How the Roman Republic decayed and became the Roman Empire Essay

How the Roman Republic decayed and became the Roman Empire - Essay Example The prominence of Rome Rome was a small province town which after many wars became the focus and command center of the vast empire of Rome. However, history tells us that it took hundreds of years and a combat of many wars to rise to this prominence. It gained influence over a significant portion of southern Europe, northern Africa, and Middle East. Rome conquered nearly all the surrounding territories going beyond the Mediterranean Sea. It was this military dominance in the region that helped the Roman republic rise and became a formidable force of influence. The republic had appeasing methods of keeping her citizens happy and content. In this endeavor, Rome respected and protected the people’s local cultures with the sole purpose of keeping the people pacified. The Romans in their quest for improved stability, offered a healthier way of life to her war captives, giving them protection, improved mode of doing business, and the freedom to share in her civilization, like the hi gh quality road network. The import market was enhanced, and more affordable goods were made available to the citizens. Under the roman rule, the public enjoyed better and improved livelihood than in their previous regimes. The Roman social planners developed a plan on how to facilitate distribution of economical products such as food that used to contribute to widespread riots. This proper food allocation to its citizens that spread across the whole regime made it gain prominence. Rome’s geographical location’s place of control was another contributing factor. Its control over the Mediterranean Sea gave the regime sizeable amount of dominance. The Roman Republic The founding of Rome is not conclusively documented, in that there is scanty information on how it was initially conceived to its prominence. Nonetheless, mythical explanations state that Rome was initially ruled by kings as a monarchy for many years. As a republic, it began by the overthrow of the traditional roman monarchy, an event that ushered in the introduction of a government that was headed by two representatives. Annual elections were conducted to elect new representatives to head the government. Subsequently, a constitution representing the will of the people was developed. The enactment of this constitution was largely as a result of the struggle between the Patricians and the Plebeians in the effort of the Plebeians trying to prevent Patricians dominance of power. The constitution enabled the participation and representation of everyone at the national level of public affairs, without dominance of a party or ethical group. The fall of Roman Republic The fall of the republic of Rome was motivated by social reasons, military reasons, political reasons, and economic reasons. The fall began with political rivalry within the ranks of power which spread to the city where rival gangs supporting their leaders furthered the rivalry. The two political leaders were Pompey the Great and Julius Caesar. Their rivalry was promoted by their indifference in political leadership when Pompey was appointed, against the spirit of the constitution, to head the consul alone. This angered Caesar who waged war against Rome forcing Pompey to flee. Military Reasons During the roman republic, the army was comprised of citizen soldiers who went to war in defense for their country for some years. This was the product of Rome spreading its territorial control, where the soldiers were

Globalization and Diversity and Its Effects on Organizational Behavior Essay

Globalization and Diversity and Its Effects on Organizational Behavior - Essay Example The main person responsible for coining the term globalization is considered to be Theodore Levitt. With the passage of time, the phenomenon has grown at a steady rate whereby the setting under which it is held is one that focuses on the global patterns related to the sociological findings. (Aase, 2004)The aspect of whether or not globalization is a newer form of western imperialism is manifested in the definition of the same word. Globalization, for that matter, is remarked as Internationalization since the nature of the two terms is on a worldwide scale more than anything else. West tries to exploit the basis of globalization which the third world countries could bring to the benefit of the developed nations. However, on the part of the two terms, the one thing common, however, is the fact that these have identified themselves well with the changing (and growing) trends, where most of these are credited on the shoulders of the World War II, after which there has been a resurgent ra t race nonetheless. Globalization is a phenomenon and it is one that is here to stay for long. The world has become a global village due to globalization and it is a good omen if seen in the proper perspectives. The impact of demographic diversities in a group means that more efforts are needed to be put in place so that each of the group members knows what his or her duty is and whether this person is communicated about the roles that are asked of him or her, both in the short term as well as the long run.

Impact of Temperature on Viscosity of Liquid

Impact of Temperature on Viscosity of Liquid INTRODUCTION    Hydrodynamics, as defined by the Merriam Webster Dictionary, is the branch of physics that deals with the motion of fluids, and the forces acting on solid bodies immersed in fluids and in motion relative to them (2017). The study of fluids originated in Ancient Greece, was coupled with the works of Persian philosophers in Medieval times, and eventually, with many contributions made by scientists such as Archimedes, Leonardo Da Vinci and Isaac Newton, was developed into the branch of fluid dynamics that exists today (WiseGeek, 2017). Any substance can be classed as a fluidif it changes shape uniformly in response to external forces. Many characteristics of such a substance include; pressure, temperature, mass, density and viscosity (Washington.edu, 2017). The term viscosity is defined as a fluids resistance to flow in relation to its inner molecular structure, and is largely affected by temperature (Viscopedia, 2017). As the temperature of a fluid increases, so does the thermal/kinetic energy of its liquid molecules, which results in increased amounts of movement as the particles begin to move faster. Due to this increased amount of movement, the attractive binding energy of the fluid is reduced, consequently decreasing the fluids resistance to flow (Azom, 2013). This principle is demonstrated in the following theoretical figures, which depict the relationship between the temperatures and viscosities of various fluids:          From using the known viscosities of fluids at various temperatures, and developing functions that model these relationships in programs such as Microsoft Excel or on a graphics calculator, the approximate viscosity of a liquid at any temperature can be found by substituting values for temperature into the relevant formula. An example of this process is seen below: As seen in Figure 1, the equation that models the relationship between temperature and viscosity of water is y = 1.5396e-0.018x. If the temperature of the water was 4à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢Cà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. y = 1.5396e-0.018x y = 1.5396e-0.018 x 4 y = 1.433 mPas Therefore, the viscosity of the water at 4à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C is 1.433 mPas. Viscosity is also what causes an object to slow as it travels through a fluid, and is one component in the phenomenon of drag force, the retarding force that acts opposite to the direction of motion of a body or object. The drag force of any object is dependent on the viscosity of the fluid it travels through, velocity of the object, reference area of the object, and the drag coefficient. The following formula can be used to calculate the total drag force acting upon an object (Wikipedia, 2017): Where: = Drag force (N), = Mass density of fluid (mPas), = Flow speed of object relative to fluid (ms-1), = Drag coefficient (no units), A = Reference area (m2) A worked example of this calculation with assumed and exact values is modelled below: Assume that for a flat surfaced mass travelling through water at 4à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢Cà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. mPas = 0.3ms-1 0.82 A = 2.5 x 10-4 The values are then substituted into the drag force formulaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Therefore the drag force of the mass travelling through water at 4à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C is approximately 4.6125 x 10-5N. One component of this force, as represented by in the drag force equation, is a drag coefficient (The Free Dictionary, 2017). As stated in The Physics of Sailing by Ryan M. Wilson (2010), intuitively, the drag should depend linearly on the density of the fluid in which the body is immersed (because force depends linearly on mass) and linearly on the area of the body that is exposed to the flow because the volume of fluid that must be displaced as the body moves through it is proportional to this area. A range of calculated drag coefficients for various shapes can be seen in Figure 3. It can therefore be concluded that the lower the drag coefficient of an object, the lower the amount of drag force that occurs as it travels through a fluid (Brock University, 2017). As seen in Figure 2, the drag coefficient of an object is reliant on its shape. It can be concluded that a mass with a flat reference area will travel almost two times slower than that with a spherical reference area. A conical reference area will cause an object to fall slightly slower than a spherical mass, but faster than one with a flat reference area. Theoretically, as deducted from Figure 2, it is concluded that a mass with a spherical reference area will travel faster than one with either a conical and flat surfaced reference area, the latter of these theoretically having the slowest time of fall through a liquid out of the three. Although many different fields of study incorporate knowledge of drag forces and viscosity, arguably one of the most important applications is found within the engineering of ships and the design of the hulls, specifically in relation to sailing competitions such as the Americas Cup. As one of the largest sailing races in the world, this competition has strict guidelines for ship design, consequently meaning that vessel engineers must find the best combinations (of measurements) to create the fastest ship possible (Krepal, 2014). When building, engineers must be familiar with the environmental sailing conditions of the race in order to build the most suitable hull with the least amount of drag this is determined in regards to the temperature of the sea and its viscosity. As calculating viscosity is a complex procedure, ship engineers often refer to data such as seen in Figure 2 to determine aspects of ship design. In regards to the speed of the ship, it can be concluded from previous knowledge on drag force that the lower the drag coefficient of a vessel, the easier it is for it to break through the water, overcoming shear force and resulting in a faster travelling time (Krepal, 2014). When unknown, the drag force formula can be rearranged to find the drag coefficient; however, often these values are computed from graphical designs of the ship as the phenomenon of drag force is dependent on many variables. Testing on model ships is also performed to determine how vessels will travel under different conditions (Mecaflux, 2013). HYPOTHESIS Based on the previous research, the hypothesis for this experiment is that: If a body is falling in a liquid, then i) the lower the viscosity of the liquid, which decreases as temperature increases, the faster will be the rate of fall of the object, and ii) the lower the drag coefficient of the body, the smaller its drag force will be, as the velocity of an object as it travels through a fluid is inversely proportional to the amount of resistance it encounters. METHOD The supplies needed 1L glass measuring cylinder, 2L water, 2kg honey, 2L canola oil, 3 x 53g cylindrical masses with different reference areas of the same 0.9cm radius (flat, spherical, streamlined/conical), a Thermomix, thermometer, a logbook and pencil, and a video recording device. All measurements and data were to be collected and stored in a logbook and on the video recording device. A risk assessment form was completed before the commencement of the experiment, in order to recognise any potential hazards regarding the equipment that was to be used. It was identified that any device used to heat up the liquids, and the hot liquids themselves, had potential to burn the person completing the experiment, and it was possible for the glass cylinder to topple over and shatter as it was filled with each liquid. Covered shoes were worn during the experimental procedures to protect the feet from any falling objects and glass, and care was taken when using heating devices and handling ho t liquids. As the hypothesis was written in two parts, there were two variables that remained constant depending on the experimental procedure (independent variables) the first was the temperature/viscosity of each liquid, and the second was the reference area of the masses travelling through each. The dependent variable in both was the velocity of the object. The equipment was set up for the experiment as depicted in Figure 6. 1L of each liquid was placed in the fridge and cooled to 5à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C. 1L of the first liquid, water, was heated in the Thermomix to 37à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C and then poured into the glass cylinder. The flat ended mass was dropped from the 1L mark, and its fall was timed and recorded on the video recording device. The object was then extracted from the bottom of the cylinder, and this process was repeated two more times. The flat ended mass was then removed, and the same procedure was performed again for both the spherical and conical shaped masses. After these tests were completed, the water was poured back into the Thermomix and was heated to 50à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C. Once at temperature, the water was again poured into the cylinder, and the previously stated processes were repeated for each mass. After these tests were completed, the water was poured into the Thermomix. The chilled water from the fridge was then take n out, checked with a thermometer to be at 4à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C, and poured into the cylinder for testing. The previously stated processes for each mass were repeated. After all of the masses had been dropped into the water at all three temperatures, the water was disposed of, and the experimental space cleaned up to prepare for the next round of testing. All results were recorded into various tables in the logbook, and later graphed for analysis. The second liquid, canola oil, was heated in the Thermomix to 35à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C and then poured into the glass cylinder. The previously stated procedures were repeated. All results were recorded into a table, and later graphed for analysis. The third liquid, honey, was heated in the Thermomix to 35à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C and then poured into the glass cylinder. The previously stated procedure was repeated. All results were recorded into a table, and later graphed for analysis. In this experiment, it is noted that apart from that which were independent and dependant, all other variables were controlled, consequently meaning that every aspect of the testing remained consistent. These controlled variables included the positioning of the glass cylinder and video recording device, the dropping point of the masses, the weight of the small masses used, the radius of the masses, the distance each mass fell, the type of oil and honey used, etc. By controlling all other variables, the results recorded from the testing become more accurate. RESULTS (HYPOTHESIS PART 1) CALCULATED VALUES FOR VISCOSITY By using the formulas generated from the Excel graphs in Figure 1, which model the relationships between the viscosity and temperature of each liquid, and substituting in the experimental temperatures for x (4, 37 and 50), the empirical viscosities of each fluid at different temperatures were calculated. The tables and graphs of these results follow, with all calculations performed recorded in the logbooks. WATER Temperature (à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C) Viscosity (mPas) 4 1.433 37 0.791 50 0.626 y = 1.5396e-0.018x CANOLA OIL y = 186.16e-0.049x Temperature (à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C) Viscosity (mPas) 4 153.026 37 30.375 50 16.064 HONEY y = 138468e-0.117x Temperature (à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C) Viscosity (mPas) 4 86716.073 37 1825.108 50 398.774 Water Flat Surfaced Mass Temperature of Fluid (à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C) Time 1 (s) Time 2 (s) Time 3 (s) Average Time of Fall (s) 4 0.41 0.62 0.81 0.61 37 0.62 0.50 0.50 0.54 50 0.66 0.60 0.69 0.65 Spherical Mass Temperature of Fluid (à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C) Time 1 (s) Time 2 (s) Time 3 (s) Average Time of Fall (s) 4 0.91 0.68 0.37 0.65 37 0.53 0.59 0.55 0.56 50 0.43 0.62 0.60 0.55 Conical Mass Temperature of Fluid (à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C) Time 1 (s) Time 2 (s) Time 3 (s) Average Time of Fall (s) 4 0.40 0.57 0.54 0.50 37 0.78 0.50 0.62 0.63 50 0.59 0.50 0.43 0.51 Canola Oil Temperature of Fluid (à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C) Time 1 (s) Time 2 (s) Time 3 (s) Average Time of Fall (s) 4 0.60 0.55 0.65 0.60 37 0.62 0.69 0.58 0.63 50 0.49 0.52 0.46 0.49 Flat Surfaced Mass Spherical Mass Temperature of Fluid (à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C) Time 1 (s) Time 2 (s) Time 3 (s) Average Rate of Fall (s) 4 0.63 0.59 0.69 0.636667 37 0.56 0.56 0.53 0.55 50 0.45 0.46 0.42 0.443333 Conical Mass Temperature of Fluid (à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C) Time 1 (s) Time 2 (s) Time 3 (s) Average Rate of Fall (s) 4 0.67 0.53 0.43 0.543333 37 0.46 0.49 0.38 0.443333 50 0.36 0.45 0.39 0.4 Honey Flat Surfaced Mass Temperature of Fluid (à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C) Time 1 (s) Time 2 (s) Time 3 (s) Average Rate of Fall (s) 4 2040 2257.2 2008.2 2101.8 37 498.6 489 508.2 498.6 50 84 91.2 95.4 90.2 Spherical Mass Temperature of Fluid (à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C) Time 1 (s) Time 2 (s) Time 3 (s) Average Rate of Fall (s) 4 1428 1537.2 1362.6 1442.6 37 362.4 370.2 389.4 374 50 72 70.8 73.8 72.2 Conical Mass Temperature of Fluid (à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C) Time 1 (s) Time 2 (s) Time 3 (s) Average Rate of Fall (s) 4 1188 1135.2 1305 1209.4 37 307.2 305.4 320.4 311 50 66.6 65.4 67.2 66.4 HYPOTHESIS PART 2 CALCULATED DRAG FORCES Worked Example: Flat surfaced mass travelling through water at 4 °C mPas = 0.2916 ms-1 0.82 A = 2.545 x 10-4 The values are then substituted into the drag force formulaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ WATER: TEMPERATURE ( °C) DRAG FORCE (Nx10-5) Flat 4 4.3600 37 3.0830 50 1.6840 Spherical 4 3.9480 37 2.9358 50 2.4084 Conical 4 132.3700 37 46.0270 50 55.5820 CANOLA OIL: TEMPERATURE ( °C) DRAG FORCE (Nx10-5) Flat 4 483.020 37 86.971 50 76.033 Spherical 4 434.850 37 116.860 50 96.567 Conical 4 12120.000 37 3620.000 50 2320.000 HONEY: TEMPERATURE ( °C) DRAG FORCE (Nx10-5) Flat 4 0.0223060 37 0.0083423 50 0.0556950 Spherical 4 0.0485340 37 0.0151850

The Internet and the Catholic Church Essay -- Exploratory Essays Resea

This essay addresses the question: Does more harm than good come from the internet? And the answer is sought from the largest Christian denomination (one billion members) - the Catholic Church. There is no condemnation of the internet by this church body; rather the Vatican, official voice of the Catholic Church, maintains that the internet is "not a threat"(Church). Calling the Internet an opportunity and a challenge and not a threat, the Vatican issued two documents encouraging the church to embrace the technology and help guide it to benefit all humanity. The documents said the Internet's interactive nature could help the church achieve the vision of communication between its members, moving away from the one-way, top-down communication of the past. Among practical responses to potential ethical and social problems related to the Internet, the documents recommended more industry self-regulation, a voluntary church "certification" of sites that call themselves Catholic, and careful supervision of children's Web surfing(Ethics). The two 27-page documents, "Ethics in Internet" -- a reflection on ethical issues -- and "The Church and Internet" -- an assessment of online pastoral opportunities -- were released at a Vatican press conference. The documents were prepared by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. Russell Shaw, a U.S. journalist who serves on the council, headed the drafting process. The Internet ethics document emphasized the technology's tremendous power and opportunities, saying it could help bring together every person on the planet in a "world governed by justice and peace and love"(Ethics) "Today it takes no great stretch of the imagination to e... ... Internet than their elders, it said good parenting might require adults to improve their Internet fluency. The fundamental parental duty here is to help children become discriminating, responsible Internet users and not addicts of the Internet, neglecting contact with their peers and with nature itself. It recommended that parents install filtering technology in computers that are available to children "to protect them as much as possible from pornography, sexual predators and other threats"(Church). WORKS CITED: Church and the Internet http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/pccs/index.htm. Ethics in Internet http://authors.va.mondosearch.com/cgi-bin/MsmFind.exe?CFGNAME=MssFind.cfg&QUERY=ethics+in+internet&EN=X&FR=X&DE=X&IT=X&PT=X&ES=X&NO_DL=X

How Economic Globalization Has Fostered Globalization of Critics and Criticism Essay

I. INTRODUCTION The concept of globalization is one of the most talked about terms over the past decades. In fact, it is a highly popular buzzword that admittedly lacks a standard or commonly agreed upon definition. (Trebilcock, 2000). The concept of economic globalization stemmed from the root concept of â€Å"globalization† and by definition, pertains to that specific attribute of globalization that refers to the process of integration between the economic front and the ‘developed’, ‘under-developed’ and ‘developing’ economies (Naik, 2011). Economic globalization essentially comes together through international trade, FDIs (foreign direct investments) and the like (Naik, 2011). As stated by Naik (2011), economic globalization is a process that is all about the citizens and their welfare. By standard definition, economic globalization refers to the so-called increased economic interdependence of various countries which may result from the rise in terms of the movement of the different goods, services, capital and technologies across the international borders (Trebilcock, 2000). Other authors and economic experts define the concept of economic globalization as the â€Å"globalization of the markets† which explains the phenomenon of the global marketplace or the ability of a specific manufacturer that is based from a specific part of the world to sell a product or good to the consumers in other parts of the world (Trebilcock, 2000; Naik, 2011). Economic globalization has also enabled the rise of other related concepts such as ‘transnational or multi-national companies/corporations’ which refer to the companies that are active in numerous countries at the same time (Trebilcock, 2000; Naik, 2011). Because of these characteristics of economic globalization, other notable concepts which include foreign direct investments (FDIs), alliance capitalism, international trade and the like have been attributed to the concept of economic globalization. In fact, more than mere concepts, these terms have exerted tremendous benefits for the different people around the world (Naik, 2011; Trebilcock, 2000). However, one cannot totally ignore the fact that some critics recognize the negative effects or consequences of economic globalization as even the very concept of globalization itself may have specific ‘pros’ and ‘cons’. As argued by Naik (2011), while there are a  number of advantages in economic globalization, there also exists a number of disadvantages in economic globalization as a phenomenon. Many critics point out that the countries’ interdependence with one another serves as one of the biggest issues in economic globalization. They assert that when an economic crisis is being experienced by one country, this can result into an economic crisis as well on the different countries with which a country shares its economic ties (Naik, 2011; Trebilcock, 2000; Harrison, 2007). Aside from this, there are also many critics who argue that different companies actually exploit labor by investing in production facilities within developing countries. Because huge multinational companies that come from already developed countries resort to developing countries in order to acquire cheaper labor, critics consider this as alarming because they are only coming to these countries in order to acquire natural resources and more affordable labor which will be at their own advantage (Naik, 2011; Trebilcock, 2000; Harrison, 2007). Aside from this, many critics also argue that economic globalization has already proven to have caused a number of ideological and political tensions in the different parts of the world and that these will continue to move on and grow further as the so-called economic superpower era comes closer (Naik, 2011; Trebilcock, 2000). Furthermore, the critics argued that the ‘interdependence’ brought about by economic globalization has not really done anything in order to improve the lives of poverty-stricken communities and individuals across Africa and Asia. Apparently, despite the considerably huge success of economic globalization, a large portion of the population in the world still remained to be in great poverty (Naik, 2011; Trebilcock, 2000). This is precisely the reason why the critics could not help but compare the unequal effects of economic globalization among the developing and developed countries. In this research paper, we will explore the process as to how the so-called â€Å"economic globalization† phenomenon has fostered a globalization of critics and criticism. In this research paper, we will tackle the definition of economic globalization and its implications and how it has allegedly brought about and triggered the rise of a number of critics. This research paper will also identify the specific criticisms that critics have previously cited and identified with regard to the economic  globalization phenomenon. The main objective of this research paper is to provide evidence as to how the emergence of globalization of critics and criticism was a direct by-product of economic globalization. Hence, in line with this main objective, this research paper will directly answer the research question: â€Å"How did economic globalization foster globalization of critics and criticism?† II. LITERATURE REVIEW A. Economic Globalization Defined. Economic globalization, by strict definition, refers to the phenomenon characterized with an increased interdependence of the different national economies in the economic context (Joshi, 2009). This process or phenomenon is also characterized with a swift and steady increase in the movement of various goods, services, technologies as well as capital across borders (Naik, 2011; Trebilcock, 2000). While globalization as a sole context is focused on the rapid developments in the areas of science and technology and economic division of labor, the concept of economic globalization is centered on the growth of information as well as the advancement of science and technology. Thus, economic globalization may be viewed in two different aspects: either as a positive or as a negative process or phenomenon (Naik, 2011; Trebilcock, 2000). The economic globalization phenomenon is comprised of a globalization process of various markets, corporations, technologies, industries, production and even competition. Interestingly, the economic globalization process is not at all a new phenomenon as for the past centuries or hundreds of years, this process has continuously and consistently occurred (Naik, 2011; Trebilcock, 2000). Nevertheless, it was only about two or three decades ago that the concept of economic globalization has been recognized and given importance by economic analysts and experts. It initially appeared as an important part of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) frameworks; because of these new economic policies, many countries have managed to cut down their trade barriers as well as open up new capital and current accounts (Naik, 2011; Trebilcock, 2000). Indeed,   economic globalization phenomenon may be accounted for the increased integration and interd ependence of the different countries and their economies, particularly, the integration between developed and less developed economies. Clearly, this economic globalization phenomenon was achieved and was manifested through FDIs (foreign direct investment) as well as the reduction of the so-called ‘trade barriers’ and the emergence of cross-border migration cases (Naik, 2011; Trebilcock, 2000). The authors Hameed & Nazir (2012) on the other hand have a different view with regard to economic globalization. They saw this phenomenon as having occurred because of the improvements in technology as well as the decrease in transportation cost. Hameed & Nazir (2012) also cited the fact that numerous national governments have deliberately chosen to integrate themselves with the â€Å"global economy† which became the ultimate trigger point for economic globalization to emerge. Hameed & Nazir (2012) defined the concept of economic globalization also as the process of removing trade restrictions and barriers such as quotas and tariffs as well as the labor free movement and capital market liberalization. Because of the removal of all the possible barriers and restrictions, economic globalization has emerged (Hameed & Nazir, 2012). This phenomenon occurred in the past 1980s and 1990s decades wherein majority of the developing countries reduced and alleviated their so-called important controls by bringing tarriff rates down as well as eliminating restrictions on FDIs (foreign direct investment) (Hameed & Nazir, 2012). Furthermore, Hameed & Nazir (2012) had positive  views with regard to economic globalization citing that this has led towards the attainment of higher productivity and growth as well as a large reduction of poverty in many countries. This assertion is certainly contrary to what many critics deny with economic globalization being the key towards achieving higher productivity and growth. Trebilcock (2000) on the other hand emphasized that focusing too much on the positive sides of economic globalization may not be a good idea as there are different significant effects to economic globalization which are not only limited to the positive ones. Apparently, there is a statistical evidence which points out that economic globalization causes a significant imbalance of power between the  developed and the developing countries which are part of a greater global economy (Hameed & Nazir, 2012; Trebilcock, 2000). B. Criticisms against Economic Globalization According to Shangquan (2000), it is important to recognize the fact that the increased participation of the developing countries in the process of globalization may enable them to best utilize their so-called ‘comparative advantages’ and be introduced to more advanced methods of technologies, management experience as well as foreign capital. Economic globalization also has undeniably brought developing countries in a much favorable position in terms of eliminating or preventing any form of monopolistic behaviors and also, more importantly, in strengthening the market competition (Shangquan, 2000). However, apart from the immense opportunities for increased development that economic globalization has provided among developing countries, economic globalization also poses many significant risks (Shangquan, 2000). Interestingly, these significant economic globalization risks serve as the ultimate basis and evidence of the critics of economic globalization against this pheno menon. These risks serve as the critics’ proof and basis for their criticisms on economic globalization. One of the prominent criticisms against economic globalization is the widened gap between the â€Å"North† and the â€Å"South†. Based on the early reports published by the United Nations during the year 1999, this gap between these two parts of the world has widened further as a result of economic globalization (Shangquan, 2000; Trebilcock, 2000). The UN’s reports contained facts and evidences that the total number of the developing countries that gained the benefits of economic globalization was only a small percentage (Shangquan, 2000; Trebilcock, 2000). Apparently, this was reflected in the gap or the difference in terms of the income per capita of the poorest and the richest country which has greatly enlarged to about 70 times as a result of the economic globalization (Shangquan, 2000; Trebilcock, 2000). The second top criticism that critics often throw against economic globalization is the fact that many developing countries run the risk of being exposed to external factors in the environment that are unfavorable. Apparently, under  the economic conditions that are open to conflicts, there is an important realization which states that there are immense constraints with regard to the open macroeconomic regulations and policies among developing countries which continue to weaken their macroeconomic regulation and control capacities (Shangquan, 2000; Trebilcock, 2000). In addition to this, the constant  innovation of the different financial instruments also moves further the expansion of the various financial assets of companies in developing countries. Apparently, this has brought about enormous negative impacts on the financial stability and economic safety of majority of companies within developing nations (Shangquan, 2000; Trebilcock, 2000). Aside from the negative economic imp acts of ‘economic globalization’, other scholars and authors also argue that economic globalization may have vivid negative strong impacts on the surrounding different cultures of the world in general. According to Held (2004), through the advent of economic globalization, there is a greater chance that the different populations from various cultures will mimic or imitate the labor markets and the international capital flow through the merging of cultures. And certainly within this process, the native people’s exposure to economic measures and foreign measures may cause major assimilations on their lifestyles (Held, 2004). Specifically, based on the numerous researchers who have been studying the main effects of the economic globalization phenomenon among the youth, the different populations in the world will inevitably experience many changes as triggered by economic globalization (Held, 2004). Populations from South America, Arab, Africa, Caribbean and South East Asia will be exposed more on Western cultures including their language which is English, their music, their computers and technologies, their dating practices, even their gender roles as well as the other nitty-gr itty of the Western cultures (Held, 2004). All of these will certainly bring about negative effects especially in the process of preserving their own native cultures. Apparently, based on a recent study conducted, the  negative cultural impacts of economic globalization are inevitable and the  assimilation of the native cultures are unescapable in this day and age (Xintian, 2002). Hence, no matter how much a specific culture would protect and preserve its own, the challenges and the changes of today’s economic globalization phenomenon will continue to put pressure on the different populations’ cultures and would ultimately result to the emergence of a totally new assimilated culture which may not be as distinct and as original as the one that the populations originally had (Held, 2004; Xintian, 2002). An author named George Ritzer once wrote about another point of criticism against economic globalization and his emphasis was on the so-called â€Å"McDonaldization† of a specific society as brought about by the economic globalization process (Ritzer, 2010). Ritzer emphasized that the different fast food businesses that continue to spread all throughout America as well as in the rest of the world will inevitably be forced upon the various world populations. They will be forced to adopt the fast-food cultures which continue to expand its influence across the world and this was made possible by the economic globalization which served as an important and influential force in standardizing the Western culture (Ritzer, 2010). Even in the area or aspect of the media, economic globalization also has somewhat certain negative impacts. For example, according to Nakayma (2005), the global news media companies export their information and deliver them through the Internet, radio and the news. However, in the process, these information are being exposed to Western values and products given that the top North American companies such as Reuters, CNN and BBC are the ones that dominate the global media and news   industry. They are far more powerful and influential as compared to the likes of Al-Jazeera which may only cater to a smaller number of audiences and may only exert influence on a few people (Nakayma, 2005). This implies that indeed, the amount of influence of America in almost all aspects of living whether it be in culture, news, politics, economics, and the media, are undeniable. This means that in one way or another, the economic globalization may bring about negative effects on the developing countries since they are the ones on â€Å"receiving end† and not on the influencing side (The Economist, 2011; Bertucci & Alberti, 2010; Aisbett, 2007). III. DISCUSSION Given the immense number of literatures that point out the advantages, benefits and positive effects of economic globalization, it would be difficult to ascertain and even argue that economic globalization has a negative side to it (Bertucci & Alberti, 2010). Interestingly however, the increasing number of critics that point out the negative effects of economic globalization as a global phenomenon constantly increased in the past few years which mean that today, more than before; there are more evidences with regard to the not-so-advantageous impacts of economic globalization in the world. As previously stated by Naik (2011), one of the negative aspects of economic globalization is that of its ability to weaken a country’s economic situation while it remains to be dependent on other countries. This is such that when an economic crisis is being experienced by one country, this can result into an economic crisis as well on the different countries with which a country shares its economic ties (Naik, 2011; Trebilcock, 2000). Aside from being prone to economic crisis, another criticism against economic globalization is the fact that it causes a significant imbalance of power between the developed and the developing countries which are part of a greater global economy (Hameed & Nazir, 2012; Trebilcock, 2000). This means that the gap between the developed and the developing countries continue to increase and widen which in the end, would place the developing countries in a somewhat ‘abused’ and ‘disadvantaged’ position. The third important point of criticism of the critics of economic globalization is the fact that the present economic globalization phenomenon places to put on high levels of pressure on the different populations’ cultures which may ultimately result to the emergence of a totally new assimilated culture that may not be as distinct and as original as the ones they had before (Held, 2004; Xintian, 2002). To put it simply, economic globalization made it quite difficult if not impossible to preserve one’s cultural origins and distinct practices and languages as the pervasiveness of the Western influence is too strong which is a manifestation of the many changes that the economic globalization may bring about (Shangquan, 2000; Nakayma, 2005; Lerche III, 2002). Therefore, because of these highlighted points of criticism that are usually being  raised upon by various authors who are against the concept of economic globalization, one can contend that indeed economic globalization has fostered a globalization of critics and criticism because of its own negative aspects and influences among the developing countries. Not only does the concept of economic globalization bring about positive consequences in the global dimension, it also inevitably brings about a number of  consequential disadvantages not only in the economic aspect but also in social, cultural, political and even in t he media aspects (Bertucci & Alberti, 2010; Aisbett, 2007). IV. ANALYSIS/ IMPLICATIONS In answering the question, â€Å"How did economic globalization foster globalization of critics and criticism?† it may be asserted that economic globalization did foster globalization of critics and criticism in a number of ways. Apparently, in the recent years, there have been more evidences concerning the not-so-advantageous impacts of economic globalization in the world and among these include the capacity of economic globalization to purposely weaken a country’s economic situation as it remains to be dependent on other countries. Its manifestation is whenever a country experiences economic crisis, it inevitably results into an economic crisis as well on the different countries with which a country shares its economic ties. This means that the so-called ‘interdependence’ and partnership between developing and developed nations has a negative side to it as when the economic situation of a country fails to normalize, other nations will be affected in a negative way (Naik, 2011; Trebilcock, 2000). Because of this specific disadvantage, many critics consider economic globalization as a risky process and a negative phenomenon as opposed to what many proponents argue (The Economist, 2011; Aisbett, 2007). Aside from the issue on economic crisis, another direct criticism often thrown against economic globalization is the fact that it causes a significant imbalance of power  between the developed and the developing countries which are part of a greater global economy (Hameed & Nazir, 2012; Trebilcock, 2000). Apparently,  this is quite true as observed by many economic experts and analysts who have studied economic globalization as a phenomenon for many years. They have observed that one of the inevitable results of the economic globalization phenomenon is the widened or increased gap between the developed and the developing countries. Apparently, this places the developing countries in a somewhat ‘abused’ and ‘disadvantaged’ position as they are the ones on the losing end while the developed countries are on the side of gaining all the benefits to the phenomenon (Hameed & Nazir, 2012; Trebilcock, 2000). And lastly, it may be asserted that economic globalization did foster globalization of critics and criticism because of the fact that economic globalization phenomenon put on high levels of pressure on the different populations’ cultures ultimately resultd in the emergence of a totally new assimilated culture and the developing countries’ inability to preserve their culture (Held, 2004; Xintian, 2002). Many critics argue that economic globalization made it quite difficult if not impossible for the de veloping countries to preserve their cultural origins and distinct practices and languages (Shangquan, 2000; Nakayma, 2005; Lerche III, 2002). V. CONCLUSION In conclusion, all the three main highlighted points of criticism which always serve as the main entry of critics in going against the concept of economic globalization provide evidence as to why economic globalization did foster a globalization of critics  and criticism. The reality is that indeed economic globalization has fostered a globalization of critics and criticism because of its own negative consequences and influences especially on the part of the developing countries. There is the widened economic gap between the rich (developed) and the poor (developing) countries. Another is that economic globalization made it impossible for the developing countries to protect and preserve their cultures. And lastly, economic globalization brought about a number of consequential disadvantages not only in the economic aspect but also in social, cultural, political and even in the media aspects (Bertucci & Alberti, 2010; Aisbett, 2007; Lerche III, 2002; Hameed & Nazir, 2012). Nevertheless, despite the fact that economic globalization has fostered a  globalization of critics and criticism, it does not mean that economic globalization as a phenomenon should be permanently ceased. As in any other global phenomena and processes, economic globalization has its own set of advantages and disadvantages as well as positive and negative impacts to the countries and populations it would influence. For this reason, criticisms are only natural consequences of any other global phenomenon such as economic globalization. Critics are free to critique or display their disapproval for economic globalization as a concept; however, they must also recognize and acknowledge that this global phenomenon has contributed much to the developments of today’s present age (Harrison, 2007). REFERENCES ï‚ · Aisbett, E. (2007). Why are the Critics So Convinced that Globalization is Bad for the Poor? University of Chicago Press. ï‚ · Bertucci, G., & Alberti, A. (2010). Globalization and the Role of the State: Challenges and Perspectives. Retrieved from http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/un/unpan006225.pdf ï‚ · Hameed, A., & Nazir, A. (2012). Economic Globalization and its Impact on Poverty and Inequality: Evidence From Pakistan. Retrieved from http://www.ecosecretariat.org/ftproot/Publications/Journal/1/Article_TDB.pdf ï‚ · Harrison, A. (2007). Globalization and Poverty. University of Chicago Press. ï‚ · Held, D. (2004). A Globalizing World?: Culture, Economics, Politics (2nd Ed.). London: Routledge. ï‚ · Joshi, R. M. (2009). International Business. New Delhi and New York: Oxford University Press. ï‚ · Lerche III, C. (2002). The Conflicts of Globalization. Retrieved from http://www.gmu.edu/programs/icar/ijps/vol3_1/learch.htm ï‚ · Naik, A. ( 2011). Economic Globalization. Retrieved from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/economic-globalization.html ï‚ · Nakayma, T. (2005). The Handbook of Critical Intercultural communication. . Blackwell Publishing. ï‚ · Nikiforuk, A. (2007). Pandemonium: How globalization and trade are putting the world at risk. Brisbane: University of Queensland Press. ï‚ · Ritzer, G. (2010). MacDonalization: The reader/ 3rd ed. . Thousand Oak, CA: Sage Publications. ï‚ · Shangquan, G. (2000). Economic Globalization: Trends, Risks and Risk Prevention. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/policy/cdp/cdp_background_papers/bp2000_1.pdf ï‚ · The Economist. (2011). Globalisation and its critics. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/node/795995 18 |B u s i n e s s a n d S o c i e t y ï‚ · Trebilcock, M. (2000). Critiquing the Critics of Economic Globalization. Journal of International Law & International Relations, 1 (1-2), 213-238. ï‚ · Xintian, Y. (2002). Cultural Impact on International Relations. Chinese Philosophical Studies, XX. The Council for Research in Values and Philosophy.

Multilingualism or Not? Essay

Today in America, there is a raging debate going on: should we promote multilingualism or accept a â€Å"melting pot† ideology? The melting pot ideology dictates assimilating into a common culture and language. Views on this issue are very polarized, which make a compromise seem hard to accomplish. Two articles that pertain to this topic are â€Å"American Multilingualism: A National Tragedy,† by Franklin Raff published on WND.com, and â€Å"English Only Laws Divide and Demean,† by Warren J. Blumenfeld published in The Huffington Post. Both articles are direct contradictions of each other with Raff saying languages other than English are unduly practiced and embraced in America while Blumenfeld argues that America should promote the practice of multiple languages. While I do not find myself agreeing completely with either one, there are points in both that appeal to me and give me a better understanding of multilingualism, and the influences of its wide reaching effects on society. In â€Å"American Multilingualism: A National Tragedy,† writer Franklin Raff introduces an ad broadcast on Super Bowl Sunday. It is a Toyota car ad, which is touted to be the first â€Å"bicultural, bilingual† advertisement. The spot compares the benefits of being bilingual to a hybrid car. Raff claims that the ad agency responsible for the ad has bluffed in equating bilingualism to anything good. He even goes as far as to say that the effects of promoting bilingualism can be fatal. To support his claim of fatality he uses the situation in where doctors are unable to  comprehend their patients. He also brings up the fact that workers who are unable to comprehend safety regulations at worksites meet untimely deaths. Raff speaks of the Chicago school system, which has an overwhelming population of Hispanics and is also the worst performing of all school systems. He then introduces a janitor, who cannot speak English and as such cannot get a better job despite his attention to detail, and a little Spanish speaking girl, who he encountered in the supermarket and cannot offer her help due to her not understanding English. Raff also provides statistics that portray Hispanics as unable to complete higher education courses due to their knowledge of Spanish and not English. He closes by saying it is a disservice to oneself to speak Spanish and as such it is a national tragedy. Raff’s article has a feeling of immense passion on something he feels is a great plague to the nation. He argues to great lengths on the extent of â€Å"damage† that speaking other languages causes to society. The Spanish language is his argument’s main adversary. He uses rhetorical strategies such as pathos and angle of vision to significant effect to support his claim. In his attempt to gain emotional support from his readers he makes impassioned pleas and relates personal experiences. He introduces the idea of being unable to comprehend languages as being detrimental to the point of even causing deaths. He uses examples of miscommunication in a health care facility and safety regulations at work sites. Death being the worst fate of mankind is a useful point for Raff as readers would be appalled that death is a possibility for some and that it could be avoided. He also speaks of the failing Chicago school system which is densely populated by Hispanics and he insinuates that their practice of language is what fails them. Others he says afflicted by speaking Spanish include a janitor he knows and a girl he encounters at the supermarket. Raff seeks to gain support by relating the troubles he perceives and leading  people to believe that Hispanics would be afforded a better quality of life and possibility of success by relinquishing the Spanish language and adopting the English language. Franklin Raff’s use of angle of vision lies in subtle inferences that readers have to make on their own. As it relates to the janitor he describes as a â€Å"fast, meticulous and good-natured worker,† Raff claims he can communicate with the janitor due to his knowledge of Italian, but Raff fails to write about the janitor’s feelings but rather what he believes the janitor should feel. Raff also speaks of high failure rates of Hispanics but he fails to account for any success of Hispanics in America, by doing this he can gain support from people who do not choose to consider more factors than the ones only stated by Raff. He makes it seem as though it is all doom and gloom because of knowing another language. In â€Å"English Only Laws Divide and Demean,† Warren Blumenfeld starts by relating an experience he had with his multilingual cousin, living in Belgium. His cousin poses a riddle to him, with the outcome saying that persons that can only speak one language are referred to as â€Å"US-American† as opposed to monolingual. Blumenfeld accepts this as a truth and goes on to lament that despite being so closely bordered by countries that speak other languages, Americans are stuck in their monolingual ways. He states that Americans’ lack of care for other languages has been endorsed by major political figures such as former President Theodore Roosevelt and Senator Rick Santorum. The ideas that there has been a campaign to make English the â€Å"official† language and that laws have been proposed to outlaw other languages are slammed by Blumenfeld, who states he has even started a petition against this movement. He also uses a personal experience of a friend of Mexican descent, who as a child was berated and punished for making an exclamation in Spanish at school. Blumenfeld states that this prejudice is a violation  of democracy and no true patriot could support it. He proclaims that America  should embrace its rich diversity and shed its â€Å"melting pot† ideology if it is to become a beacon to the world. Warren Blumenfeld in his attempt to gain the support of his readers employs the use of appeals to emotions and values. In his retelling of his encounter with his cousin he seeks to make Americans, including himself, feel as though they have not done enough to embrace linguistic diversity. By doing this he is able to make Americans feel t hat they should work assiduously to overcome this rather true stereotype. He also speaks of the extent American society will go to eliminate other languages, including campaigns by political leaders and proposition of laws. By highlighting these details and framing them in such a way that depicts them as promoting ignorance, Blumenfeld is able to gain the readers’ support. To show just how serious and credible his claim is, Blumenfeld then identifies that he has started a petition, which encourages readers to a call to action. To then gain the readers’ sympathy Blumenfeld uses an experience from a friend who as a child was castigated for speaking Spanish. This experience causes readers to be appalled that in their society, people, especially children are being chastised because of their cultural differences. The highpoint of Blumenfeld’s argument is introduced near the end when he begins to speak about the founding principles of America. He proclaims that the values of democracy and diversity are woven into the fabric of the nation and its people, and as such the people should work to protect and propagate these American values. True American patriots would then see the issue of multilingualism as an important part of the great nation’s future. In terms of a comparison between both articles, the only similarities lie in both writers’ use of rhetorical appeals and angle of vision. Both writers rely heavily on the emotional and value appeal of pathos to connect with their readers. The difference between both articles is the ideology of the authors. The authors directly contradict each other. Franklin Raff would have  Americans believe that the practice of languages other than English can lead  to death and failure. On the other hand, Warren Blumenfeld implores Americans to embrace learning and practicing other languages as it allows people to communicate across borders easily. After reading and analyzing both Franklin Raff’s and Warren Blumenfeld’s articles in detail I was able to gain new knowledge on the subject of multilingualism. From personal experiences I previously had opinions on the topic but from my newly attained knowledge I was able to strengthen my opinions. The basics of my ideology are that I believe that all government and other official documents should be printed in one language, most suitably English, for ease of communication. Though we should also encourage people to learn and practice multiple languages as that ability enhances a person’s effectiveness to themselves and to society as a whole. I was fortunate to be raised in a society that promoted learning multiple languages, though English was my native tongue. I learnt the fundamentals of both French and Spanish up until the 8th grade in Jamaica. Now I can read and write both languages at a level I perceive to be fair, which is something I am proud of. Though I lack in speaking fluency of these languages I plan to eventually become fluent. After 8th grade I moved to Florida. There I was surprised to know that my new peers had no foreign language course after the 5th grade and then they would only have a two-year crash course in high school. Having had that two-year crash course as well, I felt that it was more about getting a grade rather than learning to appreciate and comprehend the language. On the other hand, the peers I left in Jamaica went on to learn either one or both languages at a higher level. In America, I believe middle and high schools should operate a continuous curriculum for foreign languages as it will enhance students’ abilities. Franklin Raff in his article claims that Hispanics have a higher failure rate at school, particularly in Chicago, because of their knowledge of another language. Having had Hispanic classmates I am in complete disagreement with  Raff as it was apparent they were just as inclined for success and I believed that their ability to speak both English and Spanish gave them somewhat of an edge in being successful. As it pertains to the Chicago school system there is likely to be social factors other than language, including poverty in a densely populated area, that can lead to higher failure rates that Raff fails to account for. I also disagree with Warren Blumenfeld that English should not be made the official language of America and that government documents should be printed in multiple languages. Blumenfeld states that it is unnecessary to make English the official language but I believe not making English the official language is just as unnecessary. America unlike many other countries that promote multilingualism, does not have an official language. Having an official language does not mean that a country ignores other languages. In Jamaica, English is the official language but foreign languages are given great emphasis in the education system. For American governments to reduce spending, printing long documents in English only would be a good idea, but smaller statements such as safety information on airplanes can be printed in multiple languages, including French and Spanish. Though I have disagreements with the points the writers make, I do find some common ground with them. Franklin Raff’s claim that different languages make communication between people difficult is very understandable. There have been a few instances where I’ve heard people say they could not communicate with people at places such as the gas station as one person solely speaks English and the other solely Spanish. To achieve goals and make things happen require effective communication between people. I also agree with Blumenfeld that promoting Williams  multilingualism creates a better global society. I believe people should attempt to learn and appreciate other languages as it is a show of competence and facilitates good relations among different groups of people. America, in particular, has a few negative connotations around the world, and I believe if we as a people can embrace other cultures and languages America will gain a deserved mutual respect. As the topic of multilingualism holds great significance to me, I found it imperative to explore the writings of both Franklin Raff and Warren Blumenfeld. Both articles related interesting and contrasting ideas on the topic. As seen with my agreements and disagreements it is best to only consider the ideas rather than accepting any one as the truth. In my opinion, the importance of communication cannot be overstated, as it is a component of progress. While one language makes such communication easy, diversity among the world’s citizens cannot be eliminated and as such governments should encourage acceptance of other societies’ diversities and languages. It starts with education, to facilitate students to learn and gain appreciation for other languages and create a more connected world. Works Cited Blumenfeld, Warren J. â€Å"†English Only† Laws Divide and Demean.† The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc., 16 Nov. 2012. Web. 21 October 2013. Raff, Franklin. â€Å"American ‘multilingualism’: A National Tragedy.† WND. WND.com, 02 May 2006. Web. 16 November 2013.