Thursday, October 31, 2019

Managing Human Resources in Health and Social Care Essay

Managing Human Resources in Health and Social Care - Essay Example 1.1) Planning a recruitment drive for health facility workers is a crucial process of obtaining the best possible workforce. Every health facility desires the best for its optimum operations. A facility planning to hire health workers, therefore, needs to create an environment that attracts its target labor force. Most workers usually discern good employers from the amount of money the employers pay. Being a health worker, however, is more of a calling than mere employment opportunity for dedicated health and social care givers. Social care workers derive more fulfillments from results of what they do than the pay they get from it. The period of recruitment should be preceded by an extensive publicity campaign intended for the target workforce. Healthcare or social facilities planning to carry out recruitment should pre-package its success stories and present them to a local media house. The same stories should be produced in newsletters, facility website and the social media. There should also be a spotlight on healthcare providers considered icons by the society. These service heroes should tell of their fulfillment and joy derived from working for the institution. As mentioned before, health and social work is a sacrifice, and individuals value fulfillment more than earnings. The facility needs to rely on its representatives and associates to take their image message to masses. An example is a facility that cares for the aged. Major drive to work for such institutions is service to humanity. They should work at improving their image to attract required qualified staff by portraying a superior picture. The institutions cannot afford to entice workers with heavy payment packs, and, therefore, have to prove their ability t o provide an environment for self-satisfaction for their prospective staff. 1.2) Other than

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

The novel Dracula by Bram Stoker Essay Example for Free

The novel Dracula by Bram Stoker Essay The novel Dracula by Bram Stoker was written in 1897 during the Victorian period in England. This novel expresses the attitudes of that time and also the changing dynamics between men and women. Stokers Dracula captured the imaginations of first the European countries, and then the worlds. This magnetic tale has remained popular for the last century for a myriad of reasons but mostly for its infamous implied sexuality. Although Dracula was not the first novel about vampires, it was the first widely read and mainstream book of the vampire gothic genre. The popularity of this book has been developing for over a century, and has spawned innumerable movies, television shows, books, magazines, music and with all those, a culture. One reason it was very popular when it was first published was because Stoker used a lot of real facts. The description of the eastern European countries excited his readers, because knowledge of other cultures was still very limited. Most countries were still well preserved and distinct and therefore the knowledge of other ways, was very captivating, and gave the British public a chance to look down their noses at the other, more primitive culture. In the first chapter of Dracula, Jonathan Harker writes derisively in his journal : It seems to me that the further East you go the more unpunctual are the trains. What ought they be in China? (p. 9) Next he describes scornfully the lowly peasant women: The women looked pretty, except when you go near them, but they were very clumsy about the waist. (p. 9) Known for their colonizing of other nations and their belief of self-superiority, I assume that the British would scoff at the superstitious customs of Transylvanian and eastern European societies, and would also enjoy reading about such ridiculous atrocities such as the un-dead. So, for the pure amusement of jeering at a foreign culture, the English must have taken immense pleasure in reading Dracula for that reason.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Changes In Global Trade And Financial Flows Economics Essay

Changes In Global Trade And Financial Flows Economics Essay Globalisation is the increasing level of economic integration between countries leading to the surfacing of a new market place. Globalisation has resulted in a reduction in trade protection. This is because of the increased interaction between countries has led to the possibility to purchase goods with similar quality to those developed locally, but for a cheaper price. Financial flows throughout the global economy have immensely increased due to more interaction. In the early 1970s industrial development took place in developing countries, so companies moved production oversees, allowing for lower production costs mainly due to cheap labour. In 1983 the financial system was de-regulated and the exchange rate was floated. This means that the value of the Australian dollar is determined by the supply and demand of the currency. This led to greater accessibility of Australian firms to world capital markets and reduced exporting costs. But this increased the instability of the exchange rate. In the late 1980s Australian manufacturers were persuaded to export to the international market through tariffs, subsidies, local content schemes and quotas. This was in order for them to survive in the large international market. There have been major changes in trade patterns that reflect changes in the global economy. An example is the growth of China being directly related to the demand of raw materials. The increased volume of trade between countries can also be attributed to advances in technologies and new trade agreements such as the Australia United States Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA). Trade growth is also due to the increase in demand of the resources that Australia has high amounts of. The constantly growing Asian economies demand raw materials that Australian companies extract from the land support growth in certain industries. An example of this is the trade between Australia and China. China is in demand of resource commodities in order to expand their infrastructure and support the 8% growth rate. Explain why globalisation has resulted in a reduction of trade protection Trade protection is a form of regulation that is imposed by a government in order to protect certain industries from cheaper oversees alternatives. Globalisation has resulted in a reduction of trade protection. This is because of increased production possibilities in developing countries that have lower wage rates than developing countries, leading to lower costs and greater profits. The removal of trade barriers can occur because a certain country can: Produce a good not available in another country Produce a good for a cheaper price than goods produced locally Produce a good more efficiently, allowing another country to focus on goods that they can produce efficiently Produce a good that is of better quality because of development of technical skills. However, there are trade protection rules in place in order to protect certain industries and to reduce effects of off shoring on domestic markets. Reasons for protection include: Infant Industries: These are industries that are at the beginning of the product lifecycle and have yet to establish themselves in the market. Therefore they have not yet experienced economies of scale (have not produced enough so that the cost of producing is lower in bulk). Because of this it is very difficult for them to compete with large foreign competitors, who take advantage of economies of scale and offer their products at lower prices, domestically. Although this is a reason for protection, if it is not removed at the correct time the industry may become reliant on government protection and never mature. Therefore a balance must be found between protection and allowing domestic industries to mature. Dumping: This refers to the selling of goods in export markets for a cheaper price than the cost of production. This creates revenue for the exporters that are dumping, but destroys the market for the importing company as they cannot compete with the cheap prices. Dumping is prohibited because of its potential to destroy industries quickly. Dumping may occur because a company wishes to: Gain market share, to reduce excess stock or to deliberately destroy competitive, domestic producers. Dumping also affects employment levels, because consumers will purchase the cheaper good, as the law of demand states the lower the price, the more demand there will be. Domestic Employment: Cheap imports reduce the market share of producers because of consumers purchasing cheaper products. As a result of this unemployment may occur in a certain industry because they may not compete. There may be structural change in the domestic economy because of this inability to compete. An example of this is in the United States in the 1980s where consumers preferred cheaper Japanese alternatives, therefore employment in the car industry decreased rapidly and the structure of the domestic economy changed to specialisation in the computer industry. Explain how trading blocs have impacted on protection levels Trading blocs are intergovernmental, multilateral agreements between countries within an area that decrease regulation on each others exports. Trading blocs have impacted on levels of protection. Since trading blocs are intergovernmental agreements, there must be deregulation in order to achieve maximum trade efficiency. An increase in the amounts of trading blocs internationally has led to a decrease in protection levels between countries in the trading blocs. An example of a trading bloc that has eliminated all trade barriers between the members is the European Union. This was established in 1993 and, although there is minimum regulation, there remains a common tariff between the members. The reasons that countries would want to join a trading bloc are: Improved growth, increased efficiency through importing cheaper goods and services, increased competition, economies of scale (larger markets due to free trade, investment in production due to increased trade and increased technolog y. Explain the consequences of deregulation on financial markets Deregulation of financial markets is where the banks have regulations removed from them. Between the years of 1983 and 1985 the financial system was deregulated by: The cessation of interest rate constraints on banks. This allowed banks to, more efficiently, fight for business (in the form of deposits and loans). Floating the Australian dollar: This is where the value of the currency is determined by the supply and demand of that certain currency. This changes the cost to import from or export to Australia, because the value of the dollar fluctuates. There is an inverse relation between the value of the dollar and the cost to import/export from/to Australia. Granting 40 foreign exchange licenses: This allowed foreign banks to enter the Australian financial system, and was done in order to boost competitiveness in the financial sector. In order to make the Australian banks more competitive, the procedure to set up domestic institutions was made more simple. The consequences of de-regulation are to do with the effects of speculation on appreciation and depreciation of the currency. When there is speculation that the value of the Australian dollar will rise, more people will purchase when it is still low. This increased demand will then cause the dollar to rise because of the floating exchange rate (as shown above). This in turn will have a negative effect on exports from Australia because the currency is worth more in comparison to others. An example is if the USA are importing goods from Australia with the Australian dollar buying 40 US cents. There will be more exports from Australia at this exchange rate in comparison to when 1 Australian dollar will by 1 US Dollar. Outline the role of the WTO, IMF and the World Bank in the global Economy The World Trade Organisation is a global establishment that supervises and implements rules controlling global trade. It is at the middle of decreasing trade protection and barriers. The trade policies that are determined by the WTO and multilateral agreements have expanded world trade; therefore it is seen as a symbol of globalisation. The accomplishment of the WTO in decreasing obstructions to trade and encouraging globalisation can be attributed to a reduction in mainly tariffs and quotas. This is done by: Enforcing international agreements and trade rules: Controlling trade disputes Observing trade policies Supervise trade negotiations While many countries have based their development on export and support globalisation entirely, there are many opponents to globalisation that have hindered the WTOs protection reduction scheme through protesting. This is known as the anti-globalisation process and is undertaken by numerous individuals/organisations because they are opposed to transnational corporations having un-regulated power and specifically because of profit maximisation leading to reducing costs which may lead to a more dangerous work place. The success of the WTO is measured by world trade figures. The amount of merchandise trade exports in 1990 was 14 times bigger than in 1950. The International Monetary fund is an establishment that has been set up with the intention to help countries finance trade and assist with balance of payments. Its prime intention is to guarantee steadiness of the worldwide financial structure, the system of exchange rates and worldwide payments that allows countries and its people to purchase goods and services from each other. In short it promotes globalisation. This is completed by loaning funds to nations in crisis to aid them in paying debts, imports and stabilising currencies. Examples of nations needing financial aid are Russia in 1998, many countries in Asia in 1998 and Argentina in 2003. The countries that obtain help from the IMF usually have conditions imposed on them. The types of conditions that the IMF imposes include: An increase in taxes Decreasing financial assistance on food and fuel Requiring members to disclose monetary and fiscal policies Since these reduce the living conditions of the impoverished, the IMF is frequently perceived as supporting global capital at the expense of the poor. It is, in addition, criticised for pushing nations at the beginning of the economic life cycle to open their economies, float their currencies, and reduce manufacturing and trade barriers. Since there are lags, it takes a while for the income levels to rise and demonstrate the benefits of these actions undertaken by the IMF. The World Bank is built as an organisation for financially supporting long standing expansion scheme for developing nations. The loans that are made towards these developing nations have a very low interest rate and are commonly referred to as soft loans. It not only lends money cheaply to developing nations, but also enforces procedures in order to endorse trade, boost exports and deregulation. An example of this is where some farmers in certain impoverished nations are persuaded to harvest produce for global demand, rather than for neighbouring areas. This may be done in order to boost profits from exports for the entire country. Although this may have a negative impact on local areas because rather than having those supplies used for the locals, they are used, instead for use in exports. Analyse how the global credit crisis has changed global trade and financial flows The global credit crisis has affected global trade and financial flows within the economy greatly. The following trade statistics show the trade numbers between the years 2005-08. Year Imports Exports 2004 9.5 10.5 2005 6 6.5 2006 6.5 8.5 2007 2 6 2008 -12 1.5 The trend of the data can be analysed in the following graph. Results taken from World Trade Organisation website: http://www.wto.org/english/res_e/statis_e/its2010_e/its10_toc_e.htm From the results above it can be seen that between the years 2004 and 2008 there was a drastic decrease in the export and import numbers internationally from 10.5% to -12%. This was due to the effects of the Global Credit Crisis. This will be shown below The global credit crisis began having major impacts in 2007, and still has major impacts on most economies in 2010. The global credit crisis began in the 1980s, where gigantic companies produced mechanical goods. At the end of the decade these firms identified that much more money could be made by investing into the financial industry. An example of a company that took part in this exercise was GE, who by the 90s, was making 10 times more money in investment, than in the production of goods. Due to the amount of cheap loans available, they borrowed much and became in debt. This money was then used to invest in financial bubbles. At first hefty profits were made, and many companies followed suit and by 2005 there was 14 so much money invested in speculation, that in value it equalled 14 times the value of the American economy. Debt began being offered to low income earners to in order to make more money and they could not pay it off. This had an incredible impact on the rest of the wo rld, showing the theory that when America sneezes, everybody catches a cold. Australia was one of the less affected countries due to its link with China. The global credit crisis had a large effect on global trade and financial flows. They include: Less demand for goods and services: Since there was far less demand, the price of elastic goods and service will go down, translating into less production, leading to greater unemployment. From this unemployment, there will be less household income therefore less goods and services will be bought. It was like a never ending circle. Less availability of credit: After the banks had gone bankrupt, there was no body to lend money to consumers, meaning spending was minimal. Rapidly decreasing Gross Domestic Product -Australia has developed a foreign debt of almost $A500 billion from borrowing money in order to fix the extended account deficit. There have been major changes in trade patterns that reflect the changes in the global economy. The rapid growth of China and the export of their manufactured goods, have led to a massive increase of raw materials demanded of certain countries like Australia. Results show that in 2003 the exports from Australia to China were triple what they were in 1990. This ever growing link between Asia and Australia has such a large importance that one of the objectives of ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) is to have Australia join so that free trade can occur between them. In conclusion it can be said that the structure and target of Australian trade is greatly affected by the trends of the global economy.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Educational Goals and Philosophy :: Education Teaching Teachers Essays

Educational Goals and Philosophy I have many reasons for choosing education. The first reason would have to be that I love being around children. I like to watch them get excited about new things that they learn and see their eyes light up when something really amazes them. The second reason is that my mother is a teacher. I have seen her in class with her students and how they have so much respect for her. I also have much respect for her because I know teaching isn’t easy and there has not been a day in her teaching career that I haven’t seen her amaze the students or me for that matter. I just hope that one day maybe I can be as good of a teacher as her. My last reason is that I hope to make learning fun and exciting for students. When I was a student in grade school I had a teacher that didn’t use any special teaching methods or manipulatives and that class was boring for me. One year I had a teacher that used many exciting activities, such as, treasure hunts to make learning fun. I learned a lot from that teacher and was very excited about what I learned. During my observation experience I noticed that the classroom environment helps to enhance student’s learning. From this experience I would like to display projects that I did at that grade level to motivate my students and encourage them with their work. I would also like to hang pictures and have sculptures that would be fun and educational for them at their level. For example, if I would teach fourth through sixth grade, I would use fossils and skeletons for their learning experience with science. I could also use pictures of famous places for learning history like The Eiffel Tower, The Leaning Tower of Pisa, Big Ben, The Taj Mahal, The Great Pyramids, The Sphinx, Stonehenge, etc. I believe that classroom management is as important as classroom environment when it comes toward contributing to children’s learning. From my experience, I feel that if a teacher uses only negative discipline then he/she has a repugnant affect on students, which causes the student not to reach their potential. In my classroom, I plan to use both positive and negative forms of discipline, so that good behavior will be rewarded and students will remember and be motivated toward proper behavior. Educational Goals and Philosophy :: Education Teaching Teachers Essays Educational Goals and Philosophy I have many reasons for choosing education. The first reason would have to be that I love being around children. I like to watch them get excited about new things that they learn and see their eyes light up when something really amazes them. The second reason is that my mother is a teacher. I have seen her in class with her students and how they have so much respect for her. I also have much respect for her because I know teaching isn’t easy and there has not been a day in her teaching career that I haven’t seen her amaze the students or me for that matter. I just hope that one day maybe I can be as good of a teacher as her. My last reason is that I hope to make learning fun and exciting for students. When I was a student in grade school I had a teacher that didn’t use any special teaching methods or manipulatives and that class was boring for me. One year I had a teacher that used many exciting activities, such as, treasure hunts to make learning fun. I learned a lot from that teacher and was very excited about what I learned. During my observation experience I noticed that the classroom environment helps to enhance student’s learning. From this experience I would like to display projects that I did at that grade level to motivate my students and encourage them with their work. I would also like to hang pictures and have sculptures that would be fun and educational for them at their level. For example, if I would teach fourth through sixth grade, I would use fossils and skeletons for their learning experience with science. I could also use pictures of famous places for learning history like The Eiffel Tower, The Leaning Tower of Pisa, Big Ben, The Taj Mahal, The Great Pyramids, The Sphinx, Stonehenge, etc. I believe that classroom management is as important as classroom environment when it comes toward contributing to children’s learning. From my experience, I feel that if a teacher uses only negative discipline then he/she has a repugnant affect on students, which causes the student not to reach their potential. In my classroom, I plan to use both positive and negative forms of discipline, so that good behavior will be rewarded and students will remember and be motivated toward proper behavior.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Western Countries Influence on China in the 19th Century

For quite a long period of time, China has had the largest economy in the world. Concepts such as use of money and development of merchant class were introduced by the ancient China. The Chinese exhibited a false sense of superiority as they believed that they had nothing to gain by trading with other countries. The country was locked to external trade and it was not until after the Opium War that the country was forcefully opened to the world, which carried both positive and negative effects (Rawski, Para. 2). In the time of cold war, the literature which talked about China’s development focused on two major issues, one was that the involvement in international trade was less likely to be helpful in search of economic development for poor countries. The second was that the culture and social structure of China was a great impediment to its development. It was believed that substantial development in the country would only arise after major and dramatic changes were carried out to the social structure and individual behavior (Overholt. 22). According to Rawski (Para. ), the 19th century was in the Qing Period of the Canton trade and the balance of payment was in favor of Chinese as the silver flowed into the country. It was at this period that the British discovered a favorable market for opium in China as it shipped opium from India. This new discovery made the silver flow to reverse as outflow of silver increased. The balance of payment was no longer favorable as the trend decrease d money supply in the economy. The resultant effect was a downward pressure on general prices of goods and services that led to economic problems. The Qing court wanted to stop the outflow of silver and Commissioner Lin was sent to Canton in the efforts to stop the trade of opium. He confiscated property that belonged to the British traders and destroyed this business. When the traders complained to their government, the British government responded with military pressure which led to the opium war and unequal treaties system. The British soldiers easily outgunned the Qing forces as they had superior weapons. The Qing then surrendered in the year 1842 and the treaty of Nanking was signed. It allowed unrestricted European access to Chinese ports and the island of Hong Kong was ceded to Great Britain. During the war, farm areas were destroyed, and millions of lives were lost that made China’s income to fall. Another war that emerged between the British and the Chinese led to grievous losses and British warships obtained unlimited access to all rivers in China provided they were navigable. All official Chinese documents were to be written in English (U. S. Department of State, Para. 10a). The system of unequal treaties had economic impact on China and it also infringed on their political sovereignty. It led to the imposition of a free trade regime that allowed unlimited trade in all goods and services which eventually was obliged to allow foreign investment and foreign trade as well. The fact that China was large and far from the coast, was a reason that the foreign trade was not a large component of the economy. However, with the coming of new technology which involved rail road and telegraph, the Chinese were eager to utilize these opportunities. New commodities were thus adopted and organizational innovations implemented. In 1860s, the Qing dynasty initiated several institutional reforms in order to deal with the problem of modernization (Gibson 59). The Chinese had a vague concept of European countries and it was not until the opium war that they tried to understand the west in form of their ideologies, social and political structures. Technology was thus introduced into the country as much as democracy and capitalism were recognized by the citizens. They realized that by being locked to other countries, they were left ignorant of significant concepts and ideologies from other countries. The need to conquer the west made them interested in understanding the west in form of their economic structures and political structures. It was certain that the defeat in the opium war was due to the better technology; lethal western weapons, and strong ships. It was then that reform was underway in China (Beeching 47). Economic Reforms In the early 19th century, China was completely closed and isolated itself from other countries in the world. Foreign trade was limited in the city of Canton and it was not until the opium war that led to the signing of Nanjing treaty, that China’s ports were opened and western merchants found their way into the Chinese market. The effect on Chinese economy was significant as they had least expected it. The effect of opening up of China did not have just the negative effects but it also had good and positive effects on the economy and social relationships which existed in the people of Qing Dynasty. Among the negative effects that we shall look in details are internal struggles, increase in the rate of crime, economic downfall in the city of Canton and the increase in the economic welfare at the cities of Shanghai and Hong Kong (Chesneaux, Marianne & Maie-Claire 7). Chinese local industries were affected by cheaper western machine made products. This created so much pressure on the local industries as they had to adapt and reform in order to compete with the western merchants. The defeat of China in the opium war was enough to convince the Chinese that they were no longer the ‘Heavenly Middle Kingdom’ that they always thought they were. They were thus awakened and exposed to the reality of progress (Gibson 32). Chinese were used to being self reliant as they had a self sufficient domestic trade. This was occasioned to a large extent by the fact that it has an immense home trade. It has a vast land that their internal trade is sufficient to perform commercial operations. In opening up, China was able to compare itself with other nations internationally and thus realized that it was no longer on top of the world. Chinese thus developed a sense of purpose and a desire to improve their economy; it was a period of awakening the giant (Chesneaux, Marianne & Maie-Claire 53). Various economic repercussions were obtained after the opening of China. The flourishing of foreign trade was evident as China increased its export from 7. 5 million kilograms of tea in 1843 to 42 million kilograms in 1855. The export of silk also increased significantly. The demand of tea and silk led to the expansion of tea and silk producing regions as they greatly benefited from foreign trade. Another economic effect was a monetary crisis which resulted from the increased volumes of trade activities. There was a reduction in the Spanish silver dollar and it appreciated so much that it was abolished and the Mexican dollar introduced. These problems were enhanced by internal monetary crises that were instigated mainly by poor administration. The copper cash that prevailed in China depreciated significantly as a result of inadequate supply of copper. This devastated Chinese financial system and in 1853, the country had to result to paper money (Beeching 67). There was a significant effect on the textile industry. Prior to the Opium War, the Chinese made cloths by hand. This industry was almost eliminated as open system led to the importation of cheaper machine-made cloths and other products. The native textile industries had to adapt by lowering their charges, though this was detrimental to the textile workers. Their wages were reduced as the textile industries looked for ways of reducing their operation costs and led to lowering the living standards of these workers (Beeching 63). The old Chinese self-sufficient economy was changing under pressure. China’s social-economical development was affected by western capitalistic societies. This however did not lead to the formation of capitalistic China but rather made it to a semi-colonial semi-feudal state. The Chinese industries had been exposed to the outside states but at a time when they had not anticipated it. They were thus less prepared and less equipped to compete with these international industries. The opening up of China meant that the people who used to transport goods to Canton (mostly the Hakkas) were left without jobs. The majority of trade shifted from Canton to Shanghai as Shanghai had been opened for foreign trade. The Hakkas were considered to be ethnic minorities by the natives of Canton which led to a competition between the two clans in form of farming and economy. This led to wars between the two clans and as a result, hundred of thousands of lives were lost and the effect was quite significant to the China’s economy. The population which had made the country prosperous was being threatened by this internal wars and struggles (Chung, Para. 4). China was no more affected as a series of natural disasters also stroke the country. The Huang He River had burst its banks and flooded a vast portion of land in the year 1851. In 1855, the river flooded again and the fertile and among the most productive province of Jiangsu was in ruins as farmland was destroyed and loss of lives intensified. The Qing government could not afford to provide adequate aid to the survivors as funds had been drained during the opium war and against the Taipings rebellion. The government was also busy in negotiating for military aid with the European powers. The Qing government also faced contempt from the Nian movement which had just begun. The government was thus placed in a very unstable situation by all these occurrences and frustrations (Chung, Para. 5). According to Chung (Para. 7), the Muslim rebellions that tried to enhance equal rights among the Muslims and the non-Muslims, the Taipings rebellion, and other groups that were opposed to the Qing government failed to strike a solution to the prevailing social and economic crisis, as millions of people died. The much relied agricultural industry was severely affected by these rebellions as the countryside was ruined in these battles and countless people lost their lives. This led the Qing government to increase its dependence on the European Imperial forces and subsequent purchase of modern weapons. These internal conflicts made it hard for the Qing government to concentrate its military powers and it thus lost external wars: the Second Opium War (1856-1860) and Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895). The effect was an occupation of Beijing by an international force and the agreement of the Boxer Protocol (1901) which was done under humiliating terms. The government was to indemnify the European powers for the losses that they had suffered. The Qing court resisted reforms and revolutionaries and reformers advocated for overthrow of the Qing dynasty in order to form a republic. The Qing government was eventually weakened by the numerous rebellions as they tried to pursue economic stability as the economic crisis had worsened by the end of 19th century to a national status (Chung, Para. 10). The Rise of China’s Economy The growth and the sudden rise of China is one of the greatest economic successes in the world. With economic reforms in China which started in the year 1979, to 2008 China’s economy is believed to have grown 14-fold in real terms. This has led to the raising of hundreds of millions of people out of extreme poverty. On per capita basis, China is relatively poor though it is currently the world’s second largest economy. This has led to increase in economic ties between China and the U. S. China is still marked with low-cost labor and as such, most U. S. companies operate in China so as to benefit from the vast and booming Chinese Market and low cost of operations as a result of taking advantage of the low cost labor in their export-oriented manufacturing (Rawski, Para. ). The basic improvements seem to have originated from four modernization strategies in Agriculture, industry, science and technology, and National Defense. This meant that rural electrification had to be initiated, a total industrial automation, a focus on a new outlook of the economy, and an enhanced national security and strength on defense. Mechanization in agriculture and subsequent use of irrigation, led to the modification of the ind ustry so as to enhance production, better farming methods were also encouraged (Rawski, Para. 9). The Chinese social and cultural structure had been thought that it was a major constraint to economic growth and development. The rapid improvement in economic conditions of the Chinese is a clear indication that the social and cultural structures might be conducive to growth. There are certain elements of Chinese culture that generate an enterprising spirit which is not found in most cultures in poor countries. One would pose to wonder why this enterprising spirit didn’t have major effects in the 19th century as it had after the minor reforms in 1978 which initiated explosive growth. China used improvements in the heavy industry and infrastructure. Development of modern highways, and compounding of Petrochemical, steel and other industries ensured that the economic capacity of the nation was improved. This rapid growth was also initiated by the use of cheap labor which was used extensively in manufacture and subsequent export of low-end products (Overholt 23). The Implications The opening up of China and the subsequent catastrophic occurrences had negative impacts on the economic well being of China. The Western countries undermined China’s self sufficient economy, the rural homestead industries were as much adversely affected as the development that occurred in the urban market economy. On the other hand, it opened the nation to compare its progress with other nations as well. Technology was imported from the western countries and all this worked to enable the nation develop unbiased opinions on the working of international economies. The Chinese government established commercial and modern enterprises as a result of stimulation from the western capitalism. Many of the established enterprises went bankrupt as a result of poor administration, but the established modern industries thrived which enhanced the social-economic development of China. The modern industries stimulated the growth of Chinese capitalism and formed a basis which has marked a tremendous improvement of the Chinese economy (Chesneaux, Marianne & Maie-Claire 48). It is a wonder that a nation that could barely feed its citizens is an industrial giant with the leading capacity in steel production, aluminum, cement and coal. The U. S. ad been the world’s leading auto market but in January 2009, China had turned the tables. It had also been named the top producer of merchant ships in the year 2007. It is clear that the western influence had negative impacts to China at first but today China has all to gain. The exposure to the western markets at such a critical time gave the nation a clear understanding of improved technology and the workings of international markets and economies. China thus used its capacities and its capabilities so as enable it obtain control in this international market. When we compare China to North Korea, a country that was free from western influence, then we can confidently say that Western Influence was what was needed to awaken the sleeping giant in China (Overholt 29). According to the U. S. Department of State (Para. 20b), in the Mid-19th century, the western countries focused the capitalist diplomacy on Korea. The policy which was adopted by the Leaders made the region to be termed as Hermit Kingdom. Korea remained independent until late 19th century when China wanted to block the influence Japan had on Korean Peninsula and the pressure by the Russians. This led to the afore-mentioned Sino-Japanese war in which Japan emerged victorious. Korea was thus annexed as part of the Japan Empire which had strong colonial administration and control and it was not until the end of World War II in 1945 that Japan surrendered. This led to the division of Korea, where the United States administered the southern part and the U. S. S. R. took over the northern side. North Korea attacked South Korea in 1950 and the United Nations sent troops to support South Korea. China Supported North Korea until an armistice agreement was signed in 1953. North Korea is governed by a centralized government under the Communist Korean Worker’s Party (KWP). Minor parties do exist but under limited power and scope of authority. It has a record of wide violations of human rights as the government has total control on all issues in the state. The media is controlled by the government that it is not a wonder that ‘North Korea was ranked second to last on the World Press Freedom Index’ (U. S. Department of State, Para. 23b). North Korea spends quite a substantial proportion of its income on military, but the nation has not yet become self-sufficient in food production. Technological links were disrupted and affected with the collapse of communism in the former Soviet Union in 1989. The GDP of the nation has stagnated for quite a while and it is far much below China in economic development and in the living standards of its nationals (U. S. Department of State, Para. 18b). Conclusion The Chinese people were against the opening of China by the Opium War, but the control of China and influence by the Western countries made China a semi-feudal semi-colonial state. It was not until then that technology found its way into China and the Chinese were quick to use it to their advantaged. The shameful defeat in the Opium War made the Chinese vow to strengthen their country in order to prevent a repeat of the same. This has inspired the nation to the current situation of growth and influence in the world. In fact China is very reluctant to succumb to international pressure as it is on its way to gain the title the world’s economic giant.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Great War Assignment

This letter collection tell us about their bittersweet personal love story. The collected letters from Murray are addressed to his fiance Margaret who he was engaged to be married to. The tone in his letters are affectionate and loving. In the letters, he refers to her as â€Å"dear girl†2 â€Å"Honey girl†3 or â€Å"Girlie†4, and often tells how much he † dream[s] of [the] days†5 that they had together. For Murray, the existence of his sweet fiance Margaret was probably an emotional support on the war front. Letters from her perhaps gave him sense of certainty about their delightful future that eased his loneliness.Wellington Murray Dennis and Margaret Munroe letter, June, 1917, WWW Collection, www. Contraindicates. Ca ! Elongation Murray Dennis and Margaret Munroe letter, 20 May, 1917, WWW Collection, ! Elongation ! Elongation ! Elongation Murray Dennis and Margaret Munroe letter, July, 1917, WWW Collection, Matura's 3 The contents of his letters ex tend from everyday life on the battlefield to discussion on their relationship. He did not tell Margaret about the detailed hardships or horrors he experienced on the battlefield; this is, probably, because he did not want to make her worried or scared of losing him.Instead of sounding so concerned, he tries to think of something pleasant; â€Å"Instead of coming home to you tonight dear (as we had figured) I come â€Å"home† to a tent and in place of having you pouring out my tea and passing me delicious cakes across a clean white table cloth I get a certain issue of tea in a mess tin and I eat bread and cheese seated on the grass. â€Å"6 In this note, Murray combines reality, nostalgia, and fantasy. Together, they work as an escapism for him. In his mind, the reality of the battlefield somehow exists in parallel to happy memories and a spotless dream image.As he sipped â€Å"tea in a mess in† and eats â€Å"bread and cheese on the grass† after his duty, he remembers of going to â€Å"picnic parties†7 with Margaret back in Canada. As for nostalgia, he flashes back to her gentle way when she would pour his tea and pass him the delicious cake she made. Then fantasy plays a role in the memory. The phrase â€Å"coming home to you† represents his dream future of being married to Margaret, and â€Å"a clean white table cloth† is one example of details in his idealistic image. His daydream alters bitter ! Elongation ! Wellington Matura's 4 reality; â€Å"a tent† into the dream home, â€Å"bread and cheese seated on the grass† to delicious cakes†, and a â€Å"mess tin† to † a clean white table cloth†, believe it or not. Writing a letter to his fiance provided Murray a comforting time that he can live apart from the reality for a little while. It perhaps was a escapism for him; however, he might not had been necessary wanted to escape from the reality he was placed. Regarding the discu ssion about their relationship, it seems like Murray was having a debate in his head whether if he should have gotten married before he left Canada.In the first letter in this collection, written on May 4th, 1917, he noted it was a good session not to be married; â€Å"Still we were wise that we did not marry, no matter what our hearts prompted. â€Å"8 Perhaps, Murray thought he was saving her from having to live a lonely life by choosing not to marry her. Thus, Margaret is not forced to wait for him to be back to Canada, in addition, she would have a better chance to be marrying to another man and not live a lonely life, when Murray does not survive the war.Despite the rational decision in the beginning, he started to have mixed feeling about it because he realizes how â€Å"my[his] love [towards Margaret] has matured. 9 On July 5th 1917, he admits that he â€Å"thought it would have been better to have married [with Margaret]†10 because she might find â€Å"someone els e to help you[her] ease the burden. † 1 1 Clearly, Murray was faced with a dilemma; he wanted to establish an unshakable ! Elongation Murray Dennis and Margaret Munroe letter, 4 May, 1917, WWW Collection, ! 9 ! Elongation ! Elongation Matura's 5 connection with Margaret but Just could not let her to live a lonely life if he could not manage to survive. Not a single letters from Murray suggests that he supported or liked the war although he rarely expressed his dissatisfaction towards the warfare he was involved in. On May 4th, 1917, he reassuringly wrote in the letter â€Å"I'm [ He is] not lonesome nor downhearted†12 but he also tells Margaret that he's thinking about â€Å"what[their happy marriage] might have been had[happened] [if] this war [did] not intervened†13 in the same letter.Murray said he is not downhearted to give her sense of safety about him at the war, however, at the same time, he did not hide frustration about the war holding them back from the happy marriage. About 2 months later, he expressed his personal reflection about the war n the letter: â€Å"We had thought to be living our lives together in piece F[f]ann. how fate plays tricks with human plans. â€Å"14 Murray was amazed how the war derailed his future plans they had in mind in such an unpredictable way.As suggested in the beginning, he was an implement dealer not a career soldier; and, he probably had never thought he'd be a soldier nor supported the war. Everything 112 ! Littleton ! Eliminating ! 14 ! Elongation Matura's 6 that seemed to be real and going smoothly sank out of his sight, then his life changed dramatically. The war relocated him in a grim battlefield in an unknown country. There is no doubt that Murray was excited about what the future holds for him and Margaret.Perhaps, he tried the very best he could to survive on the battlefield, so that he can be back to his â€Å"Honey Girl†1 aback in the country. The following shows how he ended t he letter written on the letter written on July 7th, 1918; â€Å"The way you showed yourself so all mine honey girl is one of the sacred memories I have taken to France †¦ L loved you with my whole heart†¦ N[n]owe kisses and all love and honor to the mother of our children. Your faithfully Murray'16. This quote shows Murray strong love towards Margaret and it also his want to settle down and raise a family.The ending of the letter â€Å"all love and honor to the mother of our children† shows his idealistic perspective about domestic pleasure as a father and husband. This specific written on July 7th, 1918 is interesting because Murray strong feeling as never before is enclosed into the writing. Perhaps, he was afraid if he can survive as the war went on for a long time, so he tried to convince himself to live by feeling hopeful about the future. Sadly, Murray could not raise a loving family with Margaret as he desired, more pathetic still, he was killed in action o n August 9th, 1918.On November 1 lath same year, only three months later his death, the WWW ended. II 51 Elongation ! Eliminating Murray Dennis and Margaret Munroe letter, 7 July, 1918, WWW Collection, Matura's 7 After his death in France, many letters from family and friends were delivered to Margaret but not from her fiancee anymore. It seems her family and friends were teary about Murray death, at the same time, also trying to cheer her up: Oh Margaret I hardly know what to write but I want you to feel you have my sympathy despite my own feelings as yet it seems impossible to realize the truth.I have had no further correspondence but seen his dear name in the list†¦ Yours affectionately Murray Mother†17 † You know How Sorry I am for you I cannot tell you You will Just know and I know how Brave you are going to be†¦ Heaps of Love Sorrowing P[? ]e† â€Å"Only today did I hear of your great sorrow,When any one I love is in sorrow it makes my heart ache O h Dear†¦ Lovingly Elsie†18 Many of her friends and family almost immediately wrote to Margaret when they eared the sad news. This shows how much Murray was loved by people around him and the strength of their bond between family and friends.The letters were filled with thoughtful expressions of sympathy. However, it also sounded like they got used to write letter of sympathy on the death on young soldiers as there were many killed and wounded soldiers; â€Å"This is a sad time for the Wellington Murray Dennis and Margaret Munroe letter, 4 September , 1918, WWW Collection, www. Contraindicates. Ca Wellington Murray Dennis and Margaret Munroe letter, 7 September , 1918, WWW Matura's 8 people of Canada such long lists of killed & wounded coming in every day' 19.Some of the letters praised his braveness fighting his last breath for the war effort: â€Å"l know you will be proud as we are for the one who is so grand for he is not dead but sleepers†¦ Your loving niece Ge orgia†20 â€Å"Mingled with your sorrow there must – be a feeling of pride that your friend gave his life for such a noble cause†¦ Yours sincerely Ethel Radcliff†21 It appears people who lived during WWW considered being sacrificed for the war is noble and honorable. This is a twisted convention because what Murray wanted on the battlefield is to being back home and live in piece with Margaret.Battles fought, invented efficient weapons, numbers of soldiers killed or treaty that ended everything after such turbulence; those are the â€Å"facts† I learned in history or social classes. Reading the letter collection of Murray expanded brought me a different perspective to wars. Wars are not only about those â€Å"facts† and their cause and effect; there are plethora of personal stories behind them. Murray was a soldiers but, at the same time, he was young. He had a bright future ahead of him, and it has just started to shape itself.There is no reas on for me to demur at this statement. But then, there are wars still going on around the world. I wonder why, after 14 years from the beginning on 21st century, violence is still used as a last resort. I wonder if there is such a thing as ending of the use of violence. I was grown in Japan where all children receive peace education, and always thought, as a child, starting a war had disappear from options. It is sad that there are parts in the world where people are forced to live under the tension and straining situations.