Friday, August 21, 2020

Know Money, Win Money! Medical Costs

Know Money, Win Money! Medical Costs Know Money, Win Money! Medical Costs Know Money, Win Money! Medical CostsYour gracious host had a broken foot when we recorded our latest episode of Know Money, Win Money!, but that didn’t stop us from taking to the streets to give people money in exchange for answering questions correctly!Given the state of his leg and  the fact that the deadline to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act is this Friday (December 14th), we decided to do an episode about medical costs.As you might be able to guess, this topic was kind of a bummer! Check it out anyway!????Our first question asked contestants which country spends the most, per person, on healthcare. Give up? Its the United States of America. Unfortunately, that spending under our odd hodge-podge system doesn’t really translate to better health results over other developed countries.Our next question asked folks about the consequences of the first question: Did you know that 41 percent of working-age Americans struggle with medical bills? If you did, and you were around when we were filming this episode, then you might have gotten another $10 to go towards your billsâ€"medical or otherwise.It seems like healthcare in America may have some cost issues. And while there’s a long way to go, there have also been attempts to address these high medical costs and lower the uninsured population.One of those attempts was the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, which established marketplaces and subsidies to make shopping for health insurance easier and to provide lower premiums or taxes to those who could not otherwise afford it.If you don’t have health insurance for 2019, you should really check out HealthCare.gov and sign up for a plan!  While the penalty you would have faced from not having health insurance under the ACA has been repealed, it’s still important for you to have a health insurance plan you can afford.Even if you’re healthy now, you never know what can happen, and you’re much better off being prepared for the worst than being surprised with an incident that leaves you with massive amounts of medical debt. So check out HealthCare.gov and see if you can find a plan that works for you today!Once youre finished signing up for health  insurance,  you can also check out some of our other recent episodes of Know Money, Win Money!:Episode 23: Farmers MarketEpisode 22: Chicago Chocolate and Wine Expo (Part II)Episode 21: Scavenger Hunt at C2E2Where would you like to see us go in future episodes? We want to hear from you! You can  email us  or you can find us on  Facebook  and  Twitter.Visit OppLoans on  YouTube  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  LinkedIN

Monday, May 25, 2020

Income inequality in America Free Essay Example, 1500 words

The government of the United States has ever since worked hard to solve the problem of income inequality especially the imbalance between wealth and poverty. According to Noah, inequality is increasing almost everywhere in the industrialized and post-industrial world. Many can argue that income inequality is not a governmental obligation, but contrary, the individuals in power and leadership are better positioned to address this disparity. Because the government is in control of various systems in the country and determine how to run them. Inequality has caused a, widened gap between the top and the middle class (Noah). Therefore, the government should be run in a democratic way, considering the poor. The government is obligated to oversee fair distribution and exploitation of natural resources to different communities (Reich 32). The passing of laws and policies by the government that allow progressive rights to minority groups like women has to lead to an affirmative action t hat has tried to solve the imbalance in employment opportunities. In the past, gender and sex discrimination were on the rise making most women less privileged in job provisions. We will write a custom essay sample on Income inequality in America or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Jane Eyre - Critical Evaluation - 1819 Words

The novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronteuml; consists of the continuous journey through Janes life towards her final happiness and freedom. This is effectively supported by five significant ‘physical journeys she makes, which mirror the four emotional journeys she makes. 10-year-old Jane lives under the custody of her Aunt Reed, who hates her. Jane resents her harsh treatment by her aunt and cousins so much that she has a severe temper outburst, which results in her aunt sending her to Lowood boarding school. At the end of the eight years, she has become a teacher at Lowood. At the age of eighteen she seeks independence and becomes governess at Thornfield Hall. Over time, Jane falls in love with its master, Edward Rochester, who†¦show more content†¦The third important journey which Jane makes is from Gateshead back to Thornfield having visited her Aunt Reed on her deathbed. By then Jane realises that she loves Rochester, but has no idea that her feelings are reciprocated. A key theme is raised: Jane has a fierce desire to love and be loved. She feels alone and isolated when she has no friends around her. This is a stark contrast to the search for money, social position, God etc. - which drive the other characters. These contrasting themes r einforce Janes affectionate nature, intelligence, and sense of justice, all of which are strengthened with every journey she makes. During this journey, Jane is afraid of what the future holds for her. She believes at this point that Mr Rochester is going to marry Blanche Ingram, and that she will have to leave Thornfield and never see Mr Rochester again. For a week before Janes departure, she dreams of a baby each night: ... a dream of an infant...it failed not for seven successive nights to meet meÂ….. This recurrent image is possibly personification of the innocence and vulnerability of Jane herself: she has to support herself and still feels alone because she does not believe that Rochester loves her. Jane is not enthusiastic about returning to a place so filled with bad memories, but doing so allows her to finally put her experiences at Gateshead behind her.Show MoreRelated The Power of Great Expectations and Jane Eyre Essay example2110 Words   |  9 PagesThe Power of Great Expectations and Jane Eyre      Ã‚  Ã‚   Many novels have been written in many different eras. Each era has its `reform novel or piece of literature, or pieces of work that broke the mold. For the Greeks, it was Homers Odyssey; for the Renaissance, it was The Essays: Of Cannibals by Michel de Montaigne; for the Medieval era, it was Dante Alighieris Inferno. It was the same in the Victorian era, which ran from 1850 to about 1900. The reform authors were Charlotte Brontà «Read More Futile Search for Identity in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre Essay1763 Words   |  8 PagesFutile Search for Identity in Jane Eyre      Ã‚   According to the university psychology department, The human brain is most emotionally affected in childhood. As a child, many experience numerous great events, however one negative event can undermine all of the great events that the brain would have remembered. The traumatizing occurrences that take place in peoples lives are catastrophic in childhood, and have a long lasting effect in adulthood. These events can cause a lack of love beingRead More Revision of Master Narratives within Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea2157 Words   |  9 Pagesmood of the time was. From there one will be able to discuss how they were revised, and if in fact they were revised at all. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Bronte is known as one of the first revolutionary and challenging authoress’ with her text Jane Eyre. The society of her time was male dominated, women were marginally cast aside and treated as trophies for their male counterparts. Their main role in life was to be a mother and a wife, â€Å" Literature cannot be the business of a woman’s life†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦the moreRead More Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre: Jane Eyres Artwork Essay1824 Words   |  8 PagesJane Eyres Artwork      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Each picture told a story; mysterious often to my undeveloped understanding and imperfect feelings, yet ever profoundly interesting. --Jane Eyre (9)    There is something extraordinary and spiritual about Jane Eyres artwork. In her story, Janes solitary pastime sometimes operates as an outlet of past or present pain, and often offers her a chance to deal with unpleasant memories and emotions. Janes art transcends her isolation by bringing her into contactRead MoreAt The Heart Of Kellman’S Argument, He Attributes Three1582 Words   |  7 Pagesapplied to the opening of The Great Gatsby, this makes sense. Not only does the narrator, Nick Carraway, go against his father’s warnings of criticizing others, whenever describing other characters or situations, he only shows the world around him in a critical light, emphasizing the theme of hypocrisy throughout the novel. This encourages rereading, multiple interpretations of events within the text, provoking readers to immerse themselves in the narrative over and over again. Lastly, Kellman asserts thatRead MoreKnowledge, Understanding And Skills1851 Words   |  8 Pagesin o rder to: †¢ Communicate through speaking, listening, reading, writing, viewing and representing †¢ Use language to shape and make meaning according to purpose, audience and context †¢ Think in ways that are imaginative, creative, interpretive and critical †¢ Express themselves and their relationships with others and their world †¢ Learn and reflect on their learning through their study of English. VALUES AND ATTITUDES Students will value and appreciate: †¢ The importance of the English language as aRead More Virginia Woolfs Narrative Technique in A Room of Ones Own Essay3133 Words   |  13 Pages she explains. One can imagine that this statement only further perplexed Woolfs original audience of female undergraduates in 1928. But Woolf is adamant here. She has no desire to rehash remarks about the usual suspects of womens literature. Jane Austen, George Eliot, the Bronte sisters - these women will eventually be mentioned, but Woolf is no historical surveyor. She writes modernist novels; naturally, she will write about women and fiction in that same modernist, novelistic mode. ButRead MoreEssay about The Introduction of Feminist Criticism1815 Words   |  8 Pageswomen have always been considered inferior to men. However, as Barnes suggests, the minimal criteria for feminism should include the claim for equal status, rights and roles with men. From the very early time, women began to strive fro their self-evaluation. Th e Enlightenment Movement and the American and French revolutions contributed a lot to the new rise of feminism. Such literary women as Austin, Bront#235;s, Eliot and Dickenson appeared that time. In the early 20th century, women finally gainedRead MoreVictorian Novel9605 Words   |  39 Pagesstability and rising standards of living. Artists of ‘Pre- Raphaelite Brotherhood’ claimed to write only true about nature, concentrate only on the true ideas. These three years saw the rise of such works: of Bronte sisters’ Poems, Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, William Thackeray’s Vanity Fair. The Following twenty years could be seen as the high period of ‘Victorian novel’. Despite being a mixture of boom and slump, the years of 1850-1870 were recognized by the economicRead MoreLeadership Development42674 Words   |  171 Pagesin what situations. To do this future research in this area needs to be more coordinated, more about effect and impact as well as describing the status quo, more longitudinal (to allow for the identification of effects over time) and involve more evaluation to improve, and learn the lessons from, ongoing practice. 1 In slightly more detail, the main conclusions from this review are: This report by the Management and Leadership Development Research Network (MLDRN) for the Leadership and Management

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Globalization And Its Impact On Society - 2506 Words

Globalisation is the worldwide relationship between countries, and it’s what connects us all in order for countries to exchange in goods, services, labour skills, economic development and political development. Globalisation is a modern term used, but the concept may have been around for years. Philosopher Hegel (1770 – 1831) was one of the first theorists of globalisation as his philosophical theories seem to suggest that he was conscious of interconnected nations. But now it seems that modern society cannot escape from globalisation as it is probably one of the most important features of the economy and politics, as it allows companies to outsource, which opens up a bigger market and choice of where to manufacture and gives maximum freedom for businesses to be able to do what they want and go where they want in order to grow. The ideology of globalisation has three different perspectives, Transformalists, Hyperglobalists and Sceptics. All of these have divided opinions on globalisation. Hyperglobalists believe that nations, are being denationalized through globalisation and are beginning to lack power due to super-nations such as the European Union, which they consider to be a bad thing as they believe nations should control their own fate with their own decisions. This also aligns with a nationalist view of the nation is theirs and whatever their nation may be, it should be the centre of control and government. Sceptics view on globalisation is that the best years of itShow MoreRelatedThe Impact Of Globalization On The Society1114 Words   |  5 Pages The Impact of Globalization 3 Introduction The effects of globalization are visible everywhere. The mixing of cultures and races throughout our society is everywhere. It’s on television, in our homes and woven into our workplace. This is not necessarily a new construct; it’s just more noticeable today than in the past. The Roman Empire opened all trade in Europe, Africa andRead MoreGlobalization And Its Impact On Society Essay925 Words   |  4 PagesGlobalization is the process by which different societies, culture, and how regional economies integrate through a worldwide network of political beliefs through communication, marketing, and transportation. Predominately, globalization has made a worldwide impact on many nations in numerous ways such as; politically, economically, as well as socially. Globalization has shaped the independence of various nations, thus leading to worldly affairs based on a global level. Leading to trends in cultureRead MoreGlobalization And Its Impact On Society1369 Words   |  6 Pages Globalization is a broad term used in multiple social studies classes. There are three types of globalization: cultural, economical and political. As both positive and negative views exist on globalization; using just the word globalization isn’t specific enough to understand these viewpoints. Knowing the different types of globalization will allow a person to form their own opinion whether or not each individual type of globalization has a positive or negative impact on society. Cultural globalizationRead MoreGlobalization And Its Impact On Society1637 Words   |  7 Pages1. Introduction Globalization as ‘the acutely adamant affiliation of economies, societies and cultures into a borderless accepted communications [technology] and accumulation arrangement [is] a world-transforming process, not all which is pleasant,’ (Morrison, 2010, p. 32). Although globalization is, and will apparently abide for some time, one of ‘a lot of ambiguous and misunderstood’ concepts, there is some accepted arena to be beginning an allotment of all the confusion (White, 2008). That isRead MoreGlobalization And Its Impact On Society1311 Words   |  6 PagesGlobalization, has taken place for centuries, is the shrinking of geographic that accelerate the flows of money, goods, people and culture around the planet. Migration came when people move between countries either temporarily or permanently, to seek education and employment or to escape adverse political, environments. Culture and globalization have infinite impact on each other. Humans have never been closer together than we are today. Globalization, started from the intercontinental migrationRead MoreGlobalization And Its Impact On Society1963 Words   |  8 PagesGlobalization has been rapidly influencing businesses in today’s society. It is a way of bringing markets around the world closer together to form better partnerships and improve communication between the different countries, governments and businesses that are motivated by investments and international trading. Globalization has been adapted to foster political and diplomatic affiliations between countries. This way of conducting business creates a competitive market place, and keeps the organizationsRead MoreGlobalization And Its Impact On Society1307 Words   |  6 PagesGlobalization is a phenomenon involving the integration of ideas circulating worldwide, connecting people from everywhere (Friedman). Globalization affects everything, but most importantly it impacts our own cultures. Culture is the way that grou ps of people act, believe, and live. This is crucial to life because without culture, we wouldn’t be unique. Cultures are linked together through globalization because globalization can spread cultures worldwide, altering them in the process. GlobalizationRead MoreGlobalization And Its Impact On Society942 Words   |  4 PagesGlobalization has, from the late twentieth century, led nations and their borders to be called into questions. Populations, often driven by their youths, now have instant access to information on everything that happened around the world. Meanwhile, and because of this globalization, states have been forced to open up to the world and to free their borders to facilitate exchanges. Therefore, people began to feel less constrained by their nationality and became what is often referred to as citizensRead MoreGlobalization And Its Impact On Society1274 Words   |  6 Pagespeople alike, yet globalization is a vastly broad and unfamiliar concept to a major ity of people. Personally, before enrolling in this class, I thought I knew what the general idea of globalization was, as rudimentary and elementary as my knowledge of the topic had been. However, after only exposing myself to a minuscule amount of cultural literature throughout the course of this class thus far, I have greatly expanded my understanding of what the true meaning of globalization is: a process thatRead MoreGlobalization And Its Impact On Society Essay1550 Words   |  7 PagesGlobalization defines practically all facets of modern life. The jobs available to the public, the cultures people embody/emulate, the relationships individuals engage in, are all continuously altered by the profound forces of the globalizing process. Capital, people, images, commodities and ideology transcend national borders, and information races around the globe at accelerating speeds (Inda 4). The theme of globalization has emerged generating considerable amounts of controversy in its wake ,

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Developing a Strategic Business Plan-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Write a Reflective Journal Strategic Business Planning. Answer: Introduction I am an MBA student pursuing Time management. This is a reflective journal that I prepared after working with a group of students in preparing a strategic business plan. In this work, I reflect upon the strategic business plan that we developed as a group. The purpose of this reflective report is to help me reflect on my records and present my understanding and experiences that I gained during the whole period in which we undertook the project. As part of the project, we were supposed to make two presentations before the class and before the lecture. Reflecting upon this practice, it helped me gain confidence in addressing people. The report reflects what I achieved as an individual and as a member of the group. Reflecting on the experience while working on the project it helped gain important knowledge about my career and the responsibilities that I am likely to handle in the future. To be more specific the project helped me gain a better understanding of the strategic business plan . Discussion Working as part of a group I gained important knowledge and skills needed in developing a strategic business plan. A business plan can be described as a formal document that outlines the goals of the business, explains why they are attainable and the strategies that will be adopted to achieve the goals (Finch, 2016). The business plan may also include background information about the organization. In our group, we wrote a business plan for Impresso Espresso Caf which aims at becoming an essential daily necessity for local coffee lovers. The business will be strategically located in Canberra Centre which will provide it with exposure to the passing shoppers. The objective of the business is to provide a place that will enable the customers to escape daily stress of life and enjoy comfort with their families, friends, and colleagues. Reflecting on this strategic business plan, I learned the importance of a strategic plan to a business which includes, clarification of direction of the b usiness and the vision of the business.Business plans can also be used in sourcing funding for the business, attracting potential investors, partners, employees, and suppliers among others, it also outlines the organizational structure of the business which is essential in managing the business (Ellis et al., 2016). The following are the advantages of developing a strategic business plan that I was able to identify. A business plan enables the organization to stick to its strategies which would be impossible without the plan due to daily interruptions (Ward, 2016) A business plan enables a business to make informed predictions on factors like the potential market, costs, sales, and new products among others (Ward, 2016). A business plan is also essential in choosing business priorities which will lead to business growth, management, and financial growth. It is important to monitor the progress of a business a business plan help in keeping track on the milestones achieved by the business (Harvard Business School, 2007). I also identified the following disadvantages of a business plan. Too much time may be spent on activities that may not benefit the organization. For an instant a lot of time than required can be used in gathering information thus delaying others activities. Lack of accountability and poor implementation- most of the strategic business plans fail due to lack of proper execution. Some of the organizations after developing business plans, they store them, and they fail to implement them. Reflecting on this I was able to understand that despite the many benefits of a strategic business plan it can have some disadvantages that managers and business owners should be aware of (Sakamiksha, 2016). Developing a strategic business plan is faced with several limitations which are different depending on various contexts and application some of the limitation of strategic business planning for instance planning creates rigidity in some cases change to occur in the in an organization. However, having a set plan may limit the organization from making many changes since they may not be willing to alter their plans, planning may also hinder innovation since it provides specific procedures that should be followed in the activities of the organization, strategic planning may time-consuming and costly (Sakamiksha, 2016). In the process of developing a strategic business plan, I also learned that stakeholders in business might have different views a perception about the long-term as well as the long-term goals of the business. In our group, every person had his or her view concerning the plan. Despite agreeing on the priorities given to certain ideas and activities we still had several ideas which were conflicting in terms of priority. According to Grant Thornton Ltd (2015), prioritization misalignment among the stakeholders affects every organization. However, are agreement has to be made by considering the best alternative among the proposed ones. While working as a group, we faced some challenges which included difficulty in coordinating our activities; this is because the group members had different schedules to attend to. However, we were able to solve this counter this challenge by agreeing on specific times when every member of the group would be available. Another challenge that we encountered was the long distance that some of us had to travel to attend group discussion. To solve address this issue we could communicate early enough to ensure that everyone had enough time to travel to our meeting point. Reflecting on this experience, I was able to identify some of the challenges that I may face while working with a team and how to solve them. Conclusion From this activity, I managed to put theoretical knowledge learned in class into practice. I was able to develop better techniques of writing business plans which are essential in my career as a time manager. Reflecting on this experiences, I can conclude that I was able to gain awareness, appreciation, and empathy with the strategic business planning and plan development which was the main objective of the project. References Ellis, J., Nagel, R., Wijsman, P. (2016). Envisioning The Way to Continued Success by The Bay: The San Francisco Public Utilities Commissions Organizational Strategic Business Planning Process. Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation. Vol.2016, 340-352. Finch, B. 2016. How to write a business plan. Kogan Page Publishers Grant Thornton Ltd. 2015. Competing priorities: Are CAE and audit committee priorities in sync? Governance, Risk and Compliance survey. Harvard Business School. 2007. Creating a business plan: Expert solution to everyday challenges. The United States. Richard, L. 2017. The disadvantages of business planning. Chron Article. Available at: tp://smallbusiness.chron.com/disadvantages-business-planning-2541.html Sakamiksha, S. 2016. Main limitations of planning in any organizations. Article Library. Available at: https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/organization/6-main-limitations-of-planning-in-any-organizations/905/ Ward, J. 2016. Keeping the family business healthy: How to plan for continuing growth, profitability, and family leadership. Springer.

Friday, April 10, 2020

A Marxist Approach to Global Crime

A Marxist Approach to Global Crime Introduction Global crime is one of the most important problems facing the world and most governments have taken steps to deal with it. These form of crime results in enormous costs to the society and the economy. An understanding of the causes of global crime can be helpful in mitigating this detrimental practice.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A Marxist Approach to Global Crime specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Criminologists have made use of many theories and approaches to explain crime and propose ways of reducing crime. One such approach, which can be used to provide a better understanding of global crime, is the Marxist approach. This approach emphasizes socio-political as well as economic factors in explaining crime. This paper will apply the Marxist view on crime to global crime and proceed to discuss what this reveals about power, deviance, and social control. Overview of Global Crime Global crimes occur acr oss multiple national borders and organized criminal groups are the main participants in this transnational crime. Crimes that fall under the global crime category include drug trafficking, people smuggling, arms dealing, prostitution rings, and money laundering to name but a few. Global crime is economically driven and most participants seek to make the greatest amount of profit from their criminal activities. Marxists Approach to Global Crime The Marxist approach is derived from the theories of Karl Marx who is best known for his critique of the capitalist system. Marx asserted that the social institutions such as law, politics, and education, in a capitalist society â€Å"legitimize existing class inequalities and maintain the superior position held by the upper classes† (Kendall 2012, p. 175). Capitalism produces haves and have-nots and encourages people to engage in crime and different forms of deviance. While crime was not a central feature of Marxs theory of society, m any academics and researchers have been able to use Marxist theories in the analyses of crime.Advertising Looking for essay on criminology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition to this, Marx did investigate the issues of crime, which makes his approach applicable to issues of crime. The Marxist approach to global crime is based on conflict with class power being of core importance. The relationship between the classes is one of conflict since it is based on the political domination of the labour providing class by the capital owning class. Global crime is encouraged by the capitalistic system that promotes individual achievements at the expense of other members of the society. The capitalistic economic system fosters most of the global crimes by encouraging the exploitation of one group by another and promoting the self-interest of the individuals who engage in these forms of crime. This thought is corroborate d by McGuire and McQuarie (1994) who argue, The competitive nature of capitalist society promotes social conditions that generate individualism and self-interest (p. 261). For example, Corruption of public officials is a necessary component of many global crimes. The Marxist approach suggests that these public officials are corruptible due to the capitalistic mindset that puts individual prosperity ahead of the society good (Zastrow 2009). The Marxist approach focuses on crime as the product of law-enforcement policies (McGuire McQuarie 1994). Law-enforcement policies are responsible for labelling certain global activities as crimes. While society has grown to think of crime as a well-defined phenomenon and have a stereotyped view about who the criminals are, the fact is that criminal offences and crime is not well defined and criminals are diverse. In most cases, global crime seeks to provide people with desired goods and services that cannot be obtained through legal means. Such products include; drugs, fake visas, and weapons to name but a few. In some cases, the ruling class encourages global crime since it provides goods and services which ease the hardships and deflect the energies of the underclass (Spitzer 1975, p. 508). The Marxist approach further notes that there is selective enforcement of laws with regard to global crime.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A Marxist Approach to Global Crime specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More While the law deals with people smuggling and drug smuggling by small criminal groups harshly, the same activity by powerful crime groups goes on unabated. International arms smuggling done by powerful actors is largely ignored by the police and the courts. The Marxist approach proposes that crime is inevitable since capitalism, which is based on exploitation, causes crime. The approach suggests that crime is the only way through which the poor working class can m ake a living and therefore ensure their survival. This assertion holds true for global crimes that are mostly motivated by economic considerations. People smuggling can trace its origin to the desperation of individuals in developing nations. From this desperation, they are forced to engage the services of people smugglers who take them to countries where they can have better economic prospects. Most participants of global crime come from poor backgrounds and they are incentivised to participate in these crimes in order to afford the luxuries that the capitalistic society promises. Implications of the Marxist Approach to: Power The Marxist approach argues that criminal law protects the interests of the rich and powerful often at the expense of the poor. Those with power are able to use their resources to avoid criminal prosecution and even having their activities labelled as crimes (McGuire McQuarie 1994). In addition to this, the ruling class is in a position to prevent the impl ementation of laws that threaten their self-interest. Kendall (2012) observes how the capitalistic state avoids introducing laws that regulate business activity or impose huge penalties on large corporations. Corporate crimes are the most serious anti-social acts and they affect millions of people worldwide.Advertising Looking for essay on criminology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, little attention is given to this predatory act and the government is more interested in curbing crimes such as drug trafficking and smuggling; crimes which cost significantly less in terms of money and lives than corporate crime. The Marxist approach points out that the affluent and powerful are able to protect their own interests and shield them from prosecution even when they commit crimes. Jewkes (2004) observes that those in power manipulate the media agenda to harness support for policies that criminalize those with less power in society. The media is able to manipulate reporting to create an impression that the interests of the ruling class are the same as those of the whole nation and violating the ruling class interests poses a threat to the whole nations well being. With regard to global crime, the media mostly ignores crimes done by the rich and powerful with corporate wrongs seldom being reported. The media either ignores the crimes of the powerful or misreprese nts them and consequently, news reporting remains attached to state definitions of crime and criminal law (Jewkes 2004). On the other hand, crimes perpetrated by less powerful actors are given a lot of media attention. This reflects a pervasive bias in the labelling of criminals. The ruling class decides on which activities should be criminalized and the sanctions that to be imposed on the offenders. This criminalization is not uniform and it is done for the convenience of the ruling class. The selective criminalization is best elaborated by the 18th century trade between China and European states. The main product offered by the West to China was opium and when China banned the sale of opium in her territory, Britain retaliated by attacking China and forcing her to open up her ports for trade (Bickers 2011). The European ruling class was able to impose its will due to its economic and political might. Today, the international trade in opium is criminalized by all Western powers sin ce such trade is not in their best interest. The political and economical powers of the country set the agenda for public debate on crime and the implementation of criminal justice. These agendas shape public perceptions of crime and justice. Kendall (2012) suggests that the picture of crime painted by the ruling class is manipulated so that the crimes of the working class and unemployed are over-concentrated on. On the other hand, crimes of the well-educated upper and middle classes are all but ignored. Deviance The Marxist approach views deviance as a function of the capitalist economic system. Deviance according to the Marxist approach is created by social control agencies such as the police and the criminal justice system, which label people as outside the typical law-abiding community. Becker (1963) illustrates that specific behaviour is not in itself deviant or normal and it only becomes so when people start applying labels to it. The individuals who label behaviour as norma l or criminal are therefore responsible for creating the deviance class. Hester (1992) elaborates that the ruling class has economic dominion and from this base, the class erects the legal and political superstructure. Through these institutions, the ruling class imposes its values, ideas, and beliefs that comprise the social consciousness. Deviants are therefore created by the upper class since its economic and political power enables it to make its views heard and enforced. Attributing the label of deviant to an individual or a group makes them outsiders. This increases the level of crime since the label of criminal might last for a lifetime. Once a person is identified as a member of an international smuggling group, his/her chances of engaging in this activity are increased (Zastrow 2009). This phenomenon is explained by the labelling theory, which illustrates that the deviance label makes it likely that a person will join the deviant group or subculture that society assumes he belongs to and consequently engage in further deviant acts. Social Control The ruling class is able to promote a stable society by encouraging conformity and adherence to societal values (Merton 1938). The Marxist approach emphasizes that the alleged societal values are not a reflection of a shared value system but rather the imposition of the ruling class on the rest of the society. While laws purport to be a reflection of value consensus, they are in actual sense an expression of ruling-class ideology imposed on the working class. These laws primarily protect the interests of the ruling class therefore enabling it to keep its power and influence over the lower classes. The Marxist approach declares that criminal sanctions are put in place to protect the property owners and ensure that their ability to generate wealth in future is guaranteed. McGuire and McQuarie (1994) note that the law and the administration of justice views global crime as a serious offence since it threatens those that possess the property. International drug trafficking increases the levels of crime in the cities as drug addicts engage in robbery to finance their addiction or fail to engage in meaningful economic activity since due to the effects of the drugs. Smuggling of counterfeit goods across borders denies rich corporate of their market dominance and therefore decreases their profits. The media is the most potent tool used by the upper class and the socially privileged to exert social control. The media constructs global crime and violence in such a way that it encourages populations to accept increasingly repressive forms of social control all in the name of dealing with global crime (Jewkes 2004). While all classes of the society engage in crime, the types of crime differ and the media predisposes society to focus on the crimes of the lower classes since the higher classes are the ones who control the media apparatus. Conclusion This paper set out to apply the Marxist approach to global crime. It began by documenting that the Marxist approach blames economic factors and social structures for criminal activity. The paper has discussed systematic class bias in the criminal justice system and how power and inequality affect criminal labelling processes. This approach has explained the relationship between crime and the socioeconomic realities of individuals and given insights into labelling. By using the approach, it is clear that capitalism is the root of crime. As such, global crime can only be eradicated by replacing capitalism with an egalitarian society, which does not divide people into classes. Until this is done, the world will continue to be plagued by global crime and the harmful effects it causes in society. References Becker, H 1963, Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance, Free Press, New York. Bickers, R 2011, ‘Chinas Age of Fragility’, History Today, vol. 61 no. 3, pp. 29-36. Hester, S 1992, A Sociology of Crime, Routledge , Sydney. Jewkes, Y 2004, Media and Crime, Sage, New Jersey. Kendall, D 2012, Sociology in Our Times, Cengage Learning, NY. McGuire, P McQuarie, D 1994, From the Left Bank to the Mainstream: Historical Debates and Contemporary Research in Marxist Sociology, Rowman Littlefield, London. Merton, RK 1938, ‘Social Structure and Anomie’, American Sociological Review, vol. 3 no. 1, pp. 672-682. Spitzer, S 1975, ‘Towards a Marxian Theory of Deviance’, Social Problems, vol. 22 no. 5, pp. 495-512. Zastrow, C 2009, Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare: Empowering People, Cengage Learning, NY.

Monday, March 9, 2020

The Qing Dynasty

The Qing Dynasty The Qing dynasty, also known as the Manchu, ruled the Imperial China between 1611 and 1911. Not only did the dynasty perfect imperialism in China, but also went on to extend the borders of China during the 267 years (Historical Legacies). After witnessing numerous successes in the 18th century, the Qing dynasty began to experience both internal and external problems that led to its disintegration in the 19th century.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Qing Dynasty specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Western pressure, economic debacles, overpopulation, revolts, a complicated governance system, the rise of Sun Yat-Sen, and peasant upheavals are some of the changes that made it difficult for the Qing dynasty to respond to confrontations of the 19th century and effectively reform China. The court’s decision to cut-off China from the rest of the world led to a decline in radicalism in technological developments and e nhancements, thus preventing it from becoming a world superpower. The cut-off made it easier for Europeans to conquer China and other less fortunate nations, making China fall under European colonization. The extraordinary invasion of their nation infuriated the Chinese, who demanded immediate evacuation of their land. The Europeans took advantage of the situation to demand compensation for their efforts, and they ended-up reaping Chinese land and tones of silver. When they went to war in the 1800s, Europeans effortlessly overcame the resistance by the Qing navy and army. Foreign advancements and attacks continued from countries like France, Britain, Germany, and Japan. The isolation policy by the colonial court proved to be a great undoing for the Qing dynasty. Attempts by some organizations like Boxers to apply guerilla tactics in repelling the Europeans were futile given the superior nature of weapons that the Europeans possessed. Of great surprise was the Boxers’ rebellio n to the ruling Qing dynasty. The opposition by the Chinese peasants weakened the dynasty, such that it was unable to address the challenges of the 19th century and reform China as well. Historical Legacies held that â€Å"†¦massive peasant uprisings†¦Ã¢â‚¬  distorted the plans of the Qing dynasty to effectively reform China. These numerous internal and external wars provided a weak platform for the Qing dynasty to counter the 19th century’s challenges and reform China. Clearly, the focus to guard their borders against invasion by foreigners coupled with the inferior weapons made it difficult for the Qing dynasty to address numerous challenges that it faced in the 19th century. Moreover, the exclusion of China from the rest of the world brought backwardness in improvements, which resulted in inability to face the challenges, such as control by foreign nations.Advertising Looking for essay on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15 % OFF Learn More The perception by the imperial court that European technologies were ‘evil’ also made the Qing dynasty to lag behind in technological advancements. According to the radicals, the challenges of the 19th century, such as invasion by the Europeans required modern technologies. China failed to industrialize at a time other nations were engaging in mass production of products using machines during the Industrial Revolution. Corruption and mismanagement of funds by officials within the imperial court system brought difficulties in the way the Qing dynasty responded to challenges of the 19th century. The imperial treasury became bankrupt, and was unable to counter any challenge due to inadequate financial power. The radicals believed that the root cause of the weakness of the Qing dynasty emanated from the inefficient systems of the imperial government. In addition, the doubling of the financial expenditures of the Qing dynasty resulted in weak financial conditions, as income remained constant. From the economic perspective, practices by the Ching ruler and the doubled expenditures resulted in a weak economic foundation. An example of a failure that emanated from this situation is the inability to expand the system of law courts to the district level. Apart from corruption and embezzlement of funds, dissatisfaction by the Han people on the ruling system of the Manchu brought disunity within the greater Qing dynasty. Historical Legacies attests that â€Å"Unity was inherently fragile, hence the perpetual fear of break-up in Chinese history.† Disunity was a great impediment to resolving challenges that the empire faced in the 19th century. Apparently, there was an amendment of the extravagant law of the Qing dynasty and establishments of the most comprehensive cultural ruling. These cultural rulings were Confucianism, which was a set of ethical beliefs acquired from the teachings one of the Chinese scholars called Co nfucius. Actually, the most important belief was in learning and practicing the ways of Dao who they believed to be their God. The Han Empire had several dictators who made people to experience extreme hardship in their lives during the periods that these tyrants ruled the Empire. Evidently, Liu Bang known as Lee Guang founded the Han dynasty, and went on to exasperate his subjects in various ways. Since he was the military leader and even defeated his rivals, he employed force on the subjects. When the Opium war began, the ordinary Han Chinese had little interest in defending the dynasty; this disloyalty exposed the loss of the Mandate of Heaven by the ruling dynasty.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Qing Dynasty specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The decentralization of the political system, at the same time, devolved corrupt and selfish individuals who worked for their own benefits against the interests of the d ynasty. Evidently, decentralization produced disloyal Chinese subjects at the grass-root levels. With autonomous administrations, the provinces went on to declare independence from the imperial Machu court simultaneously. The disloyalty infiltrated the military through numerous reforms. This made it difficult for the Qing dynasty to get full protection assurance from the military. Regional military forces did not support the Manzhus, as they were sensibly autonomous of the Pecking’s control. From this aspect, Qing’s dynasty attempts to reform China met rebellion from the disloyal subjects. Qing dynasty also lacked competent leaders or officials to carry out the reforms needed to counter the 19th century’s challenges. Insincerity of leaders in promoting reforms made the dynasty to lag behind in the reform process that was taking place in key nations across Europe and Asia. Empress Dowager messed with the ruling of the empire when she channeled military funds to b uilding of a grand Summer Palace. With no funds to develop the Chinese military, the dynasty was unable to marshal enough and competent troops to face foreign armies who were invading the territory. Her leadership style influenced key government administrators to a mass wealth at the expense of the cries of starving commoners who could be significant in the fight against external control from the Europeans. Dishonesty among the government officials and the Empress shifted the attention of the Qing dynasty to personal gains, with little or no attention to the commoners. The Qing leadership maintained high levels of unethical practices, such that focusing on challenges that faced the country became a tertiary affair. Maintaining the huge Chinese population also proved to be a great problem for the Qing dynasty. With little resources to sustain the population, the Qing dynasty could not pay attention in reforming the country. This internal problem shifted the focus of the Qing dynasty from addressing challenges like pressure from foreigners and issues of foreign immigrants. China remained weak for the last 100 years, and with the huge population, the dynasty could not offer quality health care and education. High illiteracy levels contributed to the inability of the Qing dynasty to address challenges of the 19th century that required expansive knowledge. In line with this, the negative perception of the western culture made the dynasty to go slow on adopting modern education systems (Historical Legacies 321). The education system concentrated on training for the Imperial Examinations, and not to learning aspects that enhanced rational thinking and autonomy, as propelled by the western education. Reforms of the 19th century had immense connections with modern education, which the Qing rulers opposed its implementation. Empress Cixi is one ruler who did not understand why one should go through the education system. During such periods, concubines were easily endors ed to succeed their predecessors. Qing dynasty’s inability to embrace modern education worked against its reform programs in China.Advertising Looking for essay on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More From internal problems to external dynamics, the Qing dynasty was not able to address the issues that it faced in the 19th century resulting in its fall. Corruption, disloyalty, radicalism, insincerity, lack of modern education system, and overpopulation are the factors that made it difficult for the dynasty to focus on solving the problems of the 19th century and reform China. Even though the Qing dynasty succeeded in other areas, it failed to handle key issues that could have reformed China. â€Å"Historical Legacies.† Some Historical Pointers. 321 – 2014 – Module 2