Mexican Politics, Culture and Drug Wars

Table of Contents Introduction Politics Culture Drug wars Conclusion References Introduction Mexico is a democratic country, whose democracy arose from the elections conducted in 2000, which brought about sharing of power in the government and a more transparent nation. Proliferation and forwarding of agendas by strong grassroots organizations to the forefront of political interests has rubbed the authorities the wrong way.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Mexican Politics, Culture and Drug Wars specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The democracy change increased the labor unions in the country. However, majority of these labor unions are co-opted by the government although the independent ones have become vigorous in protests. Despite the welcoming news of a democratic state and transparent elections, more still needs to be done to straighten up the moral, political and social decay that have engulf the c ountry. Corruption in institutions, weak judicial system, drug wars and the disparity between the rich and the poor are just but a few of the complex problems that are facing Mexico, and whose solutions are yet to be found. Moreover, social movements have arisen from strident voices that test the government’s commitment to change (Foster, 2010, p 241,242) Foster suggested that political assassinations, uprisings, and high levels of corruptions are some of the factors that siphoned the country’s energy despite the country pushing for democracy (Foster, 2010, p 223). Politics The 10-year civil war of Mexico that lasted from 1910 to 1920 is believed to be the key that opened up the doors to the new constitution of 1917. It is approximated that more than 2 million people died because of the war. New political structures were created and the birth of mestizo nation was delivered. The revolution that started at that time destroyed feudalism as labor unions were created, and in addition to this, the revolution gave the people a sense of belonging and pride for their own culture which was referred to as mexicandad (Foster, 2010, p 161) In the 1980s, the Mexican economy was contracting by 6% annually due to international debts. Upon negotiations, the Mexican government committed 53% o its federal budget to the repayment of the debt. This meant no economic growth was to be expected in Mexico in the following decades. The fallouts both politically and socially were enormous; indeed, this period is stated to be the most demoralizing period in Mexican history as majority of Mexicans suffered due to increase to food prices (Foster, 2010, p 215)Advertising Looking for research paper on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The PRI party had been the ruling party and in 1988, it faced its first challenge politically from Carlos Salinas de Gortari. The country during that time was facing recession and the IMF due to repayments of debts undertook its fortunes. Support for the PRI party decreased from populist groups as clamor for democracy went a notch higher and criticisms mounted by the public on PRI took toll when one key member o//74f the party abandons the party. PRI party later won the presidency amid calls of rigging (Foster, 2010, p 223-224). The first president who was not a member of PRI was elected in July 2, 2000 in an election that was termed as a transparent and democratic. The PRI members cried foul as they fought amongst themselves. The results were declared as Mexico’s victory as they ushered in democracy in Mexico. Although the PRI party had been defeated, it was thanks to the combined efforts of the opposition parties (Foster, 2010, p 242) The politics of Mexico however have been clouded by corruption brought about by the drug cartels. Raul Salinas, the brother to the former president of Mexico is said to have been arrested because of his participation i n the covering up of Ruiz Massieu’s murder. His access to his brother made many to believe that the president was involved in one way or the other. This just indicated how far the levels of corruption could spread within the Mexican politics (Kirkwood, 2010, p 202) Culture The aesthetic realm and the culture in politics are the two cultural complexes that attract foreigners to Mexico. The philosophers and the intellectuals of the nineteenth century were obsessed with the fascinating combination of barbarism and civilization (Henderson, Joseph, 2002, p1). According to Joseph and Henderson, the murals painted on walls of public ministries and the evocative woodcuts of Posada, were all a powerful appeal to tourists (Henderson, Joseph, 2002, p2). Mexico being an extraordinary and unique country has the potential of shedding light on major problems facing it as a developing country once its culture, history, and politics have been examined (Henderson, Joseph, 2002, p4). The Spania rd are said to have introduced new races in Mexico in the course of their colonization. An example of these races was the usage of the Blacks and the Indians to create a race. This mixture of races contradicted the ultimate goals of history of attaining cultures and fusion of people. Joseph and Henderson continue to state that by constructing an English world and doing away with the Indians to have a Northern Europe filled with Whites is one way of combating race (Henderson, Joseph, 2002, p17). Religious cultures and cults are also part of the Mexican way of living. It stated that any Mexican Catholic is focused on the cult of the virgin of Guadalupe. The symbolic meaning this conquest of the two gods meant indicated to the faithful that they should return to their ancient feminine deities (Henderson, Joseph, 2002, p24, 25).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Mexican Politics, Culture and Drug Wars specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Westernization of the Indians was termed as contradictory. This is because a clear line had to be drawn between the colonized and the colonizers. The colonial domination would have ceased to be if the Indians were to be fully incorporated into westernization; indeed, difference and segregation are termed as the basics of colonization. In the nineteenth century, the birth of an independent Mexico state was directed along the path of civilization. Moreover, the independent nation was culturally homogenous when it was conceived (Henderson, Joseph, 2002, p30). At the end of the Revolution, the new political leaders sought ways of unifying the various ethnic groups of Mexico into a national project. In Mexico, ethnicity is basically defined by the culture and not biological; by use of linguistic it has been found that there is approximately 60 different Indian ethnic groups in Mexico thus making their incorporation difficult (Buffington, Pasztor, Coerver, 2004, p17). Drug wars Drug trafficking has been a hot topic in Mexico both domestically and internationally. Although the drug trafficking was a problem in the twentieth century, it escalated even more in the twenty-first century. It is stated that as early as the 1920s, some Mexican workers located southwest in U.S. were associated with the use of marijuana. In addition to this, Mexico produced heroin and was shipment point for other drugs. U.S. drug agents were said to be operating in Mexico informally from as early as 1940s, while growing demand of drugs in the U.S. escalated the drug trafficking in1960s thus causing a concern to Mexico both internationally and domestically. In the long run, the drug trafficking complicated issues like trade and immigration. The â€Å"operation intercept† that was a detail inspection conducted by the U.S. officials on vehicles crossing the international boundary resulted into chaos thus forcing the Mexican government to resolve to a permanent wa r on drugs. Despite efforts put in place by both the U.S and Mexican governments, the drug trade thrived in the 1980s (Buffington, Pasztor, Coerver, 2004, p145). Increase in consumption of drugs in Mexico and drug related corruption in the law enforcement and political scenes led the country in the verge of being branded a â€Å"narco state.† The drug trade took a completely new level with the death of cardinal Ocampo in1993, who had condemned the drug trade and the assassination of Colosio, the presidency candidate of the official party, in1994.Advertising Looking for research paper on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Involvement of key political persons in drug trafficking was evident in the investigation of Raul Salinas: the older brother of the former president of Mexico Carlos Salina. The investigation upon conclusion in 1998 indicated that part of the money owed by Raul was associated with drug pay-offs (Buffington, Pasztor, Coerver, 2004, p146, 147) Military involvement in curbing the drug trafficking has not yield much success as incidents of bribe taking are evident. Optimistic officials both in the U.S. and in Mexico concur that the war on drugs is far from being won. This is due to the shifting of bases and routes by the drug cartels resulting from pressure from the authorities. One thing that is clear is that drug trafficking will continue to be a menace even in the twenty-first century (Buffington, Pasztor, Coerver, 2004, p 147) Kirkwood indicates that violence in the state of Durango has escalated and murder has increased, with 235 murders reported between January and May the year 20 09. The fighting between the various drug cartels caused these murders and violence. However, the alarming issue is that the federals that are entitled with the responsibility of curbing this menace are having a life span of six months before they are corrupted by the drug cartels. The level of corruption is evident from the arrests conducted in May 2009 of 27 government officials, a police chief, 10 mayors, a judge, and a former police chief. Power, influence, and resources are some of the factors that drug cartels have over authorities, which is evident from the escapes that have been propagated by the drug cartels. The astonishing issue is that the drug trade has penetrated the Catholic Church with allegations of donations offered to the church by the drug lords. Indeed, legalizing of some drugs e.g. marijuana is been considered in order to curb drug trafficking (Kirkwood, 2010, p 217, 218) During the presidency of Fox, efforts of addressing the escalating drug production were st epped up and the number of arrests associated with drugs escalated. It is approximated that about 50,000 arrests were conducted as the authorities also destroyed marijuana fields in a bid to curb the drug trade. However, the government also faced embarrassing moments with the news of the drug cartels leaders escaping from jail. In response to the government’s measures of curbing the drug, trade the drug cartels mounted escalating violence throughout the country. In the year 2008, 6,300 people were said to have been murdered by drug related violence. In Ciudad, the situation has been termed as bloody as a record of 1,600 people was murdered in this city alone in the year 2008. In the year 2009, the violence had escalated as 2,300 Mexicans had been murdered as of May (Kirkwood, 2010, p 216) On assuming office in 2006, president Calderon aggressively responded towards the drug struggle, with about 45,000 troops being employed to deal with this menace. In the bloody Ciudad, 8,000 troops were deployed to tackle the city’s drug trade. The policies of the Calderon government in fighting the drug trade earned him assistance from the then Bush government that offered $1.4 billion to aid in efforts of combating drug trade (Kirkwood, 2010, p 216) Conclusion At the commencement of the second decade of the 21 century, the Mexican government faces numerous issues from all fronts. The main attention has been on combating the drug trafficking issue. Critics suggest that government attempts have failed in eradicating the drug war. In political scene, Mexico is striving to create a transparent democratic process since the obstacles surrounding the 1988 elections. Forward strides for a democratic process were marked in the 2000 presidential elections as it was marked as a political transition. The 2006 elections appeals by Lopez Obrador were indications of the long journey a head before Mexico can become fully democratic. The 2000 presidential elections saw a candi date not from the PRI party win, mainly because of collective support from the opposition to oust the PRI from power. The elections were termed as transparent and democratic thus bringing a new dimension to the Mexican politics. The indigenous cultural values of the communities in Mexico have been transformed by westernization culture to modern values. However, some of the cultural values like art have been maintained despite the change to modern cultural values. In addition to this, religious cultures e.g. the cult of the virgin of Guadalupe are still significant to the modern Mexico. It is suggested that some of the tourist attractions to Mexico are the murals painted on the walls of public ministries. Politics and social decays like drug trafficking are two different entities that should be separated for the common good of Mexico. In addition to this, the penetration of the drug money to the Catholic Church is a situation that is not helping but instead justifying the existence o f drug trafficking. However, tackling the drug menace will mean better future in the politics and economy of Mexico that has been engulfed by the drug trafficking situation. The culture of moral decay that had been brought about by the drug menace will also cease to exist, thus liberating Mexico. References Coerver, M. D., Pasztor, B.S, and Buffington, R. (2004). Mexico: An Encyclopedia of Contemporary Culture and History. Web. Foster, V. L. (2010). A Brief History of Mexico. Web. Joseph. M. G, and Henderson, J. T. (2002). The Mexico reader: History, Culture, Politics. Web. Kirkwood, B. (2010). The History of Mexico. Web. This research paper on Mexican Politics, Culture and Drug Wars was written and submitted by user Nextwave to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Digital divide Essay Example

Digital divide Essay Example Digital divide Paper Digital divide Paper Technology is becoming more and more important in all aspects of people lives nowadays, namely access to computers and internet. It Is believed that technology will guide businesses In the 21st century. However, It Is argued that It would be nonsense to strongly rely on computer when in fact, for the big portion of population, access to computer and internet is not a reality. The main purpose of this essay is to outline the advantage and disadvantages of improving the digital divide by firstly address all the factors or barriers that contribute to the digital divide issues. Next, It will come up with some alternative solutions of how digital divide can be overcome and lastly, this essay will outline all the advantages and disadvantages of bridging the digital divide. Interaction between human and the information technology is increasing greatly in the 21st century. The ability to access to information technology is significantly important for a person to actively take part in the economic, social aspect of the world. However, there are only 39% of world population have access to this technology (Refer to Appendix 1). The term Digital Divide has quickly become so popular that It has entered everyday speech as shorthand for any and every disparity within the online community. In this essay, the digital divide or digital split refers to the gap between the underprivileged members of the society, namely those who are poor; live in rural area or elderly, and those who are wealthy, and young people living in city and suburban areas who have the better condition to access to the computer and internet. (Norris P, 2001). There are many factors that contribute to the rate of digital divide. These are educations, income and race. It Is obviously that people who have higher level of education are more likely to use the computer and the internet. Based on statistic, it is notable that the higher the qualification of a person is, the more likely he or she use computer and internet (Refer to appendix B). The second factors affecting the digital divide are income. Not surprisingly, the amount of a persons income directly relates to the chance that he or she being able to use computer internet. That Is, those who earn over $75000 are 20 times more likely to have Internet access than those who earn a lower Income. Refer to appendix C). The last but not least factor Is race. The digital delve also varies along very specific racial line. Alternatively, white are the most likely race to use computer compare to Black and Hispanic. (Refer to appendix D). It is hard to imagine life without a computer, yet the majority of the population do not own one, that is 61% of the world population. Moreover, there are many barriers to internet and broadband adoption, such as lack of understanding. Many people with limited education have no knowledge about the benefit of Internet so they refuse to adopt one. The other barrier Is lack of necessary skills. There are people who might own computer and broadband but they have no idea how to effectively use them as they are unfamiliar with information technology or no confident to use them, they are mainly elderly people. In addition, affordability also amount to the barrier to computer and broadband adoption. The first two barriers can be easily addressed through government programmer or policies to Implement the necessary education about the usefulness of computer and 2014) It is extremely important to focus on bridging the digital divide. In our society, he distribution between the rich and the poor are already heavily unbalanced. It is believed that accessing to computer and the internet can even make the gap even more unbalanced. Why? This is due to the powerful advantages of those who have access to information technology. Those who are without access will be even poorer. Thus, there must be something being done in order to seal the digital divide gap. It is believed that it will not only be the cost of computer implementation but also the cost of literacy educated among those who are underprivileged. The digital divide is a tremendous and complicated issue. However, the obstacle is not insurmountable if it is put into specific tasks to be completed. Apart from the financial issues mentioned above, there are several strategies that could help minimize the digital divide issues. They are universal access, improving the current access by developing more community access centers, providing well trained technical staffs and change of society mindset toward technology. Firstly, universal access means that government should have some policy to support computer and Internet access for low income household. Also, the private sector should seek out to provide equal services and outwork to rural areas so that every person can Join. Secondly, it is a good idea to improve current access by developing more community access. Community access centers (Sacs) are a critical resource for those without access to computers and the Internet at school or work; those programs need to continue to receive funding in order to grow stronger. Thirdly, better trained technical staff should be provided. This is because technologies by themselves are not enough. Organization should seek out to train and develop more qualified, educated staffs. Those staffs need to be able to teach others as well. Lastly, society needs to change its attitude towards technology. At the moment, many people view computer and internet as unnecessary luxury rather than crucial necessities. This must be changed. They must be more open minded to recognize the power of information technologies and consider them as necessity for themselves and their childrens future. ( Digital Divide Issues) There are a lot of action should be taken in order to effectively bridging the digital divide issues. Yet, there are also many projects that are happening to take part in bridging the digital divide. The most successful project is One Laptop per Child (LOOP) (About One Laptop per Child, see appendix E) which is supported by the One Laptop per Child Association and the Cambridge based LOOP Foundation. This project basically gives children across the developing countries a good opportunity access to knowledge and opportunities to explore experiment and express themselves. With many strategies and technique that we aim to improve the digital divide, there are many controversies relating to the issue of bridging the digital divide. There are of course, many advantages regarding to improve the digital divide. The major arguments include improving economic equality, social mobility and democracy, and most importantly, contribute to economic growth. However, there are also some issues associates with bridging the divide. These problems can be summarized as costly, education expenses and arising concern of the negative effect to young children if we overcome the digital divide. Firstly, bridging the digital divide can improve economic equality. It is argued that a better access to the information and countries. A good example of this is telephone. Telephone is important for security and safety purpose. Safety and other emergencies such as in an event of accident might surely be handled well if the person has access to telephone. Besides, it is seemed to be that most of vital information for peoples career, insurances or safety is now provided through the internet. Even social welfare services are now usually processed electronically. Thus, less digital divide amount to better economic equality. ( Digital Divide Issues) Secondly, bridging the digital divide issue can contribute to better social mobility. Information technologies, namely computer and internet contribute greatly to people learning and career. Thus, the government need to emphasize on how to basically use computer and internet. Without those offers, the existing digital divide will not bring a fair condition to the children in the lower socioeconomic status. If developing countries were being exposed to computer literacy, it will lead them to development of their countries, working more efficiently and become more aware of the society. Thirdly, democracy is another advantage when relating to bridge the digital divide issues. It is no doubt that the increase in usage of internet may well lead to a more democratic society due to an increase in public participation and decision making processes. If underrepresented people are unable to participate in such forums, the digital divide will reinforce a socio- economic and socio-political divide. Those factors lead to the lesson that improving the digital divide will have great advantages for the current digital disadvantaged, as well as for the society in general. (Digital Divide Issues) Finally, the last and most important advantage of bridging the digital divide is it indeed contributes to economic growth. Bridging the digital divide will definitely be a faster way to economic growth for some less developed countries. Information technology usually tends to have a relationship with productivity empowerment. The effective use of CIT should give business of certain country a comparative advantage. Furthermore, if the digital divide was successfully closed, this would be an advantage when referring to more economic opportunity as more and more careers require a good use of computer skill. The smaller the digital divide is, the more economical opportunity a certain country may have. ( Digital Divide Issues) On the other hand, some problem eight arise from bridging the digital divide. As mentioned above, the main problem is the cost of bridging digital divide. There is no doubt that digital divide are seen as instrumental in meeting other human needs such as needs for food, needs for a Job, business needs, medical needs, needs for useful information and so on. A closer look will recognize that TIC are rarely goods in themselves but rather instrument in pursuit of other goals. People are living healthily, happily for millions years without CIT and they still do. CIT should be regard as an instrument in meeting other human, social, economic or political purposes. Thus, it is argued that resources available for CIT should be wisely spent on something that fulfill human basics needs such as building schools, hospital or to train more better teachers rather than supply a limited number of rural school with computer and internet connection. (Kingston K, Kumar D,2003) Moreover, the idea of bridging the digital divide might be seen as useless where organizations donate technology for underrepresented population but do not provide them with some specific guidance of how do they actually use those as shown a few problems of this project. One, this project seeks to impose technology with little appreciation of local needs or conditions. That is, those area where the laptop is donated do not yet need laptop, they need some other basic supplement such as food and education rather than technology. Secondly, this project only concerns with the provision of the hardware and software of the computers, but no inclusion of training material and supports. People in rural area might receive a handful of technology but they have no idea of how to use them. Leaning M, 2010) In addition, bridging the digital divide could lead to a negative impact on young children if care were not taken properly. Children are often regarded as digital naive. Wrong use of technology could lead to a significant change in behavior of children at early age. Thus it might not be a positive thing to let children exposed to technology at the early age. In summaries, the digital divide is a tremendous issue that should be look out for. Technology is vital to people lives nowadays, without technology, people will fall behind as we are now in the Information Age. Those who have technology will continue to develop and grow where those who do not have will keep on falling behind. Shortening the digital gap is essential. Everybody should be given an opportunity to access to and experiment information technology no matter where they live or how much they earn. Many actions have been taken so far and they are getting closer to seal the digital divide. There are some negative outcomes of bridging the digital divide beside the many positives. However as the benefits outweigh the issues; bridging the digital divide is highly desirable.

Iraq War and Internation Relation Paradigms Essay

Iraq War and Internation Relation Paradigms - Essay Example Before delving into the paradigms, it is necessary to refresh the facts leading up to this study. In the aftermath of World Trade Center collapse in September 2001, Bush found a path to reach many parts of the world for various reasons that were presented to the Congress and the public, but not favored by the majority overall. The most significant impact was on Iraq because the war is still in progress. The question is still inevitable as to why the Bush administration chose Iraq to invade. In his State of the Union Message, Bush commented, "Iraq's illegal weapons programs, its attempts to hide those weapons from inspectors, and its links to terrorist groups," ("Bush's Deep Reasons for War on Iraq") referring to Saddam's underground activities. There have been no terrorists' arrests in Iraq and in October, Duelfer released a preliminary report finding that in March 2003 - the month of invasion-Saddam did not have any weapons of mass destruction (WMD) stockpiles and had not started an y program to produce them ("Official: U.S. Calls off Search for Iraqi WMD's"). This arouses suspicions then behind the real reason for the Bush Administration to invade Iraq. ... The same concept should then be applied when dealing with other countries. Without having actual evidence, declaring a war on a country is not the mark of a respected authority. As America was intensifying its attacks on Iraq, North Korea came forward and admitted to having nuclear weapons. "North Korea does have missile and biological and chemical weapons programs, along with its bid for a 'nuclear option' - and all have been significantly improved in the past decade" (Encarnacion 2005) Then why not invade North Korea To believe that America invaded Iraq partly based on a nuclear threat to the rest of the world seems absurd then and even now, since North Korea was openly admitting to having nuclear weapons and no direct military action was taken in their regard. Then what is it that makes Iraq, and it is crucial to once again reiterate that no weapons of mass destruction were really found, the main target of the Bush Administration Imperialism-Is America Building a New Empire Throughout history, many superpowers have built vast empires through imperialism; such as the Turks' Ottoman Empire and the British Empire. Yet, America has never shown fondness in the concept of imperialism and neither has invaded and conquered a country to build an empire. However, with the recent political activities, suspicions do arise to question the intentionality of the Bush Administration. If Iraq was attacked to search for weapons of mass destruction and those accusations proved to be false, then why has the war not ended Is America now building an empire First, a definition of imperialism is essential to establish the foundation on which to judge the government's actions. Imperialism is basically when one

Team Evaluation Tool Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Team Evaluation Tool - Assignment Example Various tools can be used to help in achieving quality based team performance. One of the tools that prove to be more useful is brainstorming. Every team has both strengths and weaknesses, which highly influence the direction of the organization. Brainstorming in the team will help identify strengths and areas that need improvement (Glasman, 1986). Brainstorming helps to come up with proper suggestions on better ways for improving team performance. In connection to the above, brainstorming improves leadership performance, as a leader will identify the areas that need more concentration. When the deficiencies have been identified, then the team and the manager will proceed in implementing them hence quality and strong leadership and team performance (Parry, 1997). Performance appraisal is another useful tool that can be utilized to help in evaluating the team as well as the leadership performance. The performance evaluation allows both the management and the individual team players identify their strengths and weaknesses. The method gives space for better and quality team performance and leadership performance (Narayan-Parker, 1993). Barksdale, S., Lund, T., & American Society for Training and Development. (2001). Rapid evaluation: Tools, worksheets, and job aids to help you: develop an evaluation strategy, use the right evaluation approach, understand, and analyze evaluation data. Alexandria, VA: American Society for Training &

How will the Joint Venture Kmart Survive in the Mexican Market Essay

How will the Joint Venture Kmart Survive in the Mexican Market - Essay Example The Mexican customer(Harvard Business School, 1999) is mostly from the uneducated sector. Most of the parents force their children to leave school after having five years of education. This is because the parents need a helping hand to augment the small family income. Since the ElPuerto de Liverpool and Kmart International have already agreed by signing the joint venture contract, the issue now is whether the joint venture will survive or not in until the next performance evaluation period. Since The Mexican customer behavior is different from the customer wants and needs of the American people, there is a need study what the company's next moves will be in order to survive. El Puerto de Liverpool has signed a joint venture agreement with Kmart International to put a Kmart retail store in Mexico. Mexicans earn an average of United States $3.94 per day. The Managers in companies in Mexico are asking for a basic income of United States $ 10,000. This is because they come from rich families. Mexicans buy in small quantities daily from the butcher, fish shop, baker and street vendors due to their low income. Most of the working population of Mexico belong to the below fifteen year old age. It is customary for parents to stop sending their children to school. The children are asked to help work and feed the family. The advantage here for Kmart is that young people always prefer changes in procedures of doing things. They prefer to while the time from 2:30 to 4:30 having siesta or snacks. They prefer fresh food and dislike frozen food. In the Canadian & US retail environment, people prefer to buy in big quantities in department stores and retail stores, often, once a week because food in the these countries are low priced. The Mexicans, Canadian & Americans prefer to buy food and other products from the United States. "If it is from the US, It must be better". Mexicans usually spend 38.75% of their total income purchasing Food. The rest of the money is spent on Drinks and tobacco. K mart went bankrupt in Canada when NAFTA was implemented here. But at the same time, Walmart Canada was the number one in terms of sales in Canada. In fact, Kmart was not considered a threat to the market share of the other two retail stores in Canada. We can evaluate the success of the joint venture by the sales and net income that it will generate. If the joint venture results in big sales, then the joint venture is a success. Another criteria for evaluating a joint venture is whether it has been giving taking care of the environment by not polluting the environment or taking care of its waste disposal system. Still another major criteria is whether it has adhered to Mexico's government rules and regulations. The last criteria is whether it has hired Mexican employees and thereby helping the unemployment situation of Mexico. By hiring Mexican employees, it has helped Mexico economically and socially. By following the rules and regulations of Mexico it has accomplished the political requirements of the company.As to whether to put in place one, two or more stores immediately or one stores every month, the recommendation is to start first with a test project. The test project is

Effects of Architecture on Public Behaviour in India

Effects of Architecture on Public Behaviour in India INTRODUCTION India and its cities is often associated with poverty and disorder in the eyes of both foreigners and nationals alike. The roads and streets are littered, walls are indiscriminately scared by blood red paan, old and unmaintained infrastructure is found vandalized as though its sole purpose was to act as a medium of defiance towards the government’s inefficiency; and any dark niche becomes a place for defecation. This phenomenon, of public acceptance toward urban uncleanliness is experienced in almost all cities of India. India is a country which has a deep rooted history and has many ancient cities. All of which have been documented with awe in the eyes of the writer, talking of their beauty and intricacy. One of the oldest civilizations on the planet, built their haven along the banks of the Indus. Their cities showed a sensitivity toward cleanliness; and the great baths and the sew-age system are a testament to that. Yet today, Indian cities are looked upon as filthy, unhygienic and unorganized. No Indian culture preaches of such treatment towards their environment yet the problem still remains in front of our eyes. However, I believe that the solution to this urban phenomenon may lie in the way we design our built environment. It is widely accepted that the environment we are placed in, plays a major role in affecting how we behave in it. This brings me towards my research question: How can architecture affect the behaviour of the public in order to curb the menace of littering and vandalism, hence maintain cleaner and healthier cities? LITERATURE SURVEY My research will aim at finding a long term, objective answers towards three core topics Vandalism as a cause of social defiance. Littering as a cause of social negligence. Sense of place as a tool to earn respect of the people. Vandalism Almost all major Indian cities date back at least to the colonial era and they see their fair share of social unrest in the form of strikes, riots or revolts and some even have seen war between empires. Unrest has always existed between different classes or casts over the history of our cities and in the present context it mainly exists between different religious communities and much more between the public and its government. Vandalism is one of the by-products of this unrest. My research has found that vandalism is strongly associated with defiance. This defiance can be rooted toward any cause, institution or a government body. This anti-social activity has been enabled by poorly designed built environments which lack surveillance be it manned or automated. This has also led toward increase in crime rate in many high-rise and has eventually reduced the desirability of the housing project. In Oscar Newman’s book ‘Defensible Space’, his research is directed towards how crime can be reduced in the housing projects of New York by designing urban spaces which will affect the behaviour of people and affectively prevent crime from occurring in the first place. The author defines Defensible Space as ‘Defensible space is a model for residential environments which inhibits crime by creating the physical expression of a social fabric that defends itself.’ (Newman, Oscar 1972) His work revolves around how simple gestures in the planning phase can have a vast impact on the inter relationships of multiple users in an urban environment. His work revolves around generating spaces which are surveyed by the community, or a group rather than an individual because when people begin to protect themselves as individuals and not as a community, the battle against crime is lost. (Newman, Oscar 1972) Further his book talks about the need for a site to create a defined territory which can be surveyed by the users of that territory. There is much usefulness in this approach as the potential criminal perceives such a space as controlled by its inhabitants, leaving him an intruder, easily recognized and dealt with. (Newman, Oscar 1972) Edge conditions are also a vital consideration as the outside space becomes more defensible if they are clearly demarcated for the use by one household or a small number of households, and if they are observable by residents, neighbours and passers-by. (Cisneros, Henry, 1996) When interiors are designed, the author has found that ‘attitude towards interior finishes and furnishings creates an institutional atmosphere, not unlike that achieved in our worst hospitals and prisons. Even though the materials are in fact stronger and more resilient to wear, tenants seem to go out of their way to test their resistance capabilities. Instead of being provided with an environment in which they can take pride and might desire to keep up, they are provided with one that begs their ability in tearing it down( in comment of Pruitt Igoe) (Newman, Oscar 1972) Taking inferences from these approaches I aim to see whether similar principles of design can help prevent vandalism in India’s urban spaces, hence develop further inferences towards how cultural differences can affect this stream of though and how it can be used to my advantage if possible. Further, I would like to ascertain whether this approach can also be applied towards prevention of littering in public spaces as well. Another method of reducing vandalism takes a nonphysical approach a particular area involves community involvement by means of fund raising in Jefferson School District, Daly City, California where vandalism had been a concern (average daily attendance 6,100), for many years. Several schools were consistent targets for graffiti and broken windows. Maintenance crews devoted Monday mornings to sweeping glass and repainting surfaces. It was time consuming, costly, and most discouraging.(Brietler,B , 1988) An Idea came in 1985 from the newly appointed superintendent, Joseph DiGeronimo. His plan was to offer an incentive program to the students. Each school would have $500 put into a reserve account for eventual use by students-that is, unless the money was first consumed by the costs of vandalism. The money would go to the student body to use as it wished, as long as the expenditures were legal and in good taste. (Brietler,B , 1988) The scheme was successful enough that it was able to reduce incidents from 114 in 1985-86 to 51 incidents in 1986-87. (Brietler,B , 1988) Even though my research is focused in finding a prevention rather than a cure, secondary measures will only help to reinforce the former. Since, in the Indian context, where monetary gain is the main incentive to get work done efficiently, schemes of a similar nature be implemented so as to facilitate maintenance of our urban spaces. Littering I was initially filled with the notion that vandalism and littering are done by the same social strata and for similar reasons. But on further studying I realized that they are two distinct behaviours and are motivated by different factors. Vandalism had been associated in almost all my readings as an act of defiance of the people of the lower class or people who believe have been neglected by a governing body. It would be wrong to assume that it is the lack of awareness or literacy that is the root cause of littering. The most common sight of littering is that of plastics bags, disposable containers, plates and spoons Items which are attributed with the consumerist classes i.e. the middle class and high class. The Indian department of sciences and technology states: Most of todays plastics and synthetic polymers are produced from petrochemicals. As conventional plastics are persistent in the environment, improperly disposed plastic materials are a significant source of environmental pollution, potentially harming life. Therefore Littering is not merely an eye sore but also a health hazard and, it should be a matter of concern that we keep our cities clean so that we can benefit in the long run. Another fashion of littering is very unique to India owing to a recipe that is unique to Indian culture. Almost all public spaces can be distinctly associated with the splashes of paan cud, commonly seen at every corner of a staircase or the end of a passageway. Paan is made using a single beetle leaf with a filling which is usually constituted of areca nut, lime and cured tobacco. This form of paan is not meant to be swallowed and so spitting is inevitable. The areca nut is what is responsible for creating the blood red coloration which is the key identifier of paan cud. Paan is cheaply available to both the poor farmer and the rich merchant, and is an Indian man’s pass time, chewing constantly to while away the long and monotonous day. The primary cause of this gross negligence towards correct disposal of rubbish, is because of the lack of far-sightedness of the common man. The lack of a united spirit in the city, where every man is out there to fend for himself be it status, earning or justice and this has led to a fragmentation in the urban society. This is what has eluded the minds of the people, that, even trivial acts such as littering can add up to larger consequences. Liberalization has granted the benefit of private ownership of land, but this has allowed people to assume the corollary, that, what is not owned by them is not under their jurisdiction completely forgetting the democratically It belongs to him but at the same time, also to his fellow countrymen. This blatant thinking of in and out, mine and not mine has deluded the spirit of a common in urban society which manifests itself in the form of negligence. Vassos Argyrou argues that depending on one’s position in space people may find things to be in place (have positive value) or out of place (have negative value) or, they may be invisible to the observer†¦ Therefore, the like beauty, litter is in the eye of the beholder. (Argyrou, Vassos, 1997) Depending on these characteristics society way either be proactive or they may be negligent towards littering. Peoples understanding toward cleanliness is mainly defined by their way of life. The fact that some people treat littering as eyesores is presupported by ’the ability to detach oneself from the world and constitute it as an object of contemplation and reflection.’ (Argyrou, Vassos, 1997).. This portion of society’s ability is rendered possible by the division between mental labour and physical labour. This is possible in those who are economically well off and have the luxury to contemplate the world and its problems. The do not need to partake cumbersome labour (like brick laying and farming) in order to fight the elements of nature, rather, they would prefer to do the same through â€Å"sport† (by going rock climbing or hiking). They tend to contemplate the world as an aesthetic reality. Trying to treat nature as a body whose truths assessed and aliments cured. By contrast, for many people the world is far from a comforts and conveniences, and the possibility to contemplate the world is distant. These people are compelled to work on days which, most people would take the day off. To them, the world is a battle field and life a daily struggle. Out of this confrontation – akin to physical combat the world emerges as a formidable adversary and the Self emerges as a physically and mentally strong individual who, far from being deterred by the challenge, welcomes and even provokes it.(Argyrou, Vassos , 1997)They are too obstinate to give up on the challenges that face them and, given these circumstances, their aggressive approach towards life, to them avoiding littering is a far too gratuitous an act to be seriously considered. However, it would be premature to assume that the cause of this uncleanliness is because of the lower working class and that the middle and higher classes are devoid of this attitude towards our cities. This only suggests that different conditions of existence predispose people to view the world and themselves, in different ways. The author later goes on to say that the middle class claim is that people litter because they are ignorant. Rather, it is that people are ignorant because they litter. The distinction is significant because it implies that litter is a self- evident truth accessible to everyone. If the middle class can perceive it as a problem, villagers and urban working classes can see it too. But, as middle class rhetoric has it, they choose to ignore it and this is what makes them ignorant This act of negligence towards the city is well illustrated by Sudipta Kaviraj, in his paper’ Filth and the Public Sphere: Concepts and Practices about Space In Calcutta (1997), talking of the notions, of what is public in the eyes of Indians, in the city of Calcutta. He talks of how Hindu culture is responsible for the concept for ‘apan/par’ in which people only look at their property as their world, which requires attention and has to be kept clean. Whereas the surrounding is of no importance to the dweller. The inside of a Brahmin house was often kept impressively clean, including utensils and other household goods. Interiors of houses were swept and scrubbed with punctilious regularity. Indeed, there was an interesting connection between these duties and the religious markings on the times of day. The household’s internal space had to be cleaned at the hours of conjunction between light and darkness, at dawn and dusk, which coincided with time for worship (puja). The form of this puja, especially at nightfall, was to light the auspicious lamp, which had an understated piety about it and was performed by women, who shared a strong connection with the symbolism of the interior. It would be considered odd, and faintly sacrilegious, to take the auspicious lamp into a room that had not been cleaned in preparation for this most ordinary form of thanksgiving. Thus, the cleaning chores were considered quasi-religious duties for household members (mostly women). Yet the garbage collected from this obsessive house-cleaning would be dumped on a mound right in front of the house. This owed not to a material-geographic but a conceptual distinction. When the garbage is dumped, it is not placed at a point where it cannot casually affect the realm of the household and its hygienic well-being. It is thrown over a conceptual boundary. The street was the outside, the space for which one did not have responsibility, or which not one’s own was, and it therefore lacked any association with obligation, because it did not symbolise any significant principle, did not express any values. It was merely a conceptually insignificant negative of the inside, which was prized and invested with affectionate decoration. Thus, the outside—the streets, squares, bathing Ghats, and other facilities used by large numbers—were crowded, but they did not constitute a different kind of valued space, a civic space with norms and rules of use of its own, different from the domest ic values of bourgeois privacy. (Kaviraj, S 1997) Kaviraj also mentions that cast is not the only factor but the differences in perceptions between the different classes also is responsible for the littering. The middle class who were capable of affording an education attach much sentimental values to their public parks, but the lower class cannot understand the importance of the latter as much of the middle class’s sentiments had aroused from historic contexts which the lower classes could not relate to due to lack of an education. What this shows is that there were two different codes for using social space, one mapping of inside/outside and another of public/ private.(Kaviraj,S 1997) This study has helped me grasp the gravity of the situation. That there is a cultural link towards the way we maintain our public sphere and that there lies a differences of conceptual approach towards the term ‘public’ by the different economic strata of society. Another concept I would like to focus on is the broken window theory, which says that a crime is more likely to happen if the physical environment is already abused. This phenomenon is necessary to understand as it acts as the spark to the fire if not tended to. The corollary of the theory can also be tested to see if extremely clean environments can also be used to create a social unacceptance toward uncleanliness of our public spaces. CONCLUSION Littering is a social and health problem. It may be harmless in small quantities, but when it is upscaled to the urban level, it becomes a menace and a cause of concern. Today the Indian government has tried to curb littering by means of promotional messages on television. And people are well aware that it is illegal to litter. Under this circumstance, littering is not merely an act, but also a statement whose message echoes through all people who see it. Citizens who see their streets and roads littered will be filled with the notion that their government is incompetent and incapable. This eventually will lead people to be lax, not just towards littering laws but also towards other restrictions, quoting the latter failure as an example. Owing to its visual nature, littering spreads like a disease in the spaces of the citizen minds and then into the spaces of the city. This will eventually breed negligence among the masses and destroy community culture. This further translates into more extreme cases where our urban spaces will be vandalized to vent out anger. Therefore it is of at most importance that we take immediate action and strongly reinforce these actions with preventative measures in order to maintain a physically and mentally society. From my literature survey it has come to my knowledge that littering and vandalism have been looked at from a very objective point of view and research is directed more towards these phenomena as reactive measures and not a long term preventative measures. Therefore I would like to focus my future efforts into finding ways in which we can prevent littering and vandalism before it can even happen. References: Newman, Oscar 1972, Crime Prevention through Urban Design Defensible Space, the Macmillan Company, New York. Colquhoun, Ian, Design out of crime Creating Safe and Sustainable Communities, Architectural Press Canter, David 1977, Psychology of Place, The Architectural Press Ltd. London G.P.D, 2004 , Economics and Political Weekly , Vol. 39 ,No. 9. The British Medical Journal Vol .2 No. 4255 1942 ,Towards The Clean City, BMJ Kaviraj,Sudipta 1997 , Duke University Press, Filth and the public Sphere: Concepts and practices about Space in Calcutta, Public Culture. Keizer, Kees, 2008 American association for the advancement of science, Vol. 322, No. 5908 Science, New Series. Brietler, Bruce 1988 ,Taylor Francis, Ltd., Vandalism: The carrot instead of the Stick, Vol. 61, No.8 Argyrou, Vassos 1997,Wiley on behalf American Anthropological Association, â€Å"Keep Cyprus Clean† : Littering , Pollution, and Otherness, Vol. 12, No.2 Hazards of plastic, 2009, viewed 20 July 2014 TIFAC, http://www.tifac.org.in/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=739itemid=205

Business Ethics Essay -- Business Ethics Morals

In today’s global society, a Code of Ethics policy is used to label established, acceptable behaviors among that industry’s business associates, potential investors, and the corporation’s executive officers and employees, and most important, the consumer (Ethics Resource Center, 2003). In an attempt to promote an increased efficiency and productivity potential level, among employees and prospective clients, a corporation’s standard Code of Ethics should guide its members toward a more in-depth examination of their personal moral activity, and how these actions affect the people or acquaintances they encounter. A company should utilize this strategy as a model for the professional behaviors and responsibilities of its constituents, and proves the occupational advancement of that business. Ethics are important in every level of a corporation, but specifically in the day-to-day actions of its members, and the image the company broadcasts to its associates is fundamental in building a stable business foundation. These pledges are a vital communication tool used to covey the firm’s standards for business operations, and predominantly, its relationships with the surrounding communities (Ethics Resource Center, 2003). The statement made in this example for discussion has credibility to a certain extent, but there are always reactions to any action, as stated in the basic laws of physics. This also holds true when scrutinizing the actions of a brain surgeon, a reporter, or an employee at a fast-food restaurant. The significance may not seem to be equal when determining the impact level of these jobs, but the individual attempts to perform at the highest possible intensity should always be the main goal (Horngr... ...s quite different after a new approach is applied to a specific situation, but a majority of the time, this strategy will provide the best possible action that should be applied to achieve a more balanced ethical code (Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, 2008). References: Ethics Resource Center (2003). Why Have a Code of Conduct? Retrieved September 6, 2008 from http://www.ethics.org/resources/wy-have-code.asp Horngren, C. & Harrison, W. (2007). Accounting: Chapters 1 - 17 (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Markkula Center for Applied Ethics (2008). A Framework for Thinking Ethically. Santa Clara University. Retrieved September 6, 2008 from http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/framework.html