Saturday, January 25, 2020

The Dimensions Of Globalisation And Its Effects Economics Essay

The Dimensions Of Globalisation And Its Effects Economics Essay In Thomas (2000), globalisation is defined as a concept which refers to the ways in which developments in one region can rapidly come to have significant consequences for the security and well being of communities in quite distant regions of the globe. Thomas specifically refers to Alan Greenspans quote there can be no island of prosperity in an ocean of economic instability in a bid to stress the point that globalisation can neither be resisted nor halted. Globalisation expresses the widening scope, deepening impact and speeding up of interregional flows and networks of interaction within all realms of social activity from the cultural to the criminal. Four Dimensions Thomas also identifies four specific dimensions to globalisation. Globalisation is also about change, and these changes are characterised by four different dimensions. These include the stretching of social, political and economic activities across political frontiers, regions and continents. Globalisation also promotes intensification of investments, migration, flow of trade and culture. This growing interconnectedness (extensive and intensive) is linked to the speeding up of global interactions, aided by the global transportation and communications systems which increase the flow of ideas, goods, information, capital and people. These three dimensions give rise to a deepening impact which creates a global reality in which something that happens in one places can have profound impacts on a far off place. This creates a blurring between the boundaries of what is local and global. Challenges to Development One way of looking at development is through the historic processes, in which societies were transformed over long periods in a somewhat unplanned way. Economic development and accompanying social and political transformations occur as a result of the continuing development of societies. (Fawssett et. Al.) Sense of increased powerlessness/insecurity Globalisation is perceived as a force that cannot be ignored. This implies greater difficulties for countries trying to isolate themselves from the global marketplace. It promises growth prospects to national economies, as long as they satisfy its requirements in terms of flexibility and competitiveness, which include designing and implementing domestic policies to meet global requirements, typically those set by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. It is also argued that countries can be exposed to new technologies and ideas, which can create jobs, improve incomes and reduce poverty. Environmental Sustainability As more emphasis is put on the globalization of industry, the need for environmental sustainability is quite often not given its due importance. This is problematic in that as trade and capital mobility restrictions are continually lifted between nations, the impact big business can have on the environment is enormous.. This process theoretically sets in motion the creation of a set of common principles between nations whereby cooperation takes precedence over competition. Environmental sustainability is of equal importance to economic prosperity, and in fact, the two are very much tied together. One reason why so many industrial jobs have left the most developed nations is because of the environmental regulations their governments have imposed. In order to protect the environment, strict limitations are placed on pollution and waste. A consequence of these restrictions is that the companies that employ people send the jobs to countries where the environmental standards are much less stringent. Thus, although the environment is better served by the laws against environmental degradation, the economies of those nations suffer. And although jobs come to the less developed nations, boosting the economies there, the environment suffers because the restrictions against pollution are less strict. This reality seems to indicate that globalization and environmental sustainability are mutually incompatible. Indeed, their beneficial coexistence rests on the ability of the nations of the world to freely exchange goods and services while at the same time placing limitations on how much damage each can do to the environment. At worst, the world could become a single economic entity with absolutely no regard for the ecosystems of the earth or one large environmentally protected zone where each economy is forced to curb its industrial output to meet international regulations. Unless a more balanced compromise is made between the two ideas, they will continue to be at odds with one another. Employment While expanded trade has generally resulted in more jobs, the parallel growth in competition has forced many companies to shed workers in order to cut costs, boost efficiency and increase profits. Higher productivity only becomes a plus for the overall economy if output grows quickly enough to generate employment for the whole workforce. In the industrialized world, where a number of countries are currently grappling with the problem of growth without jobs, high unemployment has become a political issue. Developed countries have been especially affected by new information and communication technologies that boost efficiency but make some white-collar workers redundant. Some less-developed countries have also had to deal with jobless growth. China, which has experienced an economic boom in recent years, has begun to struggle with unemployment, particularly in urban areas. The need to cut unit labour costs to compete in the global market has led to the elimination of guaranteed employment and over staffed factories. Unemployment has also grown as a result of proliferation of low-cost imports from low-wage countries. Though these imports are a small part of the total, they are concentrated in labour-intensive sectors such as shoe-clothing and toy-making. The loss of livelihoods is deeply rooted in the macro-economic development model of corporate-led globalization. It promotes too many enterprises that are the main drivers of biodiversity loss: the large-scale, export oriented agricultural industry; unsustainable commercial logging companies; fish farms and factories; and the mining industry. These companies are fostered and actively promoted through trade liberalization and other forms of corporate-led globalization. Unchecked by effective national or international rules, they are able to plunder the earths resources for the benefit of distant shareholders while the communities that lived more harmoniously with these resources for generations are left with a ravaged earth. The policies of the World Trade Organization, multilateral development banks like the World Bank, and export credit agencies together exacerbate this plundering with their promotion of export-oriented economic models and the further commercialization of biodiversity. Winners and losers While globalisation offers new opportunities for accelerating development and poverty reduction, it also poses new challenges for policy makers. Globalization and the turn to the market have clear benefits for developing countries, both in terms of aggregate growth and poverty reduction and in terms of mobility and opportunity for low-income people. Yet new opportunities have come hand-in-hand with new vulnerabilities. Not surprisingly, public opinion about globalization and market reforms is mixed. The downside of globalisation is most vividly evident at times of global financial and economic crises. The costs of the repeated crises associated with economic and financial globalisation appear to have been borne overwhelmingly by the developing world, and often disproportionately so by the poor who are the most vulnerable. On the other hand, benefits from globalisation in booming times are not necessarily shared widely and equally in the global community. Small and medium sized businesses that form part of local economies, meet local needs and are more accountable to local people are undermined and unable to compete with huge multinationals. In the battle of economies, big is beautiful and local is expendable. 1B. Explain how consideration of POWER is relevant to debates on GLOBALISATION. Power has to do with relationship, structural and functional, between all living beings in and between their communities. Power is thus a very important part of the globalisation debate. It touches on various topics some of which we will look into closer details below. In this sense power can refer to the control over others or the capacity to choose and be able to act, hence bringing up the issue of empowerment. Power is also relevant when it comes to issues related to power relations such as gender, class and ethnicity. Politically speaking, globalization, the breakdown of socialist states, the crisis of modern liberal nation states, and upheavals in traditional or semi-traditional despotic states, raise new questions about power. The nation state structures are to be questioned radically for they are the unit structures of political powers that have been most powerful. The global market agencies are emerging as the most powerful agencies of power, which determine global power structures and power relations on a global scale. These agencies dominate over nation states in power terms as a new reality of power is being formed in the context of the global market The significant gender differences and disparities with respect to decision-making powers, participation, and returns for effort that prevail in different societies need to be taken into account when responding to the forces of globalization. Because of gender inequalities and discrimination in all parts of the world, women can be affected negatively by globalization processes to a greater extent than men. On the other hand, there can be significant gains for women with globalization. It is necessary to systematically monitor the gender impact of change so that the goals of gender equality and the expansion of human capabilities are not sacrificed. Over the years, the greater economic, social, and technological interconnectedness of the international system has transformed social trends and national policies. These interaction dynamics have also seemingly changed security. The mainstream media frequently oversimplify the causes of the wars, with claims they are rooted in religious or ethnic differences. A closer inspection reveals that the underlying source of such conflicts is economic in nature. Financial instability, economic inequality, competition for resources, and environmental degradation-all root causes of war-are exacerbated by globalization. This could offer one explanation to Thomas (2000) who argues that the prevalence of wars has continued to rise in the early 1990s and that it is apparent that most of these wars are not being fought between states. In contrast to the historic wars, these more recent wars are being fought in parts of the world which are relatively poor and which are least equipped to recover quick ly. Yet, as a concluding note one can observe that the ability to influence the course and the content of globalization is not simply a matter of control over material resources or military might. Because of the way power is translated through webs of relationships, it is changed and can be realigned. Weaker actors, by building coalitions and enrolling the help of others, can have a significant influence on globalization.

Friday, January 17, 2020

How Is the Idea of Science Explored in the Short Story, “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment”

The timeless classic â€Å"Dr Heidegger’s Experimentâ€Å", written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, explores the idea of science, or even science fiction, in a number of different ways. He uses themes such as the supernatural, and the transformation of old to young, to further investigate the topic of science. Hawthorne also uses the characterisation of Dr Heidegger to also make evident the idea being explored throughout short story.Hawthorne also uses a number of language forms and features, such as imagery, diction and the dialogue, to enter into a deeper exploration of the topic ‘science’ Nathaniel Hawthorne cleverly uses the themes of the supernatural, and the transformation of old to young, to further investigate the idea of science, or science fiction. â€Å"Over the central bookcase was a bronze bust of Hippocrates, with which, according to some authorities, Dr. Heidegger was accustomed to hold consultations in all difficult cases of his practice. † This q uote was used to perhaps help bring the element of science fiction into this text.As Hippocrates was famous for separating religion and superstition from the realm of medicine, it persuades the audience to consider Dr Heidegger as a fan of his work. This automatically links Dr Heidegger to a scientific explorer, always trying to push the boundaries of what is acceptable. This quote is also linked to the supernatural side of the themes. The theme, the transformation of young to old, also helps explore the idea of science into the story. By using a scientific theory, even though it may be considered to be supernatural, is the idea of a fountain of youth.This automatically persuades the audience into relating the short story to one of the scientific genre. By creating this link between the text and science, the reader can now fully understand how the author intended the story to be read. The quote, â€Å" â€Å"That is certainly a very pretty deception,† said the doctor’ s friends; carelessly, however, for they had witnessed greater miracles at a conjurer's show; â€Å"pray how was it effected? † † , clearly shows that the doctors friends were sceptics of the miracle they had just seen. This was, perhaps, used to mimic the world around us, as people will always be sceptics of new scientific theories.This intelligently helps explore the idea of science. Hawthorne also uses the characterisation of Dr Heidegger to extend the text’s exploration into the idea of science. The doctor is portrayed as a cryptic fellow, but that is also part of his charm. At the beginning of the story, the author cleverly creates suspense for the reader, as we don’t yet know whether Dr Heidegger is a kind old doctor, or a seriously cynical scientist testing experiments on his friends. By doing this he helps keep the audience interested and wanting more.As the author uses the main character as a doctor, the reader automatically links the story to a s cientific novel, once again to help investigate the package of ‘science’. In conclusion, Nathaniel Hawthorne explores the idea of science in his short story, â€Å"Dr Heidegger’s Experiment†, in a number of ways. He cleverly uses the themes of the supernatural, and the transformation of old too young to further explore the topic at hand. Hawthorne also intelligently links the characterisation of Dr Heidegger, to a science background. In turn, this also explores the idea of science.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Disguise in Shakespeare

Characters often resort to disguise in Shakespeare plays. This is a plot device that the Bard uses over and over again ... but why? We take a look at the history of disguise and reveal why it was considered controversial and dangerous in Shakespeares time. Gender Disguise in Shakespeare One of the most common plot lines used in relation to disguise is when a woman such as Rosalind in As You Like It disguises herself as a man. This is looked at in more depth in Cross-Dressing in Shakespeare Plays. This plot device allows Shakespeare to explore gender roles as with Portia in The Merchant of Venice who, when dressed as a man, is able to solve the problem of Shylock and demonstrate that she is just as bright as the male characters. History of Disguise Disguise goes back to Greek and Roman theater and allows the playwright to demonstrate dramatic irony. Dramatic irony  is when the audience is party to knowledge that the characters in the play are not. Often, humor can be derived from this. For example, when Olivia in Twelfth Night is in love with Viola (who is dressed as her brother Sebastian), we know that she is in fact in love with a woman. This is amusing but it also allows the audience to feel pity for Olivia, who does not have all of the information. The English Sumptuary Laws In Elizabethan times, clothes indicated a persons’ identity and class. Queen Elizabeth had supported a law pronounced by her predecessor named ‘The English Sumptuary Laws’ where a person must dress according to their class but also should limit extravagance. People must protect the levels of society, but they must also dress so as not to flaunt their riches—they must not dress too sumptuously. Penalties could be enforced such as fines, the loss of property, and even execution. As a result, clothes were regarded as a manifestation of a persons’ position in life and therefore, dressing in a different way had a lot more power and significance and danger than it has today. Here are some examples from King Lear: Kent, a nobleman disguises himself as a lowly servant called Caius in order to stay close to the King to keep him safe and remain loyal despite being banished by him. This is a deception but he does it for honorable reasons.  The audience has sympathy for Kent as he debases himself in honor of the King.  Edgar, Gloucester’s son disguises himself as a beggar called Poor Tom after he is wrongly accused of plotting to kill his father. His character is altered as well as his appearance as he becomes intent on revenge.Goneril and Regan disguise their true intentions rather than wearing a physical disguise. They flatter their father in order to inherit his Kingdom and then betray him. Masque Balls   The use of Masques during festivals and carnivals was commonplace in Elizabethan society both among the aristocracy and the common classes. Originating from Italy, Masques appear regularly in Shakespeare’s plays. There is a masked ball in Romeo and Juliet, and in Midsummer Night’s Dream there is a masque dance to celebrate the wedding of the Duke to the Amazon Queen. There is a masque in Henry VIII, and The Tempest could be considered a masque the whole way through—Prospero is in authority but we come to understand the frailty and vulnerability of authority. Masque balls allowed people to behave differently to how they may do in everyday life. They could get away with more merriment and no one would be sure of their true identity. Disguise in the Audience Sometimes members of the Elizabethan audience would disguise themselves. Especially the women because even though Queen Elizabeth herself loved the theater, it was generally considered that a woman who wanted to see a play was of ill repute. She may even be considered to be a prostitute, so masks and other forms of disguise were used by the audience members themselves. Conclusion Disguise was a powerful tool in Elizabethan society—you could instantly change your position, if you were brave enough to take the risk. You could also change people’s perception of you. Shakespeare’s use of disguise could foster humour or a sense of impending doom, and as such, disguise  is an incredibly powerful narrative technique: Conceal me what I am, and be my aid for such disguise as haply shall become the form of my intent. (Twelfth Night, Act 1, Scene 2)

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

The Legalization Of The Cannabis Cure Essay - 1287 Words

The Cannabis Cure Cannabis is a huge economic development in America that has changed to reach people in need of its benefits. In the hands of smart business owners cultivation is apart of an extravagant life cycle of creation. Farmers are now harvesting marijuana yields in 9 U.S. states and pave they way for dispensary pop ups in the years ahead. Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, The District of Colombia, and Florida have fully legalized recreational and medical marijuana. A map of the U.S. shows us that border states typically have moved to end prohibition of (Tetrahydrocannabinol), after the progress of the west coast movement and recent culture popularity. Colorado opened dispensaries in 2014 to distribute to millions of consumers with new and exciting products on their shelves for many eager customers interested in legal cannabis. Many shops have opened up to grow their own flower products,(15%-30%)THC , and convert them into edible tr eats or concentrated oils (30%-99%)THC to raise the psychoactive potency for high end consumers. Growers generate strains of plants to fill shelves of their shop and push to other local shop owners, the abundance of plants creates less demand and lowers the local retail prices, when there isn t enough balance in the margin. There is heavy influence of marijuana on its community when under regulation of skilled business owners. 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