Persepolis Life Changes During The Islamic Revolution...

The novel â€Å"Persepolis† shows many life changes during the Islamic Revolution told through the eyes of a young girl. â€Å"Persepolis† was based on Satrapi’s childhood experience in Iran. Throughout the span of the 1970’s to the early 1980’s, Satrapi experiences many changes in her life, not only with the government, or her education, but also with herself. Although she witnessed many violent acts right in front of her eyes, these experiences helped Marji (Satrapi) grow as a young child. Soon after the revolution, Iran became one bundle of chaos as the country began experiencing internal difficulties with the new republic. Then with the war between Iran and Iraq, violence became Marji’s daily lifestyle. The Iranians were left to themselves to protect their friends and family from the bombings and other types of violence happening in plain sight. Many unfortunate individuals lost their belongings as well as close friends and family. For ex ample, a close friend of Marji’s mother, Mali and her family, lost her and her family’s belongings in a bombing. The family found refuge in Marji’s home until they left Iran for good. They were one of the few families who understood the severity of the violence overwhelming Iran. Along with many other changes, Iranians were recruiting young boys to join their military. They brainwashed the young boys with a plastic key painted gold; explaining to them that if they were fortunate enough to die, then the key would allow them to enter heaven.Show MoreRelatedPersepolis: perceptions of the veil1546 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Persepolis; Perceptions of the veil [Satrapi, (b) p52] â€Å"And say to the believing woman that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty...that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty...† SÃ… «rah 24:31 The autobiographical novel â€Å"Persepolis† depicts the early stages of its author, Marjane Satrapi’s life. It shows her growing up in Iran, to her studies in Vienna, and her return. In an interview in 2008, she stated that she composedRead MoreMarjane Satrapis Persepolis: A Personal Version and Vision of the Iranian Revolution1341 Words   |  5 PagesPersepolis: Marjane Satrapis personal version and vision of the Iranian Revolution Marjane Satrapis Persepolis is a graphic novel that suggests that there is a sharp discrepancy between the world of the Iranian Revolution, as depicted in the Western media, versus how many Iranians experienced it in the context of their own lives. Satrapi was the product of a liberal home environment. Behind closed doors, the life the young Marjane led was often very different from the images of burka-wearingRead MorePersepolis Essay1883 Words   |  8 Pagesthe Iranian Revolution than what the American government and media has portrayed over the prior decades. The Iranian Revolution of 1979 was the overthrow of the American backed Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi by the conservative Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and his followers. Student movements and Islamic leftists supported the overthrow of the Shah who was perceived to be a puppet of the American government and pushed unsuccessful liberal economic reforms. The Constitution of the Islamic Republic ofRead MoreThe Complete Persep olis By Marjane Satrapi Essay2019 Words   |  9 PagesIranian Revolution, many events and changes took place that largely affected the views of Iranians by other nations. The graphic novel, The Complete Persepolis, written by Marjane Satrapi (Satrapi, 2003), conveys many of these events and changes through the eyes of a child growing up in the 1980s in Iran. Satrapi’s main purpose for this book is to describe how the Iranian government was corrupt, causing foreign nations to have a tainted view of all Iranian citizens. The Complete Persepolis does soRead MoreThe Opening Credits Of Persepolis1932 Words   |  8 PagesThe opening credits of Persepolis (2007) feature a flower moving across the screen, travelling through the different places depicted during the titles. This quite simple feature helps to introduce the audience to the main premise of the film - moving; mobility; change and growth. Marjane Satrapi’s film debut Persepolis (2007), made together with a fellow comic artist Vincent Paronnaud, is an autobiography based on Satrapi’s similarly titled graphic novel. This French-Iranian animated film deals withRead More Marjane Satrapis Persepolis3668 Words   |  15 Pagespublic sphere and condemned Islamic fundamentalism (Khosrokhavar 3). The largely conservative citizens of Iran protested the alterations in multiple movements in response to the westernization, financial failures, and perceived belief that the Shah was being controlled by Western powers for control over Irans vast oil supply. January of 1979, the Shah went into exile in Egypt and the devoted Muslim leader Ayatollah Khomeini assumed power, reinstalling the strict, Islamic law; The ConstitutionRead MoreMaus and Persepolis1097 Words   |  5 PagesPersepolis and Maus: Two Survivors and Their Stories. Of the many items that help enhance the horror of the Nazi Holocaust, one of the most notable is what it had of systematic and bureaucratic. Not only killing people, which would have had already been enough, but precisely being made in a quiet and civilized way. It is not strange the image of the Nazi leader quoting his favorite poet while sending to death hundreds of people, belying the myth that culture and education make people better. TheRead MorePersepolis2085 Words   |  9 Pageswith the Islamic Revolution The novel, Persepolis, tells the tale of young Marjane Satrapi, who is a young girl growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. In my essay I will examine how the author, Marjane Satrapi, tells her own story of growing up during the Islamic revolution through pictures.Satrapi uses pictures to depict her life as she matures first through her childhood, then through her teenager years into becoming an adult, and finally shows how she lives out her adult life and whenRead MorePersepolis : The Iranian Revolution And The Western World1980 Words   |  8 PagesPersepolis is a graphic novel that depicts what it was like growing up first hand in Iran during the 1980s’. Through the eyes of main character and author, Marjane Satrapi, the effects of the Western world and the Iranian Revolution are demonstrated to be consistently evolving and influencing Marjane’s childhood. The Iranian Revolution’s outcomes especially. In the beginning, Marjane is considered to b e a very religious child who speaks to God all the time, loves to read and wanted to be a prophet

Role of Intelligence in Formulating Strategy †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Role of Intelligence in Formulating Strategy. Answer: Introduction Nowadays, business firms face a lot of problems in order to survive in todays more competitive business scenario. They use numerous effective strategies to accomplish goals related to their businesses. Along with this, business organizations also conduct marketing research to collect all the important data and information related to the product, price, and competitors as well. Small enterprises face more problems than big or MNCs. It is because of they are new in the market. They are not aware about the marketing tactics that are essential to earn profits and accomplish competitive advantages over the competitors. Moreover, competitor analysis and customer profitability analysis are valuable to improve the productivity and profitability of the business organization. Both, competitor and customer profitability analysis play numerous significant role in the growth and success of the businesses. This research paper is useful to illustrate the methods and strategies used by the small bus inesses to set reasonable prices for their products or services. Furthermore, this research paper is also advantageous to illustrate the strategies and tactics used by the business firms in order to conduct competitor analysis and customer profitability analysis for the growth of businesses in the national and international market as well. Relevant Literature Prior Studies Being in the hospitality industry, the chosen business needs to ensure they are conducting regular competitor analysis. Current literature has found that competitor analysis is essential to the strategic management process. Scholarly researchers have found that most businesses adequately audit their internal environment, but that many lack the methodology to properly and accurately assess the external environment (Herring, 1996). Current literature regarding competitor analysis in small business has found there are a number of businesses that lack a formal process for collecting, assimilating and converting information regarding their competition into knowledge and intelligence. Competitive intelligence has been found to be an effective strategic management process. Research has found that in the past, most small businesses do not realise the benefits that can be obtained from competitive intelligence (Narayanan, Pinches, Kelm, Lander, 2000). The findings of a recent study found tha t small businesses are not concerned with gathering intelligence on competitors because of satisfaction with current intelligence (Groom David, 2001).The research found that there was managerial implications that focused on the development of competitive intelligence systems. This is something the chosen small business should consider when analysing their competitors in the future. The chosen small business uses target costing to set their prices under the impression that target pricing gives a long term view of their profit margin and the ability to cope with market changes (Ong, 1981). Current literature has recognised customer value?based pricing as superior to all other pricing strategies (Ingenbleek, 2003). The increasing endorsement of customer value?based strategies among academics and practitioners is based on a general recognition that the keys to sustained profitability lie in the essential features of customer value?based pricing (Hinterhuber, 2008). There is a large number of benefits of customer value-based pricing approaches, however a recent study has found that over eighty percent of companies continue to price their products and services on the basis of cost and competitive price levels (Hinterhuber, 2008). Literature has found that this is due to the difficulties surrounding communicating with customers and perhaps this is the reason why the c hosen small business has avoided customer value-based costing. Information on the small business Chosen small business is established in 2015 with sole trader form of business.The nature of operation is service in the food industry which is selling food and drinks. The chosen business sell combination of Malaysia, Thai, Korean, Italian, and Australian cuisine. The drinks menus are specialised with their own recipe. They are doing table service to reduce uncomfortable of customers and provide better quality of service. When it started its business, the employee was 5 people but now it increased to 9 people. The reason why we choose this business as subject of our report is the opportunity, strength and its managing style of business. We practiced primary and secondary sources to collect data. The primary sources are practiced to collect in-depth data which can not get from secondary sources. To supplement data, interview was practiced with 15 minutes long. The interview was practiced during chosen businesss break time to avoid damage from disturbing their business. Also, we visited competitors to collect data to practice further analysis. The data which is can not gathered from secondary sources are recorded with photo. The photographs are taken under agreements of the business. Furthermore, the secondary sources are practiced to collect background information and support our analysis.We gathered basic information of chosen business and other businesses through online sources such as Instagram, Face book and its online website to figure out its pricing decisions, customer profitability and competitor analysis. Journal articles are referred to support our assertions in academic purposes and get guidelines from previous researches. Competitor analysis Mostly satisfying requirements choose the top 3 competitors to compare with chosen business. The competitor must to have similar products or substitute for, and located in the same geographic area. The in-depth competitive analysis provided an understanding of how chosen businesss existing and potential customers rate the competitors (Jacobi, G 1992). Through competitive analysiswe recognize its strength, weakness, opportunity and treat. The chosen business can determine its competitive position with this information. Chosen small business Strength -Open till late -Variety options of menus -Different style of cuisine (Malaysian Thai-focused on demands of Asian food) -Location (located in heart of dormitory village) -Signature drinks menu -Using famous coffee beans -Coupons (1free coffee when you have 10 stamps) -Fully licenced -One hour free parking lots - Warm and cosy atmosphere Weakness - 2 hours break - Opening time is later than others -Advertising (no inflow from outside) Only focused on UC Students or Staffs Minimum amount for transaction -Unstable ( -Can not handle lots of individual order -Do not provide catering service -Lack of number of employee (when 1person cannot work it hard to find the other person who can substitute -Lack of information about customer Opportunity - Number of students are increasing -New dormitories are open -Increased interest in Asian food -increasing number of customers during exam and assignment period -Increasing number of international student Treat -New residences in the outside of dormitory village -New entrants -Break terms of university are almost 5 months in one year (can not secure customers) Accordingto competitor analysis we recognised that chosen small business and its competitors having similar opportunities and treats because of geographic reasons and limitation of market. However, the chosen business show that it has better opportunities to attract customer. Competitor A Competitor B Competitor C Strength -Optional coffee beans -Franchise -Biggest size -Australian cuisine -Inside and outside seats are covered -Take away focused -The size of drinks is bigger than others -Located in heart of market -Oldest cafin market -Cheapest price -Indoor and outdoor seats are available Weakness -Unable to get sunshine (cold-outdoor heaters are not available) -Only inside seats are available -Finger food only -Smallest size -Inside seats are small Opportunity -The number of students are increasing (Has possibility to secure new customers Treat -New entrants -Locational (customers are limited to UC Students) Hard to secure customer from outside of UC Customer profitability. According to McCartan-Quinn and Carson (2003), in small business, direct interaction and close approach to customer and market is one way to achieve benefit, which is the significant difference from large business. Fortunately, the chosen business was conducting research about customer profitability, which indicates that the chosen business had been noticing the importance of the interaction with customer and market. On the basis of customer profitability, they are focusing on managing and creating customer loyalty by coupon, interior design that creates a relaxed mood, differentiated menu and so on. In detail, several ways the chosen business is operating to achieve customer profitability will be mentioned. Firstly, they provide loyalty coupon that gives free coffee if a customer buys nine cups of coffee, which attract customer to visit and purchase their product. Secondly, they are trying to remember the face and preference of customer to create a friendly relationship with the reg ular customer. Thirdly, the chosen business offers a variety range of drink and meal menu to break from the unified menu that their competitors provide. Furthermore, at the same time, their differentiated menu satisfies the high interest and demand for Asian food and beverage, which is the crucial finding from the research about the customer and the market. Fourthly, creating a relaxed and friendly atmosphere is highlighted to give a positive impression. In the same sense, they play songs and offer table service. As a small business, customer profitability is achieved more easily than a large business with their flexible and decentralized business structure, which allow them to reflect the customers need and to cope with their competitors moves (Pelham, 2000). The table below shows the actual price of the chosen business and their competitors. Chosen business Competitor A Competitor B Competitor C Coffee Size Small Large Small Medium Large Small Medium Large Small Large Coffee Price range $3.5 $4.0 $3.5 $4.0 $4.5 $3.5 $4.0 $4.5 $3.5 $4.0 Extra charge(extra shot, syrup, milk) No extra charge $0.5 $0.8 $0.5 Lunch price range $12-17 $6.5-16 No food menu $7-12 Dinner price range $12-39 $12-21.9 $11-18 As the table shows, the price range of coffee is narrow than the range of the competitor A and B, which can be adrawback for the customer who wants various choice ofcoffee size. However, the actual amount of coffee is larger than the competitors product. For example, small cups of coffee from the chosen business is bigger than any other competitors small size coffee and the amount is even similar to the medium size coffee of competitor A and B. Accordingly, the coffee of the chosen business has more value for the price. Furthermore, the customers who order extra shot, syrup and milk are able to save money as the chosen business doesnt charge for the extra order. The chosen business sets their meal price ranges for lunch from $12 to $17 and for dinner from $12 to $39, which are expensive than their competitors price. However, the chosen business offers a large amount of food so that customer can share one dish with their companion. The chosen business used target pricing approach to s et price more effectively than their competitors, because the target pricing gives long term view of the gross profit margin and able to cope with dynamic changes in the market, futhermore, the business can differentiate themselves from their competitors in the long term context (Ong, 1981). To achieve target pricing, the chosen business have 2 hours break to reduce wage cost and also using pre-cookedfood so that they can reduce cooking time and serve more customer at the same time. Conclusion On the premises of the above analysis, it can be concluded that, business firms make a ot of struggles to survive in the marketplce. Small business organizations develop effective strategies to enhane the productivity and profitability of businesses. Along with this, it is observed that, small businesses use differnent stratgies to set prices to their products or services. They collect informantion relted to the competitors price strtaegies. They make use of the Internet and social media sites incuding Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkdeIn, etc. to know the views and opinions of the custmers. Moreover, it is also exmined that, business firms conduct SWOT (Strengthes, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis to perform a competitor analysis in an effectual and an appropriate manner. SWOT analysis provide all the strengthes and weaknesses of the competiotrs; and also shows the opportunities and threats exist in the marketplace. Apart from this, it is viewed that, to undertake cust omer profitability analysis, business firms make direct interaction with customers. They offers uniue products/services to the customers at lower prices and also take care about the tastes and preferences of their customers. On the whole, it can be said that, small businesses do thieir best to retain existing customers and to attract new customers for the growth of their businesses. Reference Jacobi, G 1992, Financial Tools for Competitive Analysis, Competitive intelligence Review, vol.3, no. 2, pp. 14-18. McCartan-Quinn, D. Carson, D. 2003, "Issues Which Impact upon Marketing in the Small Firm", Small Business Economics, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 201-213. Ong, N. 1981, "Target Pricing, Competition, and Growth", Journal of Post Keynesian Economics, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 101-116. Pelham, AM 2000, 'Market Orientation and Other Potential Influences on Performance in Small and Medium-Sized Manufacturing Firms', Journal Of Small Business Management, 38, 1, pp. 48-67. Groom, J.R. and David, F.R., 2001. Competitive intelligence activity among small firms.SAM Advanced Management Journal,66(1), p.12. Narayanan, V. K., Pinches, G. E., Kelm, K. M., Lander, D. M. (2000, July). The influence of voluntarily disclosed qualitative information. Strategic Management Journal, 21(7), 9-18 Herring, J. (1992, September-October). The role of intelligence in formulating strategy. Journal of Business Strategy, 13(6), 54. Hinterhuber, Andreas (2008) "Customer value?based pricing strategies: why companies resist",Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. 29 Issue: 4, pp.41-50 Ingenbleek, P.,Debruyne, M.,Frambach, R.andVerhallen, T.(2003), Successful new product pricing practices: a contingency approach,Marketing Letters, Vol. 14 No. 4, pp.289?305

Indian Trade Liberalization Essays - Indian Independence Movement

Indian Trade Liberalization The Liberalization of India According to Eichenberg in his lecture on February 2, 2000, liberal international relations theory suggests that the key to peace is through the promotion of free trade and the institution of democratic principles. In late 1991, with the transfer of the Indian Parliament into the hands of political and economic reformers, despite much opposition, India began its quest towards liberalization. The reform implemented freer trade in the largest democracy in the world. Facets of the Reformed Policy Since Indias independence from British control in 1947 until Rao took office, Indian foreign policy can be characterized as fairly isolationist. During the Cold War period India retained a policy of nonalignment. It was uncommitted to either the West or the East and stuck to swadeshi ideology adopted. Swadeshi simply means India first, and is an extremely nationalistic ideology that advocates self-sufficiency. Just under a decade ago, Indian foreign policy has taking significant strides towards liberalization. Since Prime Minister Narasimha Rao assumed his position as the head of this state in economic shambles, India has undergone significant reform in its domestic and foreign economic policy. Raos administration implemented major changes in banking, interest rates, and the ability to fully convert rupees (Indias currency) in trade transactions. But most importantly, towards the end of 1991, Rao opened Indias doors to foreign investment. The reforms in 1991 were simply necessary. As Clive Crook reported in The Economist at the time, the new government attempted to restructure the ever-proliferating bureaucracy and the license raj. This reshaping dismantled the barriers for foreigners to enter into the Indian markets. Such barriers included series of permits and licenses granted only by members of the Indian Parliament or high-ranking bureaucrats. These complicated and inefficient policies turned away potential foreign investors and, therefore, hurt the Indian economy. As part of the reform plan, Rao implemented revolutionary changes. According to the Asian Survey by Nalini Kant Jha, Rao limited the equity participation to 40% and removed the provision for the necessity of local control of industry. India also turned into favoring export-led growth; therefore, it removed restrictions on foreign trade and significantly reduced customs duties and tariffs on imports. Advancement Towards Liberalism Ever since the legitimacy of its government, India has remained the largest democracy in the international environment. It is a democracy with numerous political parties and strong coalition governments. As a result of the policy reforms in 1991, India has moved into a new era, an era of liberalization. Firstly, Indias democracy is much different than the government of any other third world nation in existence today. Much of public policy is actually influenced by the public. Political parties and public activists play a major role in the creation and sustenance of governmental political and economic policies. According to Amartya Sen in his work entitled, India: Economic Development and Social Opportunity, The democratic framework of the Indian polity permits this exercise (of public influence) in ways that are not open in many other developing economies. As a result, the major political actors in Indias international relations have been and remain the constituents of the democratic state. Secondly, Indias new economic policy of freer trade is leading the country to better relations with western nations, such as the United States. The Indo-U.S. relations prior to this new liberal era have been quite sour. This tension existed due to the nonalignment policy of India during the Cold War Era and the swadeshi temperament of the Indian Parliament during that time. When Rao took office in 1991, he sought to mend the relationship through liberal ideology. His plan was to increase trade between the worlds two largest democracies and, as a result, turn the existing tension into mutually beneficial alliance. In 1994, Prime Minister Rao and Finance Minister Manmohan Singh (architect of the economic reform), visited Washington DC. This strategic visit attempted to relieve tension between the two states. During their stay in the United States, Rao and Singh met with many American businesspeople and made agreements to increase approved U.S. investment in India from $2 billion to between $20 and $25 billion in the following few years. During the 1990s, there has been a continual increase of foreign investment in India by many nations. As a

Free Essays on Raymond Carvers The Neighbors

Critical Essay Raymond Carver’s 1988 short story â€Å"Neighbors† displays a sure administration of theme, character, and setting. It is the tale of a seemingly typical couple, Bill and Arlene Miller, who intermittently turn the apartment of their out-of-town neighbors, the Stones, into a psychosexual playground. Insidiously at first, then with unrestraint, the house-sitters invade the Stones’ privacy: cross-dressing in their clothes, consuming drinks from their liquor cabinet, and extricating photographs that promise tantalizing thrills. Impassioned, the Millers’ make what promises to be a compelling visit to the Stones’ apartment – only to discover that Arlene has locked the key inside. Abruptly restricted from their fallen rapture, the couple huddles outside the door, feeling an ailing wind. In the exposition, Bill and Arlene are portrayed as an average married couple, living their normal everyday lives. They do not appear to have any complaints about how their lives are operating except for the fact that they â€Å"had been passed by somehow, leaving Bill to attend to his bookkeeping duties and Arlene occupied with secretarial chores† (59). The Millers’ are envious of other couples that seem to exist synonymously with them but still have a little more recreation in their relationships. By asking the couple to house-sit, the Stones’ open a new realm of fantasy for the Millers’ predictable lives by allowing them to envision themselves as characters that are different than what they have grown to be. Bill becomes deeply involved with this illusion, finding himself obsessed with the other apartment. He calls out of work and goes for a walk but does not feel adequate until he stops â€Å"at the Stones’ door on the chance he might he ar the cat moving about† (60). This depicts that he has become so infatuated with his secret life that he becomes almost climactic over the smallest details. The neighborsï ¿ ½... Free Essays on Raymond Carvers The Neighbors Free Essays on Raymond Carvers The Neighbors Critical Essay Raymond Carver’s 1988 short story â€Å"Neighbors† displays a sure administration of theme, character, and setting. It is the tale of a seemingly typical couple, Bill and Arlene Miller, who intermittently turn the apartment of their out-of-town neighbors, the Stones, into a psychosexual playground. Insidiously at first, then with unrestraint, the house-sitters invade the Stones’ privacy: cross-dressing in their clothes, consuming drinks from their liquor cabinet, and extricating photographs that promise tantalizing thrills. Impassioned, the Millers’ make what promises to be a compelling visit to the Stones’ apartment – only to discover that Arlene has locked the key inside. Abruptly restricted from their fallen rapture, the couple huddles outside the door, feeling an ailing wind. In the exposition, Bill and Arlene are portrayed as an average married couple, living their normal everyday lives. They do not appear to have any complaints about how their lives are operating except for the fact that they â€Å"had been passed by somehow, leaving Bill to attend to his bookkeeping duties and Arlene occupied with secretarial chores† (59). The Millers’ are envious of other couples that seem to exist synonymously with them but still have a little more recreation in their relationships. By asking the couple to house-sit, the Stones’ open a new realm of fantasy for the Millers’ predictable lives by allowing them to envision themselves as characters that are different than what they have grown to be. Bill becomes deeply involved with this illusion, finding himself obsessed with the other apartment. He calls out of work and goes for a walk but does not feel adequate until he stops â€Å"at the Stones’ door on the chance he might he ar the cat moving about† (60). This depicts that he has become so infatuated with his secret life that he becomes almost climactic over the smallest details. The neighborsï ¿ ½...

What effect did the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening have on life Essay

What effect did the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening have on life in British North America - Essay Example The natives were also very much concerned with their beliefs, authority of their tribal chiefs, the traditional responsibilities for an individual’s clan and their close relationship with the nature (Demos, 4). The English were trying to bring these natives from â€Å"darkness of heathenism† to Protestant Christianity, which could fill the savagery lives of these natives with bright light of English â€Å"civility†. However the transformation in the form of an awakening did not happen overnight. The English started to build villages, started plantation, trees were cut down and sawed to build houses, barns, furnishings, etc. They also built special places called â€Å"praying towns† for the inhabitants who converted to Protestants. But the British faced many natural hindrances like winter cold, crop blights, droughts and storms. Then there were epidemic diseases like small pox, measles, respiratory illnesses and typhus, which were brought by the European colonizers themselves also acted as crippling influence to their plans for creating a new civilization. It also created demographic losses and complications brewed up with ethnic, linguistic and religious differences. (Demos, 3) After much struggle when they finally built the colony, during the late 17th and 18th centuries, different cities of colonial America played a pivotal role as many of them were seaports and it enabled the Enlightenment movement of Europe to reach American soil.... The theory of Rational Christianity also emerged during this period. This Enlightenment process reached the American colonists a century later and during the late 1700 and early 1800 century the American colonists saw a key change. The British colonies were liberal in their outlook in dealing with different intellectual and religious challenges. During this period America saw many spiritual and religious revitalizations. It also challenged the divine right and role of religion. It enabled the American colonists to challenge the King as well as the divine right. This helped to raise common views between the North and South and this belief was preached across the races through North and South of the colonial America. It also stated that slavery is similar to sin. The people began to develop belief in themselves and the importance of the church and the clergymen diminished. Changes were observed with respect to the reducing significance of the sects. (The Great Awakening And Enlightenme nt In Colonial America). The period saw a growth in literacy and witnessed an increase in number of colleges. The impact of the Great Awakening in colonial America led to creation of many new colleges in order to educate â€Å"new light† ministers like – Princeton, Rutgers, Brown, etc. This enabled to create a rift between believes of the thinkers and it resulted in formation of two cults namely, â€Å"old lights† who believed in rational process and â€Å"new lights† who focused on the experience gathered from life. These religious challenges also strengthened political challenges to the authorities (CHAPTER FIVE: THE CULTURES OF COLONIAL NORTH AMERICA, 1700—1780). Many soldiers those who took part in the revolutionary war were â€Å"new light†

Choosing successful industry in Saudi Arabia Assignment

Choosing successful industry in Saudi Arabia - Assignment Example The equipments extracted petroleum from within Saudi Arabia’s territory. Consequently, the Saudi Government hired employees from the other countries. The Saudi government targeted employees from countries plagued with high unemployment rates. The countries include India, and other Asian countries. As expected, huge groups of job applicants flocked into Saudi Arabia to get high paying petroleum industry jobs (Kane 2). Employees of the petroleum companies enjoy comfortable working conditions in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia’s labor law article 146 and article 147 clearly requires the employer to exert extra efforts to comply with the benefits prescribed in the Saudi Arable labor law. The benefits include housing, camping, suitable healthcare facilities, and free meals. The schools are set up in order to fill the school needs of the petroleum workers and the school needs of the children. Saudi Arabia hires laborers to extract and export the Saudi Petroleum products. The oil field employees include low skilled oil labors. In addition, the Saudi Government hires engineers who will ensure smooth oil production (Kane 14). Knowledge resources. Saudi Arabia hired the expertise of engineers from other countries to help ensure smooth petroleum productions. With the expertise of the Saudi ARAMCO engineers and other labor employees, Saudi ARAMCO continues to successfully extract petroleum from within Saudi Arabia’s borders. Similarly, the expertise of the Saudi ARAMCO engineers and experienced petroleum employees contributed to the successful export of the country’s petroleum products to other countries (Wynbrandt 200). Saudi Arabia hired the petroleum research knowledge expertise of the United States firm, Standard Oil Company of California (SOCAL) to find petroleum. Consequently, the hired American company discovered oil in Saudi Arabia in 1932 in Bahrain. An entity, Iraq Petroleum Company, was formed that included

African Socialism: Analysis of Ujamaa

African Socialism: Analysis of Ujamaa MAJOR THEMES IN AFRICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT LECTURER: FRED OTIENO STUDENT: CHRIS MUGO NDIRANGU QUESTION What is African Socialism (Ujamaa)? Citing concrete examples from around Africa, examine why this ideology has faced immense opposition. INTRODUCTION African Socialism is an ideology that can be traced to the 1950s and 1960s when most African countries were attaining their independence. The ideology was propounded by African leaders in independent Africa who sought to ground their states in this ideology they believed would achieve the goals and aspirations of independence. The proponents of the ideology sought to differentiate it from other forms of socialism that existed across the world at the time, particularly Marxist-Leninist strands of socialism. African socialism can therefore be defined as a belief in sharing of economic resources in a traditional African way. It is however prudent to accept that the interpretations and definitions of African socialism differ as it is not the brainchild of a single thinker. According to Freidland (1964) : African Socialism differs in that no single leader has been distinctively and uniquely associated with the ideology. Rather the ideology of African Socialism has been the product of diverse leaders operating within the variety of exigencies in their own countries, which helps to account for the lack of development of a unified theory. (p. 2) African socialism can be said to be an indigenous attempt by various African leaders to develop a distinctive â€Å"African† path of economic and political development. It advocates for a return to traditional African values practiced before colonization. As mentioned above African socialism is a product of different leaders. Therefore to understand African socialism we must study the leaders and their works which collectively contributed to this ideology. These leaders implemented this ideology in their respective countries. Some were successful while others were not. The ideology as will be explained in this paper faced immense opposition hindering its full adoption. CHARACTERISTICS OF AFRICAN SOCIALISM Though the African Socialist leaders had their own distinct views on African socialism various characteristics of African socialism can be drawn. According to Martin (19) the socialist leaders’ conception of African socialism had the following common characteristics: Ideology and practice are inextricably linked Politics has supremacy over the economy Socialism is not a sacred dogma but a guide to action African socialism is a socialism building on and adapted to African indigenous values, culture, traditions and society The people are the main agents and ultimate beneficiaries of socialist development African socialism aims at creating ‘a new man’ The single party operates according to the Marxist-Leninist principle of Democratic Centralism, which institutionalizes communication between the leadership and the rank-and-file of the party, with ultimate decision-making power resting with the highest executive organ of the party. Collective decision making is based on collective deliberation and consensus State has control over the economy Furthermore (Batsa, 1965) has summarised some six basic characteristics of African Socialism: It ignores the power of monopoly capital. It accepts the mixed economy as a permanent feature of socialism. It denies the existence of classes in Africa and advances the idea of the neutral state. It advocates a multi-party system where possible, or a single party open to all, irrespective of beliefs, with a specific denial of any vanguard role The African element of the theory consists of a romantic interpretation of our traditional morals and culture Positive non-alignment is treated as neutrality Several African countries on attaining independence sought to establish declarations or policy documents that sought to clearly stipulate the ideology they adopted. In the context of African socialism, very few countries had clear and concrete policy documents on African socialism. Notable among these countries is Kenya and Tanzania that formulated policies or declarations with regards to African Socialism. Tanzania in 1967 formulated the Arusha Declaration a document written by socialist leader Julius Nyerere for the ruling party the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU). In this declaration it is clearly stated that ‘The policy of TANU is to build a socialist state’. It further goes on to lay down certain socialist principles it seeks to implement in Tanganyika. In Part two of the document lay The Policy of Socialism. The fist element in this policy is absence of exploitation. The declaration states that in a socialist state all people are workers and in which neither capitalism nor feudalism exists. It believes in a classless society where there is no one exploits another. Every worker receives a just return for their labour. However the declaration points out the fact that Tanzania still has elements of feudalism and capitalism that are remnants of colonialism. The second element is that the major means of production and exchange are under the control of the peasants and workers. The declaration stipulates that this should be done through the machinery of their Government and their co-operatives. The third element is the existence of democracy. This element requires that the government should be chosen and led by the peasants and workers themselves. Finally is that socialism is a belief. The declaration states that socialism is a way of life. A socialist society can only come into existence if i t is built by those who believe in and practice the principles of socialism. The declaration believes that the successful implementation of socialist objectives depends very much up to the leaders. On the other hand Kenya in 1965 produced a sessional paper which outlines in detail both the theory of democratic African Socialism and its practical application in Kenya. The president in introducing this paper states that, ‘we rejected both Western Capitalism and Eastern Communism and chose for ourselves a policy of positive non-alignment.’’ Thus the Kenyan government fully adopted the African socialism philosophy. The sessional paper goes on to outline the operating characteristics of African socialism. They are: Political democracy Mutual social economic responsibility Various forms of ownership A range of controls to ensure that property is used in the mutual interests of society and its members Diffusion of ownership to avoid concentration of economic power Progressive taxes to ensure an equitable distribution of wealth and income The above characteristics are evident in the various works of the African Socialist leaders. The understanding of their concept of African socialism is enhanced by looking critically at the individual African socialist leaders and their ideas and perception of African socialism. AFRICAN SOCIALIST LEADERS JULIUS NYERERE Julius Nyerere was the founding father of Tanganyika and later on Tanzania. He comes up with his own form of socialism known as Ujamaa a Swahili term for family hood and brotherhood. Ujamaa become the official policy of Tanzania in 1967 following the Arusha Declaration. According to Nyerere socialism is an attitude of mind and not strict compliance to a standard or set political pattern (Nyerere, 1977) . Nyerere emphasised on brotherhood or family hood where people view each other as brothers and sisters or as members of one family. Nyerere argues that social institutions and organisations cannot by themselves achieve the purpose of socialism. These institutions can only do so if they are infused with the spirit of brotherhood and care for one another. Nyerere believed that Ujamaa differed from other strands of socialism in that the foundation of the philosophy was to be found in African culture and traditions. Furthermore Ujamaa was opposed to capitalism and scientific socialism or Marxism which legitimizes class conflicts. Nyerere went further to elaborate on the practices of Ujamaa. The first is love where an African doesn’t regard his brethren as another enemy. An African regards all men as his brethren as members of his extended family. People in African Societies cared for one another. Secondly, Nyerere argues that their existed a classless society in Africa. Classes were only brought as a result of the agrarian and industrial revolution. These events produced conditions that brought about a class system. Since these revolutions did not occur in Africa, therefore no classes existed in Africa. Thirdly Nyerere believed that in traditional Africa everyone was a worker. Everyone contributed his or her fair share of efforts towards the production of societal wealth. There was no place for laxity or laziness. Finally Nyerere maintained that wealth was shared in traditional Africa. No one could hide wealth or amass it for personal selfish reasons. The riches or the poverty of an individual or famil y were the wealth or poverty of the whole community at large. KWAME NKRUMAH Kwame Nkrumah’s ideas on African socialism were different from those of Julius Nyerere. Indeed the two showed criticised each other on their perceptions of African socialism. Nkrumah in his own admission subscribed to scientific socialism and described it as the only true socialism. According to (Martin, 2012) Nkrumah viewed African socialism as a means of not only liberating the people from the shackles of imperialism but also empowering the people politically, economically, socially and culturally after independence. Nkrumah believed that the following were the tenents of African socialism; Common ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange Planned methods of production by the state, based on modern industry and agriculture Political power in the hands of the people in keeping with the humanist and egalitarian spirit which characterized African traditional society Application of scientific methods in all spheres of thought and production AHMED SEKOU TOURE Toure’s concept and ideas on African socialism was similar to that of Nkrumah. The two had a strong friendship that was evident when he granted Nkrumah asylum when he was overthrown by a military coup in 1966. Toure led an authoritarian regime in Guinea that was strongly oppressive. He arrested over a thousand people who simply opposed his regime. Prominent intellectuals and cadres were jailed, tortured and executed. Sekou Toure’s was more grounded in the Marxist-Leninist education as compared to Nkrumah. He had a great interest in the writings of Mao Tse-tung as well as other Marxist philosophers. Initially during the first decade of his rule, he refused to launch the country into clear path to socialism. He downplayed the role of ideology in the construction of a new society. He adamantly refused to choose between capitalism and socialism. He argued that certain strange theories had little to do with the crucial tasks facing the country. However during the Eighth National Congress of the PDG (the ruling party of Guinea) in 1967, Sekou Toure officially launched Guinea on to a path to socialism. Sekou Toure prescribed to scientific socialism from which he derives the meaning of socialism from. That is socialism is expressed by the effective exercise of political, economic and cultural power by the working people. Toure however was for a socialist ideology adapted to African realities. He preferred the term â€Å"communaucratic’’ instead of African socialism. He believed that African life is communal characterized by collective life and social solidarity. An Afric an cannot organize his life outside that of his social group-family, village or clan. Finally Toure believes in the supremacy of politics over the economy. In this regard he was heavily influenced by the Marxist-Leninist ideology on the roles of the state and the party in the creation of institutions designed to translate socialist ideas into practice (Martin, 2012). Toure believed that the ruling party was the definer of the general interest, the custodian of the popular will and the incarnation of the collective thought of the whole Guinean people. The basic aim of Toure’s socialism is alter the relationship between human beings. This is done by decolonizing their viewpoints and attitudes and by creating a new man freed from a system of capitalistic exploitation and participating with all his strength in the development of his nation. MODIBO KEITA He was the first president of Mali. He led the Nation on a path to socialism, both politically and economically. In 1960 the countries single party, the Union Soudanaise RDA (US-RDA) decided to set the country on a socialist path to development. Keita’s priority was to build a new society aimed at the political, economic, social and cultural empowerment of Mali’s popular masses. Keita firmly believed that a type of socialism adapted to the conditions of Mali would be the best tool to achieve this goal. Mali’s socialism was characterized by the following features; A socialism based on agricultural workers and peasants rather than on a nonexistent proletariat A vibrant private sector encouraged to contribute to national development Respect of the Malian spiritual and religious values Modibo Keita argued that socialism cannot be adopted wholesale; it must be adapted to the specific socio-cultural context of Mali. Keita elaborated that Africa has its own values, its own history. Africa thus can solve its own problems within the African context using African methods. Malian socialism was also grounded in universal human values. Keita argued that socialism cannot be reduced to purely economic or social concerns. Its goal is man itself in its material, moral, spiritual and cultural dimensions. The African man must be open to all kinds of experiments. Keita considered socialist planning necessary to achieve the primary goal of improving the living conditions of the majority of the people, which in Mali were the peasants. He focused on the development of agriculture through an elaborate network of rural cooperatives, down to the village level. Keita also embarked on the complete overhaul of Mali’s educational system to be consistent with Mali’s rich cultural heritage. The above leaders contributed significantly to African socialism. They sought to implement their socialist ideas and concepts in their countries. Some were successful to some extent while others failed. Case in point is Kwame Nkrumah who was overthrown in a military coup. OPPOSITION TO AFRICAN SOCIALISM African socialism as an ideology faced immense opposition as an ideology. This is because of the various cons associated with the ideology. These disadvantages or flaws in the ideology brew dislike for the ideology preventing its adoption or implementation. African socialism faced opposition due to the following. First it is an unreal theory which cannot be implemented as it is. Most of the socialist principles were borrowed from the Marxist-Leninist school of thought. The socialist ideology is not adopted in the same way it was advocated by Marx and other socialist thinkers. Secondly and closely related to the first is improper implementation. African socialism faced rejection due to improper implementation. Few people were in charge of wealth distribution and formulation of policies such as taxation. Thus the notion that the masses or the people have control over the nation’s wealth is a fallacy. Thirdly is that African socialism is economically inefficient. The lack of a self regulating labour market, private ownership of capital and a free financial market affects the economy negatively. Entrepreneurs and foreign investors are discouraged from investing in the economy. This leaves a country economically underdeveloped. This is the case with most socialist countries. Another pitfall of African socialism is no real increase in standard of living. African socialism does not raise the standards of living but lowers it instead. This is because the income of the rich is reduced making them fall closer to the level of the poor. It only reduces the gap between the rich and the poor but does not improve the standards of living in the society. Lastly is that socialism promotes laziness and incompetence among members of society. This is because of the social security system in socialist states that takes care of those with no income. Such provisions by the government deter people from working hard to earn their livelihood. This equally affects the hard working members who feel dissatisfied as they are not rewarded for their toil. Their toil goes to taking care of those who don’t work. Such a system impacts productivity and hence economic growth negatively. REFERENCES Batsa, K. (1965). African Socialism. The Labour Monthly , 514-517. Martin, G. (2012). African Political Thought. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Nyerere, J. K. (1977). Ujamaa-Essays on Socialism. USA: Oxford University Press. William H. Friedland, C. G. (1964). African Socialism. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. Page | 1