fundamental prices. Thus, the assets are overestimated and the so-called bubbles are formed because of some speculative tendencies. When investors realize that the assets are overestimated, the whole system ruins, creating terrible consequences. As a result, the whole national economy is harmed. The most recent and vivid example of such a cataclysm is the global financial crisis 2008-2010 that was caused by the bubbles in the markets of leading assets. Despite that fact, the tendencies for such bubbles to form are still observed in the global economy. Thus, to conclude, we would like to say the following. Despite the crisis in 1997-1998, Indonesia has managed to demonstrate the rapid pace of economic development in the past decade. As a result, nowadays a lot of people tend to treat Indonesias economy as one of the most promising economies in the world. We also support this opinion and believe that its economy is going to become one of the leading ones. It is possible because of the combination of the countrys advantages and effective governments policy. The countrys advantages are the following: beneficial geopolitical location; rich natural resources; cheap labor force; large internal market. The government economic policy is based on the use of liberal principles that are traditional in the developed countries. The most important thing is that the countrys leaders desire to see their country as an innovative and prosperous state. The countrys economy may also be characterized by some risks, among which some of the most important are a danger of terrorism and possibility of natural disasters. These risks should be taken into account by investors and internal policy makers because they are able to hinder the sustainable development of the country. If they cannot be avoided, they should be forecasted and minimized.

The History of the Cosmological Argument for the Existence of God Essay

Early elements of the Cosmological Argument were developed by the world renowned philosophers Plato and Aristotle between the years 400 and 200 BC (Boeree). Medieval philosopher Saint Thomas Aquinas expanded upon their ideas in the late 13th Century when he wrote, â€Å"The Five Ways.† Since then the Cosmological Argument has become one of the most widely accepted and criticized arguments for the existence of God. My objective in this paper is to explain why the Cosmological Argument is a reasonable argument for the existence of God, the importance of understanding that it is an inductive a posteriori argument, and defend my position against common opposing arguments. To begin, as living human beings on the planet earth we can safely conclude that most everything in existence has a cause. We observe that there is a cause behind the flat tire we receive while driving to school. There is a cause behind why we earned a failing grade in Philosophy. There is a cause behind why our bodies feel pain. And there is even a cause for why moss grows heaviest on the North side of trees. Saint Thomas Aquinas argues that everything in existence has a cause and therefore all things are contingent and finite. That is to say, â€Å"Everything in nature can both exist and not exist, given that we find things in nature to come into and pass out of existence† (Ruckaber, 2009). Modern philosophers understand this assertion by Saint Thomas to mean that all things in nature are contingent on a first cause in order to exist. Saint Thomas argues that this first cause must be God because before the Universe came into existence there had to have been a necess ary or non-contingent being to serve as first cause. To help clarify the relationship b... ...things finite and contingent must have a cause; next, I argued that no contingent thing can be the cause of itself; and finally I added that a chain of causes cannot be infinite. In conclusion, there must have been a necessary being which served as the first cause of the Universe. This necessary being can be referred to as God. I make this conclusion due to my understanding of the evidence given above and the fact that there are no reasonable arguments that beyond reasonable doubt can prove otherwise. In addition, it is my finding that the roots of the Cosmological Argument are firmly cemented in a posteriori observation (induction), as opposed to purely rational thought which is deductive. Knowing how this argument is classified is imperative because it is essential to understanding the structure of the argument and how it arrives at its conclusion.

The Victorian Age Essay -- History, French Revolution

The Victorian Age of Literature â€Å"It was the best of times; it was the worst of times†¦it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair† (Dickens n. pag.). These words by Charles Dickens, one of the most famous writers of the Victorian Period, were intended to show the connections between the French Revolution and the decline of Dickens’s own time, the Victorian Era (â€Å"About† n.pag.). Dickens wanted to show how the trends of his time were following a tragic path that had already played out and not ended well in France. According to an article about this historical period, the Victorian Era was â€Å"a time of change, a time of great upheaval, but also a time of great literature† (â€Å"Victorian† n.pag.). The Victorian Period reflects the great changes in the social, political, and economical shifts of the time. To start with, some information is in order about the Victorian Period itself. Queen Victoria, England’s longest reigning monarch, sat on the throne from 1837 to 1901. The span of time is referred to as the Victorian Period (Abrams 1860). At the death of Queen Victoria, her subjects reacted in such a way that they rebelled against many of the ideas put forward during her reign. Even her own country recognized her life and rule as a distinct historical period separated from the rest (Abrams 1861). Also in the Victorian Period, other events were going on that changed the way many people thought about life. Among those changes were advances in scientific research, which created conflict with biblical beliefs. With Darwin’s contribution of The Origin of the Species in 1859, which set off a scientific revolution, many Victorians lost faith in the church. His theories stirred doubt about where humanity really started from, and the... ... the era brought with it a change to the people of England and the globe. Thanks to England’s ideas of their responsibly and rights to the rest of the world, civilization as we know it would never be the same. Just like this change impacted England, the effects of Queen Victoria’s ruled shaped the world as it is now. One cannot imagine much less chart how different things would be if it were not for Queen Victoria’s influence on global economy, philosophy, biology, geology, psychology, religious beliefs, etc. Thanks to her and her support of reform from the Industrial Revolution, even the most simple of things that people take for granted today would not exist like being able to call it a day after eight hours of work, overtime pay, healthy and safe working conditions, and rights to defend themselves against unfair practices both in the workplace and out of it.

The Japanes Tsunami Disaster

On March 11th 2011 at 2:48pm a magnitude 9 earthquake occurred lasting a record time of 5 minutes until 2:53pm. This awful event occurred in the country of Japan in Asia, east of china, south of Russia and lies on the Pacific Ocean. Then 20 minutes later a tsunami hit Ofunato and then followed by Sedai and Niyko. There were lots more area affected by the tsunami. Causes The tsunami that hit Japan was a series of water that became many waves that built up by travelling along the Pacific Ocean, gradually gathering up speed. By the time it hit Ofunato it was as fast as a jet engine and going 800 kph. This tsunami happened because of the pacific tectonic plate subducted the Asian tectonic plate and caused an upwards wave to start and increase in length and it caused a massive tsunami to hit Japan. Japan had a massive tsunami hit them because of the magnitude 9 earthquake (a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves) that hit them first, which caused the pacific tectonic plate subducted the Asian tectonic plate and created a flood of water to go in to the fault line and cause it to build up pressure and heat up. Then the water sprung up in to a travelling along the Pacific Ocean causing a tsunami, this caused over 15,000 deaths, 6,000 injured and 4,000 missing. Another cause of the tragic tsunami was that it gained an extra metre in height because the coast line dropped a metre; this was one of the effects of the earthquake. Social effects The effects on people were that there houses had fallen down and many were homeless. The disaster caused falling birth rates, some mothers and children were forced to move to other towns and cities, even 200-300 miles away from their broken homes. Buildings were shaking, lights flickering; they crumbled down in front of the people inside them. Bridges were in pieces, shaken and broken by the earthquake and tsunami. The people in Japan were in a horror film. Their families were broken, torn apart by 7 metre high waves. At least 170,000 households were running without any water said by the health ministry. Up to 47,000 building were destroyed, washed away or burnt down, the national police agency of Japan said. A total of 164,059 households in the north were without electricity, tohoku electric power co said. You can read also Waves Economic effects The tsunami caused a large negative impact on the economy of Japan but lesser effect on world trade and financial markets. Japan has lost considerable physical damage estimated to be from $195 billion to as much as $305 billion. The negative effects of the earthquake and tsunami caused a potential nuclear disaster. Only 150 miles from Tokyo, radiation leaked from a nuclear plant crippled by an explosion. Although it wasn’t at the same scale of Chernobyl, but 170,000 people were evacuated. Another economic effect is that hundreds of factories were shut across Japan and the country was pushed in to recession. Nissan and Toyota had to halt production at all 20 factories. Toyota, the world’s largest carmaker, evacuated workers from two plants in the worst affected regions. The plants make up to 420,000 small cars each year, mostly for export. Environmental effects The effects the tsunami had on japans environment was that were lots of debris everywhere because the tsunami had picked up everything in its way when it hit Japan and when it had stopped all the debris was left on the ground leaving lots of mess. All the debris that was on the floor meant it was harder to find missing people. The tsunami also carried lots of dead fish and animals habitats would have been damaged because of the water. The fish were all dead in the tsunami due to the fact that the Pacific Ocean contaminated because of the radiation of the nuclear plant explosion. This also meant that any birds wouldn’t have been able to feed or they would have died eating contaminated fish. The smell also would have been unbearable to cope with because of the amount of dead fish and bodies and debris carried by the tsunami. Liquefaction during the earthquake as well, this would have left big cracks in the concert and some water may of septet up through the cracks. Short term responses After the tsunami occurred everyone immediately tried to help the injured get to a safe placed so they could be helped. Fire engines and ambulances were there to help and to rescue people from the debris. There were lots of people injured and dead so that when the people were being searched for by people of Japan to save time if a person was dead under the debris they would have put down a flag so they could go on and search for people that were alive and could be saved. Then later they would have gone back to the body and they would have moved it. Everyone hurt by the tsunami/earthquake got medical care by the other helping countries wanting to help. China was one of the 91 countries that helped Japan as soon as possible by providing $4.5 million worth of humanitarian aid. Their first shipment was from Shanghai to Tokyo. It contained 2,000 blankets, 900 tents and 200 emergency lights to help Japan get through the tragic amount of injured people. Seventeen Latin American countries, including Honduras, Ecuador and Brazil, and four African states – Djibouti, Morocco, South Africa and Tunisia had also offered assistance. The mayor of Kandahar city in Afghanistan pledged $50,000 to support relief efforts. The World Bank, Unicef, Unesco and the Office for t he Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs were among the international organisations pledging support. Other responses were that they were lots of tents and shelters put up for people to stay safe because their houses would have been crushed by the tsunami or fall because of the magnitude 9 earthquake. In the shelters, the people got free food and water to keep them alive. Almost everywhere there was no gas or electricity because of the impact of the tsunami. All they could us were emergency lights and torches to see. Products in Japan went up because lots of stock was ruined or damaged and it was a struggle to get stock from other countries or cities because the expressway fell down and transport-roads were blocked. Some charities also help the tsunami victims such as architecture for humanity helped by fundraising and giving all the money they made to Japan to help the people that were made homeless or that were unemployed because their workplace might have been hit. Save the Children meet the needs of children and their families affected by the tsunami, whilst Christian Aid’s partners in the Philippines helped to evacuate the most vulnerable coastal communities. People living in these communities had been warned to prepare for a tsunami wave at least one metre high along the east coast. Partners of the British Red Cross in Japan, America and the Philippines worked alongside the emergency services to support victims and evacuate high risk areas. Long term responses General recovery efforts progressed, super markets gradually reopened, gas stations in northern Japan resumed business, and roads were accessible. The Japanese government significantly supported the country’s relief efforts and provided much of the needed temporary housing. Everything that was rebuilt in Japan however it cost them 25tn yen which actuates to  £189bn. Schools were rebuilt and teachers were provided so the children could get an education. Conclusion In my opinion, I think that the Japan tsunami was a disaster because of the impact that it caused to the people (such as the deaths), the environment (dead animals, liquefaction, amount of debris needed to be cleaned up) and the amount of money that it cost them. The amount of deaths that the tsunami caused was devastating, the amount of missing people and pain that the tsunami caused families. It was an awful event that caused pain to everyone and cost lots of money. I think to stopped this happening to Japan again they should build a bigger wall on the coast to protect them or even buy tsunami capsules from all households even though they are expensive it would help and save the life’s of many if it occurred again.

Carnival Competition and Swot

COMPETITION Carnival Corporation is part of different industries and sectors: on one hand we have the cruise industry, which is the fastest growing segment of the travel industry. Carnival is the largest cruise operator in the world, so it’s the most important player of the cruise industry. On the other hand the company is also part of a bigger sector: Hotels, Resorts and Cruise Lines, in which the competition list grows, having hotels and motels and the largest segment with 92. 4% share of the sector’s value. As a company Carnival has 11 brands distributed among the segments of the cruise ship industry.These segments are based on class, average price and number of passengers per ship. The mass-market segment also known as contemporary consists of 45 ships, an average of 2,400 passengers and a price of $114. 87. As company Carnival has the largest share of this segment with two different brands, Carnival Cruise Lines and Costa Cruises with 21 and 2 ships respectively, a share of 52%. Royal Caribbean, has 9 ships and a total of 21% of share in this segment, the company has a total of 40 ships that are operated under five different brands.Norwegian Cruise Line takes third place in the segment with a share of 18% and a total of nine ships, it is jointly owned by Star Cruises, the dominating company in the Asia-Pacific Market. Norwegian is known for its Freestyle Cruising concept, with little requirements. MSC Cruises is fourth with four out of a total of 12 ships, and a share of 9%, it sails throughout the Mediterranean and offers a wide range of itineraries in Northern Europe, the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean, South America, among others.Carnival also plays an important role in the also known as premium segment, consists of 54 ships, an average of 2,390 passengers and a price of $167. 50; with four brands and a share of 54%, a total of 28 ships. Princess Cruises, holds 26%; Costa Cruises, 18%; Holland America Line, 8%, and Carnival Cruise Lines, only o ne ship and a share of 2%. Second places goes to Royal Caribbean and three of its brands, Celebrity Cruises, 18%; Royal Caribbean International, 14% and Pullmantur with 3% and two ships.MSC Cruises is third with only 6 cruises and 11% of share. As part of the Hotels, Resorts & Cruise Lines sector, Carnival’s competition increases. The rivalry level is high thanks to the dependence of intense characteristics of the sector capital, management, marketing, personnel, energy, maintenance, and technology, affect the final result. Worldwide the sector reached a value of $623. 2 billion in 2011 with a growth of 8. 2%. Hotels and motels is the largest segment of the sector, it accounts for 92. % of the total value, followed by cruise lines with 4. 7%, and resorts with 2. 9%. Even though Carnival Corporation is part of a smaller segment, it still is the leading player in the sector, generating 2. 5% share of the total value. Competing with Marriot International who holds 2%, a diversif ied hospitality company with a broad portfolio of hotels, lodging facilities, corporate housing properties and timeshare properties under various brand names.Marriott Hotels & Resorts, JW Marriot, Renaissance Hotels, The Ritz Carlton, among others, are part of the portfolio that recorded revenues of $12,317 million during the financial year ended December 2011. Accor comes in third place with a share of 1. 4%, French hotel group, which operates in over 91 countries with 4,426 hotels ranging from economy to luxury, some of its brands includes, Motel 6 and Sofitel Hotels and Resorts. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide holds 0. 9%, with 1,103 properties in nearly 100 countries.Westin Hotels, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts and W Hotels, are among the diverse portfolio that recorded revenues of $5,624 million. Carnival Corporation & plc is one of the largest cruise and vacation companies in the world, operating through four segments: North America, Europe, Australia and Asia cruise brands. The company is the most important player in both the Cruise Industry and in the Hotels, Resorts & Cruise Lines sector, in a market where buyers and consumers are price sensitive and willing to switch to a new player if a better offer is presented. SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths:Carnival has the largest fleet and passenger capacity in the cruise industry, being the largest operator in the world operating 99 cruise ships, 2. 4 the number of ships of its closest competitor Royal Caribbean. Being the worlds largest cruise operator enhances the company’s bargaining power with suppliers, which results in large economies of scale and significant cost advantage over competitors. The large portfolio of widely recognizes brands, which cater to different lifestyles and budgets, also targeted to different cultures and demographic groups addressing people’s diverse entertainment and preferences.The company has a solid marketing strategy that communicates the value proposition of each bra nd to the target audience intended. Having as the main theme ‘Fun Ships’. Investing heavily in print and television media, to project itself as the ultimate entertainment destination. In addition to advertising, Carnival uses different methods to encourage new customers and travel agents with discounts and commissions, this aggressive marketing and promotion techniques highlights the different brands in a highly competitive industry and sector.Weaknesses: Even though Carnival is the leading provider of cruise vacations in the majority of the largest markets, it shows and overdependence on the North America region because it’s the originator of most of the company’s revenues. Creating vulnerability to the economic situations and uncertainties of the American economy. Opportunities: As an industry there is an opportunity to further penetrate into the European cruise market.Although the cruise industry has grown significantly over the past decades it still oc cupies a very small proportion of the global vacation market, 4. 7%. With more opportunity to further penetrate the European cruise market, especially in Western European countries where the trend is moving in favor of cruise vacations. In addition a changed in demographics has been seen, with a growth in population of over 65. Marking the importance of the general trend where the majority of cruising passengers ranged from 45 to 65 years. Threats:New tax regulations announced by the United States, as a measure to address offshore tax avoidance, Carnival Corporation would be affected because it is incorporated in Panama and Carnival plc in the UK, so its exempt from taxation earnings because they come from operations of a ship documented under the laws of a foreign country. As cruise line company it also pays minimal corporation tax because it holds overseas status. Around 48% of the company’s revenues are generated from non-US regions and are reported in US Dollars, as a res ult there is a large dependence on the fluctuations of the dollar against all other major currencies.