My father is a serious person Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

My father is a serious person - Essay Example Growing up, we only saw our father during the holidays. Even then, mother had to force us to pack up; as we barely knew him, it was always awkward during the first days of the holidays. However, though there was this need to connect with him at an emotional level, the time never seemed right. My father had always been a prim proper man who always seemed too busy on the phone, talking up a client or trying to close a deal. He barely had enough to time to sit and enjoy a meal. Learning to ride a bicycle, I only rode with my uncle. I am told that my father was right there throughout the learning period. I do not remember it. When I broke my collar bone back in elementary school, all I remember was seating at the back of the car and my mother’s worried face as we drove to the hospital. I do not recall who the driver was though it was him behind the wheel. In my recollections of the past, I can barely recall interacting with my father. All are but stories I had tried to no avail to combine to form a picture. Dentist appointments, first day at school, graduation ceremonies, birthday parties – he was always there. He never missed any of them. This is no longer the case now, and we are now inseparable. Like there was never a gap in our relationship. A life threaten ing experience can really change how people relate. Twelve years ago I was taken ill with a very funny ailment. My whole body was itchy and I could not stop scratching myself against anything in site. On seeing a doctor, we discovered that my kidney had been failing and had been getting treatment for the symptoms during hospital visits. This came as a shock to the family, considering I had to be put on dialysis as soon as possible and a drastic change in dietary needs. It was thought that I needed a kidney transplant, and being on a waiting list could take years before I get a donor. Either way I was evaluated for insurance purposes and my name

Introduction to Mass Communications (MEDC1010) Essay

Introduction to Mass Communications (MEDC1010) - Essay Example The author will first define power and discuss briefly the two forms of power, hard and soft. Following this, the author will give an overview of the CNN Effect and discuss how the first noted example of the Effect, the Somalia civil war and subsequently, the UN and US joint peacekeeping mission into the failed state, literally changed the face of the media landscape. The CNN Effect turned news in specific, and media, in general, from a delayed broadcast of current events in which the typical viewer was simply an observer; to instantaneous or almost real-time broadcasts, bringing the world into one's own living room, and essentially making the individual feel a part of a greater global community (Hess, S., Kalb, M., Eagleberger, L., Woodruff, J., & Livingstone, S., 2002). Power, by definition, is "the factors that enable one actor to manipulate another actor's behavior against its preferences."(Kegley, C., 2009) Specifically, there are two forms of power that are wielded in order to manipulate the other actor, hard power and soft power. Hard power, simply stated, is the coercion by tangible means of actor B by actor A. Examples of hard power can be seen in military action or coercive diplomacy. Following the end of the Cold War, however, a new form of power became increasingly utilized in order to coerce the other player. Soft power. Due to the changing nature of international politics, intangible forms of power, or 'Soft Power' has gained increasing importance (Nye, J.1990). As media outlets began to relate news in real time, beginning with the US invasion of Iraq in 1991, in which journalists were embedded amongst combat military units, literally bringing the war live to the American public, the armchair, typically uninvolved citizen becomes engaged in issues that previous to this period simply did not exist. The face of the media world was forever changed. The CNN Effect: Somalia The classic example of the power of the media is the CNN Effect. In the early 1 990's media became more global and what was known as the CNN effect became a powerful force to be reckoned with. The CNN effect "was first noted when heartbreaking footage of starving children in Somalia pressured U.S. officials to send troops there." (Hess, S., Kalb, M., Eagleberger, L., Woodruff, J., & Livingstone, S., 2002) Media itself became an instigator for the enactment of policy and action. Before the phenomenon of the CNN effect, though many atrocities had occurred worldwide and had been occurring for as long as humans have wielded weapons, the general public scope of awareness did not connect to the distant occurrences, so far from the comfort of their homes. Once the general public began to learn, through the media, about different atrocities, which began with, but was not limited to the civil war taking place in Somalia, pressure was put on the home governments to take action in order to alleviate the situation (in contrast to the clean, almost poetic, surgical airstrik es aired from the invasion of Iraq). In the case of Somalia, the CNN effect not only led to the peacekeeping mission in Somalia, but also to the subsequent early cessation of the mission. After 18 United States soldiers were killed, and the media broadcasted, "horrifying footage of Somalis dragging the body of a

Methods And Mechanism Used To Protect Business Interests Commerce Essay

Methods And Mechanism Used To Protect Business Interests Commerce Essay According to investopedia, government actions and policies that restrict or restrain international trade, often done with the intent of protecting local businesses and jobs from foreign competition. Typical methods of protectionism are import tariffs, quotas, subsidies or tax cuts to local businesses and direct state intervention. Protectionism is the economic policy of restraining trade between states through methods such as tariffs on imported goods, restrictive quotas, and a variety of other government regulations designed to discourage imports and prevent foreign take-over of domestic markets and companies (source: Wikipedia). Protectionism, policy of protecting domestic industries against foreign competition by means of tariffs, subsidies, import quotas, or other restrictions or handicaps placed on imports of foreign competitors. (source: Britannica Encyclopedia) PROTECTION OF LOCAL INDUSTRIES Why do nations impede free trade when the inhibition is irrational? One reason why governments interfere with free marketing is to protect local industries, often at the expense of local consumers as well as consumers worldwide. Regulations are created to keep out or hamper the entry of foreign-made products. Arguments for the protection of local industries usually take one of the following forms: Keeping money at home Reducing unemployment Equalizing cost and price Enhancing national security Protecting infant industry Keeping Money at Home Trade unions and protectionists often argue that international trade will lead to an outflow of money, making foreigners richer and local people poorer. This argument is based on fallacy of regarding money as the sole indicators of wealth. Other assets, even products, can also be indicators of wealth. Also, this protectionist argument assumes that foreigners receive money without having to give something of value in return. Whether local consumers buy locally made products or foreign products, they will have to spend money to pay for such products. Reducing Unemployment It is a standard practice for trade unions and politicians to attack imports and international trade in name of job protection. The argument is based on the assumption that import reduction will create more demand for local products and subsequently create more jobs. Equalizing Cost and Price Some protectionists attempt to justify their actions by invoking economic theory. They argue that foreign goods have lower prices because of lower production costs. Therefore, trade barriers are needed to make prices of imported products less competitive and local items more competitive. Enhancing National Security Protectionists often present themselves as patriots. They usually claim that a nation should be self-sufficient and even willing to pay for inefficiency in order to enhance national security. Opponents of protectionism however dismiss appeals to national security. A nation can never be completely self-sufficient because raw materials are not found in the same proportion in all areas of the world. Protecting infant industry The necessity to protect an infant industry is perhaps the most credible argument for protectionist measures. Some industries need to be protected until they become viable. Here South Korea serves as a good example. It has performed well by selectively protecting infant industries for export purpose. (Source: adopted from Sak Onkvisit, John J.Shaw, International Marketing: Analysis and Strategy) Reasons for protectionism: (source: adopted from econessays.com) 1. Infant industry argument: small firms need to be protected so as to have time to expand and gain economies of scale so as to be able to compete on an international basis later on. However so far this has happened only in big industries such as the steel industry and it gives a motive for firms to remain lazy because they know they dont have to compete on an international level e.g. steel industry in the USA. 2. Dumping to prevent firms from selling goods at a loss to destroy the domestic industry. By allowing free trade there is guarantee for low prices indefinitely because the moment one firm becomes inefficient more efficient ones will enter the market and take it away. 3. Raise revenue for the government through tariffs. 4. Prevent overspecialization and diseconomies of scale in other words over production in a country due to the need to export goods because this will also lead to misallocation of resources which is what we are trying to prevent by free trade. 5. To remove a balance of payments deficit without however tackling the problem at its root this is inefficiency. Non-economic reason for protectionism: 1. Strategic interests: some industries such as the defense industry are better to be kept domestic. For example a country cant depend on others for it weapons industry because in the case of war it would be left unarmed. 2. Political reasons: lack of willingness to trade due to political differences. For example China and Japan dont trade due to political disputes. 3. Prevention of the import of demerit goods such as tobacco and alcohol. 4. Way of life and maintenance of traditional way of living. 5. Protection against low wage economies: some countries gain comparative advantage by offering lower wages. For example people are imposing trade restrictions on China because it underpays its workers and thus no other economy has the ability to compete with her. Alternative for protectionism: 1. Offering subsidies to producers, which is an unpopular alternative because the money will have to be raised through taxes. 2. Free trade area: free trade between member countries; members charge whatever tariffs they wish towards non-member countries. Examples of these are CAFTA, LAFTA, and NAFTA etc. 3. Customs union: free trade between member countries; members must charge a common external tariff against non-member countries. The EU is the only existing such example. Policies of Protectionism A variety of policies have been claimed to achieve protectionist goals. These include: Tariffs: Typically, tariffs (or taxes) are imposed on imported goods. Tariff rates usually vary according to the type of goods imported. Import tariffs will increase the cost to importers, and increase the price of imported goods in the local markets, thus lowering the quantity of goods imported. Tariffs may also be imposed on exports, and in an economy with floating exchange rates, export tariffs have similar effects as import tariffs. However, since export tariffs are often perceived as hurting local industries, while import tariffs are perceived as helping local industries, export tariffs are seldom implemented. Import quotas: To reduce the quantity and therefore increase the market price of imported goods. The economic effects of an import quota are similar to that of a tariff, except that the tax revenue gain from a tariff will instead be distributed to those who receive import licenses. Economists often suggest that import licenses be auctioned to the highest bidder, or that import quotas be replaced by an equivalent tariff. Administrative barriers: Countries are sometimes accused of using their various administrative rules (e.g. regarding food safety, environmental standards, electrical safety, etc.) as a way to introduce barriers to imports. Anti-dumping legislation: Supporters of anti-dumping laws argue that they prevent dumping of cheaper foreign goods that would cause local firms to close down. However, in practice, anti-dumping laws are usually used to impose trade tariffs on foreign exporters. Direct subsidies: Government subsidies (in the form of lump-sum payments or cheap loans) are sometimes given to local firms that cannot compete well against foreign imports. These subsidies are purported to protect local jobs, and to help local firms adjust to the world markets. Export subsidies: Export subsidies are often used by governments to increase exports. Export subsidies are the opposite of export tariffs, exporters are paid a percentage of the value of their exports. Export subsidies increase the amount of trade, and in a country with floating exchange rates, have effects similar to import subsidies. Exchange rate manipulation: A government may intervene in the foreign exchange market to lower the value of its currency by selling its currency in the foreign exchange market. Doing so will raise the cost of imports and lower the cost of exports, leading to an improvement in its trade balance. However, such a policy is only effective in the short run, as it will most likely lead to inflation in the country, which will in turn raise the cost of exports, and reduce the relative price of imports. International patent systems: There is an argument for viewing national patent systems as a cloak for protectionist trade policies at a national level. Two strands of this argument exist: one when patents held by one country form part of a system of exploitable relative advantage in trade negotiations against another and a second where adhering to a worldwide system of patents confers good citizenship status despite de facto protectionism. (Source: Protectionist Policies, Wikipedia) SOURCE: International marketing strategy: analysis, development and implementationBy Isobel Doole, Robin Lowe Non-tariff barriers to trade  (NTBs) are  trade barriers  that restrict  imports  but are not in the usual form of a  tariff. Some common examples of NTBs are anti-dumping  measures and  countervailing duties, which, although they are called non-tariff barriers, have the effect of tariffs once they are enacted. Their use has risen sharply after the WTO rules led to a very significant reduction in tariff use. Some non-tariff trade barriers are expressly permitted in very limited circumstances, when they are deemed necessary to protect health, safety, or sanitation, or to protect depletable natural resources. In other forms, they are criticized as a means to evade  free trade  rules such as those of the  World Trade Organization(WTO), the  European Union  (EU), or  North American Free Trade Agreement  (NAFTA) that restrict the use of tariffs. Some of non-tariff barriers are not directly related to foreign economic regulations, but nevertheless they have a significant impact on foreign-economic activity and foreign trade between countries. Trade between countries is referred to trade in goods, services and factors of production. Non-tariff barriers to trade include import quotas, special licenses, unreasonable standards for the quality of goods, bureaucratic delays at customs, export restrictions, limiting the activities of state trading, export subsidies,  countervailing duties, technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures, rules of origin, etc.  Sometimes in this list they include macroeconomic measures affecting trade. Six Types of Non-Tariff Barriers to Trade Specific Limitations on Trade: Quotas Import  Licensing  requirements Proportion restrictions of foreign to domestic goods (local content requirements) Minimum import price limits Embargoes Customs and Administrative Entry Procedures: Valuation systems Antidumping  practices Tariff classifications Documentation requirements Fees Standards: Standard disparities Intergovernmental acceptances of testing methods and standards Packaging, labeling, and marking Government Participation in Trade: Government procurement policies Export subsidies Countervailing duties Domestic assistance programs Charges on imports: Prior import deposit subsidies Administrative fees Special supplementary duties Import credit discriminations Variable levies Border taxes Others: Voluntary export restraints Orderly marketing agreements Examples of Non-Tariff Barriers to Trade Non-tariff barriers to trade can be: Import bans General or product-specific quotas Rules of Origin Quality conditions imposed by the importing country on the exporting countries Sanitary and phyto-sanitary conditions Packaging conditions Labeling conditions Product standards Complex regulatory environment Determination of eligibility of an exporting country by the importing country Determination of eligibility of an exporting establishment(firm, company) by the importing country. Additional trade documents like Certificate of Origin, Certificate of Authenticity Occupational safety and health  regulation Employment law Import licenses State  subsidies, procurement, trading,  state ownership Export subsidies Fixation of a minimum import price Product classification Quota shares Foreign exchange market  controls and multiplicity Inadequate  infrastructure Buy national policy Over-valued currency Intellectual property  laws (patents,  copyrights) Restrictive licenses Seasonal import regimes Corrupt and/or lengthy customs procedures Types of Non-Tariff Barriers There are several different variants of division of non-tariff barriers. Some scholars divide between internal taxes, administrative barriers, health and sanitary regulations and government procurement policies. Others divide non-tariff barriers into more categories such as specific limitations on trade, customs and administrative entry procedures, standards, government participation in trade, charges on import, and other categories. We choose traditional classification of non-tariff barriers, according to which they are divided into 3 principal categories. The first category includes methods to directly import restrictions for protection of certain sectors of national industries: licensing and allocation of import quotas, antidumping and countervailing duties, import deposits, so-called voluntary export restraints, countervailing duties, the system of minimum import prices, etc. Under second category follow methods that are not directly aimed at restricting foreign trade and more related to the administrative bureaucracy, whose actions, however, restrict trade, for example: customs procedures, technical standards and norms, sanitary and veterinary standards, requirements for labeling and packaging, bottling, etc. The third category consists of methods that are not directly aimed at restricting the import or promoting the export, but the effects of which often lead to this result. The non-tariff barriers can include wide variety of restrictions to trade. Here are some example of the popular NTBs. Licenses The most common instruments of direct regulation of imports (and sometimes export) are licenses and quotas. Almost all industrialized countries apply these non-tariff methods. The license system requires that a state (through specially authorized office) issues permits for foreign trade transactions of import and export commodities included in the lists of licensed merchandises. Product licensing can take many forms and procedures. The main types of licenses are general license that permits unrestricted importation or exportation of goods included in the lists for a certain period of time; and one-time license for a certain product importer (exporter) to import (or export). One-time license indicates a quantity of goods, its cost, its country of origin (or destination), and in some cases also customs point through which import (or export) of goods should be carried out. The use of licensing systems as an instrument for foreign trade regulation is based on a number of international le vel standards agreements. In particular, these agreements include some provisions of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and the Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures, concluded under the GATT (GATT). Quotas Licensing of foreign trade is closely related to quantitative restrictions quotas on imports and exports of certain goods. A quota is a limitation in value or in physical terms, imposed on import and export of certain goods for a certain period of time. This category includes global quotas in respect to specific countries, seasonal quotas, and so-called voluntary export restraints. Quantitative controls on foreign trade transactions carried out through one-time license. Quantitative restriction on imports and exports is a direct administrative form of government regulation of foreign trade. Licenses and quotas limit the independence of enterprises with a regard to entering foreign markets, narrowing the range of countries, which may be entered into transaction for certain commodities, regulate the number and range of goods permitted for import and export. However, the system of licensing and quota imports and exports, establishing firm control over foreign trade in certain goods, in many cases turns out to be more flexible and effective than economic instruments of foreign trade regulation. This can be explained by the fact, that licensing and quota systems are an important instrument of trade regulation of the vast majority of the world. Agreement on a voluntary export restraint In the past decade, a widespread practice of concluding agreements on the voluntary export restrictions and the establishment of import minimum prices imposed by leading Western nations upon weaker in economical or political sense exporters. The specifics of these types of restrictions is the establishment of unconventional techniques when the trade barriers of importing country, are introduced at the border of the exporting and not importing country. Thus, the agreement on voluntary export restraints is imposed on the exporter under the threat of sanctions to limit the export of certain goods in the importing country. Similarly, the establishment of minimum import prices should be strictly observed by the exporting firms in contracts with the importers of the country that has set such prices. In the case of reduction of export prices below the minimum level, the importing country imposes anti-dumping duty which could lead to withdrawal from the market. Voluntary export agreements af fect trade in textiles, footwear, dairy products, consumer electronics, cars, machine tools, etc. Problems arise when the quotas are distributed between countries, because it is necessary to ensure that products from one country are not diverted in violation of quotas set out in second country. Import quotas are not necessarily designed to protect domestic producers. For example, Japan, maintains quotas on many agricultural products it does not produce. Quotas on imports is a leverage when negotiating the sales of Japanese exports, as well as avoiding excessive dependence on any other country in respect of necessary food, supplies of which may decrease in case of bad weather or political conditions. Export quotas can be set in order to provide domestic consumers with sufficient stocks of goods at low prices, to prevent the depletion of natural resources, as well as to increase export prices by restricting supply to foreign markets. Such restrictions (through agreements on various types of goods) allow producing countries to use quotas for such commodities as coffee and oil; as the result, prices for these products increased in importing countries. Embargo Embargo is a specific type of quotas prohibiting the trade. As well as quotas, embargoes may be imposed on imports or exports of particular goods, regardless of destination, in respect of certain goods supplied to specific countries, or in respect of all goods shipped to certain countries. Although the embargo is usually introduced for political purposes, the consequences, in essence, could be economic. Standards Standards take a special place among non-tariff barriers. Countries usually impose standards on classification, labeling and testing of products in order to be able to sell domestic products, but also to block sales of products of foreign manufacture. These standards are sometimes entered under the pretext of protecting the safety and health of local populations. Administrative and bureaucratic delays at the entrance Among the methods of non-tariff regulation should be mentioned administrative and bureaucratic delays at the entrance which increase uncertainty and the cost of maintaining inventory. Import deposits Another example of foreign trade regulations is import deposits. Import deposits is a form of deposit, which the importer must pay the bank for a definite period of time (non-interest bearing deposit) in an amount equal to all or part of the cost of imported goods. At the national level, administrative regulation of capital movements is carried out mainly within a framework of bilateral agreements, which include a clear definition of the legal regime, the procedure for the admission of investments and investors. It is determined by mode (fair and equitable, national, most-favored-nation), order of nationalization and compensation, transfer profits and capital repatriation and dispute resolution. Foreign exchange restrictions and foreign  exchange controls Foreign exchange restrictions and foreign exchange controls occupy a special place among the non-tariff regulatory instruments of foreign economic activity. Foreign exchange restrictions constitute the regulation of transactions of residents and nonresidents with currency and other currency values. Also an important part of the mechanism of control of foreign economic activity is the establishment of the national currency against foreign currencies. The transition from tariffs to non-tariff barriers One of the reasons why industrialized countries have moved from tariffs to NTBs is the fact that developed countries have sources of income other than tariffs. Historically, in the formation of nation-states, governments had to get funding. They received it through the introduction of tariffs. This explains the fact that most developing countries still rely on tariffs as a way to finance their spending. Developed countries can afford not to depend on tariffs, at the same time developing NTBs as a possible way of international trade regulation. The second reason for the transition to NTBs is that these tariffs can be used to support weak industries or compensation of industries, which have been affected negatively by the reduction of tariffs. The third reason for the popularity of NTBs is the ability of interest groups to influence the process in the absence of opportunities to obtain government support for the tariffs. Non-tariff barriers today With the exception of export subsidies and quotas, NTBs are most similar to the tariffs. Tariffs for goods production were reduced during the eight rounds of negotiations in the WTO and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). After lowering of tariffs, the principle of protectionism demanded the introduction of new NTBs such as technical barriers to trade (TBT). According to statements made at United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD, 2005), the use of NTBs, based on the amount and control of price levels has decreased significantly from 45% in 1994 to 15% in 2004, while use of other NTBs increased from 55% in 1994 to 85% in 2004. Increasing consumer demand for safe and environment friendly products also have had their impact on increasing popularity of TBT. Many NTBs are governed by WTO agreements, which originated in the Uruguay Round (the TBT Agreement, SPS Measures Agreement, the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing), as well as GATT articles. NTBs in the field of services have become as important as in the field of usual trade. Most of the NTB can be defined as protectionist measures, unless they are related to difficulties in the market, such as externalities and information asymmetries information asymmetries between consumers and producers of goods. An example of this is safety standards and labeling requirements. The need to protect sensitive to import industries, as well as a wide range of trade restrictions, available to the governments of industrialized countries, forcing them to resort to use the NTB, and putting serious obstacles to international trade and world economic growth. Thus, NTBs can be referred as a new of protection which has replaced tariffs as an old form of protection. CASE 1: A case for good protectionism Bharat Jhunjhunwala (source: The Hindu Business Line) THE defeat of the NDA Government and the victory of the Congress (I) supported by the Left is one more symptom of the growing worldwide backlash against globalization. White- collar workers in industrial countries are losing their jobs to the cheap labor of India and China. Services, such as research, are now being outsourced because scientists in the developing countries are cheaper. On the other hand, workers in the developing countries are finding that their wages are stagnant while inequality is rising. The belief was that free trade leads to efficient production and also forces domestic government to reduce corruption. This provides relief to the people. Else businessmen would have to pay money to local thugs and politicians to avoid trouble. Government officers would have to be bribed to run normal business. For instance, a boiler inspector can shut down a plant for 15 days on frivolous grounds. The money paid to politicians and officers by the businessman adds to the cost of production and raises the cost of his produce say, cloth to Rs 25 a metre instead of Rs 20. The cost of production of similar cloth in other countries having good governance, however, remains low because they do not have to bribe politicians and officers. The cost of other inputs, such as cotton, machines and chemicals, remains the same in all countries because of free trade. Cloth produced in another country can conquer Indian markets if the cost of production in that clean country is Rs 20 and is Rs 25 in corrupt India. Textile mills in India will have to down shutters. Ultimately, politicians will have to reduce the money they extract from the businessmen failing which they will be killing the goose that lays golden eggs. The same applies to inefficient businessmen. Globalization will force the Indian businessman to install latest looms in order to survive. This will provide good and cheap cloth to the Indian people. Globalization, indeed, begets clean governance and efficient production. The difficulty, however, is that free trade also works in the Labor market. Say, India and another country both have clean governments and the cost of production of cloth in both countries is Rs 20 a metre. The wage rate in the other country is Rs 80 per day. The Indian businessman will not be able to pay more than this rate to his workers as otherwise his cost of production will increase and he will be priced out of the market. The country paying lowest wages wins in free trade. Free trade leads to equalization of wages rates to their global lowest levels. This decline in wages nullifies the benefits from good governance and efficient production. No wonder workers in the industrial countries are opposing free trade and outsourcing. Software programmers are finding their wage rate declining as technology makes it possible to transfer huge amounts of data at the click of the mouse. The wage rates in most developing countries are also stagnant. Workers in East Asian countries are seeing their wage rates decline due to competition from the less paid Chinese workers. Free trade works as a two-edged sword. On the one hand, it leads to clean governance and efficient production but on the other it leads to lowering of wage rates to their global minimum. What is the solution to this problem? How can the benefits of free trade be secured while creating higher wages for the workers? Protectionism enables domestic prices to remain higher than the global prices. Such higher prices can be used to support corruption, inefficient production or higher wages. The solution comes from using protection not for corruption or inefficient production but for higher wages. Suppose India were to impose an additional tax of Rs 5 per metre on cloth imports. The price of cloth in the Indian market would become Rs 25 instead of Rs 20 earlier. This margin can be taken away by corrupt politicians and officers, or used to maintain inefficient production in obsolete mills, or to raise wages of the workers. The ability lies in avoiding the first two uses and promoting the third. If the government establishes, say, a system to trap corrupt politicians and officers, promotes domestic competition to avoid inefficient production, and implements policies that lead to higher wages, then this protectionism becomes pro-people. Free trade is necessarily anti-people because it leads to low wages even if it provides good governance and efficient production. Protectionism can possibly be pro-people if applied correctly. What about exports, though? It is possible to prevent cheap imports by imposing tariffs. But how will exports be made if the domestic wage rates are high? The solution is to use the receipts from import taxes to provide export subsidies to Labor-intensive products. The higher cost due to high wages can be neutralised by the subsidies. It is clear that free trade will not lead to the welfare of the people anywhere in the world. Protectionism makes it possible to secure peoples welfare but only if applied correctly. But bad protectionism that supports corruption is worse than free trade. The challenge is to embrace good protectionism. CASE 2 FREE TRADE OR PROTECTIONISM? The Case Against Trade Restrictions by Vincent H. Miller James R. Elwood (source: isil.org) The Lure of Protectionism   The argument for so-called protectionism (called fair trade by some) may at first sound appealing. Supporters of protectionist laws claim that keeping out foreign goods will save jobs, giving ailing domestic industries a chance to recover and prosper, and reduce the trade deficits. Are these claims valid? Protectionism: What It Costs   Classical Liberal philosopher John Stuart Mill astutely observed in the last century that Trade barriers are chiefly injurious to the countries imposing them. It is true today as it was then, for the following reasons: LOST JOBS: Protectionist laws raise taxes (tariffs) on imported goods and/or impose limits (quotas) on the amount of goods governments permit to enter into a country. They are laws that not only restrict the choice of consumer goods, but also contribute greatly both to the cost of goods and to the cost of doing business. So under protectionism you end up poorer, with less money for buying other things you want

My Writing Profile :: Free Essay Writer

During my school years, I have been assigned lots of writing to do. At the start, I found great difficulty in putting my thoughts on paper, yet by practice, one gets to improve his abilities. One never stops learning as long as he lives. Moreover, practice results in perfection. In my past school years I have received many writing tasks, in addition, I gradually improved in each of them. There are various differences between my work in each stage of my life, example, the work I have done in the past, work in the present and what I intend to do as a writer in my future. As for my past, I had various writing assignments that my teachers asked me to do, such as character analysis essays, persuasive essays, and compare and contrast essays. Many of these essays I have truly enjoyed, such as the persuasive essay, however others, I really struggled at, such as the character analysis. Furthermore, I had others that I was at standard level at them, yet, they needed a lot of improvement in many ways. Last year, as for memorable things that teachers told me, was that I had a lot of trouble in the thesis statement structure, which however, affected the rest of the writing. Knowing all my mistakes now, moreover getting more advice this year, I hope that I will make huge progress. As for the present, during writing an essay I usually jot down my ideas on a piece of paper, next I prepare a peaceful environment, which I could easily get out my concentration, which is usually on a suitable desk in my room. The surrounding that I must have to write, is a well lighted room, where I am all alone without any distracting noise. I start off buy having a scrap paper where I do all my jotting notes at and mainly the first and second draft of the essay. Yet, that is easier for me as I could simply correct any mistake and use reference guides such as the dictionaries which also helps me in spelling mistakes and thesaurus for developing good word choice, lastly I write it on the keyboard neatly. When I think of going for advice, the first thing that comes on my mind is asking the teachers, as they are the number one choice to help you out.

Life Skills

————————————————- Life Skills Development/Module One/Unit 1: Values Education

Behavioural Studies

Self-Presentation, also known as Impression Management (IM) is primarily a goal-directed conscious or unconscious attempt to influence the perceptions of other people about a person, object or event by regulating and controlling information in social interaction. If a person tries to influence the perception of his image, this activity is called self-presentation. With regard to the self-monitoring, it is the extent to which people monitor and control their expressive behavior and self-presentation.High self-monitors exert more expressive control over their social behavior and tend to adapt their appearance and acts to specific circumstances. The situation is different with low self-monitors, who display less motivation towards improving their self-presentation. They act more naturally and are least bothered about their public image. This essay has been designed to establish a relationship between the self-presentation and self-monitoring. In the beginning both the concepts will be e xplained followed by an analysis of the relationship between them.What is Self-Presentation Self-presentation, also known as impression management is the process by which people attempt to manage or control the perception others form of them. There is often a tendency for people to try to present themselves so as to impress others in a socially desirable way. The theory of impression management states that any individual or organization must establish and maintain impressions that are congruent with the perceptions they want to convey to their publics.The impression management theory describes the methods through which people take actions to a create a public perception, in order to achieve their personal or organizational goals (â€Å"Impression Management† 2006, pars. 1-5). As with other cognitive processes, impression management has many possible conceptual dimensions (Dunegan 1993, pp. 491) and has been researched in relation to aggression, attitude change, attributions, social facilitation, and leadership.It is basically an intentional or un-intentional goal-directed approach to influence the perceptions of other people about a person, object or event by regulating and controlling information in social interaction. In short, we can say that if a person tries to influence the perception of his/her image, the activity is called self-presentation. What is Self-Monitoring In any scenario, people are generally motivated to behave appropriately and in a manner which is appealing to others.The theory of self-monitoring explains the extent to which people value, create, cultivate, and project social images and public appearance (Gangestad & Snyder, 2000, p. 531). The level of control which the people apply is different from a person to person. Some people may not care much about the perception others make of them. They say what they believe. These people are included in the category of low self-monitors. On the other hand, high self-monitors, are likely to avoid talking about themselves as they really are, and use pretense and deception in their efforts to play to the crowd (Buss and Brigg 1984, p.1310). In general, self-monitoring involves three major tendencies: †¢ The willingness to be the center of attention — a tendency to behave in outgoing, extraverted ways. †¢ Sensitivity to the reactions of others. †¢ Ability and willingness to adjust behavior to induce positive reactions in others. High and Low Self-Monitors As states earlier, some people are more sensitive to the image they form when in public. Such people are very self-conscious and like to ‘look good' and will hence usually adapt well to differing social situations. These people are called the high self-monitors.The high self-monitors would observe people and note their response to different behaviors of other people. On the other hand, there are people are less concerned about what others think about them. They are termed as low self-monitors . Low self-monitors do not make any effort to exercise control over their expressive behavior. High and low self-monitors possess different qualities. They regulate their behaviour in public in different ways. High self-monitors would generally adjust their social behaviours according to situational cues, whereas low self-monitors regulate their social behaviours according to their dispositions.Low self-monitors usually conform their behavior to their internal beliefs. Another major difference between high and low self-monitors is that the low self-monitors would choose friends based upon their liking whereas, the selection criteria for friends is different in high self-monitors. The high self-monitors choose friends as activity partners for their leisure time based on the friends’ skill in the specific activity. Moreover, high self-monitors will be more concerned about the partner’s physical appearance than the personality (Snyder, Berscheid, & Glick, 1985).Relationsh ip Between Self-Presentation and Self-Monitoring Self-presentation and self-monitoring are inter-related terms. In simple words, self-presentation is the way one presents himself/herself and self-monitoring is the level of control exerted during the process of self-presentation. Accordingly, high and low self-monitors will have different degree of self-presentation. High self-monitors are more adoptable and would adjust their behaviors across situations because they are more sensitive to the expectation of others.Their style of self-presentation would generally be more appropriate and suiting to every scenario they confront (Snyder, 1974, p. 527). They would always ask themselves as to what does this situation want them to be (Snyder, 1987, p. 32). They will constantly observe before exposing themselves. They will not express their emotions unless they are sure of their appropriateness. The high self-monitors will exhibit relatively low behavioral consistency across situations. They would tend to make a different image or face which is superficial, but will be corresponding to the situation.On the other hand, low self-monitors would present themselves as natural as they are and will seldom make any conscious effort to conceal their inner sentiments. Their behavior will usually be consistent across situations. The low self-monitors’ expressive self-presentation will be articulated by their inner attitudes, dispositions, and values. Low self-monitors are not concerned about the â€Å"appropriateness of their self-presentation† (Snyder, 1974. p. 527). Another important aspect of the relationship between self-presentation and low self-monitors is that they are often described as individuals who lack self-presentation concerns.They will not make much effort in adjusting their behaviour in accordance with situational demands. Their self-presentation will be natural and least concerned with the expectations of others. On the contrary, high self-monitors would make all concerted efforts in controlling their behavioural patterns which are conflicting with the situations. They are the ones whose self-presenting will be much applauded and their personalities will usually be graded as sober and acceptable. In one experiment, Snyder (1974) found that professional stage actors scored higher than non-actors on measures of self-monitoring.Professional actors genuinely possess acting ability and control over their emotions, expression, and behaviour. They were able to adapt to changing situations adequately. Their self-presentation was therefore much more stable and suiting the environment. In another experiment on ordinary college students, high self-monitors were found to be better than the low self-monitors in expressing different emotions like anger, happiness, sadness, surprise, disgust, fear, and guilt. High self-monitors can even adapt to sudden changing moods.When high self-monitors were asked to act like an extraverted, friendly, a nd outgoing person and then suddenly to act like an introverted, withdrawn, and reserved person, high self-monitors adopted each role better than low self-monitors did (Lippa, 1976). Conclusion Self-presentation is how we tend to present ourselves. It is how we want people to look at us. The art of exercising control over our emotions, behaviour, and moods is basically the self-monitoring. Self-monitoring refers to a person's ability to adjust his or her behaviour to external situational factors.Individuals high in self-monitoring show considerable adaptability in their behaviour. They can behave differently in varying situations. They are found to be much capable of presenting striking contradictions between the public persona and the private self. On the other hand, it becomes difficult for low self-monitors to disguise themselves this way (â€Å"Self-Monitoring Scale,† 2006). In nut shell, high self-monitors are more concerned about self-presentation than the low self-moni tors. Bibliography Buss, A. H. , & Briggs, S. R. (1984). Drama and the self in social interaction.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 47, 1310-1324. Dunegan, K. J. (1993, June). Framing Cognitive Modes, and Image Theory. Journal of Applied Psychology, pp. 491. Gangestad, S. W. , & M. Snyder (2000). Self-monitoring: Appraisal and Reappraisal. Psychological Bulletin, 126, 530-555. â€Å"Impression Management,† (2006). Wikipedia, viewed 30 August 2006, http://www. answers. com/self-presentation Lippa, R. (1976). Expressive control, expressive consistency, and the correspondence between expressive behavior and personality. Journal of Personality, 44, 541-559.â€Å"Self-Monitoring Scale. † (2006). Viewed 30 August 2006, http://pubpages. unh. edu/~ckb/SELFMON2. html Snyder, M. (1974). Self-monitoring of expressive behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 30, 434-461. Snyder, M. (1987). Public appearances/private realities: The psychology of self-moni toring. New York, Freeman. Snyder, M. , Berscheid, E. , & Glick, P. (1985). Focusing on the exterior and the interior: Two investigations of the initiation of personal relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 48 , 1427-1439.