Evolutionary Psychology Essay

Just as in the past a brilliant scientist and researcher William Harvey was able to find the fact that it is the heart that is responsible for pumping blood through the human body, psychologists of today have been able to find out and to prove the fact that ‘cognition’ has a particular and specific structure. These psychologists are known as ‘evolutionary psychologists’, and it is this team of experts that have floated the theory that cognitive structure, like physiological structure, has followed, through the centuries, the all important process of natural selection. This was how it has been able to survive and engage in reproduction through the years. What exactly is evolutionary psychology? It is a science that focuses on discovering the evolved process of the nervous systems of human beings, bringing into focus the fact that the human brain is a completely organized structure, just like tissues in any living organism are fully organized. In other words, it is the opinion of evolutionary psychologists that the human brain is composed of several functional parts, made to facilitate the survival and the reproduction of that particular organism. Therefore, this can be taken to mean that the human brain is not an organ with one single function, but rather as an organism made up of a large number of fully functioning parts. In general, evolutionary psychologists refer to the functional components of organisms as ‘adaptations’, and this is the term applied to the functions of the human brain as well. (Hagen, Edward 2004) It is evident therefore that evolutionary psychology refers to a particular approach to psychology, which uses the accepted principles of evolutionary biology to research the design and the workings of the human mind. It can be described as an approach, or a way of thinking, which can be applied to any subject within it. (Cosmides, Leda, Tooby, John 1997) What are the primary activities of evolutionary psychologists? Charles Darwin had this to say, in the year 1859, â€Å"In the distant future, I see open fields for far more important researches. Psychology will be based on a new foundation, that of the necessary acquirement of each mental power and capacity by gradation. † Darwin had foreseen the advances that would be made in the field of psychology in the future, and the science of evolutionary psychology was one of his predictions that came true. As mentioned earlier, evolutionary perspectives on human psychology are a part of the larger theory of general selection, and this field has led to greater scientific advancements in areas like sociobiology and ethnobotany, among others. Evolutionary psychologists have to find answers to questions such as how, why and when did human consciousness evolve, are there any differences between the psychology of men and women, and if so, what are they? Are there any differences between the psychologies of various races and ethnicities? Are there are adaptive explanations for human behaviors such as aggressiveness, self destructiveness and so on? Is it true that human consciousness is evolving today, as it has been steadily over the past hundreds and thousands of years? Is it true that human intelligence is inherited, and is it at all in any way influenced by one’s environment? Can the theories of evolutionary psychology accurately describe and explain the reasons behind the common phobias among human beings? One must remember however that several sociologists, anthropologists and psychologists are completely wary of using and understanding the new evolutionary perspective on human brains and behaviors, perhaps because in their opinion, evolutionary psychologists tended to adapt theories from the animal world and apply them to humans, and also, tended to generalize the principles of evolution in a much too dramatic fashion. (Evolutionary Psychology 2003) these are the basic of evolutionary psychology theory: Darwin’s ‘descent with modification’ theory, Hamilton’s ‘inclusive fitness’ theory, Maynard Smith’s ‘game theory’, and Trivers’ ‘optimization’ theory. Take for example the theory of ‘inclusive fitness’. This is also referred to as ‘kin selection’, and therefore forms an important element of evolutionary psychology. Kin selection explains away the fact of altruism and philanthropy, by stating that all genes are invariably ‘selfish’, and that an individual is in reality nothing but a gene’s ‘survival machine’. Nevertheless, since a gene would automatically be passed on to the next generation, if the person who is carrying that gene survives in order to reproduce, or even if any of the several other relatives of the surviving individual survive and reproduce, thereby passing on the gene to the next generation. According to Maynard Smith, this may be the reason why a lapwing will fake being injured in order to lure a predatory hawk away from its offspring, thereby acting in an altruistic manner towards its young. This type of altruism may also benefit non-relatives, because it is an acknowledged fact that the members of the same species will help take care of the youngsters of the species, even if they are not related in any way. The reason why this happens may be because of the fact that the evolved mechanism may not be sufficiently complex to make fine discriminations of this kind. This may be why some people like to take care of pets, while some do not. The people who do have pets are in fact allowing their caretaking mechanism to be exploited. Evolutionary psychology has also been applied into another important are: aggression of the human being. It is an accepted fact that sexual rivalry often leads to blatant aggression, and most violent deaths are caused by man killing another man, or man killing a woman in the name of sexual tension and rivalry. In such a case, violence may be taken to refer to be just one strategy in the plethora of male coercive tools, coercion being the direct result of sexual proprietorship and possessiveness. Men who allow themselves to be cuckolded would then be considered losers of the zero-sum evolutionary game that human beings play in their desire to make sure that their genes get into the next generation. Men use violence as a tool to stop and prevent their mates from sexually engaging with other men, because although maternity is always a given, paternity may not be proven. It is this same principle that works in the case of step-children and their adoptive fathers. These fathers have no interest in their step children, because they are not carrying their genes onto the next generation, and supporting another man’s child may mean that this man is working in opposition to his evolutionary interests. History can prove to man that in general, step fathers indulge in greater violence and aggression towards their step children than towards their biological children, the primary reason being that of ensuring that his genes are carried forward, and not another man’s. (Evolutionary Psychology 1998) According to evolutionary psychologists, there is a lack of fit between the current environment and the adaptation of the brain. In their opinion, if the brain is an adaptation, then there could be no doubt that at some time back in time, there existed some sort of selection for brain mechanisms, which in effect transformed information about environment and its conditions, into human behaviors that could adapt and change in accordance with the requirements of the situation and environment. Selection, however took place because of the manner in which they responded to the environment at the time in which they were selected. Therefore, this theory can be taken to imply that because environmental conditions are different today, the information that is input to the brain is different as well, and as a direct consequence, the brain may respond by generating behavior that may not be adaptive to the new conditions in which it finds itself. Failure to adapt may occur in two ways: either the brain could continue to produce the same older behavior under the newer conditions given, or the brain could produce new behavior that responded to the new information coming in, and the behavior could fail to be of the adaptive sort. This is in fact a rather common behavioral pattern, and when conditions change, the response becomes different from what the designers intended, like for example, as demonstrated by sophisticated computer programs, designed to perform a variety of complicated tasks, are also programmed to produce adaptive outputs as a direct response to certain key commands. At the same time, a new input could confuse the computer and prompt it into giving a completely nonsensical and non-adaptive output in response. In human beings, as evolutionary psychologists theorize, there is in place an evolved behavioral predisposition to make sure that reproductive success is always at its highest level, but this conflates the theory that the human brain was designed through a process of selection, as mentioned earlier. (Buller J David n. d)

Influence of German Naval Policy, American Economic Interests

Assess the relative influence of three of the following in the American decision to declare war on Germany in 1917. German naval policy, American economic interests, and allied propaganda The American decision to declare war on Germany was influenced by several factors of varying degrees. To a great extent, the aggressive German naval policy contributed to the involvement of the United States in World War I. A secondary influence on this decision derived from U. S. economic interests abroad and on the homefront. Another influence leading to America’s entrance into war was the use of Allied propaganda.Therefore, the combination of German naval policy, American economic interests, and allied propaganda influenced to the American decision to declare war on Germany. The stimulus of the German naval policy was arguably the most impactful on the decision of the U. S. to declare war on Germany. Though the U. S. had been established with neutrality, American trade with countries at wa r was unhindered. As the war progressed the Central power of Germany became depleted of resources due to a blockade of highly advanced fleet of war ships.U. S. became involved in a conflict when Germany threatened our trade with Great Britain. Several German U-boats began sinking ships that were sailing for either the transportation of people or goods and arms. [1] Wilson viewed these actions as â€Å"wanton act[s],† and after a particular ship called the Lusitania was torpedoed by German U-Boats in 1915, the U. S. threatened to retaliate with military intervention against Germany. By this point the American population exhibited a growing resentment toward the German regime.Although the German government agreed first to restrict their submarine warfare via the Arabic pledge by sending a warning before taking aggressive naval action, but later changed to a new restriction via the Sussex which restricted this warfare by targeting only enemy military ships. Wilson, who strived f or â€Å"peace without victory,† struggled morally because of the force that Germany used against the U. S. Four days after Germany resumed unrestricted submarine warfare, Wilson broke all diplomatic relations with Germany in 1917 which was his last attempt to achieve what his slogan for the 1916 election entitled: â€Å"He kept us out of the war. As well as being a profound advocate for lasting peace, Wilson also pursued his foreign policy of â€Å"Moral Diplomacy† with unabated hope and patience although this hope was never fulfilled. Though he possessed such versatility, the greater part of his moral struggle was the decision to declare war on Germany. A less powerful sway on the American decision to declare war on Germany was U. S. economic interests. The development that occurred from WWI was one of the greatest economic booms in the nation’s history. Because of the status of neutrality, the U.S. had the right to continue trade with belligerent countries, and since there was a need for its general use, metal was the most profitable trade with nations at war. Not only did this benefit the recipient’s economy, but the U. S. economy benefitted greatly from it as well. When the War Industries Board instigated the immediate production ammunition and armor, businesses in industry welcomed the guaranteed business and carried out the request. Trade between the U. S. and Germany diminished to 90% because of extensive, supreme blockade of German ports.The supplies sent on ships such as the Lusitania were considered contraband which was illegal to trade to these countries in Europe at the time. This led not only to the sinking of many merchant ships but to the deeper resentment of Germany. This economic fueling of the England and France with huge amounts of arms, grain, cotton, and clothing brought the U. S. closer to the side of the Alliance in Europe. These countries looked to American bankers for loans in order to pay for American res ources, and by 1917, loans to Allied governments exceeded $2 billion while German loans reached $27 million. Trade and loans brought the U.S. even closer to the Allied cause, and because of the extensive investments placed on these belligerent countries, the U. S. would do no good to remain neutral for as long as the war promoted a distinct winner. Wilson often protested English naval policy that involved American goods and money, whereas Germany’s submarine policy threatened American lives. Therefore, Wilson’s strengthened resentment toward Germany was an ancillary influence leading to U. S. decision declaration of war on Germany. A minor influence on the U. S. decision to declare war on Germany was with the use of Allied propaganda.To utilize the concept of â€Å"preparedness,† the army was regulated by the Selective Service Act of 1917 in which the 2nd draft was formed with an age limit of 18-45 years. The results of the draft concluded with 24 million regist ered men but only 3 million were drafted along with 2 million volunteers. This amount was achieved by the use of propaganda used to target the emotions of all who see it. Famous British war propaganda for draft recruiting aimed to invoke fear and the desire for revenge on Germany which was depicted as a Hun, ape, or some killing machine.Collectively, the propaganda was used for nationalistic purposes which made the U. S. more in agreement that the war was and needed to happen; however, the population did not how involved the U. S. would get in the war. World War I pulled the U. S. into the unrest of Europe by the ropes of several significant factors. The most effectual influence was the crisis with Germany and their dreaded U-boats which was a hindrance to U. S. keeping a neutral status and pursuing economic interests. Though this economic interest was of lesser influence than the German navy, the effect of propaganda on the U.S. decision about the war had even less power to influen ce this historical decision that changed the entire war up to its end. Trying to influence the Congress to pass the declaration of war, the multifaceted possibilities collectively created far-reaching results that may have prevented Europe from its eventual end. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. The North Sea was declared a war zone and that any ship sailing one of the Allied Powers flag would be attacked by German navy.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation - Essay Example For every minute he waits by the side for a medical team, his chances for survival becomes slim and his chances of leading a normal life, if he recovers, fade away (American Health Association, 2007). The proposal directly responds to the call by VHA Health Foundation projects related to hospital preparedness. It calls for an emergency procedure that doctors want performed on patients to allow CVD victims to reach hospitals still alive and breathing. It follows the normal flow of proposals, starting with introduction and procedure to budget preparations and conclusion (Hale, Phale D., 1999). The budget details the project cost of the entire project, estimating expenses from the time the concept began to the time it is completed. There maybe other incidental expenses that may just happen in the course of the project, but these unexpected expenses should be considered more or less in the project itself (Volunteering Queensland, 2007). The conclusion summarizes what the proposal wants to project, highlighting its crucial components to convince donors to provide funding. I think the proposal stands a good chance of being funded, but like most other proposals it is entirely possible that it is also rejected. When that case happens, I need to study my proposal some more and det

Health Systems Administration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health Systems Administration - Essay Example These industries require a specific type of integration specifically based on the standards followed, such as HIPPA (healthcare), UCCnet (retail), RossettaNet (high-tech), and GSTP (finance). Horizontal integration is type of integration, which is universal to all the industries, such as basic integration services including transformation, routing, adapters, flow control, etc. Vertical integration strategies are related to higher levels of managed care penetration within the market. Further, hospitals espousal vertical integration strategies reveal that they have more chances of formalization of integration activities than horizontally integrated facilities. An attractive feature of the horizontal model is that it allows one readily to infer the effect of a merger on price and cost. Horizontal consolidation, by definition, increases market concentration, so one can estimate the impact of consolidation simply by examining the effect of increases in market concentration. ... But, in spite of this fact, there is a paradigm shift from one system to another, for number of complexities existing in both the type of systems. As a result of this, many organizations follow both the type of integration systems. Excess provider capacity, specially in the form of over bedding and an oversupply of specialists, has established a new market for medical services in which insurers can rent physician and hospital services at the cost which is far less then the average costs associated with them as in case of vertically integrated system. Less opportunities of expansion in vertical integrated system diverts the insurers to concentrate on health plan management. The creation of an effective electronic medical record is extremely messy process. The emergence of new technologies helps the insurers to track and report individual provider performance against peer group and regional/national norms. Technology has therefore provided an alternative to outright insurer ownership o f physicians and hospitals as a means of reducing administrative costs. A critical basis of competitive advantage that was originally postulated for vertically integrated health plans -- superior clinical outcomes quality -- has therefore gone largely untested, in terms of both whether integrated companies can actually produce these differentiated results and whether customers will change their enrollment patterns based on them. The current stage of evolution in the supply and demand of "health care quality," then, hasn't supported the need for vertical integration between payers and providers The pure horizontal model, however, is not well equipped to explain the impact of hospital

3short questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

3short questions - Assignment Example In addition, any government has a responsibility of protecting the rights and freedoms of her citizens which organizations tend to overlook so as to maximize their profitability. It is the duty of government agencies to ensure that workers’ rights and freedoms such as working conditions, salary and remunerations as well as working hours are observed. Government interference with business operations is also justified by the fact that this is one of the few ways in which business organizations can be forced to engage in operations that are legitimate (Macdonald 72). Such interference ensures that organizations restrict their operations as stipulated in the memorandum of association and article of association and do not engage in acts of lawlessness Businesses participate in politics through various strategies such as through the use of lobby groups and other business professionals. Business organizations sponsor lobbyists and professionals who act on their behalf to ensure that their organizations have made adequate contacts for with the politicians. Though there are rules and regulations that are made to prevent fraud and corruption, businesses through lobbyists end up breaking these rules particularly in the corrupt countries to bribe politicians (law makers) so that they can pass bills that favor their operations. The primary goals as to why business organizations involve themselves in politics are to get contact and to ensure that the elected political leaders are of their choice or are persons whom they share similar business ideologies. Politicians, who are in most countries law and policy makers can create a good business environment/climate that would make business organizations flourish or a hostile environment that would make it collapse (Macdonald 56). Government policies are some of the main factors that

Text analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Text analysis - Essay Example Surprisingly extremely little effort on the portrayal of the Africans Americans in the television has been undertaken (Campbell 11). Bussing and segregation have been the early forms of racism associated with the U.S. news casting; these issues could fuel the whites to racial prejudice of the African Americans (Campbell 12). The author has written that Africans Americans were normally associated with poverty. They were over represented poor according to the content analysis of the author (Campbell 12). By this analyzation of them been poor in the news televisions, Africans Americans could also bear issues associated with poverty such as laziness and the under observation of the welfare assistance (Campbell 13). Entman did a study on this issue whereby his results showed that Africans Americans presentation occurred largely as crime victims (Campbell 14). Africans Americans were more likely to appear in crime sites and as perpetrators in drug issues on most of the local news (Campbell 14). Another observation was that the Africans Americans political interest was normally limited in the news presentation (Campbell 15). This perpetuation needed the Africans Americans to raise their voices to so as their hearing could occur (Campbell 15). The author is indicating how stereotypes, network news, and modern racism relate to one another (Campbell 16). According to this documentation, Africans Americans are typically associated with the roles such as noisy politicians, criminals and poor citizens on the news of a local network. The increase in modern racism leads to three components (Campbell 16). First is the resistance to the political demands of the African Americans, secondly is the general hostility that is portrayed emotionally towards the Africans Americans, lastly is the belief in the death of racism and that the racial discrimination no longer inhibits the achievement of the African Americans (Campbell 17). According to the author, African

Questions in Criminal Justice Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Questions in Criminal Justice - Coursework Example During the Bram v United States case, the judge gave his verdict in accordance to the rules of the 5th Amendment and stated that if a confession is to be used in the court, it has to be obtained on voluntary basis (Scheb, 2010, 497). During the third quarter of the 20th century, criminal cases in which confession was obtained through coercion were not admitted into the court of law on the basis of the due process. Confession is referred to an individual’s acceptance of being guilty of committing a crime after he has been interrogated and questioned by the law enforcement officers. In contrast to confession, admission refers to an individual’s acceptance of being guilty of committing a crime or being a part of a criminal activity without any interrogating questions or behaviour exercised by the law enforcing officers. During the Brown v Mississippi case, the judge stated that a confession should be examined to identify whether the confession was made voluntarily or invol untarily and whether the confession was reliable enough (Scheb, 2010, 497). The ruling in this case was reversed because the police had brutally interrogated the suspect due to this the suspect had confessed to commit the crime. One way of approaching any confession and/or admission made by a suspect s referred to as due process voluntariness approach. According to this approach if a suspect confesses to be guilty if police officials have used coercion while interrogation, the suspect’s statement of being guilty is not accepted during the proceedings of his case. For example: in Arizona v Fulminante case, it was found that an undercover federal law enforcer coerced Fulminate and then he confessed to being guilty of first degree murder (McCord, 2012, 419). In this case coercion was not physical in nature; rather the coercion was emotional in nature as the undercover federal agent assured to protect Fulminate in prison as there was threat to his life in prison. The undercover a gent made the promise to protect while asking for a confession in return. This case was treated under the 14th amendment clause of due process and the court ruled in Fulminate’s favour, accepting that coercion was applied to obtain a confession. When law enforcing agents apply unlawful method to obtain a confession from a suspect, this act conducted by the police officials is regarded as violation of an individual’s Miranda rights. The process of selection of a jury starts with the compiling of probable jurors, the compilation of to be jurors need to be unbiased and this compilation is of utmost importance. After the creation of the list of to be jurors, the body of jurors for a particular criminal case are selected. Selection of a body of jury out of the compiled potential jury list is recognized as selecting jurors for jury duty. Jury is said to be selected in three different stages. Firstly a list of to be jurors is compiled, next the jurors expected to be on jury d uty in a case are selected and lastly the selection of final jury members is conducted. The numbers of people who fall in the category of probable jury list are recognized as jury pool or list. This list is created through various sources and the best source is the list of registered voters (Neubauer, 2013, p.77). Other sources through which this list can be compiled

Identify a new initiative, need, situation, or problem that exists in Term Paper

Identify a new initiative, need, situation, or problem that exists in my major area of study (Public Administration) see attachm - Term Paper Example The country has suffered in almost all the aspects as the governmental policies are not effective in dealing with terrorism. Public administration is an essential part of a government and the governmental policies and ideologies form the major part of a country’s security. Public administration includes problem identification, policy determination, analysis and proposing a solution to resolve the issue. A government generally aims at resolving the problems related to public in an efficient manner. Public administration is considered to be the important part of a country’s government and the government has the responsibility to implement procedures that are favorable for the public. This ensures that public administration is connected to almost all types of organizations and it has touched the lives of many. Terrorism, when compared to the other issues has become a life threatening problem that has led to several related issues. Public administration in any form aims at serving the public in an efficient manner. (Petroni, 2005). Public safety has becomes a matter of concern these days. The reason is the increase in the number of illegal activities that pose greater risks to the people residing in a country. The country must incorporate certain strategies to improve this situation and must propose policies to make sure that people are safe. Since security is the primary concern, the involvement of the government is the important part of a country’s security. Each stage of a country’s security is taken care by the government. The public administration department of U.S’s government has appointed certain voluntary organizations to safe guard the people. These organizations follow the legislations imposed by the government and must impart the importance of it. Though the government in U.S has been proactive in dealing with the terrorist activities, the lack of co-ordination and other factors lead to a problematic situation. Public administration must be carried out in an effective way, so that the government can be sure of eradicating the problem of terrorism. The political parties play a major role in the public administration department. (Chandler, 2000). Each of these parties place their own suggestions and options to deal with the recurring problems. Due to this reason, the government is pushed to a situation where they cannot decide about the solution for a particular problem. These problems contribute to the existing issues and thus make it tough for the government to deal with these issues. History of Terrorism in U.S Terrorism has been a great problem in U.S since the time of Second World War. Second World War created an impact on the lives of people residing in U.S. Even though terrorism is not new to U.S, the effect of wars and the aftermath created a wave of fear among the residents of U.S. People migrated to some other parts of the country and this made the remaining people to have a tough time. T he government and the political parties were not able to resolve the problems that resulted due to the increasing issues of terrorism. The government felt that the reason behind the terrorist activities was the American democracy. Democracy resulted in domestic terrorism as the people did not trust the concept of democracy. Instead they formed groups to agitate and protest against the governmental policies. When compared to the other countries,

In The News Week 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

In The News Week 5 - Essay Example In times of economic recession, businesses are mostly facing such situations as they are not able to gain the required profits from all their business units operating locally and at the global level. The closure of three units currently would affect the economic cycle of Wales greatly but Unilever as an organization is facing the effects of recession and therefore has to take such steps of downsizing and closures of factories in certain areas (Wright, 2012). Business shuts down some factories by reviewing their profits and losses. The main reason for business shutdowns are due to the fact that their marginal revenue is below their average variable cost. The analysis is done based upon whether the particular factory is adding on to the profits or is allowing it to be an expense for the organization. Such decisions need to be carefully reviewed by the managers before giving the final verdict as shut down decisions allows the unemployment rate to increase for the economy. The organization also has to face charges against being not a corporate socially responsible organization as shutting down factories in between work operations impacts the work force tremendously. The shutdown of business leads the workforce to be in a stressful situation as their source of income and medical facilities are impacted due to loss of jobs. Along with impacting the economy, this further affects the family life of the employees. The managers need to disclose the news on an immediate basis and with full honesty and sincerity. The clear picture should be told to the employees so that they don’t have doubts about any prevailing or future circumstances taking place in the organization. The managers should let the employees reveal their emotional response without getting agitated or frustrated. The emotional responses of employees may be through showing anger, depression, and insecurity so on and so forth. The managers should console

Parle Products History Essay Example for Free

Parle Products History Essay The original Parle Company was split into three separate companies, owned by the different factions of the original Chauhan family. †¢Parle Products, led by Vijay, Sharad and Anup Chauhan (owner of the brands Parle-G, Melody, Mango Bite, Poppins, Monaco and KrackJack) †¢Parle Agro, led by Prakash Chauhan and his daughters Schauna, Alisha and Nadia (owner of the brands such as Frooti and Appy) †¢Parle Bisleri, led by Ramesh Chauhan In 1929 a small company by the name of Parle products emerged in british dominated India at Parle, world’s largest selling biscuits started in vile parle. It was owned by the Chauhan family of Vile Parle, Mumbai. The intent was to spread joy and cheer to children and adults alike, all over the country with its sweets and candies. The company knew that it wouldn’t be an easy task, but they decided to take the brave step . a small factory was set up in the suburbs of Mumbai, to manufacture biscuits as well. since then, the parle name has grown in all directions, won international fame and has been sweetening peoples lives all over India and abroad. A part from the factories in Mumbai and Bangalore Parle also has factories in Bahadurgarh in Haryana and Neemrana in Rajasthan, which are the largest biscuit and confectionery plants in the country. Additionally, Parle products also have 7 manufacturing units and 51 manufacturing units on contract. AWARDS Since the first entry at the monde selection in 1971,parle products have been shinning in golds and silver consistently Monde selection is an international institute for assessing the quality of foods Currently, it is the oldent and the most respected organization in the field of selecting quality foods worldwide ABOUT THE COMPANY Initially a small factory was set up in the suburbs of Mumbai city, to manufacture sweets and toffees. The year was 1929 and the market was dominated by famous international brands that were imported freely. Despite the odds and unequal competition, this company called Parle Products, survived and succeeded, by adhering to high quality and improvising from time to time . A decade later, in 1939, Parle Products began manufacturing biscuits, in addition to sweets and toffees. Having already established a reputation for quality, the Parle brand name grew in strength with this diversification. Parle Glucose and Parle Monaco were the first brands of biscuits to be introduced, which later went on to become leading names for great taste and quality. For around 75 years, Parle have been manufacturing quality biscuits and confectionery products. Over the years Parle has grown to become a multimillion-dollar company with many of the products as market leaders in their category. The recent introduction of Hide Seek chocolate chip biscuits is a product of innovation and caters to a new taste, being India’s first ever chocolate-chip biscuits. All Parle products are manufactured under most hygienic conditions. Great care is exercised in the selection and quality control of raw material and standards ensured at every stage of the manufacturing process. Parle Products has 4 manufacturing units for biscuits and confectionaries at Mumbai, Haryana, Rajasthan and Karnataka. It also has 14 manufacturing units for biscuits 5 manufacturing units for confectioneries, on contract. All these factories are located at strategic locations, so as to ensure a constant output easy distribution. Today, Parle enjoys a 40% share of the total biscuit market and a 15%share of the total confectionary market, in India. The marketing mix of Parle for this project has been studied from the point of view of Parle biscuits; mainly Parle-G and Parle hide seek. Biscuit goodies: Parle G, Krackjack, Krackjack Crispy Creams, Monaco, Kreams, Hide andSeek, Hide Seek Milano, Digestive Marie, Parle Marie, Milk Shakti, Parle20-20 Cookies, Nimkin Sweets: Melody, Mango Bite, Kaccha Mango Bite, Poppins, Kismi Toffee, KismiGold, Orange Candy, XHale Munch on snacks! Musst Bites, Monaco Bites Cheeslings, Sixer, Musst Stix Musst Chips

Structure Of Nigerian Financial System Accounting Essay

Structure Of Nigerian Financial System Accounting Essay The need for transparency and clarity in the presentation of financial statements has been an endemic phenomenon which has contributed to the high level of corruption in Nigeria. This level of inadequacy in proper disclosure of relevant information is peculiar to most developing economies. Ali et al., (2009) buttressed the point that the level of disclosure of adequate and reliable information by companies in emerging nations lags behind developed western capital markets and regulatory bodies are less effective in enforcing the accounting regulations. They added that overseas investors are often hesitant to invest in companies operating in emerging economies due to the lack of transparency and lack of acceptance of internationally recognised standards. Chamisa (2000) pointed out that the international accounting harmonization objective is vital for developing countries because of their significant dependence on inflows of foreign capital to finance economic and industrial development s. This argument is clearly relevant to the Nigerian economy, which is dependent on the international institutions like World Bank and International Monetary Fund for funding. In a developing economy, such as Nigeria, financial sector development has been accompanied by structural and institutional changes. Financial sectors generally have long been recognised to play a crucial role in economic development of an economy (Ogujuiba and E.Obiechina, 2010).This sector is often seen as the backbone of the countrys economy due to its impact. The financial system in Nigeria became liberalized when structural adjustment programme was introduced in the 1980s. In recent years the system had undergone significant changes in terms of the policy environment, number of the institutions, ownership structure, depth and breadth of markets, as well as in the regulatory framework. However, in spite of the far reaching reforms of the past two decades, the Nigerian financial system is not yet in a position to fulfil its potential as a propeller of economic growth and development (Onoja et al.,2012). In Nigeria, most companies including financial institutions have been complying with standards issued by The Nigerian Accounting Standard Board (NASB) for a number of years. These standards represent Nigerian Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (PWC, 2011). The information disclosed in Audited Financial Statements (AFS) is guided primarily by the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 1990. Section 334 (2) of the Act provides details of information to disclose. In addition to this provision, banks and other financial institutions including Primary Mortgage Institutions (PMI) are expected to comply with Banks and Other Financial Acts (BOFIA), and Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) Act 2006 (Abiola and Ojo, 2012). However, in recent years it has been quite common for emerging economies to adopt, either wholly or partly modified form, International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as promulgated by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), with a view to improve corporate reporting standards and encourage international investments for the development of their economies otherwise struggling due to lack of resources (Ali et al, 2009). To this end, all financial institutions in Nigeria have been mandated by the regulatory bodies from January 1, 2012 to adopt IFRS as a means of improving financial reporting standards and encourage international investors to invest in the country. 1.2 Research Aim The overall aim of this research is to assess the prospects and the challenges of adoption of IFRS by financial institutions in Nigeria. It considers what impacts the adoption of IFRS could have in curbing the level of corruption and ensuring that high level of transparency is maintained in the major sector of the economy. 1.3 Research Objectives Specifically, within the context of this dissertation, the objectives of this research are to: 1) To examine if lack of transparency, mainly the inadequate disclosure of relevant information in the financial statements and incomparability with global accounting standards were the factors that necessitated the adoption of IFRS by Nigerian Financial institutions. 2) To assess if the costs of the adoption of IFRS outweigh its benefits. Consequently to enable the researcher to evaluate the prospects and challenges the adoption of IFRS is having on the financial sector. 3) To evaluate the impacts the adoption of IFRS will have on relevant areas of the financial reports ranging from the preparation and presentation of the financial statements, information technology and audit report. 4) To explore the potential benefits local and foreign investors will derive from the IFRS adoption. The review of the current writings on IFRS adoption has focused mainly on the developing economies, considering the impacts its adoption will have on those emerging markets. For instance, Bremer and Elias (2007) highlighted that companies from developing economies with weak financial transparency and corporate governance will find it difficult to raise capital and attract foreign investors. Similarly, D.Singh and Newberry (2008) focus on good corporate governance as one of the requirements for complying with International financial reporting standards by developing economies. The uniqueness of this dissertation is that it is specifically concentrating on the financial institutions in a developing economy, where the application of these international financial reporting standards is paramount. The role of financial institutions in developing economies cannot be overlooked, as stated by Bakker and Gross (2004,p.3) because they facilitate savings mobilisation by offering both individuals and institutional savers and investors additional instruments and channel for placement of their funds. In addition, they provide credibility for developing economies in International market. Hence, the researcher would be delving into the prospects and challenges the adoption of international financial reporting standards will have on these financial institutions in the context of Nigerian economy. 1.4 Statement of Research Problem and Questions The intention of this research is to gain an insight on the rationale behind the adoption of IFRS by financial institutions in Nigeria, the prospects and challenges of the transition from Nigerian GAAP to IFRS and the impacts of its adoption. In Nigerias economic history, the strides of the last few years, which have been internationally acclaimed, was exceptional. The many reforms that have engendered the current success have largely included those in the financial sector, particularly, the positive policy shifts in the domestic money market as a first step towards a more robust and enduring facilities for the sector (Iganiga, 2010). President of Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria (ICAN), Mrs Elizabeth Adegite has stressed the need for transparency in the nations financial institutions, saying this would wage war against future failure in the sector (Ekeleme, 2009). The adoption of IFRS by this sector should address the issue of this lack of transparency. In order to achieve the objectives of this research, the questions that this finding seeks to answer are: 1) What are the driving factors and likely constraints the adoption of IFRS will impose on the financial Institutions in Nigeria? 2) What impacts would IFRS adoption have on the financial statements and other essential areas of the financial system? 1.5 Value of this Research This research adds value to current research specifically in the area of Impacts of IFRS adoption, in the context of Nigerian financial institutions, where the implementation of IFRS just took off beginning of this year 2012. This report will serve as a benchmark for future researchers or any knowledge seeker on the relevance of IFRS in an emerging economy like Nigeria, taking into cognisance the various schools of thought examined in this field. It will also enlighten the Nigerian public and as well boost the confidence of potential investors (be it foreign or local) on how the adoption of IFRS will provide credibility to the financial reporting made by the financial institutions. 1.5.1 Structure of Nigerian Financial system It is important to give a brief description of the structure of Nigerian Financial system in this early part of the research so as to have a glimpse of what it entails. Afangideh and Olofin (n.d.) stated that the Nigerian financial system can be broadly divided into two sub-sectors namely: the informal and the formal sectors. The informal sector comprises the local money lenders, the thrifts, saving associations, etc. This component is poorly developed, limited in reach, and not integrated into the formal financial system. Its exact size and effect on the entire economy remain unknown. The formal financial system on the other hand can be further subdivided into capital and money market institutions. This is shown in the diagram below: Figure : Structure of Nigerian Financial System Source: CBN 2010 Report 1.6 Structure of the Dissertation This dissertation is divided into five chapters. The first chapter is the introduction which includes background of the study, research aim and objectives, statement of research problem and question, structure of Nigerian financial system, value of the research and structure of the dissertation. Chapter two focuses mainly on literature review which comprises the globalisation of IFRS and definition of key terms, conceptual framework and models, the drive for IFRS by Nigerian financial institutions, previous research and evolution of Nigerian accounting system. Chapter three deals with research methodology which encompasses research method, research strategy, research approach, limitation of the research and method of data collection. Chapter four considers the case analysis and interpretation of findings. This consists of compatibility of Nigerian GAAP and IFRS, accounting differences between Nigerian GAAP and IFRS, converting to IFRS: effects on Nigerian Banking. Finally, Chapter Five is the conclusion and recommendation. This chapter deals with analysing the data and interpretation of the findings. This analysis involves data collected from both primary and secondary sources relating to financial institutions in Nigeria. This research utilizes hybrid method comprising both qualitative and quantitative methods. However, the qualitative method is the key method while quantitative method is used to back some of the findings of the qualitative method. It is expedient to first consider the compatibility of the Nigerian GAAP and the International financial Reporting Standards before assessing the prospects and challenges the adoption of the foreign standards on the financial institutions. 4.2 Compatibility of Nigerian GAAP and IFRS Before any logical country would consider adopting a foreign accounting standard, the first thing will be to look at the similarities and differences. If there are no differences, then adoption would be of no immense value. With the advent of globalisation, the worlds capital markets have witnessed rapid expansion, diversification and integration. These changes have brought a shift away from local financial reporting standards to global standards (Terzungwe, 2012). It is important to state here that no research work or even publication can do justice to the many differences in the details that exist between IFRS and Nigerian GAAP. According to Price Waterhouse Coopers Report (2011), the major similarities and differences between the IFRS and Nigerian GAAP are shown in the table below: institutions The prospects of adopting IFRS by Nigeria represented an ample shift in financial reporting for the countrys financial institutions because many requirements in IFRS differ from those in the Nigerian GAAP. The adoption of these foreign standards has a lot of promising prospects for the Nigerian financial institutions as they aim towards establishing their presence in the global markets. The various prospects that necessitated the adoption will be analysed below taking into cognisance the responses from the interviewees coupled with some relevant articles in order to enhance credibility. 4.3.1 Transparency and Credibility One of the most salient points put forward by the interviewees as a main prospect of adopting IFRS by Nigerian financial institutions is that it will enhance transparency and credibility. Thirty percent of those interviewed mentioned that lack of transparency and credibility in the area of financial reporting by financial institutions in the country has contributed to the slow progress of the economy. Some of them clearly stated that this lack of transparency is as a result of poor integrity of the management staff. They further explained that the lack of transparency is in the area of provision of inadequate reports, publishing financial statements on a highly selective basis and non-disclosure of important information that could influence the users of financial statements. This response is corroborated by Dr Ngama (2012), the former minister of state for finance in Nigeria, who highlighted that the failure of banks and other financial institutions is the lack of transparency, mainl y in form of manipulation of figures and full disclosure. According to Omotoye (2011) transparency and credibility are seen as important ingredients in nation building and formation of national character; help scholars better understand the dynamics of corruption and hold the key to successful resolution of corruption problems. With the adoption of IFRS, Coker (2012) stated that Nigerian financial institutions can be seen to hold their own in the international market and at the same time compete favourably. He added the financial sector must be seen to comply with the new transparency standards under IFRS in order to achieve their objectives. However, two of the respondents are of different opinions that they do not think the adoption of IFRS will create any more transparency than the local accounting standards. They believed that transparency is not a function of the accounting standards but the preparers of the financial statements. 4.3.2 Boost Reputation in the foreign market Another prospect highlighted by the interviewees is the boosting of the reputation of Nigerian financial institutions in the foreign market. A statement from one of the interviewees read: Nigeria and everything Nigerian including financial institutions have lost their reputation in the international market just because of our bad leadership and insincerity in terms of preparation and presentation of financial statements. He further stated that no Nigerian company wants to be associated with by foreign investors simply because of fraudulent act linked with Nigerians who are top officials in the so called reputable companies in the country. Sixty percent of the interviewees strongly agree that boosting of reputation of financial institutions in the international market is the main prospect of the adoption of IFRS in Nigeria. They believe that if financial statements are prepared under a global accounting standard, there will be less manipulation of figures which will inadvertently promote good image of the Nigerian companies in the foreign market. To support this statement, Ramanna and Sletten (2009) argued that countries choose to adopt IFRS when they expect to increase the share of foreign capital and trade in their economy: expected foreign involvement in an economy can make current adoption of international standards more attractive. They added that financial institutions with low levels of foreign capital and trade can choose to adopt IFRS if they are expecting growth in those factors. 4.3.3 To encourage foreign investors This is another vital prospect the respondents consider cannot be overlooked. In their opinion, they mentioned that the main rationale behind adopting IFRS is to encourage foreign investors. This prospect share the same percentage with the prospect mentioned above in the data collected. Sixty percent of the respondents are of the opinion that with the adoption of IFRS by financial institutions, foreign investors will be encouraged to invest in the companies because reports are clearly written in compliance with the foreign standards that they understand. Some of the respondents acknowledged that foreign investors confidence will be boosted because financial statements of potential companies can be compared with other similar companies in the foreign market. To substantiate this statement, Ali et al.(2009) wrote that overseas investors are often hesitant to invest in companies operating in emerging economies due to the lack of transparency and lack of acceptance of internationally rec ognised reporting standards. Ogunwale (2011) buttressed the point that the adoption of IFRS by companies operating in both private and public sectors would boost the investment climate in Nigeria. Foreign investors want financial statements that are comparable with those of similar businesses in other parts of the world, for strategic decision making in relation to mergers and acquisitions. Many foreign investors will require their subsidiaries in Nigeria to report in accordance with IFRS so that the parent company can comply with its reporting requirements in its home territory. Similarly, the implication of the new reporting format is that banks and other institutions are at the end of the financial year expected to embark on full disclosure of their activities to the extent that it should be understandable to both the shareholders and investors, while at the same in compliance with international best practice (BusinessDay, 2012). This means that financial statements prepared unde r international financial reporting standards will be more reliable than Nigerian GAAP. 4.3.4 To reduce level of corruption Another vital point raised by the interviewees is that with the adoption of IFRS the level of corruption among top management officials in financial institution will be reduced. Five percent of the people interviewed clearly pointed out that corruption may not be totally eradicated from the financial system but to a reasonable extent will be reduced. During the interview, reference was made to the sacking of corrupt bank chief executives by the Central Bank of Nigeria governor. In their opinion, the interviewees believed that if there had been a more concise and transparent accounting standards than the local standards, the fraudulent activities perpetrated by the banks top officers would not have been possible. One interviewee explained that in a view to fight corruption in the country, especially among top officers in notable companies, is one of the rationales that made the Federal Government of Nigeria to mandate companies to adopt IFRS. He further stated the more stringent provi sions in IFRS can address creative accounting that Nigerian GAAP is susceptible to. Onwubuariri (2012) stated that fighting corruption is not easy and since IFRS will ensure an accounting system that will checkmate corruption and fraud, there is expectation that not all stakeholders will be satisfied with its adoption. It is observed during the course of this research that there are some IFRS frameworks which Nigerian GAAP has no guidelines. For instance, the Price Water House Report (2011) reveals that no guidance exists for non-current assets held for sale or disposal group, financial liabilities classification, convertible instruments and other vital accounting transactions under the Nigerian GAAP compare to IFRS. These are areas susceptible to corrupt practices. 4.3.5 To facilitate cross border exchange listing Kip (2007) defines cross border listing as the listing of securities issued by a foreign issuer on a domestic securities exchange. He added that the reasons for this cross border exchange is for companies to boost their status as a truly global player, increase trading volume and improve shareholder relations. Five percent of the correspondents admitted that adoption of IFRS would enhance cross border exchange listing which may not be possible with Nigerian GAAP. They added that with IFRS in place, the obstacles like differences in accounting standards, inadequate financial information to cross border exchange listing will be removed because of the uniformity in the accounting standards. In a similar research conducted in India, with a parallel growing economy like Nigeria, it was observed that IFRS will eliminate blockades to cross border listing and would be beneficial for the investors who generally attributed to risk premium if the underline financial information is not prepared in accordance with international standards (Ray, 2012). The overall prospects of IFRS adoption by financial institutions responses from the research questionnaire distributed are shown in the table below coupled with a pie chart: Table : Percentage distribution of responses of respondents on the prospects of IFRS adoption by Nigerian financial institutions Ranking according to % of respondents 1 2 3 4 5 1Transparency and credibility 30% 2 To boost their reputation in the foreign market And also encourage foreign investors 60% 3 To enhance international comparison 60% 4 To reduce level of corruption 5% 5To facilitate cross border exchange listing 5% Figure : Prospects for the adoption of IFRS by Nigerian financial institutions 4.4 Challenges of IFRS adoption by Nigerian financial institutions The adoption of IFRS presents many challenges especially for many developing nations. Ehijeagbon (2010) wrote that the convergence to a single set of globally accepted high quality standards is vital to economic growth and ultimately in the best interest of the public, it is essential for all the stakeholders to consider the need for their operation in overcoming the attendant challenges that come with the adoption and implementation of international financial reporting standards. These challenges are analysed below: 4.4.1 Cost factor The first challenge put forward by the interviewee is the cost of implementation factor. Fifty percent of the responses from the questionnaire mentioned that there are various costs associated with the implementation of the foreign standards ranging from cost of training and cost of replacing Nigerian GAAP packages with IFRS packages. In their opinion, they believe the cost of hiring IFRS trainer, creating a conducive environment for the implementation and changing the local statement of accounting standards packages to IFRS packages will have a big impact on the earnings of the financial institutions. In support of this view, Terzungwe (2012) highlighted that converging to IFRS has a huge cost outlay which include the cost of training personnel to understand the new global standards, cost of acquiring new accounting packages that are needed for the implementation, cost of discarding former accounting packages that are not compatible with IFRS. Madawaki (2012) added that professional s (accountants, financial analysts, auditors, tax practioners, regulators, stockbrokers and accounting lecturers) are all looked upon to ensure successful implementation of IFRS which may prove costly to small-size financial institutions. He further stated that training materials on IFRS are not readily available at affordable costs in Nigeria to train such a large group which poses a great challenge to these financial institutions in adopting IFRS. However, twenty five percent of the respondents are of different opinion that cost cannot be a challenging factor to financial institutions taking into cognisance their financial strength. They asserted that majority of the countrys financial institutions have the financial capability to overcome the cost factor which is evidenced in their published financial statements; although their reported profits may be slightly affected in the short term but will be recupperated in the long term. An argument in favour of these respondents opinion was pointed out by Chadha (2010) that financial institutions with the intention to go global will consider cost as a benefit instead of a challenge because all their business units/investments will be on a common accounting platform. 4.4.2 Lack of personnel Thirty percent of the responses from the questionnaire showed that financial institutions in Nigeria do not have the right personnel to implement the IFRS. They are of the opinion that most of these financial institutions staffs are neither accountants nor auditors, thereby making it difficult to quickly adapt to the new accounting system. They added that some of the accountants in the financial organisations are not IFRS compliant because they are locally qualified. Oduware (2012) emphasised that the average accountant in most entities in Nigeria lacks understanding of advanced financial management techniques for instance financial instruments valuation, impairment analysis forecasting etc. This has slowed down the reporting process. These financial instruments are essential transactions of most financial institutions globally. In the course of this research, it is observed that lack of right and adequate personnel is major predicament for most emerging economies. The Minister of Fi nance in Nigeria, Mrs Ngozi O. Iweala (2011) acknowledged the fact that despite some training programme on the set of International standards organised by some financial firms in this category, they have not really gotten to the stage of embedding IFRS into their systems and process, even as some insisted that most of the companies in the country have no idea of how to go about the IFRS. Also, Adam (2009) cited a recent study conducted by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNTAD) indicates that there is serious shortage of personnel in developing countries that have the basic skills and experience to implement IFRS. This therefore makes it crucial for the issue of skill gap to be tackled at the very outset in our IFRS transition. In contrast to the above view, twenty five percent responses indicated that Nigerian financial institutions have the people it takes to implement the international accounting standards. In a similar manner, some responses from the interview conducted also supported this notion that there are qualified staffs in financial organisations that possess the necessary skills to implement the IFRS, although they may need to update knowledge. 4.4.3 Lack of infrastructure This is another challenge preventing the smooth flow of the implementation of IFRS by financial institutions in Nigeria as mentioned by some of the interviewees. Ten percent of the responses received agreed that most Nigerian companies lack the proper infrastructure to effectively carry out the execution of the foreign standards. Mwaura and Nyaboga (2009) wrote that more than a half of all African countries do not have the functional accounting organisations to ease the execution of the IFRS. They added that International Financial of Accountants (IFAC) faces the daunting task of assisting these developing countries to first develop functional professional accounting organisations. Similarly, O.Ailemen and Akande (2012) argued that some of the obstacles to full implementation of IFRS are the absence of training facilities and academic curriculum in school. They also pointed out that poor reporting systems are also indication of poor infrastructure. On the contrary, forty five responses disagreed with the above mentioned point. They strongly believed that Nigerian financial institutions have the technical know-how to Implement IFRS. They added that without proper infrastructure in place, they would not have been mandated to adopt IFRS in the first place. In their view, it is upheld that most Nigerian accounting standards are a replica of International financial reporting standards, except for few standards that are amended to suit the countrys environment. This argument is supported by Iyoha and Jafaru (2011) which declared that there are strong institutional infrastructure to make the transition to IFRS effective and rewarding like accountancy bodies (ICAN and ANAN), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Nigerian Accounting Standards Board (NASB). 4.4.4 Political and cultural factor Politics and culture is also one of the challenging factors for adoption of IFRS by financial institutions in Nigeria, as most companies are being regulated by governmental bodies. Government, in both developed and undeveloped countries play important part when it comes to making decisions that affect the vital part of the countrys economy. The adoption of IFRS is of great significance to Nigeria which makes the role of the government inevitable. Ten percent responses confirmed that political and cultural factor is another unavoidable challenge in the Nigerian sector. The political factor is seen to be a challenge as explained by one interviewee due to lack of continuity when there is change of political power, which might have a negative effect on the activities of the financial sector. He stated that a new government might take over and not be in support of the IFRS due to the poor structure of the political setting With regards to culture, Jones et al., (2009) stated that integrat ing world-wide cultural differences to ensure that IFRS are applied and interpreted consistently is sure to be a difficult task. The management culture in most financial institutions in terms of compensation plan would have to be changed due to the differences in terms and conditions of Nigerian GAAP and IFRS (Ailemen and Akande, 2012). This tends to be a great challenge as most of the top officers feared that the terms and conditions of IFRS might be less favourable. However, five percent of the responses were of different opinion that the politics and culture may pose no challenge as the Nigerian government is more than prepared to ensure the smooth transition from the local GAAP to IFRS. To corroborate this opinion, Omankhanlen (2010) reported that the Federal Government of Nigeria is in support of the adoption of the foreign standards because it will facilitate rapid economic development as explained by the countrys Minister of Commerce and Industry in a summit organised by NASB. In addition, the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, a federal government agency, has concluded the arrangements for the establishment of IFRS academy as a platform the development of contemporary skills sets in all aspects of accounting and financial reporting amongst preparers, users, regulators and auditors of financial report, and the teaching and learning of IFRS in Nigeria and Africa (Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria , 2012). The overall responses on the challenges of IFRS adoption by Nigerian financial institutions are depicted in the table and graph below: Table : Percentage distribution of responses on the challenges of IFRS adoption by Nigerian financial institutions 1 2 3 4 Ranking according to % of respondents Agree Disagree Agree Disagree Agree Disagree Agree Disagree 1. Cost 50% 25% 2. Lack of personnel 30% 25% 3. Lack of infrastructure 10% 45% 4. P

Ezekiel Essay example -- essays research papers

Ezekiel meaning the strength of God, is one of the four greater prophets in the Old Testament. Ezekiel was the son of a priest named Buzi. Not much is known about Ezekiel’s childhood; much more is know after the age of twenty-five. Ezekiel was taken captive in the captivity of Jehoiachin, about eleven years before the destruction of Jerusalem. He was one of the many members of a community of Jewish people who settled on the banks of the Chebar, a river of Babylon. Ezekiel began prophesying in 595 B.C, and finished prophesying in 573 B.C. Ezekiel prophesied for a period that lasted about twenty-two years. Ezekiel was a married man but little else is known about his family life, he also had a house in his place of exile. His wife died a sudden death during the siege of Jerusalem. He lived among the top of his companions in exile, and their elders consulted with him on all matters. Ezekiel lived in a time of international crisis and conflict. Assyria was the world power in the area under the rule of Tiglath-pilesar III. In 724 B.C Israel raged war upon Assyria, and Israel was no match for Assyria. In 627 B.C the last of the able Assyrian ruler, Ashurbanipal died. Right after the death of Ashurbanipal, Babylon under Nabopolassar wanted independence from Assyria. In 612 B.C the Assyrians under Nineveh surrendered to the rising Babylonians. In 605 B.C the Babylonians were at war against the Egyptians. The Babylonians won and they established themselves as the leading power in the area. During all of this Judea allied with the Babylonians and with this Judea kept her independence. During the last century before Judea was destroyed it was ruled by four rulers and of those rulers, all but Josiah were wicked. Josiah was committed to God and led Judea to him. All the others did not heed the warnings of Ezekiel and Jeremiah from God, and the rulers of Judea chose to reb el against God. God punished Judea by sending Nebuchadnezzar’s army to crush the nation of Judea and flatten the city of Jerusalem. God appeared first to Ezekiel in a storm cloud; God was seated on a throne surrounded by cherubim. He commanded Ezekiel to go to an â€Å"impudent children and stiffhearted† and He gave Ezekiel a scroll to eat, showing Ezekiel complete identification with God’s Word. After Ezekiel returned to the people in Tel-Abib, God spoke to Ezekiel again, telling Ezekiel to be a â€Å"watchma... ...all the people Ezekiel was strange but God did not believed, In God’s eyes, Ezekiel was truthful, forgiving, obedient, and had endurance. He was dependable, patience, faithful, and tolerant. Ezekiel was truthful in all that he spoke because all of his words were from God. Ezekiel was forgiving and tolerant of God when God decided to take Ezekiel’s wife away to make a point. Ezekiel was very obedient as he obeyed God’s every single command including not mourning when his wife died. God gave Ezekiel lots of endurance because he prophetized for over twenty-two years. With his endurance, showed he was always dependable and faithful. All God needed to do was tell Ezekiel what to say or do, and Ezekiel would complete the task without complaint. Ezekiel was very patient even though God did not allow him to speak for seven and a half years and he complied with that. Ezekiel’s death is unknown, but an ancient Jewish tradition states that Ezekiel was killed by his own people because of his preaching. Ezekiel’s body is believed to be buried on the banks of the Euphrates, in the modern-day city of Kifl, just south of the ancient city Babylon. The tomb is said to have built by Jehoiachin.

A Tale of Apocalypses, Men, Women, & Sports :: Movie Film Sports Essays

A Tale of Apocalypses, Men, Women, & Sports This movie is set in a post-apocalyptic society in the year 2010. After World War III broke out, the world was destroyed in the year 2008. The survivors have no memory of what their planet used to be like, or how they used to live. The earth is covered in layers of debris that archaeologists are sifting through to figure out how people lived before the world was destroyed. Along with the "death" of our modern world, women's rights also died, and men think they are far superior once more. Opening scenes (each is only a few seconds long): Close up of blade chopping vegetables, zoom out to see that blade is actually ice skate. Cut to: restaurant with people eating soup out of semi-deflated basketballs. Cut to: Opening credits with people playing in background: people are running around wearing helmets and throwing a hockey puck at each other's heads. Cut to: people on an archeological dig, sifting through the dirt with tennis rackets. Most of a track has been unearthed, and the archaeologists think it is called a "Coca-Cola" because of the large sign at one end of the field in the center of the track. One of our heroines is named Soleada Lluvia, and she has just unearthed a badminton birdie and is studying it. She is distracted when the archaeologists who have been uncovering the track announce that they have finished. She drops the birdie and joins the others as they stare at the track. They remember seeing people run in circles around such a thing from damaged movies they have uncovered on previous expeditions. The men immediately begin discussing how this must have been used as a sports arena for men. The women point out that they saw women running in the movies, too, but they men just laugh at them and say that women are too weak to do sports. The women become angry and start citing famous female athletes they read about in records they found. They mention Babe Didrickson, FloJo, Wilma Rudolph, and others. The men point out that that was before the world ended, and say that now women are weak again. The women assert that women never were weak, then or now, and challenge the men to a contest. They decide to hold their contest in one month - to give them time to train, and time to research more of the sports of the past.

Abraham Lincoln Essay -- essays research papers

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln has been depicted as a very gifted orator and noble leader of our country. He is often compared with Shakespeare, due to his ability to say amazingly profound words. He is a very important symbol of our country’s history. Lincoln definitely led an interesting life. Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in a log cabin in Hardin (now Larue) County, Kentucky. This was near Hodgenville, Kentucky. His mother’s name was Nancy Hanks Lincoln; his father’s name was Thomas Lincoln. Abraham was named after his father’s father. He had an older sister named Sarah, and he had a younger brother named Thomas, but he died in infancy. Abraham Lincoln was once described by his cousin Dennis Hanks as,"...he'll never come to much, fur I'll tell you he wuz the puniest, cryin'est little youngster I ever saw." Abraham’s parents were part of a Baptist congregation. Abraham went to school every once in a while at a log schoolhouse two miles from his farm. Abraham then moved to Indiana due to troubles with land claims. When Abe was 9 years old, his mother died of â€Å"milk sickness† which was a disease that was acquired by drinking the milk of a cow that grazed on poisonous white snakeroot. His father Thomas then rema rried a woman named Sara Bush Johnston. She didn’t think that Abe had enough schooling, so she sent him to school a lot more. Abraham Lincoln enjoyed reading much more than the usual working on the farm. This is where he got most of his knowledge. In the 1830’s, the Lincolns moved to Illinois where Abraham lived until 1837. In Illinois, he worked as a postmaster, a storekeeper, and he served in the Black Hawk War in 1832. His physical features are the most famous qualities of Abraham Lincoln. At his full height, he was 6 feet and 4 inches and was about 180 pounds. This made him very tall and stocky. Lincoln is often depicted as a very hunched over man, since he is so tall. Lincoln decided that he wanted to run for legislature in Illinois. However, he lost his first election. In 1834 he was a Whig and was at last elected to the legislature and served four terms. During this time period, Abraham kept on reading, and eventually went to study the law. In 1837 he moved to Springfield, Illinois. He became a lawyer, and met his future wife. Mary Todd was from Kentucky and had moved to Springfield to live with her married siste... ...ck voting rights, which outraged many citizens, especially an actor named John Wilkes Booth. On Good Friday, April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln and his wife went to go see a play (â€Å"Our American Cousin†) at Ford’s Theatre. During the performance, John Wilkes Booth sneaked into the President’s balcony, and shot him in the head at about 10:15 PM. Lincoln was carried to the Peterson House across the street. He laid in a bed not long enough for him, stripped of his clothes, while physicians tried to remove blood clots which formed over the bullet wound. This relieved the pressure on his brain and allowed it to continue functioning and allowing respiration to take place. He internally and externally had hemorrhaging until 7:22 the next morning when he passed away. He was 56 years old when he died. Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton immediately said, â€Å"Now he belongs to the ages.† There was a very long funeral procession, in which thousands of people lined the track along the way to Illinois on April 21st. Lincoln was buried in Springfield Illinois on May 4th, 1865. This was the first assassination in presidential history. Therefore it was a very important yet sad time in American history.

Dark Child Essay

Ideology-Countries whose history is strongly marked by western European immigration or settlement, such as the Americans, and the Australians, and is not restricted to Western Europe (Wikidpedia. org). Many countries around the world have been influenced by the western ideology. Western Ideology includes components such as literary, education, political and philosophical views, and most of all, religion. In the autobiography, â€Å"The Dark Child†, Camara Laye, is a person who faces these types of challenges. He becomes stuck between his own traditional and the western ideologies. In the Dark Child, Camara Laye’s youth and development of his cultural and personal values as a young man is explained. He is part of the Malinke tribe in the village of Koroussa in Upper Guinea and is eldest out of many brothers and sisters. In the beginning, he learns about many of the traditions and customs his people. He is told about Totemism-the fact that everybody has a spiritual animal that is chosen by the person’s character. While learning about his people, he has attends a Koran school and then a French school in another part of town. Later in the book, he learns about Konden Diara- a ceremony that is a ritual used to conquer a boy’s fear before the initiation of circumcision. He undergoes the ritual and circumcision-represents a rite of passage –a boy is now a man. After graduating from his school, Laye leaves at 15 years of age to attend a technical college in Guinea’s capital city of Conakry. Like any mother, Laye’s warns him to â€Å"be careful with strangers† and sends him off on a train to live with his Uncles Sekou and Mamadou in Conakry where he comes across many cultural changes. In the school, in a new city for the first time in his experience, Laye encounters difficult language barriers and a hot, humid climate more taxing and oppressive than that in his Koroussa home. He also seeks changes during the day where people at their work are dressed in a Western style, but in boubou’s when they come home from work. Laye lives the life of a typical college school student, studying at the school’s campus and returning home to Koroussa during the holidays. When he returns, he sees the transformation within his family and friends. Later, he finishes his studies in Conakry and is offered a once in a lifetime opportunity to study in France. His mother greatly disapproves, but Laye and his father convinces his mother. At the end of the book, Laye leaves for France, and promises to himself that he will return to his people. As I was reading the book, it made realize the position of Africa and where it stood as a country. I felt distinctly as I was reading throughout the book, western values and traditions were overrunning the traditions of not only Africa but Laye’s life as well. Since the beginning of the book, he not an ordinary child in the village peoples eyes. He was one of the many who was sent out to attend school and be educated. His father knew what was to come of Africa, modernization. In my opinion, I think his father placed Laye in school for the purpose to contribute to his people, as oppose to being a goldsmith like himself. As he moved to Conakry, he moved in with his uncle Mamadou. His uncle lived in a European-style house. Was it unfamiliarity, or the humid heat of the town, or the fatigue of two days in the train that kept me from sleeping? Yet it was a very comfortable house: the room I slept in was large, and the bed soft, softer than any I had previously slept on† (147). Laye was astonished about his living headquarters. He was not used to this style and roominess. As I earlier stated, people in Conakry dressed differently during the day than at home. It took him a little while to get used to this as well. Later in the book, he woul d return home during the holidays. As he came back, he noticed that his mother had been plastered with white clay. â€Å"Originally it had been like the other huts, but gradually it began to acquire a European look† (169). His was trying to adapt to the style of the west through her son’s experience in Conakry. She was expressing not only her love for Laye, but also her feelings toward the western tradition. While he was in his village, one of his friends’ Chet was seriously ill. The medicine men gave him remedies and charms to help her but there was no significant change at all. Laye and his other friend knew that he had to see a white doctor at the hospital. Chet passed away after a week. Because of Laye’s education from the west, he knew that the medicine men were insufficient. From experiences and education of the west, he has become a man with wisdom of both cultures. â€Å"The Dark Child† is a wonderful journey through Camara Laye’s personal experiences. It shares many of his experiences and challenges through his life as a youth and young man. I really enjoyed the book and thought it was really educating.

Lust is Illusive Essay

Susan Minot’s short story, â€Å"Lust,† shares a tale of sexually pervading adolescent girl. The unnamed protagonist victimizes herself in fragmented recollections of sexual encounters with multiple partners. Debauchery down spirals her into a realm of self- languish. The narrator begins as a morally bankrupt adolescent and the text unravels a severely ambivalent sad teenage girl. The more of yourself that you passively give away the less of yourself you become. The protagonist is not developed by physical features. She is created by her relationships with others. Her feelings and actions also allow the reader to dig deeper into what kind of person she is. As a dynamic character she undergoes inner conflict. Once she recognizes her conflict with impulsive sexual conduct she possesses the power of change. At the beginning of the story she is emotionally vacant. When sharing she chose the objective style of storytelling. It was not the tradition style that bursts with details. With the minimal detail the narrator’s voice strengthened. Though her words are short it makes the readers anticipation grow. The quick to the point delivery gave the reader the general idea of her lifestyle. She distances herself from experiences. The narrator inconsistently tells the story in first and second person. Separating herself from the actions takes the blame off her. Dissociation shows when she describes her feelings after sex. â€Å"You make out the dim shape of the windows and feel yourself become a  cave, filled absolutely with air, or with a sadness that wouldn’t stop.† It may be possible that the narrator wants to feel nothing at all rather than sadness. Being empty with just air or with sadness is inevitable. Her hollowness engulfs all the regretted decisions. She victimizes herself to her partners. All the acts are initiated by the guys. Every guy that she mentions has the upper hand. It is about their likes and dislikes. It is never what she wants; she only wishes to please them. â€Å"You wait till they come to you [†¦] you’d do anything for them.† (282) She would do anything for them even be critiqued about her body appearance. When guys pursue her in a disrespectful manner she feels obligated to give them attention. She chooses to entertain them despite her knowledge of their intentions. She is overly dependent on males. She continues to self- victimize She does not realize that happiness is internal and to experience external happiness you have to be right within. There is a constant reference of peer pressure. She wants so badly to belong. Upon the transition of a new school everyone would like to be accepted. She is only fifteen and expressing her rebellion. She parties with the kids from school and they get into delinquent activities. She smokes cigarettes and goes and gets drunk. There is sadness the seeps through her text. She does all this as a coping mechanism to block out the spurts of sadness. With each guy there was a part of her that is lost. Male dominance is present. She compared a boy with multiple partners and a girl with multiple partners. The guy had a bright look and bloomed after every girl. He would proudly gloat about his stories and everyone would support it. There would be guys encouraging him to lure more girls for his endless stories. A girl is different, there is no shine. There is only regret. It once grew into a proud beautiful blossomed flower. Now after each boy the petals would be plucked. The flower left in sorrow hunched over surrounded with rotted petal. You were not yourself anymore. Her identity is lost. Her voice is lost. It is obsolete. The narrator is a sympathetic character. The generation of these adolescent  girls could very well identify with her. She evokes a little hope that there can be resurrected after disaster. Her actions are the reflection of an epic phase that will continue to be a struggle for generations to come. Though at first she takes no responsibility for her action she has realized that maybe she is the cause of her dissatisfying life. This story is a great coming of age example of arbitrary conquests and its outcome on teenage girls. She puts the nonchalance attitude to the side and voices her thoughts. Towards the end of the story the paragraphs become emotionally synced and detailed. Now you know her thoughts and she feels used, tired, cheated. The reader is left without a denouement of satisfaction. The narrative is concluded with unsettling sentences of the disappearance of herself. There is only speculation that she resigns after the conscious discovery of her tragic emotional state.

Descartes Existence of God Essay

The existence of God has been a question since the idea of God was conceived. Descartes tries to prove Gods existence, to disprove his Evil demon theory, and to show that there is without a doubt something external to ones own existence. He is looking for a definite certainty, a foundation for which he can base all of his beliefs and know for a fact that they are true. Descartes overall project is to find a definite certainty on which he can base all his knowledge and beliefs. A foundation that he will be able to prove without a doubt. To find a definite certainty he uses a methodical doubt, this states that anything that could be doubted must be taken as false. This is done to find an absolute certainty for which to base all knowledge. Descartes develops his Evil Genius theory to bring doubt to all senses and hence making them false. The theory says that it is possible that there is someone (an evil genius) who is controlling our mind. If so we wouldn’t be sure whether or not what we see was real or just a dream, therefore all of our senses would be doubtable and thus taken as false. This theory proves that nothing external is certain and must be proven false to continue his quest for truth and certainty. Descartes second meditation gives a definite certainty for which to use as his foundation to build his beliefs. Then his third meditation proves the existence of God and the external world, while disproving the evil genius theory. That definite certainty that cannot be doubted, is the fact that I exist. Whenever I utter or think â€Å"I am† I know this to be absolutely true, without doubt. From this definite foundation Descartes tries to prove that there is something external to the mind. So he states the law of casualty. This basically says that nothing can be created from nothing, and that the less perfect can not create something more perfect or better than itself. Then if there is an idea in our minds that we didn’t create, something else created it. If God is more perfect than us, then we could not have created God but God created us. Descartes then wrote about the idea of God. He said that God is infinite and could not have been created by us because God is more perfect than us thus undoubtable and certain. The idea that God exists disproves the Evil Genius theory therefore proves the existence of an external world. Anslem and Descartes’ theories both prove that there is a God and they both use some similar ideas in their premises’. For instance, they both rely on the faith that there is an idea of God; he is perfect and self evident. God could not have been conceived if there wasn’t a God. Though, Descartes says that the less perfect can not create something more perfect or better than itself, and that we are less perfect than God therefore we could not have created God. So, this proves the existence of God and an external world. On the other hand, Anslem says Existence is greater than conception and nothing greater can be conceived then God. Therefore God must exist. In my opinion descatres has successfully proven the existence of God as well as one can because he started from the beginning and logically found a true foundation of beliefs and from there proved the existence of God and an external world. consequently making our senses less doubtable, and more certain.

Dish Washing

Dish Washing I walk into the restaurant Red Robin, wait for my name to be called by the host and sit down in a booth with comfortable red seats. All of a sudden a man sits next to me wearing an apron soaking with water, wiping sweat from his face. It's my brother, Zachary Walsh. Zach states â€Å" Man, I hate Saturday nights, too damn busy! †. What was Zach doing? Zach is a dish machine operator, or in restaurant terms, a DMO. Washing dishes you say, that sounds easy! I am afraid not my friends. Washing dishes is one of the most under appreciated jobs. Just ask the manager him self, who by the way is my Uncle.My Uncle states, â€Å" If it wasn't for the DMO this place would be a **** whole. DMO's work their *** off and their the ones who keep things running behind the scenes. † With only a thirty minute break from washing dishes, I thank my brother for taking this time to answer questions because I know he would much rather be doing other things. Things like enjoying hi s food, staying hydrated and getting his mind off washing dishes. My brother is a good guy and that's a good thing for Red Robin because the DMO's do the most work for the smallest pay. Here at Red Robin, the DMO's are the bottom of totem pole.They usually get no breaks, the only time they do is if they work a double, they get paid the least and have to be stuck in the back of the kitchen where they cannot really talk to any one. â€Å" It was the worst thing I've ever done when I first started, but honestly you get use to it and after a while you start making friends. Luckily for me, Red Robin is a great environment and everyone is pretty chill. † Zach says, smiling, probably thinking back on all the days he use to come home and complain and threaten to quit. As stated before, a life of a DMO is not an easy one.For the most part of this interview, Zach was calm, but when he talked about what a DMO does, he got intense telling what they do. â€Å" I hate it, when I tell peop le I'm a DMO they usually just laugh. People do not understand that I have to wash tons of dishes and then after you put those dishes in the machine to wash, you have to go put the cleans ones away and usually you have to walk all the way across the kitchen to do this. When you have to put the dishes away, more dishes keep on coming in and this leads to a build up of plates and other things that you have to wash and it sucks!Luckily, the other staff understands Zach's job and they are usually nice about it. The key word there though.. † he pauses, and looks back to what seems to be the front of the kitchen and finishes â€Å" is usually. † Washing dishes gets Zach paid nine dollars an hour. Zach's been working at Red Robin for a year and half now and still has not gotten a raise. Zach says he is the lowest paid person there who has been working at Red Robin for over a year. The worst part about the hard working jobs at restaurants and farms is these types of jobs get pa id the least even though they are doing the most work.At the same time, the person taking these jobs know this information before they get employed. In tough times like the one we are living in today, people will take any job they can get. Zach has recently just graduated from college and obviously needs to pay off those college loans. Being a DMO is not going to pay those loans off but it is a start. â€Å" I needed a job out of college right away and this was the only one I could find. It sucks but you got to do what you got to do. Before giving you the job they tell you it's a sucky job and that you are going to hate it and I kind of took that as a challenge. As Zach goes to get a cup of water, my Uncle sits next to me and asks me what I was here for again. I explain to him the assignment and he sits there for a second to think. As Zach is coming back from getting water, my Uncle says, â€Å" Zach is the hardest working kid I have ever seen at Red Robin. He does the dirtiest jo b and never complains about it. We are sure damn lucky to have him or we most likely be screwed. † As he hits Zach in the shoulder and gets up so Zach can sit down again.Zach smiles, and even though he knows he is doing a job that does not get any credit at all, he feels proud knowing he's made someone proud and most importantly, a family member proud. Zach's break is over and my Uncle allows me to go back to the kitchen with Zach as long as I do not get in the way. The DMO area is a messy one to say the least. With dishes all over the place, stains on the wall, water all over the floor, it is no wonder why people do not want this job. Zach can tell from the expression on my face that I was shocked to see the place so messy. â€Å" I told you our Uncle wasn't lying about it being a crappy job.This is actually clean compared to most Saturday nights, you should have seen last weeks mess, the place was flooded and the water was up to my ankles. And guess who had to take care of the problem? Yeah that's right, me! † This place really did feel like the worst job ever. Along with washing dishes and putting them away, DMO's had to do other tiny messy jobs in between washing dishes. DMO's had to take out the trash when it was full, clean the bathrooms if there was a flood, clean up spills made by costumers because the waitress or waiters were to â€Å"busy† and the worst one, clean throw up.To do this and clean dishes takes a very hard working kid or man to do. And luckily for Red Robin, they had there guy. â€Å"One time this group of about ten baseball players come in and two stupid clowns tried to see who could eat the most. Needless to say one of them threw up all over the place and I had to clean it up. The most embarrassing part was they were in their late thirties, most likely in a softball league. † On a typical Saturday night at Red Robin, there would be two DMO's. So why was Zach the only one on that night? Because people are lazy. † Zach laughs at his own joke and states â€Å" actually I'm just kidding, I would probably quit if I could. Plus I couldn't give up on your Uncle. He gave me the job in the first place. † My brother shows me his hands and they are very pruny from working with the water and the soap. During the winter, when his hands would dry from being pruny, they would often crack and sometimes even bleed. This is all the norm when it comes to washing dishes, but people never see the little things that come in to play to make a restaurant run.Another terrible part about Zach's job is closing. Who ever is the DMO that night is usually the last one to leave the restaurant, along with the manager. The DMO has to clean every last dish and also help put them away. Out side there are around ten to fifteen trash bags filled with disgusting food and other restaurant supplies that have to be walked across the parking lot and into the dumpster. â€Å" Then when you are all set to go home and you get into your car, you realize you smell so bad and cannot wait to take a shower.Man, that shower feels great every night! † As I'm about to leave Red Robin, one of the waiters shouts to the back of the kitchen â€Å" Hey Zach, can you clean up table 83? A baby just knocked down a glass of beer. I would pick it up but I got so many tables tonight. † After Zach hears the question, it seems like he does not even listen to the waiters excuse. Right away he stops washing dishes and grabs the mop and heads to clean up the mess. â€Å"Yup, you got to love being a DMO† he says in a sarcastic tone and walks away, going to do his job.

Economic Policy of China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economic Policy of China - Essay Example The two way trade in China has grown faster than it's GDP for the last quarter of the century. (Ken Davies, 2000) After 1979 the Central - Local Relationship was made flexible: This initiated a loose and decentralized management controls over policy making, resource allocation, production issues (Ravi, 2005). The authority of local government people as well as plant supervisors in the industries were increased through the increment in the autonomy of public enterprises. This encouraged the private sector in the services as well as the light manufacturing industry. Foreign trade and investment was increased through a diversification in the banking systems, development of stock markets, and encouragement of the private enterprises (Baizhu & Feng, 2000). An example of localism is that the central government is subjected to severe budget deficits while revenue generation of local is increasing. The budget stood around -7.0% of GDP in 2006. There has been a trend of changing role of institutions. Structural downsizing of State organs, streamlining departments, and creating institutions like the 'the National Development Planning Commission', 'The State Economic and Trade Commission' and 'Ministry of Commerce' to manage the macroeconomic competitiveness that China is striving to achieve. According to the purchasing parity as it accounted for 12 per cent of global GDP. Ever since the 1980s the real income has grown approximately 400 per cent per head, and the export import has increased 11 to 13 per cent per year. The manufactured goods constitute 90 per cent of the total exports while the ratio of trade-in-goods to GDP today is around 50 per cent. (Sally, 2004) Today not only are the Chinese commodities exported to the world a large amount of foreign commodities pouring into China. During the period 1990 to 2001, the world's exports were growing at the rate of 6.3% while in China the exports experienced at 14.9% growth. The import growth rate was 6.5% on average while China had 15.5%. The Chinese products not only prove to be cheap and efficient but also the foreign companies become price competitive by producing in China. (People's Daily Online, 2003) China's trade liberalism is directly linked to the open investment policies. In 2002 the Foreign Direct Investment was $450 million from $90 million in 1990. It represented 36% GDP of China whereas 6% of the world's total. Most of the FDI stock comes from the manufacturing sector which constitutes about 7% of the world's overall manufacturing. (Sally, 2004) Despite all the good things about the openness of trade there have been some major macro economic issues that the country is currently facing today. The first is the external debt issue. In 2005 the three main indicators of external debt were way below the internationally accepted line; this is an alarming situation for a country like China. The external debt as compared to the GDP was 12.63%. Another issue is the public debt. China's public debt was 22.1% of total GDP (2006). In 2005 Standard and Poor's revised China's credit ratings saying that China had come out of the instability and made progressive reforms and successfully implemented them. The rating increased to A- from BBB+ for levels above the 'non-investment' status that shows S and P's has a more positive of China. Moody's Investors Service has rated China favorably five notches above the non investment status.