White Privilege Essay Example for Free

White Privilege Essay How America came about is fascinating, and learning about immigration, rights, laws, and racism makes learning more beneficial. It helps you to understand why we, as a nation, are they way we are today, and why we will continue to be stuck in our ways. According to James Barrett and David Roediger, â€Å"The Story of Americanization is vital and compelling, but it took place in a nation also obsessed by race†¦the process of â€Å"becoming white† and â€Å"becoming American† were connected at every turn (36). † One of the most controversial topics is white privilege and discrimination. Segregation within school systems has been a dominant problem in the past and will always continue to be. Being privileged is a something that individuals should be conscious of due to their past and understand that it is a privilege to be white rather than to be discriminated against. Becoming conscious of one’s own white privilege is the first step to understand the deeper meaning of racism and discrimination. My intentions of writing this paper were to describe a situation in which I was conscious of my own white privilege. White privilege was always on my side until high school where I felt as though I was discriminated against as being a petite, white girl, from upper-class Allendale leaving me to been seen as an easy target. While at my locker one day during lunch, I was approached by two of the black students (one male and one female) and a Latino girl, and they tried to convince me something hurtful was written about me in the bathroom. Being that I am not the type to care, get involved, or respond, I turned to walk away. The Latino girl proceeded to grab my hair causing me to turn and face her and she punched me square in the face. After several minutes of back and forth wrestling and punches, the fight was broken up my teachers. It turns out that there was nothing written about me, they were just trying to get me into the bathroom to fight me, opposed to the hallway which is out in the open. All three of the students that were there were taken to the principal’s office immediately and suspended for two days whereas I got off free and I was allowed to go back to my day. During the duration of the day, one of the African American men left the principal’s office in rage and had a mission to destroy all my belongings in my locker. The boy pried open my locked and poured a bottle of soda all over my books, note books and belongings. After I reported this to our principal, he held the three students involved in the fight until one person came clean about who had been at fault for ruining my locker. It turned out, that no one admitted to it, and they were all suspended even longer than originally for not fessing up. The following week, none of the three students attended my high school anymore and I was told by my principal that they left to attend other high schools in surrounding towns. After this incident, I have never come into contact with any of them ever again. However, several of my male friends found out what happened that day and wanted nothing but to get revenge and retaliate against them and show them who runs the high school, being that whites are minority. I became very conscious of my white privilege growing up in a one-square mile suburban town of Allendale, New Jersey. My entire educational career through eighth grade consisted of white, middle-to-upper-class Americans. All the people were similar, with the same morals, values and beliefs. Everyone dressed similar and drove similar cars, partook in the same activities and hung out in specific niches. At this point in my life, I could say I could correlate my life to Peggy McIntosh’s article when she describes the matrix of white privilege; There was one main piece of cultural turf; it was my own turf, and I was among those who could the turf. I could measure up to the cultural standards and take advantage of the many options I saw around me to make what the culture would call a success of my life†¦I could think of myself as â€Å"belong† in major ways, and of making social systems work for me. I could†¦be oblivious to anything outside of the dominant cultural forms (295). It wasn’t until high school where I thought I would potentially move out of my small town bubble. My high school is regional; students from Allendale, along with the surrounding towns of Ho-Ho-Kus, Upper Saddle River and half of Saddle River attended. Being that I came from such a white school system, the thought of going onto high school and being surrounded by students of other races and ethnicities is something that never crossed my mind. I was never taught about the disadvantages of being white, but rather I learned about blacks and their disadvantages of dealing with racism. Over the years, little was taught about racism and what it stood for, instead we were just told that this is what happened to people when they were of different races and ethnicities back in the day. The article by Peggy McIntosh describes how whites are taught to think of blacks; â€Å"As a white person, I realized I had never been taught about racism as something which put others at a disadvantage, but had been taught not to see one of its corollary aspects, white privilege , which puts me at an advantage†(291). Being white was never something that I had to deal with in or outside of school, or even within my community. I wasn’t necessarily shocked to walk into high school my first day to find only a select few of Latinos and African Americans. However, these were things that I never thought about or even had to think about. The few Latinos and African Americans came from Upper Saddle River and Saddle River. I was never stereotypical of these groups of people until I was surrounded with people from towns that had engaged with these people all the way up through high school. The Latinos in my school all stuck together, as well as the three African Americans that attended my high school. I feel as though this particular situation involved me having the white privilege advantage and it seems as though my white privilege helped to get me out of trouble. I should have gotten in trouble for â€Å"self defense† and throwing punches back, but I feel as though since I had never caused problems before, and they had been the center of most of the problems I was let go with no punishment. The students that got in trouble, were seen as troublesome students because of their past, where I had a clean record with no reason to suspect I was the start of the brawl. Considering my school is mostly made up of white students and entirely white faculty, when the three students got in trouble, it was probably a stereotypical decision based on non-whites. Blacks have always endured pain and agony as, â€Å"†¦victims of discrimination, segregation, and violence, blacks in the North encountered a powerful cluster of negative racial images. These stereotypes contributed to the conditions of racial degradation and poverty, which, in turn, reinforced prejudice† (Takaki 107). This excerpt further explains that stereotypes stick and the negative racial images will forever be a part of the everyday lives of blacks. The primary reason of why the situation occurred, I believe dates back to sundown towns. Beginning in about 1890 and continuing until 1968, white Americans established thousands of towns across the United States for whites only. A ‘sundown town’ is any organized influence that, for decades, was all-white on purpose. Many towns drove out their black populations, and then posted sundown signs. Other towns passed ordinances barring African-Americans after dark or prohibiting them from owning or renting property. Evelyn Nakano Glenn helps to further explain the regulations, â€Å"White controlled municipalities passed ordinances creating racial zones. When these laws were found to be unconstitutional, whites formed neighborhood associations and turned to â€Å"private† arrangements such as economic boycotts, violence, and restrictive covenants. These restrictions deprived blacks of a central element of liberal citizenship, namely property rights† (37-38). This is proof that the African-American populations had no choice but to leave because they weren’t welcome. No one would support their businesses or wanted anything to do with them; they were literally driven out of these towns and wouldn’t stand a chance if they stayed. Being that the town of Allendale where I grew up was a sundown town, which is the most obvious explanation as to why I grew up surrounded by all whites. Moving onto high school, the other regional towns of Ho-Ho-Kus and Upper Saddle River were sundown towns as well. This plays a huge role in the situation at my high school because people of color and different races are focused on more and white students carry all the dominant privilege. If I had been a different race I think the entire situation would have never occurred because I would probably be a person that was known for affiliating with them. If I had been black, I would have probably felt like I should stick with the other three black students in the high school. The situation would have been the same if I were Latino or another race. Segregation still takes place in America and being one of only a few black families within your community will be a repetitive cycle for black families looking to move to our dominantly white community. According to Douglas Massey; â€Å"When avenues of spatial assimilation are systematically blocked my prejudice, and discrimination, however, residential segmentation increases and persists over time. New Minorities arrive in the city and settle within enclaves, but their subsequent spatial mobility is stymied, and ethnic concentrations increase†¦whereupon group members are forced to adjacent areas, thus expanding the boundaries of the enclave† (225). I feel as though since my region of New Jersey is predominantly white, what would things change now? Why would blacks and ethnic families feel inclined to move to a neighborhood where they stand out? Especially for African-American families, my town along with the surrounding towns do not sell African-American hair products in any of my supermarkets or pharmacies nor are there salons where African-American women can go to get their hair braided. My community has adjusted to the white population and being that my town is so small, I feel as though it would take dramatic lengths to change the way our community functions. Being white, I feel as though I benefited from the whole situation because I did not get in trouble for punching the girl back, and I did not get suspended. I was allowed to return to my day at school as though nothing happened while they were kept in the front office until school was let out and were suspended for the rest of the week (2 days). This experience made me think about my race in a different way because I had never encountered issues with non-white people, because I was never around them. Coming from a primarily white school, white students stand to make white privilege stick out like a sore thumb. It helped me to understand that white people dominated my school population and that this would have never been an issue if the school had always been made up of a majority of other races and ethnicities. It is as if the select few minorities felt as though they needed to stand up for themselves and prove that just because there are so few of them they can still â€Å"run† the school. The three students involved, I feel, chose to leave due to feeling like they were discriminated against and treated differently than other students. They could have felt mistreated or felt that being out numbered was a disadvantage for them. Moving to surrounding schools definitely made them feel like they belonged better because I know there were mixed groups of people outside of our high school district. Being that ninety-nine percent of my school was white could have made the few students feel intimidated and make the white students angrier and feel the need to gang up on them after this incident, almost to prove their white privilege. This incident correlates to issues of citizenship and my ability to participate as a full and equal member of American society because I suffered no consequences from the incident except for a bloody nose. A bloody nose is a temporarily occurrence but because of what happened, it hasn’t affected me being a full and equal member in the American society. It has however, affected the minority students at my high school, and drove them away. As described by Evelyn Glenn, â€Å"At its most general level, citizenship refers to full membership in the community in which one lives. Membership in turn implies certain†¦reciprocal duties toward the community (37). † These black students are citizens but they do not live in a community with other African-Americans reside. They can be still be involved in the community but the families as a whole might not be as eager to get involved as they are outnumbered and may feel their voices may not be heard or make a difference. There are a few potential long term consequences of white privilege for myself that will be with me as long as I live. Being that Quinnipiac University is not very diverse, but more diverse than my high school, it was difficult to get used to seeing people of color and different ethnicities every day. I do not believe growing up in an all white community has been beneficial to me, and I wish I was more natural around people of different races and ethnicities. It is unrealistic to say that I will never have to deal with this, but in the real world, and when finding a job, you will be presented with a variety of people that may even become more of friends rather than co-workers. Someone’s accent or skin color does not determine what kind of person they are, it is their personality that makes them who they are. I also believe in regards to the incident, if I had been at fault, and was suspended for my actions of self defense, I would have not been able to attend a prestigious school such as Quinnipiac. When applying for colleges, most applications ask if you have ever been suspended, such as the Quinnipiac application which asks if you have ever been suspended or missed significant time from school. I would have then had to explain the situation and how I was suspended for self defense. If colleges see that you are a troubled student, and have a record for misbehaving, they will not accept you to their school. Community colleges of lower rankings will be more willing to accept a student with a past, rather than a private school like Quinnipiac University. Discrimination and segregation still exist today. The past makes up the present so learning about what people of all races and ethnicities went through in history is important as a citizen of the United States. Everyone, in some way, or somehow, has dealt with discrimination whether it is you or friends and family. While on the other hand, it is imperative to pay attention to your privileges and understand what it means to be American. Works Cited Barrett, James E. , and David Roediger. 2005. How White People Became White. Pg. 35-40 in White Privilege: Essential Reading on the Other Side of Racism, 2nd Ed. , Paula S. Rothenberg, Ed. New York: Worth Publishers. Glenn, Evelyn, Nakano. Citizenship: Universalism and Exclusion. Pg. 18-55 in Unequal Freedom: How Race and Gender Shaped American Citizenship and Labor. Cambridge: Harvard. Massey, Douglas S. How Space Gets Raced. Rethinking the Color Line. By Charles A. Gallagher. 3rd Ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2007. 225. McIntosh, Peggy. 1997 White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See Correspondences through Work in Womens Studies. Pg. 290-99 in Critical White Studies: Looking Behind the Mirror. Richard Delgado Jean Stefancic, Eds. Philadephia: Temple University Press. Takaki, Ronald T. A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America. New York, NY: Back Bay, 1994. 108.

Historical background of the company Milkpak

Historical background of the company Milkpak Milkpak was part of a family group of businesses, known as the Ali Group, which also operated businesses in textile industry, had major holdings in the vegetable and soap industries among others. One of the Ali Groups leading companies was called Packages Limited, established in Lahore in 1956. This company supplied packaging materials to a variety of industries and also provided technical assistance to packaging plants overseas. In 1976 a review of Packages Ltd showed that one of its machines, the Tetra Laminator, was very under utilized. This machine was designed for making packaging material for long-life milk or UHT milk. Milk packaged in this way had a shelf life of up to three months without refrigeration. Thus, following this review, Milkpak was established to create a market for the packaging materials produced by Packages Ltd. The company then found one milk plant in Pakistan which was suited to produce sterilized milk. It leased the plant and launched a pilot project, which turned out to be a success. Milkpak was therefore incorporated in January 1979 and began commercial production in November 1981. In 1984 Milkpak started marketing the Frost line of fruit juices which had been introduced a few years earlier by Packages Ltd. Soon after, Milkpak bought the Frost brand name from Packages and in 1986 it accounted for 9% of Milkpaks total sales. In 1985 the company launched its own butter, and in 1986 it launched a sterilized cream product called balai and also a cooking oil called Desi Ghee. These products were sold under the brand name of Milkpak. Situation Analysis The environment in which businesses operate is dynamic, never static, that is it keeps changing. It is increasingly turbulent due to the era of change and uncertainty in which we live and is never stable. The pace of these changes is accelerating, which requires continual response from the business organization. In this section we will discuss some of the external factors and internal factors that influenced Milk Pak operations: Vision Statement of Milkpak The strategic priorities of Nestle Milkpak are focused on delivering shareholder value through the achievement of sustainable, capital efficient and profitable long term growth. Improvements in profitability will be achieved while respecting quality and safety standards. In line with this objective, Nestle Milkpak envisions to grow in the shortest possible time into the number one food company in Pakistan with the unique ability to meet the needs of consumers of every age group from infancy to old age, for nutrition and pleasure, through development of a large variety of food categories of the highest quality. Nestle Milkpak envisions the company to develop an extremely motivated and professionally trained work force, which would drive growth through innovation and renovation. It aspires, as a respected corporate citizen, to continue playing a significant role in the social and environmental sectors of the country. SWOT Analysis When making decisions it is very important for the business to consider the external environment as well as the firms existing resources. The SWOT analysis helps the management to set objectives and make plans to build up on the strengths, rectify the weaknesses, avail the opportunities and counter the threats. Strengths Milkpak had a high market share. Milkpak Ltd product line included diversified products. The strength of Milkpak is its identity. Extensive and continuous supply of milk from different sources. Milkpak distribution network grew rapidly between 1981- 1986. Within few years of its establishment it had sales offices in major cities of Pakistan. Milkpak had a reputation for consistent high quality for both consumers and the trade. Milkpak limited was owned by one of the leading industrialist of Pakistan i.e. Ali Group. Milkpak had a shell life of up to 3 months and did not require refrigeration. Milkpak also catered to low income consumers. Milkpak taught it suppliers scientific methods of livestock care and breeding. This made it milk supplies more reliable and of high quality. Weaknesses The total processing cost was around 25% of the total product cost. Packaging material which were heavily taxed by the government lead for another 26%of Milkpak production cost. Milkpak limited lacked required technical knowledge and expertise to expand the business. New brick pak was introduced in 1986, this required extra packaging material and therefore lead to an increase in Milkpak cost. Opportunities Government fostered the UHT milk industry by removing duties on import of machinery for dairy products. An opportunity of a joint venture with a foreign company. Training of Milkpak employees if Milkpak had a joint venture with Nestle or Friesland. Threats Government sanctioned a number of additional plants which lead to the possibility of substantial overcapacity in the market. Chaudhri Industries entered the market in 1986 with a competitive advantage i.e. brick packaging. Because the industry risked facing overcapacity, it was important for Milkpak to increase its market share. If it did not, its competitors could have dominated the market. Many companies were planning to enter the dairy industry. Between 1960- 1970, 23 dairy processing plants were establish out of which at least 15 plants closed due to lack of poor management and infrastructure, lack of milk supply and extensive refrigeration requirement. A joint venture with a large multinational might dominate Strategy of Milkpack In Pakistan, one of the major problems facing all milk producers and distributors was the discrepancy between the demand and supply of milk. There was a marked seasonal demand for milk, which peaked during the summer and slowed during the winter months. In contrast, the production of milk was highest during the winter months i.e. December to May, also known as the flush season and was lowest during the lean season, i.e. from May to August. To alleviate the problems brought about by the seasonal mismatch between supply and demand for milk during summer, the Pakistani government adopted liberal policies toward the import of milk products. This meant that Milkpak now had to compete with foreign markets alongside local milkmen who supplied raw milk. Milk powder became a popular import and by 1986 was making up 30% of all milk supplies in Karachi. The problem of seasonality meant that during the lean season Milkpak faced a shortage in demand, and during the flush season the company had to refuse milk supplies. The company needed to gain some knowledge and insight regarding how to operate in an environment where demand and supply were so seasonal. Furthermore, Milkpak marketing managers were reluctant to promote Milkpak heavily during the flush season for fear of creating demand in the lean season which they would not be able to satisfy. Although they were committed to increasing UHT milk sales, the UHT business was a very high volume and low margin business, where the technology for manufacturing UHT milk was considered very expensive. To counter the problem of milk shortages during the lean season it was possible to add milk powder to increase overall output volume. However, since the milk powder itself would be imported, this was an expensive option which also resulted in providing competitors with business. Milkpak also encountered some difficulties in marketing its product. A major challenge which the company faced was in positioning the milk. It was difficult to introduce the idea of long-life milk to their target market, especially since this milk did not require any refrigeration. At that time the market was mainly accustomed to buying small amounts of raw milk on a frequent basis, which needed to be stored in cool conditions. Another concern which consumers had was that the Milkpak brand contained preservatives, or were perhaps not genuine because it contained no cream. Milkpaks success with UHT milk encouraged a number of other competitors to enter the market. Some of these competitors were short lived and left the market soon after facing financial difficulties. Others were more sustained, such as Milko, Pakistan Dairies and Chaudhuri Dairies. All these competitors had some advantages over Milkpak, either in terms of more experience, better distribution networks, or more convenient packaging. Furthermore, the government was now encouraging companies to enter the market by making exemptions on the import of machinery for dairy plants and by providing low cost financing by several government agencies. The government had also sanctioned a number of additional plants which would be in working condition soon. The concern now was that the UHT milk industry would be facing a substantial overcapacity. It was thus decided that finding an appropriate joint venture partner would be a viable solution to the problem of growth for Milkpak. As it would provide Milkpak with the opportunity to obtain new capacity, expertise and technological knowledge which was very much required. And also that Joint venture with any of the competing firms would possibly wipe off the competition from the market. In assessing Nestle as a joint venture partner, there were many advantages to both Milkpak and to the Pakistani industry as a whole. However, the company still faced certain drawbacks. Both companies were likely to be concerned about management control of the operation. Another point which needed to be settled was what products were to be manufactured and where they would be produced. Mission statement Nestlà ©s mission is to provide the best food to people throughout the world. Objectives and core values Lead a dynamic motivated and professional workforce proud of its heritage and bullish about the future.  · Meet the nutritional needs of consumers of all age groups from infancy to old age, from nutrition to pleasure, through an innovative portfolio of branded food and beverage products of the highest quality.  · Deliver shareholder value through profitable long-term growth, while continuing to play a significant and responsible role in the social, economic and environmental sectors of the country. Development of strategy There are many models for the development of strategy i.e. Potters generic strategies. There are 3 generic strategies of potter Cost leadership Differentiation Focus Anssoff Matrix Provides the basis for an organizations objective setting and sets the foundation of directional policy for its future (Bennett, 1994). The best selection for Milk pack is cost leadership. For this purpose Milk pack needs to outsource it non core activities. The major risk of outsourcing is that you may not be building the value of your company in terms of personnel, in-house knowledge, and infrastructure. In this case, the value of an outsourcing agreement with a provider will be less effective than an internal department. Implementation plan for strategy Strategy making needs person with vision whereas strategy implementation needs a person with administrative ability The implementation plan can be divided into many parts Project Implementation requires the management to have a firm grasp of the strategy to be implemented. Project management involves recognition of critical success path. With all the activities lying in the critical success path will then be given significant importance. If a project needs to be implemented in time, then all the activities lying on the critical success of must be performed on time. Procedural Implementation means that milk pack has to bring change in its value chain. The value chain describes all the core activities of the business. After all the core activities of the business have been recognized, support activities can be removed or restructured. Resource Allocation is the most important part of the strategy. If proper allocation of the resources is not made the strategy might not be implemented. Before choosing a strategy for implementation the company carefully analyses all its resources and then allocates some resources for implementation of the strategy. For the strategy of outsourcing to work it is necessary that Milkpak is able to find a suitable company to outsource. This requires a lot of time and effort, appropriate resources and time allocation needs to be made. Structural Implementation is necessary if the company requires a change in structure to support the strategy. Without the proper structure for the strategy, the strategy is bound to fail. Functional Implementation means the division of objectives of strategy into functional achievable and goals i.e. budgets. This is the implementation of the strategy at grass root level. Behavioral Implementation suggests a change in the culture of the organization. The people of the organization need to accept the change in strategy. If the people are working hard to implement the strategy then there is a good chance that the strategy will be successfull Conclusion This case study shows how a relatively small company in a developing country made an error by choosing a wrong strategy and powerful and aggressive joint venture partner. Milkpak wanted to retain control and majority ownership of the joint venture but Nestle, although having an initial stake of only 49%, managed to increase it by forcing new technologies and acquisitions into the partnership. The Ali Group could not keep up with these expenses and Nestle thus raised its participation to 67%, relegating the Ali family to the role of spectators. Friesland would have been a much better partner due to its smaller size. They efficiently co-operate with local companies in many countries, letting them to conduct the operations without trying to take over their partner. Unfortunately, they committed some important mistakes during the negotiations, like not allowing the Milkpak management to see their milk powder factory, thus leading Milkpak to believe that they were trying to hide technolog y from them. On the other hand, Nestle swiftly sent one of its vice presidents to Pakistan, showing respect for Milkpak. This senior executive proved to be very familiar with this kind of operations and he flattered Milkpak, admiring the quality of their products. Thanks to this smart negotiation, both emphasizing their experience in operating milk powder factories in Asia and showing deference to Milkpak, Nestle won the deal. This shows how much it is important to know the culture of the persons you are negotiating with, in order to be able to adapt. Failure to do so may lead to an unfortunate outcome.

Evolution Is :: Science Biology Essays

Evolution Is Has the narrative of Mayr and his fellow naturalists—those evolutionists who include natural selection in their explanations and who comprise a strong majority of evolutionist voices today—now entered a sort of evolutionary stasis? Not yet. For example, consider Mayr's central theory of speciation as it applies to a creative species such as humans. There are cultural and creative aspects of our so-called "higher level" species that have the potential to perturb whether and how new species taxa might evolve from homo sapiens: mobility and its effect on isolation, technology applied to environmental and physiological conditions, artificial constraints on reproduction, social cultures, and our creative abilities. Whether our species is better equipped to survive or more likely to accelerate towards extinction may, in part, be determined by these factors and their interactions. Evolution is. Therefore, we are. The human species is an infinitesimally improbable out-come of countless, unrepeatable iterations of a process that itself is a fluke. To paraphrase the late naturalist Stephen J. Gould, erase the tape, have one player move a few feet to the left for good measure, do a retake, do a trillion trillion retakes, and nothing akin to homo sapiens is likely to emerge. Evolution is not intuitive, nor would any sane gambler bet on its odds. There are no "proofs," no conclusions based upon experimentation and testing. What we know about evolution derives from historical narrative—the evolutionary biologists' reconstruction of what might have happened. Their scenario has also evolved through iterations of accumulating, adapting, and eliminating ideas according to new findings, new observations, and new knowledge. In the process, the narrative's woof and warp have tightened. Gaps narrowed to the point that, in "What Evolution Is," biologist Ernst Mayr coul d proclaim, "Evolution is not merely an idea, a theory, or a concept, but is the name of a process in nature, the occurrence of which can be documented by mountains of evidence that nobody has been able to refute...It is now actually misleading to refer to evolution as a theory, considering the massive evidence that has been discovered over the last 140 years documenting its existence. Evolution is no longer a theory, it is simply a fact" [Mayr 275]. Central to this "simple fact" is the concept of speciation, which was developed in the 1930s by Dobzhansky and Mayr. According to them, allopatric speciation is contingent upon the spatial and temporal integrity of a population, a species taxon. Evolution Is :: Science Biology Essays Evolution Is Has the narrative of Mayr and his fellow naturalists—those evolutionists who include natural selection in their explanations and who comprise a strong majority of evolutionist voices today—now entered a sort of evolutionary stasis? Not yet. For example, consider Mayr's central theory of speciation as it applies to a creative species such as humans. There are cultural and creative aspects of our so-called "higher level" species that have the potential to perturb whether and how new species taxa might evolve from homo sapiens: mobility and its effect on isolation, technology applied to environmental and physiological conditions, artificial constraints on reproduction, social cultures, and our creative abilities. Whether our species is better equipped to survive or more likely to accelerate towards extinction may, in part, be determined by these factors and their interactions. Evolution is. Therefore, we are. The human species is an infinitesimally improbable out-come of countless, unrepeatable iterations of a process that itself is a fluke. To paraphrase the late naturalist Stephen J. Gould, erase the tape, have one player move a few feet to the left for good measure, do a retake, do a trillion trillion retakes, and nothing akin to homo sapiens is likely to emerge. Evolution is not intuitive, nor would any sane gambler bet on its odds. There are no "proofs," no conclusions based upon experimentation and testing. What we know about evolution derives from historical narrative—the evolutionary biologists' reconstruction of what might have happened. Their scenario has also evolved through iterations of accumulating, adapting, and eliminating ideas according to new findings, new observations, and new knowledge. In the process, the narrative's woof and warp have tightened. Gaps narrowed to the point that, in "What Evolution Is," biologist Ernst Mayr coul d proclaim, "Evolution is not merely an idea, a theory, or a concept, but is the name of a process in nature, the occurrence of which can be documented by mountains of evidence that nobody has been able to refute...It is now actually misleading to refer to evolution as a theory, considering the massive evidence that has been discovered over the last 140 years documenting its existence. Evolution is no longer a theory, it is simply a fact" [Mayr 275]. Central to this "simple fact" is the concept of speciation, which was developed in the 1930s by Dobzhansky and Mayr. According to them, allopatric speciation is contingent upon the spatial and temporal integrity of a population, a species taxon.

Scott Joplin and His Musical Legacy :: Entertainment Biographies Papers

Scott Joplin and His Musical Legacy "He just got his music out of the air," said one neighbor. One cannot hear the word "ragtime" without thinking of the "King of Ragtime," Scott Joplin. He is clearly one forerunner in the field of American music, particularly at the turn of the twentieth century. Not only was he a genius in the musical frame of mind, he also displayed strong talents in other areas. He had a kinesthetic gift, as seen in the movements he created for his dramatic productions. It was often said that if times were different and not so segregated, he could have been a great choreographer. He was also talented in the interpersonal field, as his music touched so many people throughout the years. Through his efforts ragtime is now a respected form of music in our history, although he did not live to see this fulfillment of his dreams. Background Joplin's father, Jiles, was only a small boy when he was purchased in South Carolina and taken to Texas. He had the privilege of being one of the few black slaves to be a house worker, which decreased his chances of being sold. Jiles was freed in his late teens. Picking the last name of his former owner's son-in-law, he traveled south. There he met Florence Givens, who was freeborn. They married by "jumping over the stick," the only form of marriage available to blacks at that time. He was eighteen; she was nineteen. The Joplins were not a close family. It is said that the men "had traveling in their blood." Scott, the second of five children, was born on November 24, 1868. When he was a preschooler, they moved to the wild frontier town of Texarkana, Texas. Both Jiles and Florence were musically inclined and talented. Jiles played the violin, while Florence played the banjo and sang. They encouraged musical interest in the children, and all five had talent. Scott stood out above the rest. At an early age, he could pick out songs on his mother's banjo, on which he was proficient by age seven. He had perfect pitch and could duplicate any chord he heard. He had the ability, which he retained until the end of his life, to remember tunes and fragments he heard years before. He incorporated them with his own elements into original compositions. His talent did not go unnoticed. Area music teachers were impressed and offered instruction.

Rapid Economic Growth In East Asian Countries :: essays research papers

Rapid Economic Growth In East Asian Countries Over the past decade, there has been rapid long-term economic growth for East Asian countries. These newly industrialising countries are experiencing growth rates in GDP per head at around 6% to 7% compared to the 2% to 3% for most industrial economies. If this growth continues, South Korea and Taiwan might take away America's distinction as the world's richest country. This rapid economic growth is a result of several economic and political factors. The pace of economic development, growth in world trade and communications, and the investment in physical capital and education have all played a role in the sudden rise of the East Asian economies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One factor which has helped the long-term economic growth of South Korea and Taiwan is the pace of economic development. The pace has accelerated over time. As time progresses, countries seem to be able to grow at a much more rapid rate. From 1780, it took Great Britain 58 years to double its real income per head. It took America 47 years to double in the 1800's while Japan took 34 years from the late 19th century. Finally, South Korea was able to double its real income per head in an amazing 11 years from 1966. It would seem that the later a country has industrialised, the faster it has been able to do so. Another important factor is the degree to which a country is behind the industrial leaders. In the case of the East Asian countries, South Korea and Taiwan, both started out with an extremely low income per head. This allowed much faster growth when copying the leaders. It is important to realize that these growth rates should slow as the countries catch up.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An area in which East Asia is investing much of its GDP is in physical capital and education. Compared to the industrial leaders, the East Asian countries have sustained a much higher investment in these areas. South Korea invests 35% of its GDP which is more than double America's capital spending. The East Asian countries have placed much emphasis upon education. Education is the key to mastering the technologies which they have been borrowing from the economic leaders of the world. The standards of education for these countries have improved as rapidly as their economies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another factor which has helped the long-term economic growth of these East Asian countries is the global market. No longer is a country's economy hurt by a small domestic market. World trade has grown tremendously over the Rapid Economic Growth In East Asian Countries :: essays research papers Rapid Economic Growth In East Asian Countries Over the past decade, there has been rapid long-term economic growth for East Asian countries. These newly industrialising countries are experiencing growth rates in GDP per head at around 6% to 7% compared to the 2% to 3% for most industrial economies. If this growth continues, South Korea and Taiwan might take away America's distinction as the world's richest country. This rapid economic growth is a result of several economic and political factors. The pace of economic development, growth in world trade and communications, and the investment in physical capital and education have all played a role in the sudden rise of the East Asian economies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One factor which has helped the long-term economic growth of South Korea and Taiwan is the pace of economic development. The pace has accelerated over time. As time progresses, countries seem to be able to grow at a much more rapid rate. From 1780, it took Great Britain 58 years to double its real income per head. It took America 47 years to double in the 1800's while Japan took 34 years from the late 19th century. Finally, South Korea was able to double its real income per head in an amazing 11 years from 1966. It would seem that the later a country has industrialised, the faster it has been able to do so. Another important factor is the degree to which a country is behind the industrial leaders. In the case of the East Asian countries, South Korea and Taiwan, both started out with an extremely low income per head. This allowed much faster growth when copying the leaders. It is important to realize that these growth rates should slow as the countries catch up.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An area in which East Asia is investing much of its GDP is in physical capital and education. Compared to the industrial leaders, the East Asian countries have sustained a much higher investment in these areas. South Korea invests 35% of its GDP which is more than double America's capital spending. The East Asian countries have placed much emphasis upon education. Education is the key to mastering the technologies which they have been borrowing from the economic leaders of the world. The standards of education for these countries have improved as rapidly as their economies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another factor which has helped the long-term economic growth of these East Asian countries is the global market. No longer is a country's economy hurt by a small domestic market. World trade has grown tremendously over the

Series 7 Study Guide

Chapter 13 Investment Company ( ) Investment Companies A corporation or trust in which investors pool their funds and are usually organized as corporations in the same manner as any other business corporation. However, some have been established as trusts and as such are supervised by trustees rather than dir ? Diversification Advantages of Investment ? Professional Management Company ? Liquidity The basic legistration governing investment company and difines and classifies investment companies into 3 basic types. ? Face Amount Certificate Company The Investment Company Act of ?Unit Investment Trust(UIT) 1940 ? Management Company The Act requires all investment companies with 100 shareholders or more to register with the SEC. A public offering may not be made by a mutual fund until it has a minimum net worth of $100,000. New shares are registered by the fund periodically, usually Type of Investment Companies Face Amount Certificate Issues debt certificates offering a predetermined ra te of interest. Holders are entitled to redeem Company their certificates for a fixed amount on a specified date.Investment companies with no management fee and low sales charges that invest in a fixed Unit Investment portfolio of municipal or corporate bonds are categorized as UIT. The funds are issued in book (UIT / ) entry form and registered form. Established under an indenture or simil Manage a portfolio of securities in accordance with specified investment objectives. Each day, usually at the end of trading on the NYSE, a management company will determine the value of its Management Company portfolio or the net asset value(NAV) per share. ? Closed-end ? Does not issue redeemable shares ? Open-end ?Issues redeemable shares Usually capitalizes through a 1-time public offering of shares and may issue commom stock, Closed-end Investment preferred stock, or bonds. The company does not continuously issue shares nor will it redeem its Company shares. The market price of closed-end funds will be based on the f Also called mutual fund. They are continuously issuing new shares which they stand ready to Open-end Investment Company redeem. All shares issued are common shares ONLY. Instead of 5% policy, sales charge will be applied. Management(investment advisory) fees are normally the largest Chapter 13Types of Mutual Funds Diversified Common Stock Funds Income Funds Balanced Funds Bond Funds Money Market Funds Bonds and Preferred Stock Funds Specialized Funds Operation of a Mutual Fund Board of Directors Investment Companies Consists mostly of common stocks. The funds can have a variety of investment objectives. One might be conservative and invest primarily in blue-chip stocks. Another might be more aggressive and invest primarily in growth stocks. Have as their investment objective high current income. Maintain some proportion of their assets in bonds and preferred stock as well as in common stock.Invest their assets solely in bonds and have as their objective stability of income. Invest in short-term debt(money market) instruments. A typical money market fund invests in CP and CDs. They generally pays the interest to the investors monthly. Invest in senior securities, both bonds and preferred stock. Their objective is current income with safety of principal. Invest a large proportion of their assets in a particular industry such as the chemical industry. Elected by the mutual fund shareholders and are responsible for developing and implementing investment policies.According to the Investment Company Act of 1940, at least 40% of the board of directors must be unaffiliated with the mutual fund. Unless authorized by majority vote of its shares, an investment company may not; ? Go from diversified to non-diversified ? Change its investment objectives and concentration of investments ? Borrow money, underwrite securities issued by others, make loans, buy or sell real estate ? Change the nature of business so as to cease acting Must be sent to stockholders semiannually. Mutual funds sell ex-dividend whenever the fund or its principal underwriter(sponsor) determines.The ex-dividend date for a mutual fund is usually the same day as the record date. Contracted by the fund to issue new shares and cancel redeemed shares for the fund. Normally also in charge of the disbursement of dividend and capital gain distributions and performing other bookkeeping. Responsible for the safekeeping of the securities owned by a mutual fund. Mutual funds must have a national bank, trust company or other qualified institution act as its custodian. He holds the cash and securities of the fund but does NOT perform any mana The principal underwriter of the fund.He has an exclusive agreement with the fund which allows him to purchase fund shares at the current NAV. The shares may then be resold to the public, through outside dealers or the sponsor's sales force, at the full Shareholder Rights Financial Report Dividend of Mutual Fund Transfer Agent Custodian Sponsor(Distributor) Chapter 13 Section 12b-1(The Investment Company Act of 1940) Investment Companies Though a sponsor is used and bears the cost of sales of literature and other promotional items, under certain situation, selling expenses may be borne by the fund. Chapter 13 Dealers Investment CompaniesMust have a signed selling agreement with the sponsor. They are fobidden to purchase mutual fund shares for inventory. But they can do so only to fill customer orders or for their own investment. If a dealer who has purchased shares for investment decides Manages the fund's portfolio. Re. management of a mutual fund, securities on margin, participate in a joint account, or sell short securities may not be permitted in general. Investment advisory contracts must be approved by a majority of the fund's share Total Expense / Average Net Assets NAV + Sales Charge = NAV / (100% – Sales Charge Percentage) = $10. 0 / (100% – 7%) = $10. 75 Total Net Asset / Number o f Shares Outstanding Orders to buy and sell the fund are based on the next price to be computed. Sales Charge / Public Offering Price = $1. 57 / $19. 60 = 8% Based on public offering price. According to the NASD's Conduct Rules, the maximum allowable percentage is 8. 5%. In the sale, there is no sales charge though is redemption fee(i. e. 1%). To charge the maximum 8. 5% sales charge, the mutual fund must offer i To be sold to the public at the NAV, without any sales charge added. No-load fund may charge a liquidation fee when an investor sells the fund.Dollar levels at which the sales charge is reduced. Amount Deposited Sales Charge Percentage Less than $10,000 8. 5% $10,000 – $25,000 7. 5% $25,000 – $50,000 6. 0% Enables an investor to qualify for the discount made available by breakpoints without initially depositing the entire amount required. LOIs are NOT binding on the investor and only available to single purchaser. The letter states the investor's intention T hose people who are eligible for sales breakpoints and LOI, which includes a joint account only between husband and wife.Partnership, investment clubs and joint accounts are NOT eligible for reduced sales charges or LOI. Investment Advisor Expense Ratio Buying Mutual Fund Shares Public Offering Price(Asked Price) Net Asset Value(NAV / per share) Buy and Sell the Fund Sales Charge Percentage No-load(N. L. ) Funds Breakpoints Letter of Intent(LOI) Single Purchaser Chapter 13 Voluntary Plans Dollar Cost Averaging (Constant Dollar Plan) Dollar Averaging Redeeming Mutual Fund Shares Redemption Investment Companies Require an initial minimum investment.The investor will indicate an intention to invest a minimum amount at fixed intervals, such as montly or quarterly. Fixed dollar amount is invested periodically. Fixed share amount is invested periodically. Redemption fee is calculated based on NAV. Mutual funds are required under the Investment Company Act of 1940 to pay the proceeds of re demption within 7 calendar days. The SEC can order or allow, upon the request of a fund, that redemption be suspended fo ? Fixed-dollar Types of Withdrawal Plans ? Fixed-percentage ? Fixed-share Taxation of Mutual Fund Distributions Earnings for Investment ?Investment income(dividends & interest on the securities) Companies ? Capital gain Investors will receive a Form 1099 to report distributions for income tax purpose. They may elect to Form 1099 take distributions from mutual funds in the form of reinvested shares rather than in the form of cash. Investment Income Dividends & interest on the securities. Taxable to the investors as ordinary income. When an asset is sold for more than its cost, the result is a capital gain. ? Long-term gains ? Result from the sale of assets held for more than 1 year / taxed as capital gain Capital Gain ? Short-term gains ?Result from the sale of assets held for 1 year or less / taxed as ordinary income Capital gains are taxed at the individual's tax rate, up to a maximum of 20%. Holders of one fund in the group may have an exchange or conversion privilege allowing them to Exchange Privilege convert to another fund of the same manager at the NAV. Investment companies can avoid paying taxes on income since they are eligible for special tax Taxation of Investment treatment under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code. This special tax treatment is called Companies the â€Å"conduit† or â€Å"pipeline† treatment.Avoid triple taxation which would occur if the mutual fund paid taxes. The companies held in the fund's portfolio pay corporate income taxes and the investor pays taxes on dividends received from the fund. Therefore, taxes payable on dividends and interes Conduit / Pipeline Chapter 13 Conduit / Pipeline Investment Companies Corporatoi n in Portfolio Mutual Fund Dividen Investors Regulated Investment Companies The investment companies that meet certain requirements under Subchapter M are considered to be re gulated investment companies. Chapter 13 Reporting Requirements 300% Asset CoverageInvestment Companies Annual report must be sent to the SEC and semiannual reports must be sent to the shareholders. Investment Company Rules and Regulations Management companies(open-end & closed-end) are subject to 300% asset coverage to control their leverage, therey reducing risk. NASD Rules on Investment Companies Selling Fund Shares NASD members may not purchase fund shares at a discount from an underwriter unless the underwriter is also an NASD member. This effectively restricts non-member underwriters from distributing their shares through NASD firms. NASD members must transmit payApplied to the practice of inducing an investor to purchase a mutual fund on the basis of an impending dividend. The investor was induced to buy the stock based on the impending dividend. However, had the investor waited until ex-dividend date, the price Occurs when a registered representative does not inform a custom er about the availability of a Breakpoint Sale sales breakpoint or a LOI. The Anti-Reciprocal Rule of the Prohibits member firms from selling open-end investment company(mutual fund) shares because NASD of commissions received or to be received from the investment company.An underwriter of investment company shares is prohibited from giving a member firm any Special Deals discount above the one specified in the selling agreement for the sale of the shares. If a RR retires, he or she may continue to receive commissions for sales of investment company Continuing Commissions periodic payment plans initiated prior to the retirement if there was a bona fide contract with the person's firm to receive such commissions. Selling Dividends Chapter 13 Investment CompaniesInvestment Company Advertising and Sales Literature SEC Rule 134 Permits the publication of a simple ad describing the basic features of a new issue. Permits the use of ad that describes, in general terms, how investment compa nies work. The SEC Rule 135A communication must be limited to information re. investment companies in general, or to the nature of investment companies. Permits the publication of an investment company ad that satisfies the definition of a prospectus SEC Rule 482 under certain conditions. This ad may NOT contain an application ot invest in the investment company.SEC Rule 156 Sales Literature Real Estate Investment Trust(REIT) Tax Treatment Difference between Appreciation & Capital Gain Warns that sales literature would be considered misleading if it 1)contained an untrue statement of material fact, 2)omitted a material fact that was necessary to make a statement not misleading. Any sales literature re. redeemable investment company securities must be filed with the SEC within 10 days of use. Similar to an investment company but is not considered to be a type of investment company.He manages a portfolio of real estate oriented investments to earn profits for investors. To qualify as a REIT, a company must be set up as a domestic corporation m REITs are the favorable tax treatment given under the REIT Act Amendment to the Internal Revenue Code of 1954. If 95% of the ordinary income generated from the portfolio is distributed to investors, REIT is taxed only once. Appreciation : An increase in the market price of a security from the purchase price. Capital Gain : Recognized when the security is sold and the appreciation is realized.

Reflection Paper Essay

Ever since I can remember people have been asking me this question. A question that is so simple to ask, yet so hard to answer. A question that you may have an answer to at one point, but lose it the next. A question that when really thought about, can spell your future. That question is â€Å"what do you want to be? † This question has always given me a hard time, because honestly I never really wanted to give an answer to it. Maybe it’s because I never wanted to limit myself to an answer or maybe I was just never sure of anything and I’m afraid to give a straightforward answer. This is my attempt on trying to word out my â€Å"vision† of who and what I want to be. Owning a very profitable and stable business has been a dream of mine for a very long time. I had always envisioned myself as someone who owns a business, yet I don’t know what business I want to venture in as of the moment. I want my own business because I want to leave something for my family and leave a legacy behind before I pass away. I also want to own a business because I’m not the type to be a slave to another business owner my whole life. I want to experience leading the way and making a business that will be of great success. A family is also very important in my future. I cannot see myself grow old without a family, especially since I come from a big family. I guess I want to have at least 3 children because what good is it to have money when you don’t even have anyone to share it with or enjoy it with. I’ve been taught my whole life to put my family first above anything else. I of course do not intend to have a family that I cannot provide for financially. I also want a family because I want to be surrounded with people I love especially when I grow old and I have no one else but my children to take care of me. Another thing that I see in my future is that I see myself travelling the world. I don’t want to limit myself to my home country because I see other places as an opportunity to create great memories that I will forever cherish. I envision myself travelling because up to now I haven’t been out of the country, so it has always been in my bucket list to leave the country and explore other countries, try their food, and experience another culture apart from mine. I see myself going to the States, Europe, and other Asian countries. I believe that a life in a world so big when not explored is a life not spent well. I see myself in the future as someone who stays healthy. One of my greatest wants in life is to stay healthy. I’ve always pushed myself to go to the gym and stay fit as much as possible. In the future I see myself continuing this habit of staying in shape and not gaining too much weight, because it is one of my greatest fear is to have a beer belly. I see myself as a man who keeps his priorities in tact while still maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Wherein I stay fit and have a balanced diet. Love is another issue that is always so hard to predict. Whenever I think of who will my future wife be. I always see a girl who is loyal, a girl that will accept my mistakes, a girl that no matter how hard times get will always be there by my side. I see my future wife as someone that can be there for the good times and even at the worse times of my life. I will get married once I reach 30, and once I become financially secure. Lastly my most important yet the most simple vision that I have for myself is that I’m going to be happy. I’ll be happy even if none of my visions come true. I’ll be happy even if I experience many problems. I’ll be happy even when people around me are not. It is not the fact that I am optimistic, yet it is only because I can only imagine a future for myself that I am happy. I simply cannot concoct a vision of myself being miserable. If there is one vision that I have it is sure that I know I’ll be happy in the future, cause whatever I get, I will accept, and whatever life throws my way, I’ll take it, and whatever problems I may have, I will smile while I’m fixing it.