Assess and arguments for the law of karma, and discuss whether the law Essay

Assess and arguments for the law of karma, and discuss whether the law implies or refutes the ex - Essay Example Sankhya believe that the material of creation is made of earth and stone and could possibly not be created by ‘Isvara’ whose own characteristics are not consistent with the same material (Radhakrishnan 43 b). The Sankhya doctrine holds that it is not possible to prove the existence of God and therefore he cannot be said to exist (Larson 83). I would opine that the doctrine contention aligns with the view that a benevolent God would have no motive of creating a world of mixed happiness and sorrows. The Purusa takes an important place in the understanding of the Sankhya doctrine. The Sankhya offers that the Purusa is not caused (Collins 106). The Purusa is usually likened to consciousness. In most doctrines, consciousness is usually attached to the idea of the existence of a Supreme being. The Sankhya position that the Purusa is not caused directly contradicts the idea of the existence of a creator God. However, problems arise within the doctrine with the supposition that Purusa does not have any qualities. In my opinion, this view would imply that all beings are same. Such a thesis would refute the possibility of the existence of different fates for different actions as understood within the overall framework of the Karma. The position adds weight to some of the problems and contradictions that have been identified within the Sankhya doctrine with regard to the nature and qualities of the Purusa. The character of the ‘Isvara’ according to the doctrine developed by the Sankhya is that he is not attached to the universe (Radhakrishnan 40 b). According to the Mimamsa doctrine, the ‘Isvara’ does not provide the fruits of actions, which essentially distinguishes them from other doctrines that assign roles of reward and punishment to the deity (Radhakrishnan 22 b). Instead, the rewards or consequences of actions are purely depended on the actions of individuals. Good actions beget positive consequences, while bad actions bring ab out negative consequences. The Mimamsa doctrine does not mention whether or not the ‘Isvara’ created the universe (Radhakrishnan 19 b). In my view, I would conclude that the positions adopted by both doctrines acknowledge the fact of divine being but do not agree on his nature or tasks. In general terms, the Sankhya philosophy is governed by the concept of dualism. The philosophy challenges the view of the God as central idea that controls the cause and destiny of humanity. The destiny of man, according to Mimamsa is dependent on the actions and will of man in accordance with the Verdas (Radhakrishnan 74 a). In this sense, God is only a benevolent power that grants to human beings their due share in accordance with their character on earth. It is therefore important to consider the fact that the actions of man are integral in the destiny of the universe. The cultivation of ‘Dama’ or self-control as a way of pursuing a virtuous and upright life (Radhakrishna n 13 b). Samkhya adopts the position that the harmony in the world is born out of the paradoxical dualities as argued by Sage Kapila. Samkhya philosophy is founded on the idea of harmony numerals. According to the terms of this philosophy the collection of elements and characteristics of things in the universe work to maintain some sense of balance between the systems. The underlying meaning in the Samkhya philosoph

The impact of mobile computing on the enterprise Essay

The impact of mobile computing on the enterprise - Essay Example It was a one-to-one relationship if seen from the constructive perspective. Negative points were summed up in the losses incurred on the company’s part whereby these message boards and the like didn’t help the business from any fiscal outlook. Many big companies like Microsoft, WebEx, Intraspect and the like have been facing barriers as concerns with the interaction between the employees who are spread in different locations. These companies were in the need to put up such a system, which could eliminate excessive and undue business travels and easily provide for interaction and more so straightforward communication between the people. Thus, collaboration software was devised and put forthwith and has been going on for a number of years ever since. The collaboration software like Usenet services and others accounted for targeted markets in the field of manufacturing, supply-chain management and product development, not to forget sales and marketing. These types of softw are do not usually work in every kind of workplace and within every other system. Actually, its one thing fitting these into the old system and another to make people change the way they work in the business world of today and interact and communicate with everyone concerned. These services are providing the most benefits in the real-time online dealings of the business and this is one factor, which takes lead over all others, at least in the business corporations. Mobile media is also known as the Portable media which in essence gives a description regarding the 21st century ideology encompassing the viewing of different forms of media, known more popularly as the multimedia on a device which is considered easily portable from place to place at any convenient location dependent on the mercy of the user of mobile media. This mobile media consists of either a mobile phone, a personal

Explain Erich Fromm’s twofold meaning of human freedom Essay Example for Free

Explain Erich Fromm’s twofold meaning of human freedom Essay Erich Fromm is a German psychologist explored human freedom. He wrote about the two folds of human freedom, which are, the freedom â€Å"from† traditional authorities such as the state and (2) the freedom â€Å"for† actualizing one’s individual destiny. In his work about the Freedom in History, Fromm argues that the people came to understand the real meaning of freedom in the 20th century. They thus fight to defend it. This is because it brings a lot of joy to the people, therefore prompting them to devise ways of maintaining it. Through his work, he tries to explain the main cause leading to the fall of the previous social order. In addition, it has led to the rise of a new generation of independent beings who are fighting for direct high-quality future. This development makes them to have a feeling of not just fulfilling their socioeconomic role in the society, but also contemplating their future Secondly, Fromm tries to explain the way the people are Escaping freedom through his suggestions that people are successively attempting to lessen negative effects although expanded thoughts and behaviors provide them with security. He explains three forms of escaping freedom whereby he suggests that the dictatorial personality contains a sad and masochist element which gains control over the other people. Such control imposes order in the world. The ambiguity of human freedom is especially evident when making important life choices, for example, who we want to be and how we want to live our lives. Fromm holds that although people in advanced societies have been freed from the bonds of preindividualistic society, which gave them both security and limitations, they have not gained freedom in the positive sense of realizing their individual selves. That is, they have not found an outlet for the optimal expression of their intellectual, emotional, and social potential. We have freedom to direct our lives—from the details of daily life to the more crucial choices such as our careers. Karen Grover Duffy and Eastwood Atwater (2008). Psychology For Living: Adjustment, Growth, and Behavior Today (9 ed. ). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Economic effects of globalisation in singapore

Economic effects of globalisation in singapore Globalization is defined as the free movements of goods, services and capital across borders. It is a contentious process by which the western market economies have effectively spread across the globe. Although it does not constitute a new phenomenon, it is viewed as an inexorable integration of markets, nations and technologies to a degree never witnessed before in a way that is enabling individuals, and corporations to reach around the world further, faster, deeper and more economically than ever before (Heshmati, 2003). Today, globalisation is evident in every aspect of our life and society. Globalisation has impacted us in many ways, most evidently in communication and interaction between different people. Globalisation has brought about the Internet and advanced technology. This has allowed for ease in facilitation of which many aspects of the world are run and work. People are able to use the Internet to communicate with people from the other side of the world and interact and discuss about issues in the market etc. Through globalisation, people are able to communicate and interact easily, in doing so causing the ease of disseminating information and even in the way that facilitated trade. Especially with regards to trade, globalisation has enabled many countries around the world to take advantage of the aspect of globalisation which improves communication and interaction between people. Many countries used this aspect to help expand and advance their economies and trade markets. The year 2007 to 2008 witnessed a movement of goods and services worth $132 trillion from the Peoples Republic of China across the globe. This led to a 5.4% increase or rise in the Chinese economy as compared from the previous economic growth of a rate of 3.4% (Moore Lewis, 2009). Economic globalization is defined as the rise in economic interdependence of different nations economies of the world and it entails a dramatic rise in movement of goods, technology, capital and service across nations borders (Justin, 2001). Economic globalization has also provided opportunities for developing countries in that it expands the size of their markets for export and attracts foreign capital, which aids development. Foreign investment is conducive to a transfer of technologies and knowhow, which increases productivity (Bertucci and Alberti, 2010). In the same way, Singapore has also used the aspect of globalisation which increases communication in her own advantage to improve the economy and trade. One of the industries affected positively from globalisation in Singapore is the tourism industry. With globalisation, people are able to move from one place to another easily and quickly, through the use of aeroplanes etc. This allows people to travel regularly to Singapore, from places as far as Africa and United States of America. With easier traveling, more people can come to Singapore to tour and enjoy the attractions such as the Marina Bay Sands, Sentosa, etc. With more people in Singapore, the tourism industry is able to earn more money through the expenditure of these tourists, from food and beverages to entrance fees of attractions. Thus, through globalisation, Singapores tourist industry is able to expand and advance. This table of statistics shows the number of visitor arrivals by region/country of residence from the year 1999 and 2004 to 2009. Through this table, it can be seen that a large amount of people from the United States of America come to visit Singapore every year, in 2009 totalling to 370.7 thousand. This shows how globalisation has affected the tourism industry. People from countries like the United States of America which is in the other side of the world is able to come over to Singapore in such large numbers. This can also be seen in Europe, where 1,307.4 thousand people arrived to Singapore in 2009. It can be seen that globalisation has improved the tourism industry through the increase of tourist arrivals over the years. Take the Commonwealth of Independent States and Eastern Europe for example. The number of people who have visited Singapore have risen from 42.8 thousand in 1999 to 114.3 thousand in 2008. This shows the influence of globalisation has on the tourism industry in Singapore. With a greater influence, globalisation makes the tourist industry to have more and more tourists every year due to the easier transportation and movement from one country to another. With globalisation helping the countrys economy to become wealthier, this in turn would affect the people positively, allowing them to have a better standard of living. There are many benefits that citizens will have through a booming economy. One positive effect is that globalization causes rapid changes in trade relations, financial flows, and mobility of labour across the world. The development has brought the economies of developed countries closer together and more strongly interrelated. Trade is more common across countries and people are able to move from one place to another more conveniently and frequently than before. With globalization, companies have forayed into the developing countries and hence generated employment for them. But it is one of the positive and negative effects of globalization, depending on the point of view you wish to see it from. It has given an opportunity to invest in the emerging markets and tap up the talent which is available there. In developing countries, there is often a lack of capital which hinders the growth of domestic companies and hence, employment. In such cases, due to global nature of the businesses, people of developing countries too can obtain gainful employment opportunities. But the developed countries have lost jobs on account of this movement of jobs to the developing world and hence it is a pinch felt by people in the First World. One of the most visible positive effects of globalization in India is the flow of foreign capital. A lot of companies have directly invested in India, by starting production units in India, but what we also need to see is the amount of FII that flows into the developing countries. Indian companies which have been performing well, both in India and off the shores, will attract a lot of foreign investment, and thus pushes up the reserve of foreign exchange available in India. This is also one of the positive effects of globalization in US and other developed countries as developing countries give them a good investment proposition. The last effect is the impact of foreign trade on an economy. Comparative advantage has always been a factor even in the old times. While trade originated in the times of early kingdoms, it has been institutionalized due to globalization. Previously, people had to resort to unfair means and destruction of kingdoms and countries to get what they wanted. Today, it is done in a more humane way, with mutual cooperation. People who operate in uncivilized ways, now have to face the WTO and other world organizations that have been established with a view to control and regulate the trade activities of the countries. With all these benefits, the incomes of Singaporeans have increased over the last few years. In Singapore, the household income from work in 2010 increased due to strong economic growth. Median monthly household income from work in 2010 recovered to above the level before the economic downturn in 2009. Among resident households, median monthly income from work increased by 3.1 per cent from $4,850 in 2009 to $5,000 in 2010 (Table 1); in real terms, the increase was 0.3 per cent (Department of Statistics Singapore, 2010). Table 1 Monthly Household Income from Work Among Resident Households Year Median Household Income Average Household Income Dollar Nominal Change (%) Real Change (%) Dollar Nominal Change (%) 2000 3,638 3.9 2.6 4,988 5.7 2001 3,860 6.1 5.0 5,338 7.0 2002 3,628 -6.0 -5.6 5,069 -5.0 2003 3,601 -0.7 -1.2 5,075 0.1 2004 3,689 2.4 0.8 5,194 2.3 2005 3,860 4.6 4.1 5,447 4.9 2006 4,000 3.6 2.6 5,715 4.9 2007 4,375 9.4 7.1 6,295 10.1 2008 4,946 13.1 6.0 7,086 12.6 2009 4,850 -1.9 -2.5 6,826 -3.7 2010 5,000 3.1 0.3 7,214 5.7 Source: Department of Statistics Singapore (2011) Key Household Income Trends, 2010 Among employed household, with at least one working person, median monthly income from work increased by 5.7 per cent in nominal terms (from $5,400 in 2009 to $5,700 in 2010) and 2.8 per cent in real terms (Table 2). Table 2 Monthly Household Income from Work Among Employed Households Year Median Household Income Average Household Income Dollar Nominal Change (%) Real Change (%) Dollar Nominal Change (%) 2000 4,000 5.3 3.9 5,456 7.0 2001 4,141 3.5 2.5 5,736 5.1 2002 4,038 -2.5 -2.1 5,572 -2.9 2003 4,050 0.3 -0.2 5,618 0.8 2004 4,106 1.4 -0.3 5,761 2.5 2005 4,345 5.8 5.3 6,052 5.1 2006 4,495 3.5 2.5 6,280 3.8 2007 4,883 8.6 6.4 6,889 9.7 2008 5,475 12.1 5.2 7,752 12.5 2009 5,398 -1.4 -2.0 7,549 -2.6 2010 5,704 5.7 2.8 8,058 6.7 Source: Department of Statistics Singapore (2011) Key Household Income Trends, 2010 Even though the income levels have risen among employed Singaporeans, we have found through our research that not every Singaporean enjoys these perks of having higher income through globalisation. This is the one effect of globalisation in Singapore that we would like to discuss in this paper. The phenomenon of widening income gap in Singapore, between the period of 2000 2010. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Sources of Information In this research paper, we used mainly secondary sources of information. The sources of information that we used are: Newspaper Articles The newspaper articles we used were from The Straits Times. We decided to use articles from our local newspaper as it leans more towards our country and hence, the articles would be more apt especially since our research is about the effects of globalisation in Singapore. The Straits Times is also a acclaimed worldwide as one of the best newspapers, hence, it would be more reliable. Research papers The research papers that we used, such as the article Reducing Singapores Income Disparity: Looking Forward is by professors from Singapore. Hence, it is more reliable as they have lived in Singapore and studied the trends over the years. It would also be more appropriate for them to comment on the findings that they have collated Magazines We used The Economist because our topic focused mainly on the economy, hence, since The Economist looks at the global market, it would be a good judge of the economy in the various parts of the world. One issue that we looked at was Volume 398, Number 8717 of The Economist, which had a special report called The rich and the rest. This was relevant because it talks about the issue of widening income gap and the income discrepancies in the world today, which is one of our main focuses in our research paper. Statistics Our statistics were taken from research papers (results were collected by the author of the research paper) and studies conducted by the government. Since the statistics were taken from reliable sources, it would be more accurate in showing trends over the years. Rationale of using the sources of Information In our research paper, we only used secondary sources. This is because our topic is mainly on the effects of globalisation, hence it would be more appropriate to analyse the trends and research instead of conducting an interview. It was also quite hard to find an interviewee because globalisation is a wide topic and many people might have their different opinions on it. Through conducting extensive research using newspaper articles, research papers, et cetera, we could generally find the trends and information that we needed for our paper. Hence, we found that it was not necessary to conduct interviews or surveys as information that we needed could be found. Limitations of Research The limitation of using solely secondary sources is that we are unable to get first-hand opinions of the globalisation trends that we see in Singapore. Even though the opinions might be subjective, it would be a helpful source in knowing more about globalisation through the interviewees. Limitation of Newspaper Articles: The newspaper articles had only touched lightly on either the topic of widening income gap or globalisation, hence we had to conduct more research in order to find more information about the topic. Limitation of Research Papers: Research papers were useful in providing us with extensive information, however, each research paper was very focused on the particular topic that the professor was working on, and hence, we had to combine various research papers in order to find the trends and information that we required for our own research paper. Limitation of Magazines: The Economist was mainly on general statistics in the world, and hence, many of the information were not pertaining to Singapore and we could not use it for our information. The magazines were only a good guide in showing us the effects of globalisation to the world in general. Limitation of Statistics: The statistics given were mainly not interpreted; hence, even though we had the statistics by the government and research papers, we had to interpret and tweak the information in the way that it suits our topic and supports our points in our research paper. FINDINGS: HOW GLOBALIZATION LED TO THE WIDENING INCOME GAP IN SINGAPORE Globalisation has caused many changes in the world that we live in today. There are many effects of globalisation in our society, both good and bad. Globalisation is the continuous tendency towards the free flow of business and monetary infusions across nations which help in the formation of international financial system (mapsofindia, 2011). Higher living standards Through globalisation, the standard of living around the world has improved considerably. This is due to the want for financial independence and thus, people are triggered to become competitive, elevating the living standard of people in the nations that offer themselves to the world trade (mapsofindia, 2011). With increased economic stability, countries are able to have faster economic growth, which will also improve the standard of living in the country and reduce poverty. India has cut its poverty rate in half in the past two decades. China has reduced the number of rural poor from 250 million in 1978 to 34 million in 1999. Cheaper imports also make a wider range of products accessible to more people and, through competition, can help promote efficiency and productivity (global education, 2011). The rich are also able to splurge on their extravagant lifestyle, hence heightening the income discrepancies, as while people on the higher end of the income ladder are living a luxurious lifestyle, the lower-skilled workers are worried about keeping their jobs. This increased standard of living is thus clearly unbeneficial to some pockets of the population, especially the lower-skilled and lower-income people. Development of technology Over the years, technology has advanced in many ways that were thought impossible. The development of technology is rapid, persistent and ever-changing. With the introduction of technology to global markets, the demand for commodities has increased. Products and services are also increasing constantly. This has led to increase in usage around the world. Through the introduction of technology, technological gadgets are more easily available and affordable, allowing people to use technology to look into the investment and financial sector. With the help of computers, more and more people can be connected to the events happening in the financial sector. As per statistics, everyday more than $1.5 trillion is now swapped in the worlds currency markets and around one-fifth of products and services are generated per year are bought and sold. Technological advancement and productivity expansion are the other benefits of globalization because since 1970s growing international rivalry has trig gered the industries to improvise increasingly (mapsofindia, 2011). Increased inter-communication With globalisation, it is now easier for people all around the world to move from place to place. People have the ability to move from country to country in a short amount of time as compared to before when there was no globalisation. For the purpose of commerce and pleasure, more and more people are crossing national borders. Globally, on average nations in 1950 witnessed just one overseas visitor for every 100 citizens. By the mid-1980s it increased to six and ever since the number has doubled to 12. Commerce as a percentage of gross world product has increased in 1986 from 15% to nearly 27% in recent years. Worldwide telephone traffic has tripled since 1991. The number of mobile subscribers has elevated from almost zero to 1.8 billion indicating around 30% of the world population. Internet users will quickly touch 1 billion. With improved telecommunications, information and goods are available easily across countries. Costs are lowered and information is more reliable and accurate than ever. With such changes to the global market, workers are not just dependant on their own countrys economy anymore. Old jobs and skills are outsourced to meet the increasing demands of the global economy, thus many lower-skilled workers get lower income or get laid-off. Effects of Globalisation Influx of immigrants Globalization has made the world very close and small because of the ease of transport and lower cost of travel, and thus also increases the immigration in Singapore. Based on the study of Singapore Population Overview (Table 1), it can be seen that the number of immigrants and PRs in Singapore was 31.7% in 2007 whereas in 2008, the number has risen to 34.6%. This means that the number of immigrants and PRs is growing at a faster rate than the citizen population. The foreign workforce in Singapore is 30% (in 2010) not counting those who are newly converted citizens and PRs.( Diary of A Singaporean Mind, Monday, August 30, 2010) The government has offered scholarships, jobs and assistance for people in many other countries to settle in Singapore. Table 1. Singapore Population Overview (source: SingStat) Singapore Population Statistics Currently, there are 4.8 million people residing in Singapore, and about 478,000 are PRs. (On April 1, 2009, in Life in Singapore) Among them, the students, professionals entrepreneurs want to stay in Singapore after finishing their studies or own businesses , and establishing their careers. Table 2. Persons Granted PR (source: SingStat) Persons Granted PR post Singapore Immigration Table 3. Persons Granted Citizenship (source: SingStat)Persons Granted Citizenship post Singapore Immigration The tables show that each year, there are about 60,000 foreigners granted as PR. In contrast, only 15-17,000 citizenship status was approved yearly. Despise Singapores economic advantages; foreigners main motivators are citing tax incentives as well as health and education benefits which come from being a citizen or PR. Singapore is a very small island and has limited land and housing. Singaporeans have always welcomed immigrants in the past from Malaysia or Indonesia but nowadays the influx immigrants in the recent waves strains our infrastructure and leads to income inequality. Singapores economy now depends heavily on foreign labour which took up 58,300 new jobs, and over half of the 112,500 new jobs which are created in the year. Assuming one third or half of the locals are PRs, the proportion of new jobs which belong to foreigners is likely to be as high as two thirds or three quarters. (Tan Jee Say, Creating Jobs and Enterprisein a New Singapore Economy) These immigrants are taking jobs away from the locals and hence living some jobless. The Unemployment Rate (SA) in Singapore was 1.9% in Mar 2011. (Statistics Singapore)On top of that, they are driving down the income levels for the low-skilled jobs and hence even if locals were to work in it, they will be paid only a small amount. This would not be sufficient for the citizens especially since the standard of living in Singapore is high  ¼Ã‹â€ refer to the Higher Living Standard ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °and thus they might not be able to afford to pay for some needs. Ultimately, income gap will grow wider. In the past, the workers economic fate was only relevant to the national economic fate. However, globalization and improvements in communication, as well as influx immigrants changed the case. Now workers have to compete in a global market, and their wages are not so dependent on the individual economies success or failure of. The mind workers such as engineers, scientists, executives can compete successfully in the global market and receive high wages. However, the production and service works industrialized countries are not able to compete with those from third world countries. The workflow changes, thus poor countries get the low-value-added element of work which is formerly done in rich countries; however, higher-value work is maintained. (Economics focus: Cash machines. 2011-04-16.) This is a main effect on widening income gap. The population has increased to 5.5 million; a big part of it is made up of immigrants. Seventy-eight percent of Channel News Asia/Gallup polled felt that Singapore should limit the number of foreign workers when the population increases. (Journal of Alternative Perspectives in the Social Sciences ( 2009) Vol 1, No 3, 982-1002982)The management of the consequences of attracting more talented immigrants has become a challenge both in political and economic aspect. Globalization results in more acute income inequalities and meanwhile places a high premium on talent. Those people who stand at both ends of the skills spectrum are worried about their future.((Journal of Alternative Perspectives in the Social Sciences ( 2009) Vol 1, No 3, 982-1002982)) The cheaper labour from neighboring countries has forced the lower end to improve skills more efficiently. At the other end, Singapores industries has also storm skills deficit which has been pushed into higher value-added. Those Singaporean s who are better educated now have become being placed at a disadvantage in a more and more competitive job market. There is growing concern on the influence of fairly large immigration on the establishment of Singapores cultural and national identity, and on the states management of racial diversity as well. (Koh, 2003: 230-256). Effect of Globalization: Opening of New Economy and its effect on the unskilled, leading to widening income gap Globalization has become crucial for economic growth and prosperity in Singapore in recent decades, though the gains main spread unequally. Its magnitude and speed increase the free mobility of the products, services, as well as the factors of production across national borders. Globalization has made it possible for the transition form heavy industry or manufacturing-based economy to a new technology based one, thus leads to the opening of new economies. However, like most by-products of globalization, it has been a double-edged sword. The high growth, low inflation and high employment of this period led to overly optimistic predictions and many flawed business plans. (Newsweek article (January 2001) on the false claims of the new economy) Business in developed countries process outsourcing enables cheaper labour and services, however, meanwhile, displaces some of the service-sector jobs. One the one hand, accessing to the global market by attracting Direct Foreign Investment (FDI) and foreign investments has promoted Singapores economic development. On the other hand, the blue-collars jobs in the city-state were forced to run away to low-costs countries such as China and India. Thus it has a main effect on the widening income gap. Figure 1 QQà ¦Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ªÃƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¾Ãƒ ¦Ã…“ ªÃƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ½Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚  Figure 2. Wage inequality between Skilled Professionals and Unskilled ones. Source: Ministry of Manpower Singapore (2007). Report on Wages in Singapore 2006 Figure 1 indicates about 52.0% of Singaporeans are skilled workers in 2010. Figure2 shows the ratio of the skilled occupations wages to the unskilled ones wages. Regarding the income inequality between occupations, the collectively defined skilled workers continue to earn more than unskilled workers such as the cleaners, labourers and related workers. And the income gap has widened further since 1996.Therefore, the wage growths relative stagnation among the unskilled workers would unquestionably have influence on the widening income gap between the two ends of the occupational spectrum as indicated in Figure 2. Due to globalization, with the internet and airplanes, the distance between countries is getting shorter. The international communication on technologies and science has been more interactive and immediate. Therefore, companies nowadays set different parts of their plants in different countries and locations, saving the delivery time but not sacrificing the quality of the products and. The outsourcing of old jobs makes the companies greater profit due to low exchange rates of the countries and lower costs. However, meanwhile, the new technologies will make the old skills obsolete and increase the rate of unemployment in Singapore. The new economy is not only the high technology and the Internet, but also the work is now being supported by technology and evolving with technology. The new economy consists of new organizational models as well, emphasizing teamwork which means the decision making is no longer dominated by a single boss. The old economy just focused on local, state or national markets, but the new economy focused towards global market. The new economy showed a change in how the nation tried to draw business and industry. In the old economy, the industry was attracted to the nation because of low priced labor, cheap land, low tax, convenient transportation and other physical infrastructures. In the new economy, outsourcing is becoming more and more popular. Such phenomenon is due to a period of transition to the new economies which is knowledge or idea-based from the old ones. The key of the new economy is the utilized technology and high quality of production, as well as new ideas and innovation which can be embedded in all aspects of the economy. In 1950, 60% of the jobs needed unskilled workers; however, today only about 15% of jobs require them. The need for professionals has been around 20%. (Dr. Jacquelyn P. Robinson, A L A B A M A C O O P E R A T I V E E X T E N S I O N S Y S T EM, Volume 1, Issue 4 September 22, 2000)The requirement of skilled jobs which needs education and training has grown. Real wages for high school graduated without technical training decreased 18% over the last 18 years and those without high school diploma dropped 40%.((Dr. Jacquelyn P. Robinson). Therefore, the well-off march towards the global market and make more profit while the poor and uneducated become obsolete and unemployment, leading to the widening income diversity. CONCLUSION In this paper, we have discussed more about globalization: its role and the effects it has on Singapore, more specifically, the widening income gap. As can be seen, globalization has affected the way things work and old skills and jobs are gradually being outsourced. Although we cannot do anything to prevent it, it is important than we are aware of the consequences and try to improve Singapores current situation. Hence, Singaporeans should jump at the chance to improve their skills, so as to have a better future in exchange. Indeed, the Singapore government faces a tough challenge in trying to achieve this trinity of social goals income equality, economic growth and fiscal discipline (Yeoh 2007/2008). Even though this is hard to put into practice, the Singapore government has to adopt specific actions and measures to address the spiraling income inequality. This will help to prevent social discontentment and continue the wealth and prosperity that Singapore has been achieving over the years. However, the Singapore government has the responsibility to pay close attention to the needs of the people, especially those falling through the cracks with the rising cost of living. It is important that the government continues to care for the needs of the people and ensure that effective measures are carried out to ease their burdens. Unhappiness among the people leading to widespread discontentment can cause policies to fail; hence, political leaders must be capable of directing these emotions towards productive uses that benefit the economy, rather than allowing these emotions to develop into civil strife. Besides the economic policies to reverse income disparity, most importantly, the government needs to demonstrate empathetic leadership and win the hearts of Singaporeans so that the future will continue with a better Singapore.

journalism Essay -- essays research papers

In my twenty years and some months existence in this world, I’ve been fortunate enough to live a secured life. I believe food and shelter are two of the most important essentials in life, and I’ve never had to worry about food not being on the table or if I had a place to sleep at night which is why I consider myself to have a secure life. Volunteering at Simpson Housing helped me realize many things in life, and also made me wonder why some people are so fortunate in life while others struggle to survive in this world. Prior to Simpson Housing, I was vaguely familiar with the issue of homelessness. I only knew the basis of it, but never fully understood it. There are a lot of misconceptions and stereotypes about the homeless and I’ve learned that you can’t really judge until you’ve experienced it. You hear a lot of bad things about homeless people- they’re lazy, drug addicts, bums, freeloaders, etc†¦ It’s easy to focus on the bad because you remember the bad more than the good. It must be hard for homeless people because they are pre-judged without even getting to be known. They get rejected before getting a chance. I will admit that I did believe some of the misconceptions of homeless people because I had one negative experience. When I was younger, my family and I used to go eat at Rainbow, a Chinese restaurant, in Minneapolis. We always went at night and on the way home, there was a strip where all the homeless people would camp out. I couldn’t believe people had to live like that. I’ve had several encounters with homeless people where they’d come up to me asking for money until this once incident. I was with my dad and this lady and her son approached us asking for some help. I had always given a dollar or two before, but I saw she had a son so I convinced my dad to give them five dollars. They seemed to be really gracious of our donation and we felt really good about helping them. Five minutes later, we saw the lady and her son drive away in a brand new Toyota Camry. My dad and I were completely stunned. I was so angry. There are so many others that could’ve used the money we had given. The lady took advantage of us, and completely had no morals whatsoever. However, that did not stop me from wanting to give help to the needy. Instead of giving them money, I give them food. I know it’s not exactly that same, but I still do feel that I am helping them. ... ... but I certain some people have no control over it and that really saddens me. My heart goes out to homeless children because they are so young. They have so much more to worry about when they should only be focusing on having fun as a child and getting their education. However; instead of being able to focus on school, they have to focus on surviving.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Life isn’t fair, but then again what is in life? Situations like homelessness is not something many can touch base with, but it is something we can all take part in to help reduce it. No one deserves to live a life where nothing at all is certain. With so many mistaken beliefs on homeless people, those who are fortunate in life need to realize that those who are homeless are strong in heart. They don’t give up and they keep living each day in hope for a better tomorrow. I’ve learned through volunteering at Simpson Housing is that you have to take the good with the bad and learn from it all. Don’t let the bad hold you down and you should embrace it and turn it into something positive. Whatever may come your way, you should appreciate it because it only helps you grow into the person you are to become.

The Injustice Of Slavery :: Slavery Essays

The Injustice of Slavery Slaves were people who were taken from their home land in Africa and brought to America, to serve as servants on farms, doing household chores, etc. Slaves were used from the beginning of time, by people like the Egyptians. Now a days it is illegal to own slaves, but it still happens. And to this day African Americans are discriminated. In my opinion, that is just not fair, they did not ask to come over to our country, we brought them here. We are the ones to blame. Yet, they have to pay. If you were a black man and had a trial with a white jury, you will probably be guilty. If you are a black man, many white people will try to steer clear of you, or look at you in a funny way. How did slaves actually become free, you might be asking yourself. It all began with a man named Abraham Lincoln, he wanted to set slaves free. But the southern states had large plantations and needed slaves to help, so this was not a good idea, in their opinion. This controversy led to the Civil War, which was eventually won by the north, and slaves were set free in America. But people discriminated slaves very much, and that was not good. Discrimination of African Americans is not that big now a days, but it is still out there. Discrimination sort of died out when a man named Martin Luther King, Jr. expressed some of his thoughts about discrimination. His famous speech was entitled "I Have a Dream". Back before his speech, African Americans were not treated as people. They had to stand at the back of the bus, they had to live in a certain area of town, they could not use the white restrooms or

Assess the Claim That the Main Function of Education

Assess the claim that ‘the main function of education is to maintain a value consensus in society' Functionalists believe that education is a value consensus, which means that the majority of a society agree with this statement. For example, inadvertently, people in the UK agree that wearing clothes is a norm as is education. Education has many purposes such as secondary socialisation of children and allocation of roles, because of the meritocracy which education is also seen as.Functionalists, like Durkheim, believe that teaching about history in schools creates a link between the individual and society. This link allows the individual to feel ‘part' of the society and therefore is more likely to support this. For example, in the U. S children are taught about the founding fathers and give the pledge of allegiance daily. Also, this is used with religion, in the U. K many schools says prayers and sing hymns and other religious songs. This, often, instils the idea of relig ion into the child's mind and it becomes a part of the child.However, teachings such as these can be seen as deviant and unwanted by parents because of how these things are treated as ‘norms' whereas they might not be in the home. This creates social solidarity because of the increased number of shared ‘norms and values'. Furthermore, Parsons says that school is the bridge between family and the wider society. Because in the family you are treated as an individual based upon particularistic traits whereas in society you are based on your merits.School is a blend between the two and allows a consensus of your merits and your personality. However, that blend is more between students and students than students and teachers. Teachers base students more on their merits, hence the meritocracy of school and the wider society as it is a quicker and easier way to assess people. This lead to the beginning of the education triage where pupils where ‘streamed' into classes of varying difficulty depending on their intelligence. However, Marxist's like Althusser, Bowles and Gintis argue that the role of ducation is the â€Å"reproduction of labour power† i. e. a workforce. This is enabled by use of the hidden curriculum – This is where ‘norm's such as doing repetitive tasks, not complaining and maintaining order in a class are taught but not formally as these are merely blended into every lesson. This is further exaggerated by schools legitimising and justifying inequality. This prepares students for the world of work where they are exploited for cheap labour and do as they're told as indicated by the hidden curriculum.They are also prepared for the inequality between them and their bosses in the social/economic hierarchy and accepts their positon. Legitimation of inequality; helps to justify and explain the system of social inequality in a capitalist society, helps people come to terms with their position in society and therefore reduc es the discontent and opposition to inequality. Althusser saw the role of education as a reproduction of technical skills and a reproduction of the ruling class ideology. . e. the dominant beliefs and values which is the wealthy minority 1% and the majority 99%. This allows the 99% to accept the 1%'s ideology. To prevent rebellion against capitalism, people must believe that the ruling class ideology is beneficial to themselves. This done by a number of ideological state apparatuses like the media, religion and education. These outlets of information can control masses because they have been ‘trusted' staples of society which are seen as beneficial.However, all of these outlets show the ruling class ideology and justify the capitalist system. The system can give several messages out to society such as behaviour, fashion, education standards, when to accept or submit to authority and to accept your place/position in society. Despite, these views Marxist's have been seen as too deterministic. As, the give education more credit for its influence on children. For example, the hidden curriculum may not exist and many children don't care for rules, authority and choose to rebel at these things.Whilst the hidden curriculum maybe exaggerated, the formal curriculum maybe under exaggerated as it is not entirely designed to benefit ruling class ideology as with subjects like philosophy, sociology and arts which are designed to encourage various views and opinions with critical thinking on how and why. Neo-marxists, like Willis, show that some students at school who are rebellious and prioritise â€Å"avin' a laff† are the ideal candidates for the ruling class ideology as they treat education as a barrier between â€Å"avin' a laff† and socialising.Because they prioritise their friends they lose the benefits of education and are forced, in order to survive, to accept work which maybe dull/repetitive (as taught by the hidden curriculum). Often, the type work these people undergo are manual labour jobs which enable the ‘lads' to be together and â€Å"av' a laff†. The end product is a capitalist society getting a proportion of the population doing dull work and the ‘lads' are able to stay together as they have created their own class position.Durkheim, also argues that education prepares young people for adult roles such as learning to cooperate with people who they might not like. Schools trains people to follow a set rules which accommodate tolerating people who they don't like. Functionalists, assume that stratification/some sort of social hierarchy is vital and inevitable. Because there are only limited places for top jobs. By a meritocracy which allows people to be test judged on ability those with the highest ability are about to be placed in jobs which match their talents/abilities.