Qestions related to Public Sector Managemnt Assignment

Qestions related to Public Sector Managemnt - Assignment Example However, as the complexity of society grew, the state found itself in a situation in which it was increasingly required to engage in a litany of different social services. The evolution that Ian Chaston defines is one that is contingent upon a state that found itself increasingly involved in the lives of its citizens. However, rather than understanding this as a process that was not directed or focused, Chaston points the reader to the understanding that the ability to vote and the democratic process itself was one of the guiding mechanisms through which a degree of socialism came to be represented throughout society. Depending on the nation that is analyzed, the degree of socialism that exists within Western governments varies; however, it is broadly accepted that the state should have a direct level of impact with regards to the degree and extent of social services and representative safety net that exists for the unfortunate poor within the society. Coming to the realization that the entire society was predicated upon the strength of its middle class, the degree and extent to which government involvement could support this middle class and develop into a degree of further profitability was one of the main determinants that policymakers viewed with respect to redefining social integration throughout the years. 2.Per Bao et.al. "Beyond New Public Governance; A Value - Based Global Framework for Performance Management" What are the basic characteristics of "New Public Management" (NPM) and of "New Public Governance" (NPG) which has emerged in response to the limitations of NPM? Answered According to Bao et al. â€Å"Beyond New Public Governance: A Value-Based Global Framework for Performance Management†, and new Public management is a term that can most broadly be understood as denoting a range of government policies that work to

Africa’s growing concern Essay Example for Free

Africa’s growing concern Essay Whoever ignites the flames of hate has succeeded considerably. Hatred has become a way of life for many people around the world. People envy other people and create hatred to those of better lives. But no human being is prepared for what the African continent actually reveals. The persecution of unwanted individuals is prevalent in this part of the earth. Poverty hounds Africa no end. The life there is very hard and disturbing. The place is filled with chaos and turmoil. No stability is in sight. The entire world is currently alarmed over the high incidence of death within its population. Countries over the years have pledged support to the stagnant economy of the African nation. All means of contribution have been given to the poor continent. But in spite of the continued aid, there seems to be no hope of rising within the nation. Africa has shoved itself into a hole so deep that the possibility of becoming buried is never a remote idea in the future. Men, women and children agonize over their situations. Food and resources are hard to come by. Thousands die of starvation annually. But more than that, countless people become victims of unnecessary violence. World leaders and governments around the globe have, time and again, met and discuss the events in Africa numerous times. Like a disease, the social demise of its population has been a primary concern for many nationalities worldwide. People are dying every minute. The media has played a vital role in revealing the abuses and brutalities of people. All eyes are focused on this place where individuals have disregarded the value of human life. The carnage continues, and will continue unless a swift and effective solution will be unveiled. There is a sense of urgency for the world’s leading governments to address the destruction of human dignity in Africa. However, in spite of the launching of countless humanitarian missions to solve the nation’s woes, death and suffering lingers on. Billions have been spent on relief operations but the social problem remains undefeated. The casualty toll piles up. The killing spree goes unsuppressed. And the rest of the world watches dumbfounded. It only shows that governments and its people are not doing enough to find answers to the African problem. Although food and the lack of basic needs is the primary concern among the African people, it is violence that must be silenced. Several decades of gun running and smuggling within the continent have only brought death to many citizens. As long as the armaments keep on coming, peace will remain to be an elusive and distant dream. The social instability in the African nation is about power. Individuals and their clans grapple for control. Gaining that momentum to hold every move in the tumultuous society means having the arms and weapons to subject everyone to their every word. The world is stretching its influence into every corner of the continent. But sadly, the troubled nation drives off the chance and rare opportunity to rebuild its communities. It is ironic that a very poor place can summon the strength to annihilate all intervening parties out of their motherland. Events are bleak. The panic button has been set. But with all the dangers and the deaths, Africans have little regard for the needs of their nation. Women and children go elsewhere to find peace. War escalates and the streets are stained with blood. If the world is keen on finding the answers to the growing social menace in Africa, analysts should dig deeper to gain a full and total understanding of the situation among its people. The United Nations must be aware to the motives and intentions of the African people. All along, the entire globe has only addressed the needs of the poor continent. The real reason for the chaos remains undetermined, and therefore, unsolved. Turmoil will continue to rob the African nation of its dream of peace and stability. With a disorganized crowd and a selfish government, senseless killings and looting will be around for a long time.

Effects of Foreign Direct Investment on Jordan

Effects of Foreign Direct Investment on Jordan Chapter 1: Introduction Problem background Foreign direct investment has become the major economic driver of globalisation, accounting for over half of all cross-border investments. for example, approximately $1 trillion in greenfield investment was announced by companies in 2007, creating about 3 million jobs in their overseas subsidiaries. Companies are rapidly globalising through FDI to serve new markets and customers, map out their value chains in the most efficient locations globally, and to access technological and natural resources. A government of another country may also decide to invest in other countries through the direct provision of grants to developing countries. Foreign direct investment is often used by multinational companies as a means of extending their manufacturing to countries abroad. Foreign direct investment by multinational firms is said to have grown tremendously over the last two decades even above trade flows. (Markusen and Venables, 1999). International economic activity increasingly involves foreign production and intra-firm trade by multinational firms and it is now estimated that approximately 30% of world trade is intra-firm. (Markusen and Venables, 1999). Despite the growth in FDI, Markusen and Venables (1999) suggest that we have a poor understanding of the ways in which direct investment is just a simple substitute for trade, as well as the ways in which it is something quite different. Countries often offer incentives to foreign investors in a bid to lure them to invest in domestic firms. These incentives come in the form of trade policy concessions, financial assistance and tax breaks. (Girma, 2001). For example, Girma (2001) notes that the British government provided the equivalent of $30,000 per employee to attract Samsung to North East England and $50,000 per employee to attract Siemens to Newcastle. (UNCTAD, 1996). This incentive packages are justified on the grounds that productivity gains would be accrue to domestic producers from knowledge externalities generated by foreign affiliates. (Smarzynska, 2002). Furthermore, Girma (2001) suggests that these incentive schemes have been justified on the grounds that the facilitate the creation of jobs, as well as regional development. It is often believed that there is a productivity gap between foreign owned firms and domestic firms and the attraction of foreign direct investment can help bridge this gap due to the potential for spillovers. Girma and Wakelin (2000) suggests that spillovers would have regional dimension for a number of reasons. Spillovers can result from the direct contacts with local suppliers and distributors. This may arise from upward and downward linkages which may be local in nature thus minimising transport costs and facilitating communication between the supplier/distributor and the Multinational firm. (Girma and Wakelin, 2000). In addition, multinationals provide training to employees which increases the turnover of labour thus creating another avenue for spillovers. (Haacker, 1999) cited by Girma and Wakelin (2000). (Girma, 2001). However, Smarzynska (2002) suggests that there is little conclusive evidence indicating that domestic firms benefit from foreign presence in their sector. It has also been suggested that multinational firms have an incentive to prevent information leakage that would improve the performance of their local competitors in the same industry but at the same time may want to transfer knowledge to local suppliers in other suppliers. Smarzynska (2002). As a result, spillover effects from foreign direct investment are more likely than not to take place through backward linkages, that is, through contacts between domestic suppliers of intermediate inputs and their multinational clients. Smarzynska (2002). One would reasonably expect foreign direct investment to have an impact on the economic growth of a country. Foreign direct investment is said to provide a number of benefits to the receiving country through technological transfers, knowledge transfers etc. for example, for example, Borensztein et al. (1998) employ a model of technology diffusion to show that the rate of economic growth of a backward country depends on the extent of adoption and implementation of new technologies that are already in use in leading countries. Carves (1974) had earlier suggested that foreign direct investment influenced host country conditions through two main channels. Firstly, foreign direct investment should result in technological transfers to host country firms. This should be so because multinational companies provide subsidiaries with an efficiency advantage which should indirectly generate spillover effects to other domestic firms irrespective of whether they are subsidiaries of the multinational company or not. Secondly, multinational presence could also have negative effects on domestic firms as this would result into an increased level of competition in the host country. As far back as the 1970s, many host country governments and some economists viewed multinational investment as detrimental to host economies’ welfare and development, creating monopoly situations that exported those economies and stifled local competition. (Markusen and Venebles, 1999). The view in the 1990s was however considerably different and more optimistic, suggesting that multinationals have important complementaries with local industry and may stimulate development in host economies. (Markusen and Venables, 1999). In the absence of any microeconomic imperfections, a small foreign direct investment (FDI) project will have no effect on host economy welfare, so if a case is to be made for gains and losses, it must rest on the possibility that FDI creates or interacts with distortions in the host economy. (Markusen and Venables, 1999). 1.2. Motivation of the study Jordan remains a major region of inward foreign direct investment. Studying the impact of foreign direct investment on Jordan’s economic growth can be justified for a number of reasons. FDI theory suggests that multinational firms have firm specific assets which imply that the may also have higher productivity than domestic firms as a result of the superior technological knowledge, access to international networks and management structure. (Girma, 2001). A company with high foreign direct investment is therefore expected to be capable of benefiting from a substantial increase in net exports which is a major determinant of economic growth. According to Girma (2001) the fact that multinational companies have higher levels of productivity growth indicates that the host country should enjoy two main benefits: (1) the host country should benefit from new production facilities or benefit from the rescue of failing firms in the case of acquisition, potentially raising output, employm ent and exports; (2) foreign firms should be unable to internalise their advantages fully which should enable domestic firms to benefit from spillovers. (Girma, 2001). The combined effects of these benefits should therefore result in high levels of economic growth. It is therefore essential to test these propositions using data on Jordan. Foreign direct investment has been carried out in many other countries mostly in the Western countries such as the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, China, etc. The literature seems to be lacking in terms of Jordan. With increasing growth in multinational activity and increase concern as to whether FDI contributes to the general welfare of an economy, it is the interest of this paper to understand whether FDI contributes to the economic growth of a country, making reference to Jordan as a case study. Most of the studies on foreign direct investment have focused on the spillover effects of FDI activity to domestic companies. In addition, most of the studies have been carried out using microeconomic analysis. This paper considers the problem from a macroeconomic perspective by studying the direct relationship between FDI activity and economic growth on Jordan. 1.3. Objectives of the Study. The objective of this study is to model the effects of foreign direct investment on Jordan by using aggregate macroeconomic data over the period 1976 to 2006. To isolate the effects of other macroeconomic variables on economic growth and to improve the overall significance of the model, the neoclassical growth model will be employed. 1.4 Significance of the Study. The study will serve as a yard stick for policy makers when designing macroeconomic policy in relation to incentives related to the attraction of foreign direct investment in Jordan, openness of the economy, designing monetary and fiscal policy in Jordan. The research will also serve as a guide for further research to students and researchers interested in studying the impact of foreign direct investment on the economic growth of Jordan. 1.5. Limitations of the Study. Chapter 2. Literature Review 2.1 Definition of Foreign Direct Investment. Foreign direct investment is defined as the process whereby a company in one country makes a physical investment to build a factory in another country. These include investments made to acquire lasting interest in enterprises operating outside the economy of the investing company. Foreign direct investment is often promoted by multinational companies when they decide to expand their manufacturing or businesses abroad. Foreign direct investment is also considered to be a diversification strategy pursued mostly by multinational companies which involves the purchased of assets, usually associated with manufacturing or distribution facilities, in another country. FDI is often regarded as the second stage of overseas involvement after agency or licensing agreements have been used to establish a market. Investors in such companies find it more appropriate to reinvest the earnings generated from foreign activities due to the difficulties entailed in the repatriation of profits, as well as t he differences in tax systems that may make it more efficient to retain earnings and reinvest overseas, than to bring them home. 2.2 Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment According to Lim (2008) citing Dunning (1996, p. 56) there are four types of motives behind the FDI activities of multinational firms. These include resource seeking, market seeking, efficiency seeking, and strategy asset capacity seeking. (Lim, 2008: p. 40). These are referred to by the UNCTAD as economic determinants. (Lim, 2008). A host country’s policy framework and business facilitation also plays an important role in determining MNCs’ FDI activities. These include the size of the domestic market, institutional and political environment of the host country, the number of distribution channels, the level of financial development, the taxation policy of the host country etc. According to James (2008) the level of financial development may affect the level of foreign direct investment. Accordingly, financial development acts as a mechanism in facilitating the adoption of new technologies in the domestic economy. (James, 2008). It has also been suggested that the build ing of distribution channels in the host country may also affect the level of foreign direct investment. (Stoian and Filipaios, 2008). This indicates that the more distribution channels a firm can build and the more easy it is to build these channels in the host country, the higher would be the likelihood that the multinational company will make an investment in the host country. Another important factor is the political environment of the host country. It has been suggested in the literature that there is a relationship between broad indices of socio-political instability and institutional quality, political freedom and democracy and FDI. (Kolstad and Vollanger, 2008). The political environment of the host country is therefore an important determinant of FDI. Conventional wisdom detects that high levels of political and social stability, high political freedom, high institutional quality, and high levels of democracy will facilitate the levels of FDI. On the contrary, a country tha t performs poorly on the latter indices of political and institutional factors runs the risk of attracting little or no FDI. The size of the domestic market also influences foreign direct investment. (James, 2008). The larger the size of the domestic market, the higher will be the level of FDI as multinational firms scramble to reap the benefits of economies of scale (economies of scale represent the advantages a firm enjoys because of the fact that it is operating on a large scale. Taxation policies both in the home and host countries may also affect the level of FDI. For example, Hartman (1981) suggests that since the repatriation of earnings to the home country investor and not earnings themselves form the source of the tax liability, the foreign source income should affect investment differently depending on the required transfers of funds within the firm. Consequently, in order to maximise after tax profits, a firm should finance its foreign investment out of foreign earnings t o the greatest extent possible. This further indicates that the required return on investment abroad increases at the point at which foreign investment just exhausts foreign earnings. (Hartman, 1981). Foreign direct investment is also determined by corporate governance. For example, Lien et al. (2005) provide evidence that the presence of a large number of supervisors is associated with FDI outside China, which is consistent with resource strategy views on corporate boards. They also find that family control and share ownership of domestic firms are associated with FDI strategy. There is also an observation of a negative relationship between foreign share ownership in Taiwanese foreign firms and FDI decisions. (Lien et al., 2005). Wu and Radbone (2005) observe from Shangai data that different local factors determine the location of different patterns of FDI. For example, Wu and Radbone (2005) suggests that the development characteristic of urban districts is an important determinant of the location of service and manufacturing FDI. They provide evidence suggesting that service FDI tends to aggregate in the areas that already have a high density of service activities whereas manufacturing FDI prefers to locate in central government-designated areas where incentives and preferential treatment are present. (Wu and Radbone, 2005). 2.3. Foreign Direct Investment Around the world A number of studies have been carried out on FDI in different countries across the globe. These include, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, France, Developing countries, emerging markets such as China, India and Brazil. 2.3.1 FDI in the UK. It has been suggested that the United Kingdom is the most successful national location for new foreign manufacturing investment entering the European Union. (Hill and Munday, 1994) cited by Driffield and Munday (1998). For example, the United Kingdom attracted net inward foreign direct investment of approximately  £27.2billion between 1987 and 1993 and estimates show that foreign manufacturing firms in the UK employ more that 78,000 people, and account for more that one quarter of UK manufacturing net output sales. (Driffield and Munday, 1998). Major contributors to foreign direct investment in the UK include companies from the United States, Germany, France and Japan and the major vehicle for this inward foreign direct investment is the acquisition of domestic UK companies. (Child et al., 2000). Girma (2001) investigating the presence of productivity or wage gap between foreign and domestic firms in the UK, as well as whether the presence of foreign firms in a sector raises the productivity of domestic firms provide evidence that foreign firms achieve greater productivity that domestic firms and pay higher wages. There is no evidence of intra-industry spillovers. (Girma, 2001). The findings from this study are inconsistent with an earlier study by Girma and Wakelin (2000) which suggests that domestic firms gain from the presence of multinational firms in the same sector and region, but loose out if the firms are located in a different region but the same sector. In addition Girma and Wakelin (2000) suggest that spillover e ffects are also influenced by the characteristics of the region. For example, less developed regions are found to gain less from spillovers than other regions, sectors with high levels of competition gain more, and sectors with low technological gap between foreign and domestic firms benefit from higher spillovers. (Girma and Wakelin, 2000). Table 1 below shows the trend of direct investment into the UK between 1986-95. Table 2.1.: Trend of direct investment into the UK 1986-1995 Source: Child et al. (2000). It can be observed that the USA remains the major contributor of FDI to the UK as observed from its increasing trend of FDI to the UK over the period 1986 to 1995. One can also observe that Japan has also been a major contributor but the FDI from Japan to the UK in the years to March 1993/95 witnessed a significant drop from  £1,085.00million in the years to March 1990/93 to  £109.1million. Germany has also been a major contributor with an increasing trend of FDI to the UK. France has been contributing the least among the four countries but the trend increased from  £59.2million in the years to March 1992/93 to  £1,188.2million in the years to March 1994/95. One can also observe that these four countries accounted for the highest proportion of FDI to the UK over the proportion ranging from approximately 73.0% ro 81%. Their share of FDI however witnessed a declining trend between the period 1986/7 and 1992/3. Their share of FDI to the UK again rose from 70.8% in 1992/3 to 80.9 % in 1994/5. Driffield and Munday (1998) observed whether the extent to which foreign direct investment in selected UK manufacturers has an impact on the report profit of domestic firms. The evidence suggests that in addition to having an impact on domestic market share, entry by foreign firms also has an impact on the domestic cost conditions which leads to a high probability that the profits of the domestic firms may be reduced. 2.3.2 Foreign Direct Investment in the USA. 2.3.3 Foreign Direct Investment in Asia 2.3.4 South America 2.2.5 FDI in the Euro Area. 2.4 Foreign Direct Investment in Jordan. Jordan falls among the countries classified by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) as â€Å"front-runners†. These include countries with high FDI potential and performance. (UNCTAD, 2008). Apart from Jordan, other countries classified as front-runners include Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Belgium, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Belgium, etc. (UNCTAD, 2008). For example, Jordan ranked number 7 in the 2004-2006 FDI performance index of the UNCTAD. This marked an improvement based on the 2003-2005 FDI performance index which ranked Jordan 19th. (UNCTAD, 2008). 2.5 Literature Review There has been a lot of studies ob how foreign direct investment affects the economic growth of a country. However, most of the studies have focused their attention of firm level data using a small sample of firms to test their hypothesis and later on generalise results to the country as a whole. In addition, most of these studies have focused on how foreign direct investment increase productivity growth with particular emphasis on the marginal physical products of factor inputs such as labour and capital. A number of studies have been carried out on foreign direct investment ranging from the determinants o foreign direct investment, impact of foreign direct investment on economic growth, foreign exchange rates and foreign direct investment, taxation and foreign direct investment, spill over effects of foreign direct investment, etc. In this section of the paper a number of these studies will be reviewed so as to see where there are still gaps in the literature. As concerns the deter minants of FDI, Kolstad and Villianger (2008) employs firm level FDI data from 57 countries over the period 1989 to 2000, to examine the host country determinants of FDI flows in services as a whole, and in the major service industries. Their results suggest that institutional quality and democracy are more important for FDI in services than general investment risk or political stability. Specifically Kolstad and Villanger (2008) observe that democracy affects FDI to developing countries only, indicating that the absence of democracy is detrimental to investment below a certain treshhold. Consistent with the observation that many services are non-tradable, Kolstad and Villager observe that service FDI is market-seeking, and unaffected by trade openness. Stoain and Filipaios (2008) suggest that Greek firms invest primarily in similar countries with small market size, and open economies. High bureaucratic quality and rule of law are also found to be essential determinants of the FDI d ecisions of Greek firms while the existence of high corruption serves as a deterrent to FDI. (Stoain and Filipaios, 2008). James (2008) using data As concerns taxation, Hartman (1981) suggests that since the repatriation of earnings to the home country investor and not earnings themselves form the source of the tax liability, the foreign source income should affect investment differently depending on the required transfers of funds within the firm. Consequently, in order to maximise after tax profits, a firm should finance its foreign investment out of foreign earnings to the greatest extent possible. This further indicates that the required return on investment abroad increases at the point at which foreign investment just exhausts foreign earnings. Chapter 3. Research Methodology and Data. In this chapter, the methodology, as well as the data used to achieve the research aims and objectives would be discussed. Methodology is very important as it may affect the results of the study. It is therefore appropriate to discuss the methods properly since it will serve as a plan that would be referred to when completing each step in the latter part of the study. Data is very important especially the source from which it is obtained as some data sources tend to be unreliable while others are reliable. Relevant data must also be used in the study so as to ensure that the results are not biased. 3.1 Methodology The research method appropriate for this study is a quantitative research approach. Unlike most of the studies on FDI that have often used firm level data, this firm is going to use aggregate macroeconomic data to achieve its objective. The study aims at analysing how economic growth in Jordan is affected by inward foreign direct investment into the country. The appropriate way to achieve this is to establish a relationship between economic growth and inward foreign direct investment and then determine whether this relationship positive or negative and whether the relationship is significant. The significance will be done by carrying out t-tests on the coefficients that will be obtained by running the regressions. To achieve this, a regression model would be used to model the relationship between FDI and economic growth. To isolate the effects of other variables, and to improve the significance of the model, it is necessary to include other variables in the model. According to the neoclassical growth model, economic growth depends on a number of factors. These include domestic investments, population growth, which can be proxied by the labour force, foreign direct investment, development of the banking system, openness of the economy and education proxied by the expenditure on education and technology proxied by capital formation. Based on the above discussion, we can write the following growth model for Jordan. If we assume that economic growth is determined solely by FDI we can write the following growth model. (1) Where measures the annual growth in GDP per capita in percentage terms, represents a measure of the growth in per capita GDP not accounted for by fluctuations in the net inflow of FDI, is a parameter that measures the sensitivity of per capita GDP to changes in the net inflow of FDI, is the change in the net inflow of foreign direct investment to Jordan in year t, the subscripts t and j represent Jordan and time respectively, is a serially uncorrelated error term, which is assumed to have an expected value of zero. It measures the growth in per capita GDP that is neither accounted for by changes in FDI nor. The overall significance of the above model would be tested by calculating the R-square and testing its significance. The R-square is given by: (2) where RSS and TSS represent the regression sum of squares and total sum of squares respectively. If the R-square is below 50% this would indicate that changes in FDI to Jordan do not properly capture changes in per capita GDP indicating that model 1 is not a good model for the data. In that case we would have to include other macroeconomic variables into the model to improve on its overall significance. These variables include among others: interest rates, openness of the economy, domestic investments, population growth, education, technological development, etc. Taking this into consideration we can now write the following model: (3) where and remain as earlier defined, , , , , measure the sensitivity of movements in the per capita GDP growth to changes in banking sector development, government expenditure on goods and services, trade and net exports. The banking sector development is measured by using the domestic credit provided by the banking sector as a percentage of GDP. , , , and represent the change in FDI as a percentage of GDP for Jordan in year t, change in the banking sector development as a percentage of GDP for Jordan in year t, change in government expenditure as a percentage of GDP for Jordan in year t, change in trade as a percentage of GDP for Jordan in year t and change in net exports as a percentage of GDP for Jordan in year t, respectively. represents a serially uncorrelated random error term with zero expected value. Model 3 will also be estimated using ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and the significance of the coefficients will be tested using t-tests. The relationship between per capita GDP and economic FDI will also be explored. 3.1 Description of Data The data used in this study is obtained from the Economic and Social Development Service (ESDS) database, which reports world bank data on various economic growth indicators include GDP growth, per capita GDP growth, growth in exports, interest rates, consumer price index, inflation, expenditure on primary, secondary tertiary education, imports, exports, inward foreign direct investment, outward foreign direct investment, etc. Data on domestic credit provided by the banking sector as a percentage of GDP, exports of goods and services as a percentage of GDP, etc. The data is analysed using trend analysis and regression analysis. Trend analysis enables us to observe how the variables of interest have moved over the period under study. The period chosen for the study is 1976 to 2006. This spans over 30 years and enables us to observe how changes have taken place over the years. Trend analysis is however limited in that it cannot tell us which variables depend on which. We therefore turn to regression analysis, which enables us to study the relationship between variables and test for the significance of this relationship. We will therefore use regression analysis to determine how economic growth in Jordan is dependent on a number of growth determinants or indicators including banking sector development, foreign direct investment, population growth, government expenditure, gross capital formation, inflation, etc. Chapter 4. Data Presentation and Analysis 4.1 Trend Analysis. Figure 1: Jordan FDI net Inflows (% of GDP) and GDP per Capita Growth (Annual %) 1976-2006. The figure above shows the Jordan’s FDI net inflows as a percentage of GDP over the period 1976 to 2006. Figure also shows the annual percentage GDP per Capita growth over the period 1976-2006. One can observe a constant trend in the GDP FDI net inflows as a percentage of GDP over the 20 year period 1976 to 1996. As from 1996, the FDI net inflows as a percentage of GDP took an upward turn and has been on the rise since then with very slight fluctuations. The FDI rose from a low of approximately 2.0% in 2004 to approximately 20% in 2006. This indicates that Jordan has witnessed significant growth in the net inflow of FDI over the last 10 years. The annual GDP per Capi

Grunge Culture Essay -- Cultural Skater Grungy Essays

Grunge Culture Skaters. They are the typical representation of the grunge culture of the ‘90s. Extremely wide pants, pockets that go to the back of their knees, extravagant piercings, intricate tattoos, and twenty-fourth century hair dos are just part of the looks that these so called â€Å"grungy people† are made of. Or at least they were when the grunge phenomenon started. With the death of Kurt Cobain, lead singer of Nirvana, the grunge movement seems to have slowed down and even—as some say—disappeared from the main stream pop culture. As we all know, those commercial creations often come and go without us even noticing them. But grunge, I think, has moved to a different direction, one that can trick us into thinking it is gone. Grunge is still among our youngsters, and that is for sure; it is just not as noticeable as is used to be. But, what is exactly grunge and what direction is it taking? First, let us define what grunge is and where it comes from. Grunge as defined by web encyclopedia alt.culture is the cumulative influences of punk and ‘70s heavy metal (plus rain, coffee, cheap, potent beer, and occasionally heroin), a cohort of Seattle bands developed a soulful hard rock variant that was instrumental to alternative music’s early-‘90s move underground (altculture. com). Among the bands included in the definition Nirvana would be mainly the one that made this phenomenon popular. Released in 1991, Nevermind—a record by an obscure band working in a genre considered as hopelessly uncommercial—launched the grunge phenomenon and marked an era of unprecedented exposure for alternative acts. Then other bands like Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, Candlebox followed the trail that Nirvana started in the grunge w... ...congregations of grunge believers. This is where the most amateur alternative bands debut and discover their little local fame. Obviously, most of them don’t make it to the top. Our society is still very commercially oriented and the grunge phenomenon is not as large as to promote all but very few bands to be the representatives of the movement. So, go ahead; open your eyes and discover that grunge is not gone as it seems, it is still among us. Even though it may be wearing new costumes or listening to a different style of music, it is still the same. It is that counter-current movement that kids of new generations want to embrace as their liberty flag. It is that non-conformist dilemma, the spark that lights the fire of those who believe that mainstream society is not the only one. Grunge is still around, maybe not as popular as before, but stronger than ever.

Adidas Promotional Campaign

The purpose of this case assignment is to evaluate Adidas’ new promotional campaign and identify the key factors affecting its success. Promotion serves as one of the fundamental tenets in marketing mix. Promotion is the communication of information by a seller to influence the attitudes and behaviors of potential buyers. 1 (Christ). Advertising, sales promotion, and public relations comprises promotion which are used to target specific buyers. These three aspects of promotion work together to attract and retain potential and existing buyers and also highlights the foundation of Adidas’ promotional campaign for the Beijing Olympics. Sportswear manufacturer Adidas’ recent merger with Reebok represents increased clout the firm can use exert on Nike in upcoming promotions for the Olympics. Nike which currently holds the majority of athletic footwear market has done an excellent job promoting its products to focus on target markets. Both manufacturers target the same markets which include the Basketball, Soccer, and Football athletes, as well as, Hip Hop culture. 4 Promoting sales of sportswear through the use of professional athletes has been a venture both Adidas and Nike have done very well. However, Adidas took a big hit when Nike was capable of capitalizing on the â€Å"Hip Hop Nation†, or subculture closely intertwined with performance sportswear. Rapper artist, Nelly, wrote a song about Nike shoes in 2005, underscoring Nike’s image change from solely performance sportswear to including fashionable and â€Å"cool†. Adidas returned with signing performing artists Jay-Z, Missy Elliott, and 50-Cent to their sportswear lines. Promotional campaigns by both Adidas and Nike reflect consumer focus when purchasing athletic apparel is not solely tied to performance, and suggests that some consumers view athletic apparel as a reflection of personality and a fashion statement. A perspective from Gonzalo Basilico, a 12 yr old student, supports this notion, â€Å"I like Adidas, but I still prefer Nike for the fashion, colours, combinations [. . ] It's all Nike at school. Everyone talks about Nike, no one talks about the others. † 5 Adidas’ merger will allow them to compete on multiple fronts, and also eliminates the no. 3 contender, Reebok, from the competition. The combination of the two will allow Adidas to focus on both performance and fashion sportswear. Adidas styled high heel shoes pictured on their website, indicate a shift Adidas’ intention of attempting to claim both the perform ance and fashion athletic apparel markets. Moreover, Adidas will be able to promote their brands â€Å"Adidas† and â€Å"Reebok† by targeting specific athletic groups like Soccer and Football; respectively, that hold one or the other in high regards. 7 Both Adidas and Nike have robust advertising campaigns. Webpage, television, and magazine advertisements all suggest that the products are not merely performance sportswear, they’re fashion statements. Adidas’ iconic â€Å"3 stripes† and Nike’s â€Å"swoosh† are plastered all of over their advertisements and products. The icons which at first were a company logo, represent a designer label that consumers want. Adidas’ division of efforts between the Adidas and Reebok lines will serve them well in the future. Reebok will be focused on middle priced shoes, while Adidas will focus on high end sport performance and fashion. Division of efforts between the two will pose a formidable advantage against, Nike, the current no. 1 contender in the sport performance apparel market. References 1. Christ, P. (2008). Principles of Marketing. Retrieved 20 JUL 08 from http://www. knowthis. om/tutorials/principles-of-marketing/promotion-decisions/1. htm 2. Unknown (2008). The Promotional Mix. Retreived 20 JUL 08 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Promotional_mix#cite_note-0 3. Kiley, D. (2005). Reebok and Adidas. Retrieved 20 JUL 08 from http://www. businessweek. com/bwdaily/dnflash/aug2005/nf2005084_8340. htm 4. Ibid. 5. Richardson, B. (2005). Adidas Bid Raises Image Concerns. Retrieved 20 JUL 08 from http ://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/business/4741343. stm 6. Adidas (2008). Adidas Homepage. Retrieved 20 JUL 08 from http://www. adidas. com 7. Kiley, D. (2005).

PhD Thesis Writing Guidelines

PhD Thesis Writing Guidelines PhD Thesis Writing Guidelines It is a well known fact how seriously a PhD thesis writing is considered at many universities. Showing an impeccable result is the main thing that is expected from you. Of course, it demands a lot of time and effort, but the result is worth it. However, there are several pitfalls you should avoid, and our task now is to have a look at the process of writing a thesis and ways to make it faster and easier. The main problem you may face is the constant feeling of anxiety. Writing a thesis is probably the most serious research work you have done in your life. Anyway, careful planning and following certain steps can make the process of writing your thesis easier. First of all, you have to plan your time carefully. The whole process can be divided into several parts, so you have to spend enough time on all of them. Start with choosing a topic. Chances are you may be interested in some spheres of your field of study more than in the others. Your topic should also be somehow unique and at the same time relevant. The next step is gathering all the necessary information required for your work. Use trusted sources, but keep in mind that you may find thoughts that are rather controversial or even wrong there. So, you have to analyze everything you read. Very often thinking is a more important process than reading. You have all the information you need, but you have to think of a way to combine it all together to get a paper. Be ready that ideas can come to your head unexpectedly. So, take notes, brainstorm your ideas, even if they look strange at the first sight, you may come up with something useful and original. Be creative, but at the same time stick to the rules of academic writing. Once you finish your paper, you should look through it to proofread and edit your paper if needed. Even self-confident people need someone to check if they are doing everything right, especially when we talk about a PhD thesis. You may need some help at the stage of writing your draft because of the lack of ideas, or you would rather ask someone to proofread your paper or help with editing. Sometimes formatting your paper, choosing the right font, or making a reference page can be also a challenging task. There is no need to worry since our academic writing service can help you with all of that. Just place an order to let us know what kind of help you need, and one of our experienced writers will assist you in writing your PhD thesis.

List of Halogens (Element Groups)

List of Halogens (Element Groups) The halogen elements are located in group VIIA of the periodic table, which is the second-to-last column of the chart. This is a list of elements that belong to the halogen group and the properties that they share in common: Types of Halogens Depending on who you ask, there are either 5 or 6 halogens. Fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, and astatine definitely are halogens. Element 117, which has the placeholder name of ununseptium, might have some properties in common with the other elements. Even though it is in the same column or group of the periodic table with the other halogens, most scientists believe element 117 will behave more like a metalloid. So little of it has been produced, its a matter of prediction, not empirical data. FluorineChlorineBromineIodineAstatineTennessine (might behave as a halogen, at least in some respects) Halogen Properties These elements share some common properties that distinguish them from other elements on the periodic table. They are highly reactive nonmetals.Atoms of belonging to the halogen group have 7 electrons in their outermost (valence) shell. These atoms need one more electron in order to have a stable octet.Halogens are highly electronegative, with high electron affinities.The melting and boiling points of the halogens increase as you increase atomic number (as you move down the periodic table).The elements change their state of matter at room temperature and pressure as you increase atomic number. Fluorine and chlorine are gases. Bromine is a liquid element. Iodine is a solid. Scientists predict tennessine will be a solid at room temperature.

The 15 Most Popular Jobs in the US And How Much They Pay

The 15 Most Popular Jobs in the US And How Much They Pay ever wonder what the career landscape of the country looks like? here are the most popular jobs in the us, according to a survey citing employment data from over 1 million businesses as of may 2015–and their average annual salaries. 1. office supervisorthis title covers  first-line supervision of office and admin employees. nearly 1.5 million people have this job in the u.s, and the average pay is $56k per year.2. bookkeeping, accounting, auditingclerks in this field, numbering over 1.5 million, make an average of just under $39k per year.3. truck driverdriving heavy or tractor-trailer trucks is more popular than you might expect, with nearly 1.7 million truckers out there, making an average of $42.5k per year.4. order filler/stock clerknearly 2 million people pay their bills this way. the average pay for this position is $26k per year.5. gm or operations managerjust over 2 million people do this for a living and take home an average of almost $120k per year.6. janitor or in dustrial cleanerprofessional cleaners who don’t work in domestic situations (over 2 million!) make an average of $26k per year.7. secretary or administrative assistantnot including legal, medical, or executive assistants, there are nearly $2.3 million americans doing this, making an average of $35k per year.8. laborer/freight, stock, or material movernearly 2.5 million people in the u.s. are doing this heavy labor and taking home an average of just under $28k per year.9. waitstaff2.5 million people serve in restaurants in our country. the average annual pay is about $23k.10. customer service repthis country employs nearly 2.6 million customer service reps, making an average of $34.5k per year.11. registered nursethere are more than 2.7 million registered nurses in the u.s. making an average salary of $71k per year.12. office clerkover 2.9 million people work as office clerks, making just under $32k per year on average.13. food prep and service workersincluding fast food jobs, we’re talking over 3.2 million workers, making less than $20k per year.14. cashierwith an average annual salary of just under $21k per year, there are almost 3.5 million cashiers out there.15. retail salespersonretail sales is by far the most popular job in the u.s. these days, with over 4.6 million workers. the average annual pay is just over $26k.

Interview Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 9

Interview - Assignment Example 363). The main domains covered in the interview included; From the response got from the respondent after the interview process, it came out that the respondent had a strong love for the brand of the product. It is therefore, an assumption that the brand had taste of feeling coupled with demand in the market structure following the respondents answer. The brand according to the respondent was nutritious since it contains fruits with it. According to the respondent, the proteins in milk in general are of advantageous to him since they help in body and development (Beckley et al, 365). Milk is also nutritious from the study. Milk, therefore is good for health since it makes an individual to remains grower healthy and also sober all the time. Through being sober most of the time, an individual is active throughout. He or she from the study, will be able to carry on with his or normal duties consciously. It is evident that customers may be influenced by the price value of the commodity (Beckley et al, 363). The respondent maintains that he won’t leave the qq skimmed milk brand of milk since it is relatively cheap as compared to other brands in the market. Other factors that made the respondent to n stick with the brand include the composition of the brand. All these items made the respondent to prefer the brand to other since it was good for his health. Qq skimmed milk is that type of wine that costs less in the market. It only costs Qatar’s Qr 85 per liter (See Appendix 2 on the Milk Brands’’ Price list). Since, it is cheap in the market; it was preferred by the respondent mostly as his drink. A manager therefore from this perspective may reduce the consumption that price of the commodity since it is its greatest determinant in the market. Tastes and composition also influences the demand of a commodity in the market (Beckley et al, 368). The respondent maintained that he won’t change

MULTICS Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MULTICS - Assignment Example Multics wasn’t very loved in its time, but due to all the new and valuable ideas, it had a big impact on the future operating systems. Multics was marketed as an information service for thousands of academics and administrative users. At one point about 85 sites were ran by Multics (â€Å"Multics," n.d.). Multics Influences on the Future One of Multics remarkable features was that the OS was written in a high-level language (PL/I). The idea was also that it was supposed to be an open-source system, which meant "for any purpose and without fee" (â€Å"Multics: General Info,† n.d.). Other features were the dynamic linking, management of shared memory, its multiple language support (like BASIC, COBOL and Pascal) and the fact that the security-level was very high (â€Å"Multics: General Info,† n.d.). Several basic ideas from Multics are found in all modern OS, like Windows, Unix or Mac. One of those ideas is the hierarchical file system: directories can contain file s as well as (sub)directories. Multics was also a very big influence on the development of Unix, none the less due to the fact that the two ‘inventors’ of Unix, used to work on Multics until Bell Labs dropped out of the project. Several ideas of Multics were further developed for Unix.

Relegation System in Major League Soccer Term Paper

Relegation System in Major League Soccer - Term Paper Example Major League Soccer or what is popularly known as MLS is the official soccer league of United States of America. The tournament is endorsed by United States Soccer Federation and Don Garber is its present commissioner. Major League Soccer (MLS) was started in the year of 1993; however, the first session of competition was staged in the year 1996 with just10 teams. The teams were owned by the franchisees and are operated and functioned by its stakeholders. The present format of MLS has 19 teams who play with each other on a home-away basis. Among the 19 teams, 16 are from the US and the other 3 teams are from Canada. Some of the noticeable teams of the tournament include LA Galaxy, Montreal Impact, Toronto FC Dallas and Real Salt Lake among many others. The first season of the tournament witnessed record attendance however it felt below the expected level from the next season onwards. People started to lose interest in soccer as other sports such as baseball, basketball took the elite positions. The condition revived when players such as David Beckham, Cuauhtemoc Blanco joined the league as players of respective teams. The primary rationale behind the commencement of MLS was to strengthen the national football team of US. The quality of the league was in doubt when the USA was eliminated from the opening stages in the 1998 soccer world cup. Apart from that, 1994 Soccer world cup that was staged in the US was also another reason. The professional league helped the country to bid for the tournament.  ... The first season of the tournament witnessed record attendance however it felt below the expected level from the next season onwards. People started to lose interest on soccer as other sports such as baseball, basketball took the elite positions. The condition revived when players such as David Beckham, Cuauhtemoc Blanco joined the league as players of respective teams (Dure, 2010, p.xvi). The primary rational behind the commencement of MLS was to strengthen the national football team of US. Nonetheless the quality of the league was on doubt, when USA was eliminated from the opening stages in the 1998 soccer world cup. Apart from that, 1994 Soccer world cup that was staged in US was also another reason. The professional league helped the country to bid for the tournament. Formulation of Mission and Vision statements Mission and vision statements are important for running a venture. Also in case of MLS mission and vision statements, holds an important position. MLS was started in the year 1993 for the purpose of establishing a particular objective. Moreover in order to achieve the objective one needs to have clear vision of the future. While on the other hand a mission statement is being used to describe the purposes or aims of the new association. Hence it can be justified that mission and vision statement plays an indispensable role. The newly developed mission and vision statement for MLS are formulated below. Mission Statement To offer the country with new talents in football and also to encourage upcoming talents in the field of soccer. To enthuse the world of sports lovers by showcasing highest quality of entertainment. Vision Statement ‘We

The ethical, theoretical, research and practice based aspects of Essay

The ethical, theoretical, research and practice based aspects of mindfulness in relation to One Mindfullness Approach - Essay Example To understand this we will have to explore the term mindfulness and its connection with the concept of well being. Mindfulness is a concept that is closely related to Buddhism and Hinduism, and other similar traditions where conscious awareness is propagated. Mindfulness can be defined as â€Å"the clear and single-minded awareness of what actually happens to us and in us at the successive moments of perception† (Nyanaponika Thera, 1972, p.5). It has also been defined as â€Å"keeping one’s consciousness alive to the present reality† (Hanh, 1976, 11). Recent researches in this line have reached the conclusion that if mindfulness is enhanced by proper guidance and training, it brings in positive results. Various negative attributes in a human mind like that of stress, anxiety, depression, mental disorders, and health related problems like cancer are alleviated to some extent, when treated with the mindfulness theory, that apply yoga and Buddhist traditional approa ches used for the alleviation of distress. In this process the patient can be guided to follow the practices of mindfulness with various applicable approaches, from the perspectives of psychoanalytic and cognitive-behavioural aspects. This article will explore the validity of claims that applying the theories of mindfulness can lead to betterment of mind and body. It will study all the concepts associated with the ethical, theoretical, research and practice based aspects in context with the well being approach of mindfulness. It will also evaluate the effectiveness of this intervention on various health disorders like anxiety, cancer, and depression and will establish the effectiveness of this procedure when applied for psychological well being. The concept of mindfulness: Mindfulness can be explained in various ways. The most basic way to rationalise this concept is to seek its

Position Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Position Paper - Essay Example This in a way is a debate of nature vs. nurture. The fact is that some of these differences are strictly biological whereas others can be influenced by the environment children are raised in. People’s mental and emotional performance as adults has a strong connection to their parents perceptions of their genders during their childhood. Although many parents in the contemporary society tend to provide their children with the same kind of upbringing without any distinction on the basis of gender thus educating them alike and offering them same opportunities of play and recreation, yet prejudice ultimately causes them to restrain the physical activity of their daughters unconsciously. The way children and their behavior is perceived by the parents shapes the way they treat their children as well as the experiences children are given. â€Å"Since life leaves footprints on the very structure and function of the brain, these various experiences produce sex differences in adult beha vior and brains—the result not of innate and inborn nature but of nurture† (Begley, 2009). Parents raise their children with definite perceptions that instill in their personalities over time. Daughters are raised with this perception that they would have to leave the home one day to live with their husbands. This perception is inculcated in them that shyness, delicacy, and cleanliness are the expected behaviors and/or traits from them. On the other hand, boys are raised with the perception that they would have to earn and support the family one day and that the expected traits of them include physical strength, aggression, and smartness. Understanding these overt or hidden messages received repeatedly from their parents, children start working toward attaining these goals, thus developing differences across genders over the passage of time. Although parents may influence the mental and emotional performance of their children, they have no control over their physical de velopment. Parents having only daughters in the conservative societies where women are not empowered have a tendency to raise at least one of the daughters as a son. This concept is frequently captured in many movies and newspapers frequently. Even recently, a Saudi woman named Saliha disguised herself as a man with consent of her father in order to be able to become a bus driver and earn some money to assist her family financially, news reported in Al-Sharq Arabic Newspaper. Saliha said, â€Å"I live with my parents and four sisters and our conditions are very difficult†¦ I looked at [my father’s] poor health condition and advanced age and I requested him to allow me to replace him, especially that I was a good driver† (Saliha cited in â€Å"Gender no bar†). Even in such cases, the parents might develop a greater level of comfort between their daughter and men in the society so that their daughter can interact with them without hesitation that typically pe rsists between men and women during interaction, yet they cannot change her biological features. Such characters in the movie are overly dressed in baggy clothes to hide the curves and artificial moustaches are applied on the face. In spite of the obvious link of the physical differences of men and women to biology, biology alone is not responsible for other physical behaviors that are displayed by men and women e.g. their susceptibility to diseases. â€Å"Rarely does biology act alone to determine health inequities. Social

HR PROJECT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

HR PROJECT - Essay Example The individual will receive tough operational predisposition for aspects like recruitment, performance management, benefits, compensation, employee relationship, and benefits to management and training (Armstrong, 2003). Job Duties: An ideal candidate should have motivational skills, should enjoy leading teams actively and can be an integral part of the wining team. Other essential requirements have been mentioned below: Prior experience in working in Middle-East is necessary. An effective track of stability and career progress Candidate should hold (preferred) an EU passport Minimum experience of around 3 years in multi-site or senior cluster with regards to HRD is essential Experience in Five star deluxe or five star is essential Should have both pragmatic and strategic approach Strong attitude with regards to approach and attitude Strong interpersonal and communication skills (Barclay, 2001). Due to specific requirement with regards to this role, the candidates considered for this role would be personally interviewed by the senior management. Job title: Assistant Security Director, Security and Compliance Dept. Date of Analysis: 13 December 2013 Reporting: COO Job Code: #1004002 Summary of the Job: Currently candidates for Assistant Security Director are being looked for. This role will assist the security department in the hotel to guarantee the completion of compliance accordingly to the hotel policies and the procedures. Every regulations stated by the government under the safety and security standard framework has to be duly followed. The candidate would be responsible for the safety and security within the hotel premises to ensure that safety of the hotel properties and overall safety of the employees, guests and their personal belonging. The major responsibilities would not be limited to educating and training the employees regarding the present safety issues, fire protection and security for ensuring compliances by abiding by the group loss control gu idelines (Bernadin, 2007). The scheduled preventive repairs and maintenance for the security equipment would be required and it has to be ensured that the equipments are prepared and operational for daily activities. Job Duties: Candidate need to have at least 3 years of experience in handling similar responsibilities for hotel industry. Experience in military, law enforcement, supervisory experience or equivalent combination would also suffice. Even First Aid instructor, Certified CPR, training for law enforcement, etc would be also preferable. The person would be also required to work on weekends, holidays or night if required. The individual will also have to bring in strong management ability and skill for analyzing the statistics and metrics for preparation of action plan and also communicate them through written reports. In return the candidate would be offered benefits, competitive pay and an opportunity to work with a pool of talented people. Moreover, the candidate would be given independence to work and implement his/ her own plan of action. We are an equal opportunity employer (Berry, 1997). Job Title: Reservation Manager, Operations Date of Analysis: 13 December 2013 Reporting: Director (Hotel Operations) Job Code: #1005001 Summary of the Job: In the position of a Reservation Manag

The ethical, theoretical, research and practice based aspects of Essay

The ethical, theoretical, research and practice based aspects of mindfulness in relation to One Mindfullness Approach - Essay Example To understand this we will have to explore the term mindfulness and its connection with the concept of well being. Mindfulness is a concept that is closely related to Buddhism and Hinduism, and other similar traditions where conscious awareness is propagated. Mindfulness can be defined as â€Å"the clear and single-minded awareness of what actually happens to us and in us at the successive moments of perception† (Nyanaponika Thera, 1972, p.5). It has also been defined as â€Å"keeping one’s consciousness alive to the present reality† (Hanh, 1976, 11). Recent researches in this line have reached the conclusion that if mindfulness is enhanced by proper guidance and training, it brings in positive results. Various negative attributes in a human mind like that of stress, anxiety, depression, mental disorders, and health related problems like cancer are alleviated to some extent, when treated with the mindfulness theory, that apply yoga and Buddhist traditional approa ches used for the alleviation of distress. In this process the patient can be guided to follow the practices of mindfulness with various applicable approaches, from the perspectives of psychoanalytic and cognitive-behavioural aspects. This article will explore the validity of claims that applying the theories of mindfulness can lead to betterment of mind and body. It will study all the concepts associated with the ethical, theoretical, research and practice based aspects in context with the well being approach of mindfulness. It will also evaluate the effectiveness of this intervention on various health disorders like anxiety, cancer, and depression and will establish the effectiveness of this procedure when applied for psychological well being. The concept of mindfulness: Mindfulness can be explained in various ways. The most basic way to rationalise this concept is to seek its

HR PROJECT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

HR PROJECT - Essay Example The individual will receive tough operational predisposition for aspects like recruitment, performance management, benefits, compensation, employee relationship, and benefits to management and training (Armstrong, 2003). Job Duties: An ideal candidate should have motivational skills, should enjoy leading teams actively and can be an integral part of the wining team. Other essential requirements have been mentioned below: Prior experience in working in Middle-East is necessary. An effective track of stability and career progress Candidate should hold (preferred) an EU passport Minimum experience of around 3 years in multi-site or senior cluster with regards to HRD is essential Experience in Five star deluxe or five star is essential Should have both pragmatic and strategic approach Strong attitude with regards to approach and attitude Strong interpersonal and communication skills (Barclay, 2001). Due to specific requirement with regards to this role, the candidates considered for this role would be personally interviewed by the senior management. Job title: Assistant Security Director, Security and Compliance Dept. Date of Analysis: 13 December 2013 Reporting: COO Job Code: #1004002 Summary of the Job: Currently candidates for Assistant Security Director are being looked for. This role will assist the security department in the hotel to guarantee the completion of compliance accordingly to the hotel policies and the procedures. Every regulations stated by the government under the safety and security standard framework has to be duly followed. The candidate would be responsible for the safety and security within the hotel premises to ensure that safety of the hotel properties and overall safety of the employees, guests and their personal belonging. The major responsibilities would not be limited to educating and training the employees regarding the present safety issues, fire protection and security for ensuring compliances by abiding by the group loss control gu idelines (Bernadin, 2007). The scheduled preventive repairs and maintenance for the security equipment would be required and it has to be ensured that the equipments are prepared and operational for daily activities. Job Duties: Candidate need to have at least 3 years of experience in handling similar responsibilities for hotel industry. Experience in military, law enforcement, supervisory experience or equivalent combination would also suffice. Even First Aid instructor, Certified CPR, training for law enforcement, etc would be also preferable. The person would be also required to work on weekends, holidays or night if required. The individual will also have to bring in strong management ability and skill for analyzing the statistics and metrics for preparation of action plan and also communicate them through written reports. In return the candidate would be offered benefits, competitive pay and an opportunity to work with a pool of talented people. Moreover, the candidate would be given independence to work and implement his/ her own plan of action. We are an equal opportunity employer (Berry, 1997). Job Title: Reservation Manager, Operations Date of Analysis: 13 December 2013 Reporting: Director (Hotel Operations) Job Code: #1005001 Summary of the Job: In the position of a Reservation Manag

The worlds wife Essay Example for Free

The worlds wife Essay To what extent are Mrs Sisyphus and Mrs Rip Van Winkle characters of the Worlds Wife? The Worlds Wife an array of relentless and unapologetically feminist poems consisting of a large number of personas, who are witheringly contemptuous of the men they have ended up with, generally inadequate, self-obsessed and immature. Each poem carrying an implicit message of feminine virtues governed by the somewhat scorn of women. Mrs Sisyphus and Mrs Rip Van Winkle playing host to many of the ironically degrading characters that have been given to their counter opposites. Mrs Sisyphus serves as a resounding echo to many of the female characters that find themselves within Duffys feminist collection. Thats him pushing the stone up the hill the jerk. It is this blunt yet explicit statement made by Mrs Sisyphus that sets out the pace for the rest of the poem, conveying immediately the attitude she has towards her husband and the dork like actions he undertakes. Furthermore, the fact that Sisyphus was condemned to roll a boulder up a hill for eternity, serves as a poignant reminder of him being a symbol for pointless activity. As a result, Mrs Sisyphus expresses this pointlessness and reminds us that what use is a perk, when you havent got the time to open a cork. Yet more importantly, conveys to the reader a woman who seems to long for the companionship of her husband but is just another wife deemed to endlessly disparage his obsessive behaviour. On the other hand, Mrs Rip Van Winkle is in deep contrast to the attitude that Mrs Sisyphus possesses. As we learn that Rip Van Winkles sleep in Duffys hand becomes his wifes liberation while he slept I found some hobbies for myself. When one thinks of sleep, we associate it with inactivity. However, in the case of Mrs Winkle the silence and stillness that her husband undergoes awakens the opportunity for her to cease life and all its wonders Painting, seeing the sights. No longer condemned to the submissive behaviour of her domineering husband. The Leaning Tower, The Pyramids, the Taj Mahal, taking in each sight with a new lease on life, being able to breath freely and see the sights shed always dreamed about no longer within the clutches of a man. Mrs Sisyphus highlights to the reader, the implications a wife must face when having a berk for a husband. She mentions of wanting to go for so much as a walk in the park, yet as it seems that when a man becomes wildly obsessed keen as a hawk, lean as a shark, the importance of a woman diminishes as the size of the stone he pushes is nearer the size of a kirk. Therefore, signifying to the reader one of the many characteristics that females have within the Worlds Wife resenting their husbands. Furthermore, the poem seems partly a language game jerk, kirk, perk, cork, the rhymes and the half rhymes, give a sense of repetition that imitates Sisyphuss punishment, yet in actual fact it is not him who seems to be punished, for his folly actions have left Mrs Sisyphus to be the actual victim plagued by his punishment. This simple yet effective rhyming scheme reinforces the idea that Mrs Sisyphus sees her husband to be nothing more then an individual to be gawked at; some type of circus freak. Through her idiomatic tone one is able to draw out the characteristics of a woman who sees no sense in rolling a stone that feckin no sooner up than its rolling back down. This movement of the stone going up yet gravely set to an incessant downward spiral is a reflection of Mrs Sisyphus relationship with her husband. Similarly even though Mrs Winkle initially faces the prospect of having an elated life without her husband, sees her dreams shattered when her husband awakes sitting up in bed rattling viagra. Duffy conveys, the position of Mrs Winkle within their relationship, she seems nothing more then object for sex and pleasure for her husband. Bound by the ever conventionalist view of women being nothing more then the property of men. Not only deeply patronising, but in all places and at all times, suggesting only men are of importance, and their wifes are mere appendages. After all she had taken up food and given up exercise it did me good a reversal of what one would associate as being good or in the eyes of her husband being seen as an attractive woman. The fact that her self worth is associated by her physical attributes highlights Duffys anger at how male emblems seem to place women in a position where only objectification is possible. Even more so, Duffy hints that in order for a female to find true happiness she must remove the realms that bind her, but what was best, hands-down beat the rest was saying a none-too-fond- farewell to sex. We as the reader are made to feel the excitement and happiness that Mrs Rip Van Winkle is going through yet as soon as it arrives, her dream comes to a close at the eventual awakening of her husband. Thus, a sense of pathos is created and one can only pity the situation she finds herself in.

Underclass Exclusion Unemployment

Underclass Exclusion Unemployment Critically consider liberal accounts of the ‘underclass. To what extent is a focus on cultural characteristics useful in aiding our understanding of social exclusion. Use of the term social exclusion arose in Europe in the wake of prolonged and large scale unemployment that provoked criticisms of welfare systems for failing to prevent poverty and for hindering economic development. Silver (1994) stresses that economic restructuring in North American and European countries since the mid- 1970s has given rise to such terms as social exclusion, new poverty, and the underclass to describe the consequent negative effects on the more vulnerable populationsin these countries. Such phenomena also intensified the debate over the adequacy ofuniversal social protection policies and fuelled growing concern about the distributivefairness of employment and income patterns. Used first in France (Yepez-del-Castillo 1994), the concept spread quickly to the United Kingdom and throughoutthe European Union. Social exclusion theorists are concerned with the dissolution of social bonds, theincomplete extension of social rights and protections to all groups, and the linksbetween the idea of exclusion and more conventional understandings of inequality.They draw on theories of poverty, inequality, and disadvantage. In this context policiesto aid the excluded have focused on subsidizing jobs and wages, providing housing, and responding to urbanization. The value added of these discussions de rivesfrom their focus on the multifaceted nature of deprivation and on analysis of themechanisms and institutions that function to exclude people (de Haan 1998). Theconcept of social exclusion has encouraged scholars to consider simultaneously theeconomic, social, and political dimensions of deprivation. As Bhalla and Lapeyre(1997) stress, this concept encompasses the notion of poverty broadly defined, butis more general in that it explicitly emphasizes povertys relational as well as its distributionalaspects. Social Exclusion is another term for the lower strata poor. This implies that this is more than just about the straight poor but instead about behaviour which has created a lifestyle which is permanently dislocated from the habits and way of life of the majority. The concept of the underclass has been widely contested today. It has many links with social exclusion, the notion of a cycle of deprivation and cultural theories. During the course of this essay a number of different areas will be looked at. The focal point of this essay will rest by and large in the culture of binge drinking which is apparent across a significant area of the population. This part of the population has been named in many different ways by the media and social theorists alike from Chavs to the deprived to the socially excluded, all of which lead us to the same concept ‘The Underclass. It will then discuss different perspectives on the ‘underclass both into whether it truly exists and whether it i s the individuals or the welfare states fault. This essay will interrogate Murrays claims about the ‘underclass and explain how he is right on a descriptive level but totally wrong on an explanatory level. Furthermore it will look at media accounts of the urban poor and the fact that they are overwhelmingly liberal in orientation. Lastly it will look at the rise of neo-liberalism and the effect it has had on the poor in Britain. There have been many theorists which have researched the concept of the ‘underclass one of which who is highly recognised across Britain and the US is Charles Murray. Murray came to the UK in 1989 in search of an underclass and wrote an article in The Sunday Times about there being the foundations of an ‘underclass in British Society, this was widely contested amongst British sociologists and rejected. However this concept has now been widely researched and there has been increasing truth to Murrays (1990) article ‘The Emerging British Underclass. This article wrote in quite general terms about the ‘underclass and related it to trends of illegitimacy, crime and unemployment. His second essay written in 1996 ‘Underclass: The crisis deepens was preoccupied with illegitimacy, marriage and the state of the British Family. The concept of a traditional nuclear family reducing the chances of a child turning to crime has been one which has been researched heavil y. Although no conclusion has been reached it is still widely believed to be true. The term ‘underclass was derived by Ken Auletta in the 1980s to emphasise the behaviour and values of those deemed to be lower class. Murray (1996) attempts in great detail to show that he does not apply the term ‘underclass to all poor , only to those; ‘distinguished by there undesirable behaviour, including drug taking, illegitimacy, failure to hold down a job, truancy from school and casual violence,. Murray believes illegitimacy is the best indicator of an underclass in the making and the rising trend in illegitimacy therefore alarms him. He places a special focus on issues of violence as it becomes increasingly difficult to raise children to be un-aggressive when whole towns fall prey to criminality. However Alan walker offers a liberal view. He believes that Murray ‘blames the victim and thus diverts our attention from blaming the mechanisms through which resources are distributed. Victim blaming is the attitude which walker believes to have been at the root of many measures from Elizabethan Poor Law to todays ‘YTS and ‘restart programmes. There is the belief by Murray that there are two types of poor people, one of whom live on low incomes and another who dont just lack money . ‘There homes were littered and un-kept. The men in the family were unable to hold a job for more than a few weeks at a time. Drunkenness was common. The children grew up ill schooled and contributed a disproportionate share of the local juvenile delinquents. There are many other arguments about the underclass. Robert Moore suggested that despite his own misgivings; ‘a collective term such as the ‘underclass may be needed to refer to that group of marginalised migrant workers, refugees and asylum seekers, inner city ethnic minority populations and the very poorest who typically have little or no control over goods and skills either within or outside a given economic order. This coincides with Ralf Darendorfs view that the term ‘underclass is a ‘phenomenon of race here as well as the US. These are all rather liberal accounts of the underclasses and a view is taken that the majority of underclasses in both the UK and the US are ethnic minorities many of which are first r secong generation immigrants who have little or no understanding of the British Culture. Many of these minorities will live in poorer areas in which there children will fall victim to the culture of the ‘underclass. This culture includes getting involved with gangs, binge drinking and often leads to unprotected sex which would continue the cycle of the ‘underclass. The liberal accounts of the ‘underclass tend to focus on the pathological individual. This is that if they are poor and dont have a job it is there fault. Part of the pathological explanation suggests that it is the behaviour and attitudes of the underclass that have cut them off from normal society Murray being a strong advocate of this view, argues that welfare dependency has created a counter-cultural attitude that there is no need to work if one can instead receive state benefits or turn to crime instead. The opposing position suggests that the lack of full employment in the economy results in the unemployed and hence poverty. Here it is the failure of the structure rather than the individual themselves who can be blamed for the emergence of an underclass. Auletta refers to the underclass as a group who do not assimilate (1982: xvi quoted in Morris, 1994: 81), identifying four main groups: the passive poor, usually long term welfare recipients the hostile street criminal, drop-outs and drug addicts the hustlers, dependent on the underground economy but rarely involved in violent crime the traumatised drunks, drifters, homeless bag ladies and released mental patients In identifying these groups it can be seen that perhaps a different explanation for the underclass can be given for each grouping. However, in all four cases it could be argued that the underlying reason for the exclusion from society could be either pathological or structural. For example it could be argued that the passive poor are so because they hold the attitude that there is no need for work. The same group could also be said to exist because there are not enough jobs available in the economy for them to work. ‘The underclass as a phrase has shifted in emphasis since the 80s and this shift is partly in response to liberal commentators who suggested that the poor of the contemporary period are idle, jobless and criminal. ‘The underclass as a phrase became associated with blaming the poor for their marginalised social situation. Murrays claims are partly right at the descriptive level, but totally wrong at the explanatory level. There are many different reasons which could offer a far more reasonable explanation on the concentration of urban marginality today. Firstly the changing economy provides us with a number of reasons into why there is an underclass in the UK. Liberals and conservatives today tend to stress values like individual responsibility when considering such issues such as drugs, violence, teen pregnancy, family formation and the work ethic. Some critics readily blame welfare for poverty and find it hard to see how anybody even the poor would deliberately deviate f rom mainstream culture. With widespread joblessness many inner city people become stressed and there communities become distressed, poor people adapt to these circumstances as best they know, meeting the exigencies of there situation as best they can. The kinds of problems which cause moral outrage begin to emerge; teen pregnancy, welfare dependency and the underground economy. Its cottage industries of drugs, prostitution, welfare scams and other rackets pick up the economic slack. It is this underground economy which provides a means for these people as the regular economy cannot. Since 1997, the New Labour government has developed and administered contemporary social policy around the ideals of social inclusion. The Social Exclusion Unit (SEU), Welfare to Work and New Deal Programmes (1998) provide the chief manifestations of socially-inclusive policy. The SEU describes social exclusion as the short hand for what can happen when people or areas are suffering from a combination of linked problems such as unemployment, poor skills, low incomes, poor housing, high crime, bad health and family breakdown (SEU, 2001: 10). The shift to social inclusion policy is a response to the need to prevent individuals at risk of exclusion from becoming excluded, according to the SEU: a need it proposes to address by, for example, resolving to reverse the growth in family breakups, teenage pregnancies and crime, and to reduce possible restrictions to an individuals economic opportunity. And, where necessary, policy should be designed with the aim of reintegrating those already excluded socially, through programmes such as the New Deal and Welfare to Work (ibid: 29). Bauman argues that the shift in social policy towards the language of social inclusion is a result of key economic trends in the West, leading to the growth of a population that has become surplus to labour-market requirements. Byrne argues that social-inclusion rhetoric is the surface-froth of the more fundamental shift to Post-Fordist patterns of capital accumulation, where those at the margins of inclusion and exclusion serve as part of the reconstitution of a reserve army of labour power. Clearly, Bauman and Byrne differ in their explanations: Bauman viewing the excluded as an unwanted surplus to the expansion of capital, and Byrne viewing the excluded as vital to capitalist expansion. For Bauman, contemporary changes in social policy are part of the wider shift of the welfare state away from policy directed at supporting the re-commodification of labour power. Capital accumulation up until the 1985 required the state to play its role in the provision of key resources, including housing, education, health and, when necessary, welfare payments to the unemployed. This, for Bauman, ensured the re-commodification of quality labour power and also secured a viable reserve army; both of which were essential for post-war capitalist expansion. Since the 1980s, argues Bauman, capital accumulation has become increasingly premised on the rationalisation of the use of labour power, and thus on the shedding of the labour force. As a consequence, the role of the welfare state has ch anged, moving towards means-tested and targeted benefits, and towards-via training and employment policies-catering for capitalisms need for insecure, low-quality labour power, and the disciplining of a growing surplus population. As Bauman observes, ‘The present-day stream-lined, downsized, capital-and knowledge-intensive industry casts labour as a constraint on the rise of productivity to such a degree that economic growth and the rise of employment are, for all practical intents, at cross-purposes; technological progress is measured by the replacement and elimination of labour (Bauman, 1998: 65). The shift in welfare-state priorities towards social inclusion signifies deeper changes in the re-commodification of labour power. In this context, the issue of social exclusion and the rhetoric of social-inclusion policy signifies the emergence of a surplus population which is no longer required by capital as a reserve army of labour. To be sure, a reserve army of labour still exists in non-Western, industrialised areas of the world. For the West, though, capital no longer requires a welfare state committed to the universal provision of key services and social needs, because the maintenance of a reserve army is no longer functional to capital accumulation. For Bauman; ‘The welfare state will become increasingly residual as social policy confines itself to organising the control and administration of a population increasingly isolated from the capitalist labour market. Government is haunted by the prospect of the homeless and disinherited flocking in and capital flocking out. (Bauman, 1998: 54) This, for Bauman, is the reason why social exclusion and social-inclusion policy predominates discourses on welfare. Baumans argument provides a useful explanation of the shift in social policy towards social inclusion. However, the hard-and-fast equating of social exclusion with a surplus labour force playing no role as a reserve army is both empirically and theoretically suspect. Bauman ignores the day-to-day realities of the capitalist system in the West, where the links between capitals demand for labour power and a surplus of unemployed remain of crucial importance. For Baumans proposition to hold, one must assume that those experiencing social exclusion have no connection with the labour market and the status of wage labour. Yet evidence does not support such a view. Evidence suggests ‘A degree of complexity, with people variously experiencing exclusion with no labour-market attachment, exclusion with some labour-market attachment, and inclusion with weak and/or strong labour-market attachments (Labour Market Trends: 2002). In other words the experience of exclusion is as likely to be one premised on the poor, unstable employment as it is as on unemployment and unemployability (Levitas, 1999). Evidence, suggests that labour power continues to function as a reserve army of labour, however attenuated this function might be. A more realistic proposition for Bauman to make might be that the surplus population is growing at a faster rate relative to its function as a reserve army of labour. In this case, those experiencing this situation have little choice, within the constraints of contemporary capitalism, but to remain unemployed and consequently, as Dinerstein suggests; ‘suffer the humiliation of having to beg for work and be in a permanent state of readiness to offer their labour power as a commodity. (Dinerstein, 2002) Media accounts of the urban poor are overwhelmingly ‘liberal in orientation. Many of which, are talking about dole cheats and young women getting pregnant for council houses. The Suns ‘shop a dole cheat campaign hails from the same intellectual tradition as Murray. Many media campaigns have victimised the poor and paved the way for the ‘Chav culture. This has been ridiculed and reported on in the press and on television. A number of attacks have been launched on television channels and there treatment of Britains working classes. It was seen to be not only patronising and offensive but also potentially dangerous. Reality television shows such as Wife Swap, Big Brother and the confessional Jeremy Kyle Show, which tend to rely on working-class participants in search of fame or fortune, were the focus of most criticism. But the portrayal of the working classes in comedy programmes such as Little Britain and dramas like Shameless were also debated. Ethnic minority groups are ‘excluded as a result of their position in the new economy. In this sense, marginalised whites have a lot in common with marginalised blacks. There is however the associated dynamic of discrimination- the most notable example is the place of Muslims in a post 9/11 western world- however, understanding the position of these groups is more about ‘moral panics and fear of otherness. The economic literature on discrimination tends to focus on the different treatment of individuals-based on race, gender, or ethnicity in labour, credit, and consumer goods markets. This is obviously a serious matter, and there is ample evidence in the United States and elsewhere that such disparities are real and quantitatively important as a source of inter group economic inequalities (Modood and others 1997; Wilson 1996). Nevertheless, when considering ethnic group inequality, economists should look beyond what happens in markets. Of course, economists tend to focus on how markets work or fail. Economic theory suggests that discrimination based on gender or racial identity should be arbitraged away in markets of competitive sellers, employers, and lenders. But such discrimination is readily observed in society, and this anomaly attracts attention. Critics of neoclassical economics seize on it, and defenders of that orthodoxy seek to explain it away. Thus evidence that wage differences between the races or sexes have declined, after controlling for worker productivity, is supposed to vindicate the economists belief in market forces. This way of approaching the problem is too narrow. With wages, for example, the usual focus is on the demand side of the labour market-employers either have a â€Å"taste† for discrimination or use race as a proxy for unobserved variables that imply lower productivity for minorities. The primary normative claim in this approach is that such discrimination is morally offensive, a legitimate object of regulatory intervention, and a significant contributor to racial and gender inequality. But implicit in this claim is the notion that if inequality were due to supply-side differences-in the Glenn C. Loury 233 skills presented to employers by blacks and whites, for example-the resulting disparity would not raise the same moral issues or give a comparable warrant for intervention. There is a comparable view in housing markets-that residential segregation induced by the discriminatory behaviour of realtors is a bigger problem than segregation that comes about because of the freely made decisions of market participants. I propose a shift in emphasis. In the United States market discrimination against blacks still exists, but such discrimination is not as significant an explanation for racial inequality as in decades past. This calls into question the conventional wisdom on equal opportunity policy-that eliminating racial discrimination in markets will eventually resolve racial economic inequalit y. Much evidence supports the view that the substantial gap in skills between blacks and whites is a key factor accounting for racial inequality in the labour market. Yet this skills gap is itself the result of social exclusion processes that deserve explicit study and policy remediation. ‘The gap reflects social and cultural factors-geographic segregation, deleterious social norms and peer influences, poor education- that have a racial dimension (Cutler and Glaeser 1997; Akerlof 1997) Group inequality such as that between blacks and whites in the United States cannot be fully understood, or remedied, with a focus on market discrimination alone. Liberals like Murray look at cultural characteristics of the poor as a means of explaining ‘social exclusion. They say the poor is poor because they are lazy, because they dont try at school, because they dont get married. In my opinion the real reason the poor are poor is because; There arent any meaningful jobs anymore for these social groups. The economy no longer needs everyone to work. The successive governments have allowed our welfare state to slowly degenerate. Mainstream society have been conned into believing that these people bring it on themselves. Charles Murray in 1989 used drop out from the labour force among young males, violent crime and births from unmarried women would all be associated with the growth of a class of violent unsocialised people who if they become sufficiently numerous will fundamentally degrade the life of society. This can be seen to be happening today with the creation of ‘chav culture. These ‘Chavs are usually working class and live on council estates and dress in sportswear hoodies, tracksuits and caps. They wear excessive gold jewellery and are seen to be aggressive and uneducated. There was a dramatic increase in unemployed males between 1989 and 1999 from 20.5% to 31.2% which has continued to till today. Drop out in the labour force was largest in the group who had the least excuses to work these were from ages 20 to 24. The economy was not to be blamed fully as overall national employment was lower in 1999 than in 1989. The percentage of men in school did not change appreciatiably and increases of people in higher education have been concentrated among young women and people of both sexes over the age of 30. Since 1994 the number of men in higher education has actually decrease and crime both violent and property are higher than of that in America since 1996. From the mid 19th century to the first  ¾ of this century Britain enjoyed being seen as the most civilised country on earth. The US in this same period was seen as a violent and unruly society with high levels of personal freedom but lower levels of civility. Other continents had low crime rates but a high level of authoritarian control, however Britain is now another high crime industrialised country. Violent crime is seen as impulsive behaviour by those who seek instant gratification of there desires which is part of a general lack of socialisation and is the hallmark of the ‘underclass. Over the last two decades British children have not been socialised to norms of self control, consideration of others, and the concept that actions have consequences. Murray states; ‘One of the leading reasons that they are not being socialised is that larger numbers of British children are not being raised by two mature married adults. He believes that there is not alternative form of family which comes close to the traditional nuclear family of two married parents. He believed that children of two married biological parents were found to do much better than the children of single parents and the children of divorced mothers were found to do better than the children of never married mothers. Illegitimacy is overwhelmingly a lower class phenomenon. However Melanie Phillips argues that it is in fact the overclass fault that we have a lower strata poor. Children from deprived areas sometimes dont know how to use a knife and fork; they dont know what an alarm clock is; because they have no sense of an ordered day. Primary school children who have no idea how to make social relationships but who are aggressive foul mouthed or withdrawn. The government has ambitious plans and programmes on how to tackle social exclusion, turning out papers on truancy, teenage pregnancies, repairing shattered communities. All of which are commendable however this all presents the socially excluded as a breed apart, as an underclass and if there behaviour is somehow different from the rest of society. Government advisors and officials and advisors talk about drugs for instance and they assume that the higher strata can handle cannibas and cocaine but the poor cannot. On education they say there is nothing wrong with the top 2% of schools the problems are with separate sink schools with high levels of truancy and low levels of basic literacy. On family th ey say ‘Im cohabit, Im a lone parent so there is nothing wrong with the changing family. Its the poor who are the problem. This is not only hypocritical and unpleasant but it fails to see how culture works: that signals matter, that they work top down and that what is supportive behaviour by the upper classes can have a disastrous impact on the poor who do not have the soft cushioning of money and privilege to fall back on. The culture of being a lone parent is in some ways created by the elites who lead by example through judges who generally give custody to women and demand monthly child support paid to single mothers who are now also receiving extra benefits and this is done through an increase in taxes on married couples. Surely reducing the males role to nothing but a walking wallet and sperm donor is causing men who are poor to run away from marriage. To understand the underclass is imperative in understanding poverty as a whole. But perhaps more important is the understanding that the underclass is simply a collective term used to refer to a group of individuals. By grouping these individuals together it is far too easy to make stereotypical judgements and statements which, whilst certainly applying to various members of the group, by no means hold true for each individual within. Indeed, it is with little doubt that many members of the underclass do cut themselves off from society due to their behaviours and attitudes, but there will be many who do not. Some people are born more disadvantaged than others take the disabled and elderly for example. Both of these groups can fall within a definition of the underclass they are often dependent upon the state and are in many ways excluded from certain aspects of society. It would take a radical commentator to suggest that either of these groups, and hence the whole of the underclass, are so due to their behaviour and attitudes.