Cross Culture Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Cross Culture Management - Essay Example Hofstede’s culture model entails four dimensions that are critical in differentiating the national and organization culture. The dimensions include the masculinity versus femininity index (MAS), the individualism versus collectivism index (IDV), power distance index (PDI) and uncertainty avoidance index (UAI) (Cullen and Parboteeah 51).The masculinity refers to the degree to which the society maintains the distinction of traditional male and female roles. The individualism versus collectivism dimension refers to how the cultural values promote ties between the people and processes of decision-making (Cullen and Parboteeah 51). The power distance index (PDI) refers to the degree inequality is evident in the society especially in the distribution of power while the uncertainty avoidance index (UAI) refers to ability of the members of the society to anticipate uncertainty such as taking risk, engaging in conflicts and stability of laws and governance (Cullen and Parboteeah 51). The power distance index refers to the power distribution in the society and degree of inequality that exists (Cullen and Parboteeah 52). Chinese culture has a high power distance index unlike American culture that has low power distance index. This means that inequalities are high in Chinese culture as there are well-defined social classes and status in the society (Cullen and Parboteeah 52). On the other hand, the low power distance in American culture means that power is dispersed and shared. In China, the organizations have a centralized control, high hierarchies, and long chain of command. The members of Chinese companies acknowledge and show high respect to the leaders’ power and decision-making takes place at close-door meetings at the top management level. In American culture, the organizations advocate for decentralization of power and authority

Etihad Airways Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Etihad Airways - Case Study Example His major aims were to increase the profitability and the yield by 2010. In order to satisfy this condition, James came up with a second bag charge to be imposed on the customers. The case also gives out certain aspects of the future plan of the airline. The airline has placed an order for 205 aircrafts for $43 billion. This will increase the fleet size to 100 in 5 years. This move will generate more revenue as the capacity of the airline will increase. The case says that Etihad Airlines gives much importance to customer value. They have a loyalty program for their customers which is called Etihad Guest. It includes features like, immediate rewards, no black-out periods, anytime availability, widest choice, miles plus cash, miles that are worth more and family membership. They had high end redemption awards. The case further says that the Indian market shows much stronger signs of improvement. Given, the current scenario, a passenger seat load factor of 76-77 percent is being expecte d. The Etihad Airlines is under a major issue of profitability and yield. James was hired to take the airline to profits by the year 2010. However, the chances seem to be slim. The International Air Transport Association has showed concern and has estimated that the global aviation industry will show a global net loss of $5.6 billion in the year 2010. To face the problem, James has ann... However, the chances seem to be slim. The International Air Transport Association has showed concern and has estimated that the global aviation industry will show a global net loss of $5.6 billion in the year 2010. To face the problem, James has announced the charging of second baggage to customers to increase revenue. However, the major question which it posses it is, whether such a move is profitable I the short run as well as the long run. And also what are the other options to achieve the target as well while maintaining the customer value or adding it. Literature Review Profitability is the term used to describe the ability of a company to earn profit (profitability definition). Passenger seat load factor is the measure of the airlines passenger carrying capacity being used. Second Baggage is the fees charged by an airline for carrying excessive baggage. Value proposition states that the functional and emotional benefits attached with a product or service is communicated in such a way that it appears higher than the cost of the product or service to the customer (Philip Kotler, 2009). A tool to identify ways to create more customer value is the value chain (Philip Kotler, 2009). The value chain shows the primary activities and the supporting activities of the business which together create value for the customer. Source: (Philip Kotler, 2009) Etihad Airways Strategy (Hogan, 2008) Etihad Airways does a lot of innovation to keep up the standards realistic to the market place. It has a clear policy of providing the customer with the best that there is. They have been using the below mentioned techniques: To reduce the costs they have been reducing space within the aircraft by maximizing the number of seats to the extent possible. They have been trying

Theories of Health Change Behaviour

Theories of Health Change Behaviour Introduction To understand the processes and causes of change in health related behaviours still represents a challenging process for health professionals (Orleans, 2000). People’s decisions to engage in such behaviours are affected by factors such as attitudes and beliefs and psychosocial variables (i.e. demographic, psychological or cognitive) which impact the decision-making process of planning behaviours. Thus, it is important to understand the interrelationship between these factors and their influences of adopting and maintaining healthy behaviours. Researchers have attempted to understand and predict health behaviour through the lenses of models and theories of behaviour change. Within the framework of a theory, the researchers get to understand what variables are most important and how to measure them, to formulate research questions based on the understanding of the variables, to test hypotheses regarding behaviour change, and lastly to guiding behaviour change interventions throu gh planning, actions, and maintenance of preventative behaviours (Noar Zimmerman, 2005). Theory-based predictors (i.e. cognitive factors) would provide an organized framework that helps understand and predict health behaviour in a systematic manner (Glanz Maddock, 2000). Theories based on processes of cognitions and thoughts are part of the collection of social cognitive models (SCMs) and focuses on influences of social-cognitive characteristics on decision-making processes. The present essay distinguishes two of SCMs, highly used in understanding the adoption and maintenance of healthy behaviours: the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA; Ajzen and Fishbein 1980) and the Common Sense Model of Self-Regulation (CSM-SR; Leventhal, Diefenbach, and Leventhal (1992)). Both theories suggest that the motivation to change behaviour is driven by social-cognitive beliefs/representations of the health threat and the willingness to avoid adverse outcome. Research applying both theories has a rich history describing their uses in a wide range of behaviours including health (TRA: Cooke and French (2008); CSM-SR: Hagger and Orbell (2003)). Further, both models are based on a set of theoretical constructs and have been used to successfully explain and change behaviours. N evertheless, very little research has concerned empirical comparison of the two (Hunter, Grunfeld, Ramirez, 2003; Orbell, Hagger, Brown, Tidy, 2006) and there is still no consensus that one model is more accurate than the other. Aim This essay’s aim was to review two theories of health change behaviour – the Theory of Reasoned Action and the Common Sense Model of Self-Regulation – with special emphasis on the similarities and differences and the data needed to critically compare and contrast them. Lastly, the aim was to determine which aspects of the frameworks were most successful at predicting and explaining behaviour. What is health behaviour? It is the goal of many researchers to understand the causes, determinants and processes of health behaviour change (Doll Hill, 1964). The most common study looking into the causes of death is the Alameda County Study conducted by Belloc and Breslow in 1972 which identified seven aspects of lifestyle which predicted mortality: smoking, alcohol consumption, sedentary lifestyle, sleeping more or less than 8 hours per night, being either underweight or overweight, skipping breakfast, and eating snacks (Belloc Breslow, 1972). A later British study, the EPIC-Norfolk prospective population study associated similar behaviours with lower risk of mortality (Khaw et al., 2008). Kasl and Cobb attempted the first definition of health behaviour as â€Å"any activity undertaken by a person believing himself to be healthy for the purpose of preventing disease or detecting it at an asymptomatic stage† (Kasl Cobb, 1966). Although this definition includes only preventive health behaviours there are other types of behaviours. Ogden (2007) described illness behaviour as a behavioural action aimed to seek treatment and sick behaviour as a behavioural action aimed to get well (p. 13). There are factors such as individual differences, which influence the change of health behaviours and contributed to the prediction of health behaviours (Baum Posluszny, 1999; Sherman Fazio, 1983). The cognitive factors received the most attention because are considered to cause changes in behaviour and because they are modifiable factors in comparison to, for example, personality. The characteristics of social cognitive factors (e.g. knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs) are involved in the process of decision-making and behaviour control (Fiske Taylor, 1991). SCMs focuse on psychological and social factors and how they influence behaviour change, with a focus on the self-regulation processes and how these relate to behaviour (Conner Norman, 2005). These models are used to ensure a positive change in individual’s behaviour (e.g., changing food intake or increased physical activity) through intervention (Anderson-Bill, Winett, Wojcik, 2011). A very known model used to examine individual’s reactions to illness threats is Leventhal’s (1992) the common sense model of self-regulation (CSM-SR). Another theory focused on motivation to perform health-enhancing behaviours by examining aspects of the cognitions to predict health outcomes is the theory of reasoned action (TRA) designed by Fishbein Ajzen (1975). The models mentioned and many other pr ovide a basis for interventions designed to change health-related behaviours through the emphasis of the rationality of human behaviour. Thus, the prediction of behaviour is considered to be the outcome of the intended behaviour based on a rational decision–making process. Overview of commonly used models Theory of Reason Action (TRA) TRA has been used to predicting the likelihood of performing a specific health-related behaviour based on the compatibility and behavioural intention (Fishbein Ajzen, 1975; Ajzen Fishbein, 1980). The model uses cognitive processes of attitudes toward the behaviour (i.e., feeling positive or negative toward the action) and social normative perceptions (i.e., beliefs of significant others about the individual performing the behaviour) to predict intention of a behavioural action through a rational decision-making process. The theory has been used in a wide range of fields such as information technology (Mishra, Akman, Mishra, 2014), software piracy (Aleassa, Pearson, McClurg, 2010), cyberbullying (Doane, Pearson, Kelley, 2014), hazing (Richardson, Wang, Hall, 2012), domestic violence (Sulak, Saxon, Fearon, 2014), but also in health related behaviour such as substance-abuse (Roberto, Shafer, Marmo, 2014), physical activity (Plotnikoff, Costigan, Karunamuni, Lubans, 2013), diet (Middlestadt, 2012), smoking (Lorenzo-Blanco, Bares, Delva, 2012), HIV prevention behaviours (Jemmott, 2012). Description of the model The design of TRA looks at behavioural intentions of an individual in social context, while investigates the relationships between attitudes, intentions and behaviour. Attitudes toward the behaviour are considered to be a comprehensive gathering of evaluations of the behaviour. As a determinant of intentions, attitudes influence people’s perception, thinking and behaviour. Fishbein and Ajzen (1975) have proposed that attitudes should be measured at the same specific level as the behaviour. Thus, a high level of specificity in behaviour with regard to action, target, context, and time, will result in a high prediction of outcome behaviour. Individual’s attitudes can be explained through the set of beliefs about an outcome of the behaviour and the evaluations (favourable or unfavourable) of the expected outcome. The relationship between salient beliefs and attitudes is based on the Fishbein’s (1967) model of summative attitudes, which assumes they influence individ ual’s attitude. The research of Van den Putte (1991) and Armitage and Conner (2001) proved a strong link between attitudes and salient behavioural beliefs. Subjective norms are the second determinant of behavioural intention (Ajzen Fishbein, 1980; Fishbein Ajzen, 1975). This factor is the representation of the individual’s perception of the social pressures from significant others (i.e. family, friends, work colleagues, etc.) about whether he/she should perform a specific behaviour. This is quantified as the product of the normative beliefs (i.e., individual’s perceived behavioural expectations of important others regarding the performance of the behaviour) and individual’s motivation to comply. Once more, the research of Van den Putte (1991) and Armitage and Conner (2001) identified strong correlations between subjective norms and normative beliefs. Empirical support The TRA has been applied to the prediction of a wide range of different behaviours, including health-related behaviours, with varying degrees of success. There are a number of narrative reviews (Albarracin, Johnson, Fishbein, Muellerleile, 2001; Blue, 1995; Cooke French, 2008; Godin, Belanger-Gravel, Eccles, Grimshaw, 2008; Hagger, Chatzisarantis, Biddle, 2002; Hausenblas Carron, 1997; Sheeran Taylor, 1999) as well as a quantitative reviews of the TRA focusing on general and specific behaviours (physical activity: (Blue, 1995; Hagger et al., 2002; Hausenblas Carron, 1997); screening program (Cooke French, 2008), healthcare professionals (Godin et al., 2008), condom use: (Albarracin et al., 2001; Sheeran Taylor, 1999); and ). and general reviews: (Sheppard, Jon, Warshaw, 1988); van den Putte (1991)). The model has been tested by Sheppard et al. (1988), who reported multiple correlations between intentions and behaviour, and attitudes and subjective norms and intentions to be 0.53 and respectively 0.66 (k= 87, and k=87). Similar results were found by van den Putte (1991). These early studies results constituted the basis of the predictive validity of the TRA framework. In their reviews, Hausenblas and Carron (1997) found a medium effect size for the relationship of intention and behaviours of 0.47, in 31 studies with a sample size of 10,621. In addition, Albarracin et al. (2001) and Hagger et al. (2002) found the same higher correlation between intention and behaviour (r=0.5). In the most recent review to date, Cooke and French (2008) computed a lower value of r=0.42 in 19 tests of the relationship between intention and behaviour, which is slightly larger than the meta-analytic reports by Godin et al. (2008) (r=0.31, k=15, N=2,112). In conclusion, research provides evidence that there is a considerable consistency between TRA variables and their intention to predict behaviour change. Common Sense Model of Self-Regulation (CSM-SR) Description of the model The CSM-SR integrates environmental factors and individual beliefs about illness around individual’s common-sense representations of health (Leventhal et al., 1992). The framework outline is based on parallel-processing pathways (Leventhal, 1970). The model is based on two constructs of a) cognitive or objective perpetual pathway with its coping mechanisms and appraisal process; and b) affective or subjective pathway which represents the emotional response to the illness representation with its own coping mechanisms and appraisal processes. The cognitive pathway is based on individual’s beliefs or representations of illness threat and comprises five dimensions: identity, timeline, cause, consequences, and cure/control. Moss-Morris et al. (2002) explored the extent to which individuals can evaluate the coherence of illness representations, or how much individuals comprehend their condition. The pathway uses individual’s beliefs to shape the selection of appropriat e coping strategies (i.e. approach or avoidance), which in turn are appraised in a repetitive process over time. The self-regulation process implies selection and monitoring of behaviour aimed at controlling threat conditions and the illness representations are formed through symptoms perception and social messages from exposure to a wide range of social and cultural factors. A similar process takes place with the subjective or emotional pathway in parallel and in association with the cognitive process just described. The representation of illness triggers the activation of emotional responses regarding health-related behaviours. For example, fear is activated when a woman discovers an unusual lump thinking it might be cancer resulting in states of worry and distress. The efforts of controlling the emotional responses are appraised in terms of their success and lead to refinements of the representation of new coping strategies. Empirical support Up to date research provides empirical support for the interrelationship between the constructs of identity, timeline, cause, consequences, cure/control, emotions, and coherence and health outcomes (coping: (Heijmans de Ridder, 1998; Moss-Morris, Petrie, Weinman, 1996; Scharloo et al., 2000) and adherence to professional recommendations (Albert et al., 2014; Nicklas, Dunbar, Wild, 2010)). A series of meta-analyses have now been supported the validity of the CSM-SR framework, including narrative reviews (Hoving, van der Meer, Volkova, Frings-Dresen, 2010; Kucukarslan, 2012; Lobban, Barrowclough, Jones, 2003; Munro, Lewin, Swart, Volmink, 2007) and those focused on specific chronic conditions (diabetes: (Hudson, Bundy, Coventry, Dickens, 2014; Mc Sharry, Moss-Morris, Kendrick, 2011); acute myocardial infarction: (French, Cooper, Weinman, 2006); and mixed chronic diseases: (Hagger Orbell, 2003)). French et al. (2006) in a review of eight studies which predicted attendance at c ardiac rehabilitation interventions following acute myocardial infarction reported the constructs of identity (r=0.13) consequences (r=0.08), and cure/control (r=0.11) to be positively significantly associated with attendance behaviour. In addition, Mc Sharry et al. (2011) located nine cross-sectional studies and four RCTs examining the relationship between illness constructs and the HbA1c, and found a similar result for identity (r=0.14) but higher effect size estimates for consequences (r=0.14). Other significant associations were found for timeline cyclical (r=0.26), concern (r=0.21), and emotions (r=0.18). The most recent meta-analysis conducted by Hudson et al. (2014) included nine cross-sectional studies and found that individuals with high levels of constructs of timeline cyclical (r=0.25, depression; r=0.31, anxiety), consequences (r=0.41, depression; r=0.44, anxiety), and seriousness beliefs (r=0.38, depression) and lower perceptions of personal control (r=-0.27, depression ; r=-0.20, anxiety) are more likely to have poorer emotional health. Lastly, Hagger and Orbell (2003) review (N=45) addressed the validity of the model and the average correlations of illness representation dimensions were significantly positive for identity-consequences (r=0.37, p Comparison and contrasting of the models Research focused on comparing and contrasting theories of health-related behaviour change assesses the utility of those theories to advancing understanding of behaviour change processes. The two theoretical models outlined above show a number of similarities and differences. Several observations can be made in comparing the similarities of the models. First, CSM-SR and TRA are both social cognitive models concerned with how cognitive determinants are influencing each other in the regulation of behaviour and how these are applied to the understanding of health behaviours. Second, some constructs are common to both models, for example both CSM-SR and TRA are interested in how social-cognitive representations of health threat can motivate an individual to comply with his/her recommended treatment to avoid an adverse health outcome. Third, the models are used to analyse the influence of perceived factors external to individual on clinical-related behaviour. Moreover, both models explain behaviour change in terms of modifiable variables and support the importance of symptom attribution (Waller, 2006). Forth, CSM-SR and TRA are based on dynamic causal processes. In the CSM-SR, the individual regulates the interactions representations, coping mechanism and appraisal in an attempt to maintain coherence among them. In the TRA framework, changes in attitudes are influenced by changes in behavioural beliefs which ultimately produces changes in behaviour (Sutton, 2001). Lastly, both theories are used in developing intervention strategies, for example, related to help-seeking behaviour, by targeting modifiable variables (Waller, 2006). In contrasting the TRA and CSM-SR theoretical basis, the CSM-SR proposes that for a better understanding of individual’s behavioural adherence, the researcher needs to make reference to individual’s attitudes toward the threatening condition. In contrast, TRA proposes that the motivation needs to be understood through individual’s attitude toward the action of going to the appointment/ treatment (Orbell et al., 2006). The CSM-SR emphasizes the importance of assessment of the likelihood of adherence through the evaluation of illness beliefs constructs (i.e. identity, timeline, cause, consequences, and cure/control), while in the TRA model only a single attitude is used to evaluate outcomes. Another distinctive contrast between the two models lies within the constructs of the framework. While the CSM-SR takes account of the impact of emotional variables, the TRA is almost entirely rational and does not account for emotional factors. Another aspect is that CSM-SR do es not take account of the social influences that might shape illness beliefs or decision-making process, which is assessed by the TRA framework through subjective norms factor. The models also differ in the way they are applied in research literature. The cognitive and emotional constructs of CSM-RS were designed specifically for understanding illness perception and adherence. (Leventhal et al., 1992). By contrast, TRA was designed to predict volitional behaviours, thus it can be applied to various behaviours, for example information technology (Mishra et al., 2014), software piracy (Aleassa et al., 2010), cyberbullying (Doane et al., 2014), hazing (Richardson et al., 2012), and domestic violence (Sulak et al., 2014). Looking at the differences in measuring the components of the models, CSM-SR uses a well-validated set of constructs developed by Weinman and colleagues (Weinman, Petrie, Moss-morris, Horne, 1996). In contrast, the TRA models do not have a method per sei to measure its constructs. Thus, Ajzen Fishbein (1980) provides an extensive details of the constructs for research to develop theory own measures. In conclusion, the TRA and CSM-SR are both social cognitive model and their design is based on interpretation of cognitive factors in relation to behaviour change and each of them have their own weaknesses and strengths. Their contribution is significant and productive in the research literature because researchers can explore and test the theories to increases the understanding of health-related behaviours and help in the development of behaviour change interventions.

Canterbury Tales Essay - The Assertive and Vulnerable Wife of Bath

The Assertive and Vulnerable Wife of Bath Society was different in Chaucer's time; males dominated and women were suppressed.   The manipulative and destructive nature of women was emphasized by men. Much like Eve in the Bible, women were blamed for the 'downfall of man'. Through the Wife of Bath, Chaucer investigates the difficulty of self-realization for a woman in this restrictive environment.   The wife of bath, Alison, represents antifeminist stereotypes and searches for happiness and a place in a patriarchal society.   Unfortunately, Alison is never in tune with who she really is as a woman.   Chaucer uses a series of ironies to eventually show that under her seemingly confident guise, there hides the soul of a vulnerable, lost woman. The Wife of Bath argues in favor of women.   She disparages the works of the male scholars that denigrate women.   Using her "savage lion" analogy, she reasons that "if women had but written the stories", then such negative portrayals would not exist.   Therefore, at first, the Wife of Bath appears to be in favor of women's rights.   Ironically, the Wife of bath does not help women, her actions coinciding with the scholars' accusations. Alison DOES dress gaily, with her stockings of "fine scarlet red".   The color red is indicative of a quarrelsome, bold lady, as is the symbol of the gap in her teeth, to indicate licentiousness.   When she goes "walking out by night", and "followed on my appetite, Whether the lad was short, long, black, or white."(275), the Wife does prove to be adulterous.   In relationships with her husbands, the wife IS devious and deceitful, making up accusations to pre-empt any on the part of the husbands. Therefore, while on one level attempting t o protest the "negative s... ...son into obedience, and has been the partner who dominates and controls all along.   Her efforts to find true happiness are futile, and she lives a lie. The Wife of Bath is admirable in that she is assertive and has attempted to succeed in her life. Despite being a woman of the fourteenth century, her ideas, beliefs, and actions are more like a woman of the twenty-first century. She is truly a woman ahead of her time. Unfortunately, her restrictive environment prevented her from self-realization.   Therefore, she fails to effectively cope with and change her situation.   The wife of bath is a sad, lost woman, who used the wrong methods to find true love and happiness.   Hiding behind a confident mask, this woman is never truly free.   Works Cited: Chaucer, Geoffrey.â€Å"The Wife of Bath’s Tale.† The Canterbury Tales.Trans. Nevill Coghill. New York: Penguin, 1977.

Readings on the Power of the Nation-State Essay

World Society and the Nation-State by John W. Meyer, John Boli, George M. Thomas, and Francisco O. Ramirez * This essay begins by explaining that it is the world models of institutions and the purposes they serve—equality, socioeconomic progress, human development—are the foundations for the current nation-state order. These world models have become increasingly important in the post-war era as globalization has increased and intensified exponentially. * They then expand upon this point, explaining that traditionally, scholars believe that states are products of their own histories and internal forces. This essay asserts that this is inaccurate because in today’s era especially, there are many outside forces due to globalization that shape a nation state’s culture, institutions, and other features. * They argue that the main reasons for the emergence of world-society models have been out of wars, like World War II and the Cold War. These global conflicts may have pushed for the improvement of nationally organized progress and human development on the global scale. * Many scholars predict a failure of world-society, drawing upon evidence from the gross violations of world-cultural principles in Bosnia, the stagnant development in Africa, and the overall evasion of proper responsibility all over the globe. The Declining Authority of States by Susan Strange * Strange opens with the assertion that although they may not admit it, those in charge in capitalist nations are losing power and reputability. Politicians make empty promises and the people no longer believe them. It is exactly this type of discontent that brought down the Soviet Union and its satellite states. Political discontent by the public has risen globally and seems to be evident everywhere. * Strange also asserts that answers lie in the public opinion and everyday citizens of a country, not in the current political system. She says this because normal people use commonsense which seems to be more legitimate than the most common academic theories politicians base their notions upon. * Strange argues that after extensive study of the global political economy, she has come to the conclusion that we need to rethink some of the traditional concepts and assumptions that international relations are based upon. She presents four main assumptions that need to be revised: 1. The limits of politics as a  social activity. 2. The nature and sources of power within a society. 3. The necessity and contrasting invisibility of authority in a capitalist economy. 4. The anarchic nature of international society and rational conduct of states as the unitary actors in that society. * An interesting point Strange argues is that as governments try to gain more authority, they are squashing out ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples’ sovereignty. Some principle examples include the Basques of southwestern Europe, the Tibetans of China, the Scots of the United Kingdom, and the Aborigines of Australia.   Global Organized Crime by James H. Mittelman Mittelman explains that because of globalization, crime has completely evolved into a more complex and frightening concept. The new type of global crime involves crimes that didn’t even exist a few decades ago—computer crimes, money laundering, nuclear material theft, counterfeiting, stock market schemes, etc. Crime is also no longer localized, but taking place on a global scale. * Mittelman provides a chief example of this globalized crime using Chinese triads that have smuggled people illegally into the U.S. since the 1840’s. The corruption of the Chinese government and oppression of Chinese workers has caused this issue of illegal migration. * Mittelman also explains that global organized crime can be equated to transnational firms because they operate both above and below the state. Above the state, they operate using the manipulation of permeable borders and deregulation. Below the state, they operate by offering incentives to the marginalized populations who are struggling to cope with the effects of globalization. * He also describes the role of global crime in relation to the state. Traditionally, states are viewed as arbiters and mediators in interstate relations. However, this role is changing as crime has transcended borders and caused the cooperation of state governments to try and combat this trend. Mittelman also clarifies that although crime groups aren’t revolutionary or trying to take over the government, they are slowly changing the role of government and somewhat undermining its power.   Has Globalization Gone Too Far? By Dani Rodrik * Rodrik begins by asserting that globalization has dramatically increased the gap between the rich and the poor; the middle class is disappearing.  Because of this, tension between those in charge—the policymakers and market moguls—and those at the bottom—workers, environmentalists, etc.—has risen and become a major dividing factor. * This divide causes tension and a decrease in social stability. Rodrik highlights three main sources of tension. 1. Reduced barriers to trade and investment accentuate the imbalance between groups that can transcend international borders—capitalists, professionals, highly skilled workers—and those that can’t—unskilled workers. 2. Nations face major differences in terms of ideologies, politics, socioeconomics and this can cause conflicts within and between nations of opposing traditions. 3. Globalization has made it close to impossible for governing bodies to provide social insurance—a central function that has held societies together in the post-war period. * Rodrik then explains that in order to deal with these issues, policymakers must make difficult decisions in order to strike a balance between domestic cohesion and global interaction. Rodrik recognizes that this situation is usually viewed as a trade-off, however through maintaining a healthy balance between domestic needs and global progress, this can be achieved. Welfare Spending in an Era of Globalization: The North-South Divide by John Glenn * Glenn first recognizes that in less-industrialized states, welfare spending has decreased during the period of globalization due to the increased spending focused on structural development. On the other hand, highly industrialized nations have been the key agents in starting and maintaining globalization. * Glenn then examines two different hypotheses. The first states that nations are actively reconfiguring themselves in order to produce a business-nurturing environment. This competition state hypothesis claims that the globalization of the economy is putting the pressures on the states to make the business-conducive environment. The second hypothesis asserts that states make up for those who are most negatively affected by the economic progress and as a result of this, a decrease in social spending will not occur. * Glenn recognizes the overlap between these two hypotheses in that they both emphasize the importance of state investment in human capital in order to compete in the global economy of today. He also supports his findings with several tables  exhibiting different states’ growth of government expenditures, social spending trends, etc. in order for readers to visually see these trends that are occurring across the globe. World Culture and the Future of Schooling by David P. Baker and Gerald K. LeTendre * This article begins with the theory that education is, contrary to popular belief, a global undertaking. It defines the traditional, national vision of education as an institution for education and socialization of a country’s youth, preparing them to be successful adult citizens of their nation. The authors argue that this notion is inaccurate and is becoming more so every day. * The article asserts that global forces are shaping the evolution of schooling and education is growing more globally uniform due to the permeability of borders and educational values penetrating those borders and infiltrating educational systems within those borders. * The worldwide success of mass education is then examined. It is observed that all over the world, public schooling is educating the vast majority of youth and preparing them for a bright and educated future. In addition to this trend, traditional educational values have become widely accepted. These values can be education for the collective good, national government funding and interest in education, early education lasting through early adulthood as an effective tool in long-term impact, and statuses such as race, gender, religion and language should not deter an individual or group from accessing education.

Analysis of the Significance of Othello’s last speech Essay

This last speech of Othello is his way of expressing to viewers how he would have liked them to see the events of the play. However, his speech, albeit elegant and characteristic of Othello’s extravagant and Romantic use of language, is flawed, ironic and thus it is impossible to see the events of the play in the light that Othello would like us to. His account is merely how he would like the audience to view the play and not necessarily how the events of the play have indeed unfolded. Othello is a man very conscious and in some ways obsessed with reputation. He himself is aware of this, as shown in the preceding lines: â€Å"I pray you, in your letters, / When you shall these unlucky deeds relate, / Speak of me as I am†. Aware of the importance of opinion, which is inevitably affected by one’s reputation, he quickly jumps to tell people of how he would like to be remembered. With this obsession with reputation, it is already clear that Othello has a strong motive to put a positive spin on his actions. Indeed, his preoccupation with his reputation and public image was one of the reasons that he killed Desdemona. Also, it is Iago’s reputation as an honest man which allowed him to deceive Othello without Othello once questioning his words. Thus, Othello has a strong motive not to portray himself as he really is, but how he would want us to see him and so it is already possible to see that his account of his behaviour may not necessarily be an acc urate one. The preceding lines state that he tells the others to â€Å"speak of me as I am†. However, there is great irony in this statement as he immediately goes on to misinterpret himself and his motives in order to retain his noble and righteous reputation. He says that he is â€Å"not easily jealous†. However, the notion that jealousy has the power to destroy is a significant theme of the play. His jealousy that Desdemona might love Cassio is a major part of his downfall. Despite claiming to be one not easily jealous, not only is his better judgement quickly overcome by his jealousy when Iago first begins to make the allegations, but he lets his jealousy take over and his jealousy begins to control his actions. Also, he says that he has been â€Å"wrought, / Perplexed in the extreme†, and although it is undeniable that he has been deceived by Iago, as mentioned above, he lends himself to being â€Å"wrought† as  quickly realises that Othello’s jealousy is his weakness. With Iago quickly realising very early on in the play that jealousy is Othello’s weakness, it is obvious that it is simply a mere attempt to keep his reputation intact that Othello denies that he is not easily jealous and that the opposite is true. Othello also claims that he is one who â€Å"Drops tears as fast as the Arabian trees / Their medicinable gum† However, Othello was so consumed by jealousy and thus anger that, although he did love Desdemona, he showed little emotion immediately after killing his wife. He had already set up the murder in an execution-style killing, and was not sorry afterwards until he had found out that he was in fact wrong. Again, we see another misinterpretation by Othello in an attempt to Romanticise and justify his actions. Othello likens his action of killing Desdemona to that of an â€Å"Indian, [throwing] a pearl away / Richer than all his tribe†. Although this is a beautiful metaphor indicative that Othello has once again returned to his mastery of language, it fails to encompass the cruel and gruesome action that Othello had just carried out. Desdemona is represented by the pearl and so once again, there is a biblical resonance, with the pearl, being perfectly spherical and white, representing Desdemona’s purity and perfection. Again, we see Othello downplaying his own actions and representing a gruesome execution with beautiful imagery. Thus, it is very difficult to see the passage as anything but an attempt by Othello to die with some honour and reputation. Despite being filled with beautiful and heroic language and imagery, the passage is ultimately contradictory and misleading and in the end, not an accurate description of the true events of the play. This passage is especially significant in relation to the play as a whole as it is the characteristic â€Å"recognition speech† of a Shakespearean tragedy. Having finally realised, albeit too late, that he has made a mistake for which he must now live with, Othello has finally regained his natural ability with language. No longer is he bumbling along muttering lines such as â€Å"O fool, fool, fool!†, but his language is once again coherent and  elegant. He has regained his composure and sets upon sentencing himself to death, through confessing and then killing himself. This action reiterates in the audience’s mind the sense of tragic loss and thus ends the tragic play.