Regionalism in the World of Alistair McLeod Essay

Imagery is used fairly often in the eastern coast of Canada may have an unforgiving and rather harsh streak, but many Canadians choose to raise their families and practice their craft there. In both short stories by Alistair McLeod; The Lost Salt Gift of Blood and The Boat, the setting of the Canadian east coast is used to develop both the plot and the character. Along with the narration of the physical setting there is also the intricate dialogue spoken by the various characters. In combination, the various customs and traditions presented by the author through language and setting expand our ability to understand the plot. Without McLeod’s regionalistic writing form, the reader’s ability to firmly define the setting and characters would hinder them from his multilayered stories. Imagery is used fairly often in The Boat with the intention of not only giving the reader a sense of space and time but also an insight to the character. The father is displeased with his lack of education and current lifestyle along the coast, â€Å"the sea was behind him and its immense blue flatness stretched out to touch the arching blueness of the sky. It seemed very far away from him or else†¦he seemed too big for it. † (263) The author in this scenario implies the essence of the problem in the story; the narrator’s father is never unified with the sea he labors in, never achieves the connectedness that goes with working so closely with nature. As well, due to his higher aspirations, the father is too inquisitive and thirsty for knowledge to remain in such a simple place. In The Lost Salt Gift of Blood, imagery is used to relay the underlying story and theme to the reader. Fog is the best form of imagery used because of its close relation to the actions and their meanings beneath the surface of the story. The entire story seems rather foggy as it contains dialogue and reflection that occurs in the present rather than the narrator looking back and analyzing the meaning of events. Therefore, it is left to the reader to piece together the story, at times difficult when the story seems incomplete. For example, the fog plays a vital role in the story surrounding the mother’s death, â€Å"It be foggy all the day and everyone be thinken the plane won’t come or be able to land. And I says, small to myself, now here in the fog be the bad luck and the death but then there the plane be, almost like a ghost ship comen out the fog with all its lights shinen. I think maybe he won’t be on it but soon he comen through the fog. † (307-308) As the grandfather relays the story, he abruptly stops, yet never commences with further elaboration. His story hangs in the air like fog; inescapable, shrouding and unable to clearly define. The dialogue in The Boat has an educated style yet is brief and to the point. Each time McLeod allows a character to speak, only the most vital words needed are spoken. Though this story includes description from an analytical point of view, most of it remains with the reader piecing it together. It is during solemn moments that word are exchanged â€Å"you have given added years to his life. † (267) There are also no descriptions of raucous banter among the siblings. This is surprising as noise and arguments are inevitable to most large households. With the knowledge that the mother runs her household with precision, the lack of confrontational dialogue may be due to the tiring lifestyle. The father’s reaction is an example of this after the mother accuses him that it will be his fault if their daughters come home impregnated, â€Å"†¦reflecting the exhaustion of a man of sixty-five who had been working for eleven hours on an August day†¦he turned and went into his room. † This dialogue enhances the estrangement of the east coast; little is wasted, be it energy or words. The contrast in dialogue in The Lost Salt Gift of Blood is very insightful when comes to defining characters. The father is well educated and from Toronto. He met his son’s mother while researching for his university paper. On the other hand, it is revealed in the end that John’s grandmother and grandfather can neither read nor write. Just as John is the only connection the grandparents have to his father, the only halfway point between their linguistic capabilities and his father’s is John. More interestingly is the transformation of language and what it can tell us. In the beginning of the story the reader sees John’s grandfather speaking politely but simply to the father â€Å"well, it is a nice evening tonight†. As the night wears on a mixture of alcohol, fatigue and raw emotions alter his language to that of a rougher coastal slang â€Å"and the dog runned around like he was crazy, moanen and cryen worse than the swiles does out on the ice, and throwen hisself against the walls and jumpen on the table. † (307) The gradual change in language is a minor one, yet it conveys a multitude of distinguishing features. Such features lay ground to a better understanding of the region. Within both short stories, McLeod paints an even broader sense of the eastern Canadian coast using the domestic principles held there to describe the region. The homestead of John and his grandparents is one where things are not wasted, â€Å"cast-off tires also whitewashed and serving as flower beds†¦ originally broken†¦ [the grandfather] helped him fix them, nailing on new lathes and knitting new headings. † (295-296) Anything broken is repaired, redeemed or put to another use. The family is clearly linked with this way of living and deeply belongs in this place. The practice is also an important one considering the grandfather is teaching and including John in the processes. As well, the household in The Boat did not waste things, â€Å"a shelf which contained matches, tobacco, pencils, odd fish-hooks, bits of twine†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (258) Items in this family had a place and a purpose. Even small items like twine are collected for a further use later. Along with the hard work in the sea and simple lifestyle, the narrator’s mother kept the house tidy; â€Å"everything was clean and spotless and in order. In the case of the traditional coastal living, the hard-netted earnings from the ocean do not allow for frivolity, waste or an abundance of parlour toys. As Alistair McLeod infuses regionalism to define the setting, an image of the lifestyle as well as the culture of the characters is revealed. The eastern coast of Canada may have a harsh climate and difficult way of life, but through the language used by the McLeod and his portrayal of setting, we are encouraged to understand this lifestyle and those who embrace it. In both short stories The Lost Salt Gift of Blood and The Boat, the plot and the characters are defined as individuals in their culture as well as participants of a larger practice. Along with the narration of the physical setting, an understanding of customs is elaborated through detailed descriptions. With this particular style of regionalism, McLeod left the reader to elaborate on characters and settings he defined, the culture however, remained true to the eastern coast of Canada. McLeod’s regionalism permits the reader to firmly define the setting and characters then allows them to explore the artfully crafted plots.

Tesco Bank Marketing

The research draws attention to the fact that the current product life cycle of Tesco Bank is in the Maturity stage. And now Tesco Bank is a question mark according to Boston’s Matrix. The target market of Tesco Bank includes Tesco Clubcard holders, families with children, pet and car. By Geographic segmentation, Brislington in the North East, Coventry in the Midlands and Blackpool in the North West are its target market. By Demographic segmentation, the age should be targeted from 18 to 50 and over 50s. By Behavioural segmentation, its loyal customers are targeted.Further investigations reveal that the Tesco Clubcard Credit Card’s position in the market is not enough good and the repositioning makes this product become more competitive in the market. The main price strategy is competition-based pricing. A new Good-value pricing strategy is made for the repositioning product. Moreover, an A3 size poster for Tesco Clubcard Credit Card is designed for advertisement. It is recommended: ? The future market strategy of Tesco Bank should focus on strengthening its customer base and service improvement. Innovation of products is important. * Tesco supermarkets are good platforms for Tesco Bank to advertise itself. TASK 1 AREA OF STUDY Tesco Bank is a subsidiary company of Tesco (the UK’s largest supermarket) in the UK. This bank was ever named Tesco Personal Finance. Initially, Tesco Personal Finance (TPF) was a joint venture business between Tesco and the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) (Datamonitor, 2011). Then, Tesco took full control of Tesco Personal Finance, by an agreement with RBS to buy its 50% shareholding in TPF in 2008 (Sky News, 2008).TPF was renamed Tesco Bank in 2009 and it was a signal that Tesco would like to join into the high street banking sector (The Telegraph, 2009). Tesco Bank has continuously made good progress in 2011. For example, savings, the number of credit cards and insurance sales have strongly increased (Tesco plc webs ite, 2012). As a new entrant with great brand awareness that was untainted by the banking crisis, Tesco Bank has great potential to boost sales in the UK because the current customer dissatisfaction with banks is serious in the UK (MarketWatch, 2009).However, it is necessary to focus on this area for improvement because the infrastructure of Tesco bank is not enough and it should have a better market strategy to attract more customers as a new entrant. TASK 2 PLC STAGE Kotler and Armstrong (2012) define product life cycle (PLC) as a development trajectory of a product based on its sales and profits over its lifetime. The five distinct stages (product development stage, introduction stage, growth stage, maturity stage and decline stage) of PLC describe how products and markets work.The Figure 2 shows the sales and profits of Tesco Bank from 2002 to 2010 (See Appendix 1). It is hard to analyze the trend of sales from 2009 to 2011. The sales fluctuated during this period. The profit in creased rapidly from 2002 to 2005, then declined gradually due to the possible reasons of the bad global economy situation and the financial crisis. After Tesco Bank was entirely owned by Tesco, the profit boosted remarkably again such as the growth rate was 65. 625% in 2009 and the average growth rate of profit from 2008 to 2011 was 29. 72%. However, the growth rate declined year by year.Based on the evidence above, it can be inferred that Tesco Bank is now at the maturity stage. According to the trend of profit, the product achieved acceptance by customers for a period of time, then the big change in 2008 led to rejuvenation of its business. At the same time, the sales growth was slowdown but it seems to increase in the future. These points match to the characteristics of maturity stage (Kotler and Armstrong, 2012). Boston’s Matrix is a chart to evaluate a company’s market strategy and situation according to its relative market share and market growth rate (Kotler an d Armstrong, 2012).It can be described as Figure 3. The market growth rate of Tesco Bank was high in recent years but the relative market share is still low based on the data above. Pettinger (2011) states that Tesco Bank is a smaller bank in the UK which ranks 10th of 10 Largest UK Retail Banks. Question marks means a company has relative low market share and high market growth rate (Kotler and Armstrong, 2012). Thus, now Tesco Bank should be a question mark. It is time to think about the future direction of Tesco Bank.Datamonitor (2010) reveals that the current consumer dissatisfaction with banks is a good chance for Tesco Bank to gain market share by the similar way Tesco is successful in the grocery sector. Tesco Bank announced it has targeted to win 10% market share of the UK’s financial services market in the future (Halime, 2010). It seems that Tesco Bank is expected to be a star in future years. TASK 3 TARGET MARKET Target market is defined as a set of customers who h ave common needs or characteristics that companies would like to give service to (Kotler and Armstrong, 2012).Now All Tesco Bank’ products have a common characteristic that every product purchased can get points and discount with a Tesco Clubcard. This is not only a fantastic way to attract customers, but also all Tesco customers who have a Clubcard have been targeted. Tesco states that the most loyal shoppers (15 million Tesco Club card holders) are initially targeted by Tesco Bank (Aldrick, 2009). Credit cards and loans are only available to UK residents and over 18s. All Tesco Bank’s products such as home insurance, pet insurance, travel money and credit card are relative to the needs of families and daily life. Geographic segmentationThis segmentation divides market into several geographical areas. Tesco planned to open Tesco Bank branches in 30 of its stores in the UK in 2009 and branches would open in Brislington in the North East, Coventry in the Midlands and Bl ackpool in the North West (Clews, 2009) Demographic segmentation This segmentation divides market into segments such as age, family, income, occupation, religion and nationality. According to bank’s insurance classification (car, home, pet, travel, life, over 50s, health, dental, breakdown), credit cards and loans condition, the age should be targeted from 18 to 50 and over 50s.Tesco Bank also has child trust fund, Tesco Baby & Toddler club and Tesco Child Health Plan, so the target of family life cycle should be families with children, pets and cars. Behavioural segmentation This segmentation divides market into segments such as knowledge, attitudes, uses, or responses. As Tesco Bank’s products can all be linked to its Tesco Clubcard, loyalty status should be strong in this case. Consumers are loyal to Tesco brand for its great brand awareness. On the other hand, the Clubcard enhances the loyalty of consumers with its benefits. TASK 4 PRODUCT REPOSITIONINGProduct positioning means products are considered by consumers when purchase, consumers will identify the products compared with competing products (Kotler and Armstrong, 2012). This assignment will choose Tesco Bank’s Clubcard credit card as main product compare with its competitors by perceptual map, then reposition this credit card to a more competitive position. The Figure 4 shows a positioning map for four types of credit cards from Tesco Bank, Sainsbury’s Bank, Halifax and HSBC on two dimensions: months of balance transfers for 0% and months of purchase for 0% (See Appendix 2) (Tescocompare, 2012).Thus, customers’ view of Tesco Clubcard Credit Card is very different from others. Its 15 months of purchase for 0% is significantly more than others, but the months of balance transfers are the least of all cards. The main advantage of Tesco Clubcard Credit Card is that customers have a very long length of time for 0% interest rate credit so that the fewer months of bal ance transfers for 0% is acceptable. By contrast, the credit cards of Sainsbury’s, Halifax and HSBC focus on the months of balance transfers for 0%, but there is a transaction fee when customers transfer the debts.However, Tesco Clubcard Credit Card has the lowest fee (2. 9% fee) compared with others (Sainsbury’s 3% fee, Halifax 3% fee, and HSBC 3. 3% fee) (See Appendix 2). In order to reposition Tesco Clubcard Credit Card to a more competitive position, it is better to extend the months of balance transfers for 0% as the figure 5 shows. Now Tesco Clubcard Credit Card is more attractive to customers. Beside its advantage of purchase, its balance transfers aspect is no longer weak compared with others. Tesco Bank may generate fewer profits from this product due to its long period of time for zero interest rate and less transaction fee.However, this change will attract more customers to enhance its customer base in the short-term. The strong customer base will increase t otal consumption and is good for entire business performance in the long-term. TASK 5 PRICING STRATEGIES Pricing strategy is that a company sets a right price strategy in order to generate profits and be successful in the market. The main pricing strategies are customer value-based pricing, cost-based pricing and competition-based pricing (Kotler and Armstrong, 2012).Competition-based pricing means the price is set based on competitors’ pricing strategies, cost, and marketing offering (Kotler and Armstrong, 2012). The main pricing strategy of Tesco Bank is competition-based pricing. Because most of the retail banks offer the similar products such as loans, credit cards, savings and insurance, Tesco Bank set a more competitive price to attract customers according to its Tescocompare. com system (a system compare Tesco Bank’s products with other banks’ products). For example, the interest rate of loans and credit cards is second lowest of all the similar products (See Appendix 2 and 3).The reason may be that Tesco Bank is a new entrant and faces numerous experienced competitors setting slightly high prices relative to the value they deliver, charging a relative low price would be better for Tesco Bank to attract customers and gain more market share. In addition, Tesco Bank also uses discount pricing and promotional pricing. For example, new customers could save up to 20% with a Clubcard when they buy car insurance online. New customers with a Clubcard who quote and buy a Tesco Bank Pet Insurance policy directly from Tesco Bank between 12 April and 22 May 2012 can get a free ? 0 Tesco Gift Card (Tesco Bank website, 2012). New pricing strategies for repositioned product As the Tesco Clubcard Credit Card has repositioned, it has more competitive advantages. Then this assignment will develop a good-value pricing strategy for Tesco Clubcard Credit Card. Good-value pricing strategy means a company provides a combo of good quality and service at a reasonable price (Kotler and Armstrong, 2012). Cooperation with other retailers or restaurants in the UK to offer some benefits is a good idea to use this strategy.For example, Tesco Bank can cooperate with Zara that every purchase in Zara by only using Tesco Clubcard Credit Card can get 5% discount. Thus, more people would like to use this credit card so that it would strengthen Tesco Bank’s customer base. On the other hand, Zara’s sales might increase because of the discount. In addition, customers get benefits. TASK 6 POSTER DESIGN FOR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN It is a poster for advertising Tesco Clubcard Credit Card of Tesco Bank (See the A3 poster). In the white area, the credit card image and a red circle with words are striking.Customers can know what the product is at the first sight. â€Å"1 card, 3 great benefits† tell customers this credit card is outstanding because this card has 3 great benefit for customers if they use this card. These show the main pa rt of poster that creates a general impression to customers and attracts them. The first three lines of words in the blue area are the details of the three great benefits. â€Å"0% on all purchases for 15 months† and â€Å"0% on balance transfers for 15 months† reflect its competition-based pricing strategy because this set of interest has an advantage compared with other products when customers make a decision. Balance transfers for 15 months† shows the repositioning feature discussed above. It makes this card be more attractive to customers. â€Å"Every little helps† is the slogan of Tesco enhancing the Tesco Brand. â€Å"Over 18s, UK residents† shows the segments which this product is available for, reflecting its target market as well. The collecting points also reflect the Tesco Clubcard customers are included in its target segment. â€Å"Ask at the customer service desk for more details† is guidance for further steps if customers want t o know more. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION Tesco Bank has already done well as a new entrant into bank industry.However, it still has some space for improvement according to the analysis above. It has the potential to boost sales in the future due to its particular advantages such as little influence by financial crisis and strong brand awareness. The low price advantage is also easy for Tesco Bank to attract customers. If Tesco Bank continues to adjust its market strategy in the future, it could reach the top of UK banks. The future market strategy of Tesco Bank should focus on strengthening its customer base and service improvement. Service quality is an important factor to determine customer satisfaction (Maddern, H et al, 2007).Innovation of products is important. If the product has an available special characteristic, bank would have more power to generate profits and set slight high price. Tesco supermarkets are good platforms for Tesco Bank to advertise itself, and take full advantage of them. Appendix Appendix 1: Source: Tesco Annual Report from 2002 to 2011 Appendix 2: Source: http://tesco. lovemoney. com/creditcards Appendix 3: Source: http://www. tescocompare. com/loans. shtml Bibliography Aldrick, P (2009). Tesco moves closer to full banking. The Telegraph. [Online] Available from: http://www. telegraph. co. k/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/6617485/Tesco-moves-closer-to-full-banking-with-IT-system. html. (Accessed 13 April 2012) Bell, S (2010). UK's Tesco Offers 0% Interest Rate For 13 Months On Clubcard Credit Card. CardLine; Vol. 10 Issue 31, p10-10, 1p. Clews, M (2009). Tesco to open bank branches in 30 stores. Marketing Week (01419285); 3/26/2009, Vol. 32 Issue 13, p44-44, 1p. Datamonitor (2010). Tesco Bank set to play with the big boys and be a top 10 bank. [Online] Available from: http://about. datamonitor. com/media/archives/3705. (accessed 13 April 2012) Datamonitor (2011). Tesco PLC company profile. Online] Available from: http://www . datamonitor. com/. (Accessed 13 April 2012) Halime, F (2010). Tesco Bank eyes 10% of UK market share. Retail Bank International. [Online] Available from: http://www. vrl-financial-news. com/retail-banking/retail-banker-intl/issues/rbi-2010/rbi-629/tesco-bank-eyes-10-of-uk-mark. aspx. (Accessed 13 April 2012) Kotler, P;amp; Armstrong, G (2012). Principles of Marketing (14th ed. ). Pearson Education. p 66-67, 224-230, 231-232, 297-303, 315-324. Maddern, H et al (2007). Customer satisfaction and service quality in UK financial services. International Journal of Operations ;amp; Production Management. Vol. 7 Issue 9, p998-1019, 22p. MarketWatch (2009). Industry Comment: Tesco: becoming the Tesco of financial services. Vol. 8 Issue 4, p5-5, 2/3p. MarketWatch (2009). Tesco: renaming of banking division heralds a renewed attack on Britain's players. Vol. 8 Issue 11, p11-12, 2p. Pettinger, T (2011). Top 10 British Banks. Economicshelp. [Online] Available from: http://www. economicshelp. o rg. (Accessed 14 April 2012) Sky News (2008). Tesco Pays ? 950m To Become Bank. [Online] Available from: http://news. sky. com/home/business/article/15058484. (Accessed 14 April 2012) The Telegraph (2009). Tesco Bank to offer current accounts and mortgages. Online] Available from: http://www. telegraph. co. uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/banking/6266043/Tesco-Bank-to-offer-current-accounts-and-mortgages. html. (Accessed 14 April 2012) Tesco plc website (2012). Annual reports. Investors. [Online] Available from: http://www. tescoplc. com/index. asp? pageid=166. (Accessed 13 April 2012) Tescocompare (2012). Credit Cards. Money. [Online] Available from: http://tesco. lovemoney. com/creditcards. (Accessed 15 April 2012) Tesco Bank website (2012). Insurance. [Online] Available from: http://www. tescobank. com/personal/finance/home. html. (Accessed 15 April 2012)

The Role of Language and Communication in National Transfromation

The relationship between language and communication in the business of information encoding and dissemination cannot be over looked. Despite the fact that the two concepts are different in meaning, the roles they play are complementary in many ways.Language is a process by which information can be carried out from one party to another, while communication refers to the chain of activities that make it possible for information, ideas, emotions and experiences to be conveyed from one party to the other. The process of communication starts with the source that first puts the message information in a code or language before it is sent to the receiver. The major focus of this work is to examine how language and communication agree in achieving effective information delivery for National Transformation. A documentary approach was applied.It was found out that the issue of language and communication is at the core of national transformation in Nigeria. Some variables that are relevant to th is work are examined. These findings led to the conclusion that for Nigeria to move forward in its transformational strides in the 21st century, language and communication must be strengthened at all cost. 1. 0: INTRODUCTION Language plays a very vital role in human society. The language of any human society tells a lot about that society. Therefore, it can be further emphasized that language and communication are inseparable.In any human society, language and communication occupy a very important seat, more than it appears to all. The functions of language and communication in any human community include the following; expression of thoughts, political, administration, education, social, religious, legislation and so on. It is imperative to note that of all the channels of communication, language is the most important. This is because all other means of communication like gestures and signs are only needful in the face-to-face circumstance.Language plays a vital role in this and st ill remains the most effective means of communication. Through language and communication, we can see the heart of a people. This implies that language makes it possible to express feelings, emotions, views, ideas, opinions, perceptions, as well as judgment about people, objects, places, things, information and situations, Obuh and Omenogor (2012). 2. 0: WHAT IS LANGUAGE? Language is a viable implement used by man for the purpose of communication. It is human-specific and this differentiates man from other creatures.Language has contributed enormously to the great transformation of our society politically, religiously, socially and economically. For the sake of this paper, we need a definition of language. There is a plethora of definitions of the concept of language. Sapir (1963) asserts that: â€Å"language is the key to the heart of a people† this means that language is a purely human and non-instinctive type of communication. Moreso, Moulton (1974), sees language as: â₠¬Å"a wonderful and rich vehicle of communication, which is: expression of ideas, wishes, commands, conveyance of truths and lies. He also said that only human beings have the attribute of sending and receiving an unlimited number of messages. This implies that language is a feature common to human beings. Haugen (1974) explains language as: â€Å"a man’s most distinctive and significant type of social behaviour†¦ learned anew by every child. † Language and communication are inseparably linked in the heart of a people. According to Allen and Corder (1973:27), â€Å"language is purely a human and non-instinctive method of communicating ideas, emotions and desires by means of voluntarily produced symbols†.Hall (1980:16) defines language as: â€Å"the institutions where by humans communicate and interact with each other by means of habitually used oral auditory symbols†. Bolinger (1975:14), views language as: â€Å"a system of vocal-auditory communicati on interacting with the experiences of its users, employing conventional signs composed of arbitrarily patterned sound units and assembled according to set rules†. In another development, Essien (1998:2) sees language as: A system of structured arbitrary vocal symbols by means of which human beings make meaning nd communicate with each other in a given community†¦. These definitions recognize the communicative role of language which is specifically used by human beings for the purpose of interaction. By implication, language is in essence a perfect means of expression among every known people. It is important to note that language determines the world-view of a people. It is the connection between language and communication in information delivery for national transformation that is the fulcrum of this discourse.In as much as human beings use language, communication remains its primary target. 2. 1: FUNCTIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF LANGUAGE These can be seen as some speci al qualities and role that are common to a typical human language. Human language is used in a number of functions and topmost among which is communication. In the same vein, language is known with the following properties: LANGUAGE IS A LIVING PHENOMENON: This is attributed to a language because language just like other creatures can be ‘born’, ‘grow’, and ‘die’. Creating a language is like giving birth to a language.A language grows when it undergoes a kind of structural and semantic expansion. A language dies when it is no longer used or spoken by any group of people in any part of the world as a means of communication. IT IS ARBITRARY: This implies that there is no logic or reasonable resemblance between words and expressions of a given language and their basic meanings or what they stand for. Example, â€Å"the spoon is in the cup on the table† does not logically look like what it means because of the arbitrariness of each of its co nstituents parts.In the same vein, human language is conventional. This is closely related to the arbitrariness of language, because a language is conventional in the sense that its meaningful usage is based on general opinion, consent, knowledge or acceptability of its various speakers Oluga (2006) EVERY LANGUAGE IS RULE GOVERNED: This means that the acceptable and correct use of a giving language is usually guided at the various linguistic levels by set of an operating rules and principles called ‘Grammar’.Every language has its own grammar which may not be the same with those of other languages and any deviation from such grammatical rules will render language use ungrammatical. IT IS SYMBOLIC: This means that language also involves the use of various symbols which invariably aids comprehension of the meaning of language. However, symbols may or may not be physical. It is not physical if what is meant is the mental image already pictured in the language users’ mind which comes to mind whenever the signifier is mentioned.LANGUAGE IS PURELY HUMAN: The school of thought who advocates these characteristics are those who believe in the incomparability of the human language. To them, language is one of the main distinctive features by which human beings can be identified, hence, it is only the human means of communication that is highly complex and developed and which can explain virtually everything that they identify as language. LANGUAGE IS COMPLEX BUT FLEXIBLE: Language complexity means that language is made up of various, but logical related, constituent parts that can be properly combined to express unlimited ideals.While language flexibility means that language is not an unreasonably rigid source of communication but one that can be modified in various ways to express various ideas. One can even say something and mean the opposite of what one says and yet the intended meaning of one’s message would be understood. LANGUAGE IS EITH ER ACCQUIRED OR LEARNT: Here, human beings are not born with language though the ability to speak language is inherent in them; hence, no child starts to speak a language as soon as he/she is born.A language is either informally acquired from childhood through an unconscious process or formally learnt through a conscious learning process or in a formal learning setting like the language class. However, acquisition of language is peculiar to mother tongue while, learning proper is peculiar to other languages other than the mother tongue. It is also expedient to note that an already acquired language usually influences or impedes learning and competency in the second language usage. From the above, it is obvious that language is an essential part of human beings which they use for communication purpose.Therefore, every nation that wishes to have a meaningful transformation, must take the issue of its language very seriously. Nigeria is a typical example of a country that has not been taken the issue of language very seriously and this is part of the reasons for our backwardness in National Transformation. 2. 2: LANGUAGE AND NATIONAL TRANSFORMATION Transformation has to do with a complete change, usually into something with an improved appearance or usefulness. Transformation implies that there is an improvement of the well-being of the people.Transformation can be seen from two major angles, that is: from human and physical. For human, transformation should be seen in raising the levels of their living standard in terms of good income. Physical transformation is an aspect of transformation that does not necessarily change the living standard of the people like building skyscrapers, modern expressways and so on. Many people are poor because they cannot assume their citizens basic necessities of life. National Transformation is the growth of the nation in terms of unity, education and so on.It involves a coordinated and concentrated transformation of all aspects o f the society, Elugbe (1990) as quoted by Okoye and Okafor (2011). For National Transformation and social changes to take a positive stand, the government should share most of her favourable policies to her target audience through the accessible mediums with acceptable language. The economic transformation of any nation also helps to define its transformational processes. As it is, the process of industrialization entails a background study of the nature of the environment and its suitability for the industry.This cannot be achieved without the use of language to transmit the ideas to the people concerned Unegbu (2011). The unity of a nation has to do with the need for the various ethnic groups in that nation to see themselves as one. It is certain that Nigeria as a nation is a geographical entity that is made up of several different groups ordinarily unrelated. I stand to said that there cannot be real national unity and transformation without a strong and genuine linguistic policy that is geared towards uniting the country 3. 0: WHAT IS COMMUNICATION?Communication is the process of sharing ideas, feelings, thoughts and messages with others. The heart of communication is the dissemination of effective messages to the audience and this may involve writing, speaking, gestures, disposition and facial expressions, among others. Communication has been given several definitions by various scholars. For instance, Little (1965:4) defines communication as: â€Å"a process by which information is passed among individuals and organizations by means of previously agreed symbols†. Lyons (1965:32) views it as â€Å"an intentional transmission of information by means of some established signaling system†.Book, et al (1980:8) sees communication as â€Å"†¦ a transactional symbolic process which allows people to relate and manage their environment by establishing human contact, exchanging information, re-enforcing the attitudes and behaviours of others and changing the attitudes and behaviours of others. By these definitions, communication therefore is a means of touching others through sharing of information in agreed system. 3. 1: FORMS OF COMMUNICATION Forms of communication have been derived for the sake of convenience to simplify the process of communication.Communication is very vital to keep the environment healthy and peaceful. Imagine a world where no one understands one another. Wouldn't it be chaotic? Think about it. Communication of information, messages, opinions, speech and thoughts can be done through different forms of modern communication media, like Internet, Telephone and Mobile. Some of the basic ways of communication are by speaking, singing, sign language, body language, touch and eye contact. These basic ways of communication are used to transfer information and for the sake of this paper it shall be narrowed down into four: ?First is verbal communication, it is essentially the type of communication which uses words. It uses sounds in addition to the language, gestures and body language, while communicating. Verbal communication helps in expressing thoughts, emotions and sentiments. A phone conversation, chat with a friend, an announcement made or a speech delivered are all verbal forms of communication. For most of us, it comes with ease. As children, we learned verbal communication through the sounds around us. We soon develop and start understanding the language which helps us to communicate verbally as we grow older. Another is non-verbal communication. It is a process of communication without using words or sounds. Non-verbal communication uses gestures, body language, facial expressions, eye contact, clothing, hairstyles and every part of the body to communicate with the audience. Dances or a gesture made by a mother to a child, are the perfect examples of non-verbal communication. ?Written communication is another form. This is where you write the words which you want to communicat e. Good written communication is essential for business purposes. Written communication is practiced in many different languages.E-mails, reports, articles and memos are some of the ways of using written communication in business. The written communication can be edited and amended many times before it is communicated to the second party to whom the communication is intended. This is one of the main advantages of using writing as the major means of communication in business activity. Written communication is used not only in business but also for informal communication purposes. Mobile SMS is an example of informal written communication see Daramola (2003). ?Fourthly is oral communication. This is the communication process conducted through spoken words.Oral communication is defined as the effective interpretation, composition, and presentation of information, ideas, and values to a specific audience. In today's world, the emergences of different forms of media have led to the commu nication process through different channels like telephones, tele-conferences, video conferences and what have you. Earlier, face-to-face meetings and speeches were the only forms of communication see also Daramola (2003). 3. 2: CHARACTERISTICS OF COMMUNICATION According to Daramola (2003), the characteristics of communication are as follows: oCommunication is dynamic, not static. It is continuous since there is no beginning and end to it in person’ life oIt is a complete process as it occurs at many levels and reflects many influences. oIt is irreversible. Once any message is sent and received, it produces effect on later messages. oIt is non sequential in that the elements are not rigidly patterned in a linear or circular manner. 3. 3: COMMUNICATION AND NATIONAL TRANSFORMATION National Transformation in Nigeria is a phenomenon that has so many meanings to different people though, all gear towards enhancing the living standard of the masses.Society as a whole cannot survive if the people are not properly informed of the way forward. And communication constitutes one of the instruments that precedes the education and re-education of the people providing changes in the society. Communication is a way of relaying a lot of information to a large segment of people. In communicating with the people, there is the communicator, the message, channel and the audience. As an ingredient for the advancement of the society, communication maintains a constant link between the people and National Transformation.The main purpose of communication is to create awareness to the public. Communication is the live wire for growth and transformation. It does not only eradicate ignorance and apathy, it aids to create awareness about happenings in the society. Lack of communication can lead to a total breakdown of activities in a society. Communication brings about freedom of speech and ideas. It gives everyone the privilege to participate in the formation of public matters. It keeps one abreast about transformational agenda and widens ones wealth of knowledge Unegbu (2011).Nigerian government need to use communication to help socio-economic and political advancement of the country and this will assist to mobilize the people towards the attainment of National Transformation of the country. With the use of communication and language, the government will be able to reach out to her numerous audiences in her policies and programmes. The aim at improving the standard of living of the masses, raising their consciousness towards protection and the defense of the nation for national interest cannot be achieved without proper communication. . 0: RECOMMENDATION The following recommendations may serve in improving the role language and communication plays in National Transformation. 1. Effort should be doubled at the teaching and learning of language and communication to meet international standards. 2. Education policy makers should make language and communication a compulsory course for all disciplines at the high education level in Nigeria. This will assist every graduate (no matter his/her area of specialization) to acquire standard language and communication skills. . The teaching of language and communication should be more intensive. This implies that more hours should be allocated to language and communication class in our schools. 4. Teachers of language and communication should be trained and re-trained to enable them cope with the complexities involved in the teaching of the course. 5. 0: CONCLUSION Communication involves the use of language to pass information, transact, and exchange ideas and expressions of thought. This implies that, language is a fundamental symbol to communication.Language is not a natural instinct; it is acquired or learnt through the effective social stages like the family, peer-group and ethnic group. Man as a social and communicative animal must live, associate and interact with people in the society to ac hieve personal aspirations. All these is greatly enhanced and facilitated by effective communication. This paper has looked at language and communication in Nigerian environment as one of the ways of enhancing National Transformation. The point is that Nigeria as a country should develop language and communication to a level that every user can effectively and adequately handle it.This is in view of the fact that the Nigerians must be prepared for the challenges of international environment since transformation is not just something that is limited to within the boundaries of a given nation-state or country. The life of a nation will be short-circuited and meaningless without language and communication. Sustained communication is therefore made possible through language.

Evaluating the jury in the English legal system Essay

Evaluating the jury in the English legal system - Essay Example This paper attempts to comprehensively analyze the Jury present in the English legal system. It (paper) would examine the strengths and weaknesses of the jury, based on the current state of affairs. Also, the paper would go on to suggest the manner in which improvements can be brought about in this system (jury). Before proceeding further with the discussion on all the aspects mentioned in the previous paragraph, it would be of help in having a brief look at the jury, as it is seen in the English legal system. Jury Historically, the concept of jury has been there in the English legal system for nearly the past eight centuries. But it was only in the year 1670 that a jury having its distinct power and which is not dependent on the judge was formed. In the criminal cases, the jury comes to the decision whether or not the crime in question can be attributed to the defendant. Likewise, in the civil matters, the jury decides whether the claimant has come forward with proof strong enough t o strengthen their case. Here, the jury also arrives at a collective decision about the eligibility of the claimant to receive compensation. (1) As per the English Law, a person can become a part of the jury, only if they satisfy some conditions. Firstly, the age of the person should not be less than eighteen and more than seventy. To become part of a jury, it is imperative that the electoral roll has name of the person, and it is also required that they have been a resident of the United Kingdom for a minimum of five years, right from the time when they were thirteen. Here, it needs to be noted that persons who are directly related to the judiciary or the department of justice cannot be included in a jury. People who have developed any mental ailments are not eligible to get included in the jury, too. (1) At this point, it needs to be specifically mentioned that all the above are only the most vital points pertaining to jury of the English legal system. It has to be understood that there are several other laws and regulations governing the avenue (jury). As is the case with most of the systems, even the jury has both strengths and weaknesses, and the paper would now endeavor to have a look at them (strengths & weaknesses). Strengths There are several advantages of the jury system of the English Law, and a brief glance at some of the major ones (strengths) would be very much appropriate. Whenever a person accused of a crime is in a position that, despite being innocent the related legal aspects are very much against them, they can take the help of jury. And it is a matter of common sense that there are countless legal cases where, the points enumerated in the law books cannot be of help to the defendant in proving their innocence. (2) Likewise, the jury system can be conveniently rated as being a safeguard to the common man of the country, as it prevents the government from adopting an autocratic approach. To put it in other words, the jury makes sure that the government cannot imprison people solely for furthering its political objectives. A person can be jailed only when they are guilty of committing a crime, as per the British Law. The jury goes a long way in making sure that the citizens of the land are not victimized by the corrupt acts of judges. (2) One of the major advantages of the jury as per the English Law is that, it enables common people of the Kingdom to participate in the process of delivering justice. As a result of that, it can be safely concluded that, the eventual judgment is nothing but the common verdict of people pertaining to varying backgrounds. It (judgment) can in no way be the decision of just one official of the judiciary, courtesy the presence of jury system. In addition, the juries go a long way in making sure that the verdict delivered by them is free of ambiguity. They just need to decide whether the accused in question is innocent or guilty. (3) As mentioned earlier, the members of a jury come from diver se social backgrounds. Owing to

Agile software development Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Agile software development - Assignment Example On the other hand, agile software development methodology is a software development process that is aimed at developing a software application quickly and allowing for late changes. In addition, CMMI heavily relies on documentation and everything is properly documented when CMMI is being adopted. However, agile software development approach relies on minimum documentation because its focus is on the development. Though, both agile and CMMI have their advantages and disadvantages and the research has shown that if they are implemented effectively, they can work jointly and can play a significant role in the improvement of software development. In fact, principles and practices offered by the agile software development approach ensures critical, long-standing process improvement, hence making it a perfect partner of the CMMI model, which provides an excellent structure of an organization-wide, effectively trained nonstop optimization and improvement. Hence, it can be said that there is no incompatibility between CMMI and agile. In fact, the mixture of both CMMI and Agile complete each other’s capabilities as well as can lead to quick, reasonable, observable, and the continuing benefits (Ropa, 2014; Glazer, 2010). In view of the fact that in the agile software development the programming starts immediately and the testing phase remains active throughout the programming. In this scenario, the software testers have to perform a variety of testing techniques again and again. So the automation of these tests becomes essential. In fact, agile development cannot be successful without automating its testing phase. However, the decision about which tests need to be automated is taken while planning for a given user story. At this stage, testers and developers work collaboratively to determine where automation can be used to activate acceptance/signal completion of the story. Without a doubt, automated testing is really a precondition to becoming a truthfully agile

The psychology of coaching today's athlete Research Paper

The psychology of coaching today's athlete - Research Paper Example These associates can affect training because the athlete is not getting the right diet, rest or having personal problems. This affects the person’s attitude during practices and the competitions. A coach should be the one to decrease the stress that the athlete feels at least at practices and games. A coach has to has to have knowledge, attitude, and know about behavior techniques to lead a team and they must be able to disguise personal emotions and frustration that could affect the performance of the athlete and the team. If there is a lack of confidence in their coach’s ability and knowledge the athlete should â€Å"further seek other personal training knowledge.† (Bompa, 303) They should improve self-control or if the athlete wants they can look for another coach that they feel will be more comfortable with and has more knowledge. This is so the athlete can have confidence in their practices and competitions. (Bompa, 303) In learning to be a Basketball coach you must learn the basis of training so all your participants can excel in their sport and individual performances. A coach educates his athletes in a physiological, psychological, and sociological manner with all these variables. There is a system to this training which is progressive and individually graded. â€Å"A coach leads, organizes, plans and educates the athlete.† (Bompa 4) This is also how a coach is like a teacher. Coaching is a time that an athlete achieves their individual abilities and psychological traits in a social environment that is conducive to learning and bringing on peak performances. Coaching is a profession that requires a Bachelor’s degree either in Education specializing in Health, Physical Education and Recreation for a coach in any sport is a teacher, but while they are in college they may have to have a second major, for example Elementary Education or even Secondary Education, so that they can teach children at various levels and get a p osition coaching a team. Coaching at the Early Childhood and/or Elementary level is mainly teaching the very basics of the sport and in this case Basketball. You as the coach would teach the skills like dribbling the ball, passing the ball, making free throws, etc. You would want to stress safety and teamwork at the very start at all the different levels of sports education. In learning about Basketball coaches need to learn how to teach the necessary skills, but before this step the first step would have to be a way to create an interest in the sport of Basketball. It is up to the coach to make the sport interesting, so the child will continue playing scholastically and as a extracurricular activity. The coach will have to instill the ideas of physical fitness, movement, learn to work with others, and to learn the necessary safety skills and also the attitudes to which wholesome recreation Is needed. â€Å"Even on a young child sports and physical education should instill personal values and to be creative.† â€Å"Physical activity is a very important for a growing child for they have to be taught to move correctly in order to stay healthy.† (Dauer, 13) Even when coaching young children coaches should check their physical development charts for body physique, skeletal and muscular

Del Rio Independent School District Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Del Rio Independent School District - Essay Example Many of these issues with regards race and ethnic background strengthened America's democratic fundamentals. One of these landmark cases was of Loving vs. Virginia, a civil rights case in which the United States Supreme Court proclaimed that Virginia's anti-miscegenation law, the "Racial Integrity Act of 1924", unconstitutional, thereby ending all race-based legal constraints on marriage in the United States. The accused, Mildred Jeter, of African descent and Richard Perry Loving, of Caucasian race, reside in the Commonwealth of Virginia but married in June of 1958 in the District of Columbia. They had left Virginia in order to elude a state law prohibiting marital union between a 'white person' and a 'non-white person.' The Supreme Court declared Virginia's law unconstitutional which in turn paved the way for the abolition of all race-based marriage statutes in the United States. Another case significant to the equality of race was the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, barring immigration for ten years.

Film Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Film Analysis - Essay Example aging a Living†, especially in its story about Barbara Brooks who is a 36 year-old single, black mother living in Freeport, New York, reflects the matrix of domination in relation to how Barbara experiences herself in relation to social class, race, and gender, as well as how these intersect to form a boundary between subordination and privilege. In short, Barbara’s story in â€Å"Waging a Living† seen from the matrix of domination perspective, represents the fact that understanding oppression requires initial understanding of privilege as a counter position. Society typically uses descriptive dichotomies like white/black or female/male, which are in direct opposition to one another and are rarely representative of equal relationships (Zinn & Dill, 1996). This phenomenon can be used to describe the reason why Barbara Brooks finds herself in her position of domination. In this case, she falls into two halves that society considers inferior, which are being black and being female. This intersection of gender and race has been identified as having a significant influence over the labor market. For instance, despite Barbara having the requisite skill, experience, and education to succeed, these factors are not enough to make a difference in the outcome of the labor market. She still has to balance her responsibilities as a full time worker and a single mother, of which the latter is a consequence of her gender. The intersection of gender and race also has a significant impact on wages, especially since she is forced to return to her school a nd work schedule as she is unable to support her family. By understanding intersectionality and the labor market, it is further easier to see how the intersection of gender and race, as well as economic inequalities, impact on social status and class (Zinn & Dill, 1996). In Barbara’s case, her gender and race also intersect with her social status to make her even more dominated. Barbara lives in Freeport, New York where the

Management, People and Organisations - Managing the United Kingdom Essay

Management, People and Organisations - Managing the United Kingdom National Health Service - Essay Example The management of NHS has been faced with challenges from the government, public and within its own organization. The government and public requires the organization to deliver more and build trust however provisional support not sufficient. The essay analyzes symptoms in order to recognize problems and provide alternatives solutions. It deliberates the organizational issues underlying these difficulties and suggests vicissitudes believed conducive to making a high performance organization. In addition, it explores NHS organizational administration methods, structure and culture morals from a conjectural background (MARTIN, 2005). It summarizes the prominence of managing these issues communally in an unstable atmosphere to accomplish goals. It discloses internal and external factors that encourage change in organizations. The problems faced by United Kingdom National Health Service are not unique to any organization offering service. Management requires designing and maintaining an atmosphere that individuals, working as teams, efficiently achieve selected goals. The key objective of management is to ensure things are done by the people, through generating a suitable setting in which they can attain organizational goals. The case study reveals that many clinicians have indulged in managerial duties besides their existing role, in an attempt to bring a difference. This engrossment in management can be time overwhelming and actually clashes with their professional roles. It is understandable that many of the indications which the case study proves can be directly linked to conflict of roles or better say conflict of interest. This proves lack of professionalism since each player in an organization should adhere to their duties and do them to their best. Organization should define each role of players and governing principles to ensure quality. It is evident that role issue is a major management problem for the NHS. In any specified role, there

Internet Connections Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Internet Connections - Essay Example A wireless router may extend signals to about 100 feet in all directions, but these can be interrupted by walls. However to obtain enough coverage a range repeater or extender can be utilized. Moreover, a wireless network adapter installation will be needed in each of the devices that need to be connected. Any device that uses the Bluetooth can also be connected easily to each other, inside a 10 meters range, and most computers, printers, cell phones, home entertainment systems, cell phones, printers, computers and other gadgets come with this technology already been installed. However, Bluetooth adapter helps if it’s not built in the computer (Mitchell, n.d). a) I will prefer my DBMS server to be installed on separate machine as if other internet connected machine (e.g. Web server) may get compromised my database would be safe from this attack (Martinez, n.d). b) Web server software allows a computer to host different websites via the domain name system (DNS). This system translates domain names that are people-friendly, such as "domain.com" into Internet protocol (IP) addresses that pertain to the server that actually stores the information. It also enables a single server to host multiple websites or applications, despite the fact that computers traditionally only have one IP. Email servers are a part of an overall message system (Squared, 2009). Hubs are utilized in networks that employ twisted-pair wiring to join devices. Hubs can be connected together to make larger networks. These are easy devices that direct information packets to every device linked to them. Switches, like hubs are connectivity spots in Ethernet network. Devices are connected to switches by twisted-pair wiring, each device having one cable. Switches receive data and forward it to only that port which is connected to the target device by learning the devices’ MAC address connected to it, and by

CONFLICT RESOLUTION Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

CONFLICT RESOLUTION - Term Paper Example Where people stay, conflicts are bound to take place. As human beings, it is vital to find ways of solving conflicts so as to live in harmony. The art and ability to accommodate one another is equally important therefore it is wise to take it as a burden to resolve conflict in an amicable way without resorting to war. From past experience and historical perspective, diplomacy reigns where war has always failed. It is therefore important to analyze conflict from a personal experience with regard to what takes place in the work place. It is also very important to figure out what would be the dangers of letting anger take control of people in the work or social places and the repercussions it might have on their career (Hodgson, 2000). Conflicts in work places are as common as they are in other social places. Having that background knowledge it is therefore important to find ways of handling situations of conflict that may arise in our surrounding. It is also important to realize that m any a times conflicts normally arise as a result of conflicting concerns of individuals, who may want to suit their own interest at the expense of others. Conflicts in work places arise because of a number of reasons. If such issues are not addressed in time, they cause a threat to the organization. An example of what might cause conflict is the feeling that some workers are given special treatment than others. Yet some workers may also engage in conflict because they are sidelined. This occurs when a single worker or a group of workers find it difficult to associate with fellow workers because of their background, their weakness or even their manner of handling situations. For example in my case, I have experienced a scenario at work place when fellow workers ganged up against me. Reason being, I had a weakness in the manner in which I handled lazy people. Instead of being rational, I acted ruthlessly towards them. As a result, I was sidelined by my workmates. The situation got wor se. I was hated by everyone in the organization. My sight could not be condoned by anyone; this deteriorated my performance. I was almost giving up my job when finally the manager came to our intervention. The situation has improved since I now get along with everyone. My situation may not be different from what might be going on in other places of work. Appreciating others is vital since no achievement in the work place can be realized when workers are not united. We must learn to work with others and accept others, putting it in mind that we cannot have the same qualities. Since conflicts are mandatory in places of work, it is important to look at ways of coming up with solutions to solve such occurrences whenever they happen. There are as many solutions to as many social problems as possible. The only challenge that has always been is that there is no strategy that is near perfect for solving conflicts (Palagi et al., 2004). There are five strategies that can be used in conflict resolution in case of conflict in any working places or anywhere else. The strategies include accommodating, compromising, avoiding, and problem solving. All these strategies are important tools that those who are holding managerial positions in the work places should try to adopt when faced with the challenge of trying to solve disputes in places of work. Conflicts in places of work should be viewed as natural occurrences that arise out of discontentment and frustrations and thus before using

Product Summary Essay Example for Free

Product Summary Essay The commercialization of the internet proves to be a major opportunity of for business organizations in the global arena. It should be noted that this technology has allowed the creation of new business model where companies can become more efficient and generate more revenue by establishing online presence. The internet has become a venue where sellers and buyers meet for purchases. Some business organizations have opted to augment their brick and mortar strategies by having online outlets while still others have opted to solely operate online. Perhaps three of the most successful business organizations which utilized the advancement of internet technology are retailers like eBay, Amazon, and Walmart. All these industry players have gained the reputation of being the top in internet retailing both in the number of visitors and the amount of sales generated.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If I am given the chance to be a competitor of these giant retailers, I will utilize the individual strengths which they display while staying away from their weaknesses. In order to avoid direct competition from these already established players, I will specialize catering to a small segment instead of going after the whole market. This will help me in building the right image for the company and establishing public awareness for the product and service that I would offer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   eBay represents one of the purest market in the world today where buyers and sellers can directly transact with each other. The website is a very good place to buy products because buyers and sellers can negotiate on the price, payment, and other service. However, I believe that an online retailer should have a fixed price and rules when dealing with its customers. Before entering a transaction, the customer should be adequately informed on the price which is most acceptable in the exchange of product and service. The establishment of a fixed system of payment, delivery, and price will eliminate the necessity of having to answer queries for each customer when they find details to be unclear. However, I will consider the user-friendly and frequently upgraded website of the company in order to attract buyers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Amazon is remarkable because of its being purely an online entity. What I will adopt with this company is its system of recording customers’ details which they can use in their future purchases. I believe that this is a very much essential value-added feature because it really makes customer more convenient as they don’t need to type information again and again. Amazon should also be applauded for its customers’ reviews which aids prospective buyers in making their purchase decisions. I will integrate this when putting up an online retailing entity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Walmart is known as the market leader when it comes to price and quality. The company also extends this in its website which showcases all its affordable products. The website of the company is very extensive almost comprising its entire product line which it has in store. What I like about Walmart is the warmth of experience even in online shopping. Customer service is still very remarkable and consistent both in its outlet and its online store. This consistency makes shopping very relaxing in an online marketspace where customer emotions are not often considered. References Kotler, P 2002, Marketing Management, Prentice Hall: New Jersey

Financial Abuse of the Elderly

Financial Abuse of the Elderly Combatting Financial Abuse Introduction Elder financial abuse is becoming a bigger threat and costly problem affecting elders and their families. As the older adult population in the U.S. continues to increase, so will the opportunities for unscrupulous criminals to take advantage of the wealth that many older adults have accumulated through their lifetime. While these crimes seem to be only committed by strangers, elder financial abuse is also committed by people who occupy traditional positions of trust, such as friends and relatives. Combatting financial elder abuse begins with getting the entire family and social network involved. Talk frequently with the elder.   Have they been approached by new friends lately? Have they been offered a recent unique opportunity? Listening closely enough, one will be able to spot and stop scams before they go too far. Importance to the study Financial losses due to fraud and abuse can undermine the ability of older adults to continue to live in their own homes and afford their long-term health care needs. This stress can take a great toll on the elder. Many older individuals experience increased health problems that can lead to serious depression all due to the increase in financial loses. Perhaps worse is the loss of trust older adults develop in others and themselves after being the victims of financial fraud. Financial Fraud is a Widespread Problem In 2015 alone, older adults lost a total of $36.5 billion because of financial fraud and scams. Seniors who are socially isolated and/or in mental decline can be especially susceptible. The abuse can leave victims traumatized as well as financially harmed, or even ruined. The fear is the problem could worsen since more than 10,000 Americans turn age 65 every day. An estimated one in five older adults has been the victim of financial fraud. Many of these victims are stripped of their assets and left with little to live on. Many of these victims rarely see their money returned even if the criminal is caught. And of course, many people dont report the crime at all. The Federal Trade Commission says one in 24 financial elder abuse crimes ever get reported. What are some statistics of Elder Financial Abuse? Most analysts go with the 2010 Investor Protection Trust Elder Fraud Survey which said one in five Americans over the age of sixty-five, has been victimized by a financial fraud and a 2011 MetLife Mature Market Institute study determining that financial exploitation costs seniors at least $2.9 billion annually. At the other end of the scale, True-Link, a company that provides account-monitoring software for elders and their families, has projected that financial elder abuse costs families more than $36 billion a year, 12 times the MetLife estimate. True-Link arrived at its estimate by surveying family caregivers of older people. Defining financial elder abuse is very difficult because of the wide estimates of what is considered financial elder abuse. Many know it’s a problem but how big the problem is quite hard to say, because hard data is so scarce. The reason for this scarcity is due to the fact financial abuse often goes unreported, because the victim often feels shame and embarrassment. This paper will explore financial abuse and how to combat financial abuse in the elderly population. Literature Review Many theories have been proposed to help explain financial elder abuse. Such theories have mainly been adapted from other fields such as child abuse and intimate partner abuse. Although the literature covers a wide variety of these theories, this review will focus on several major themes which emerge repeatedly though out the literature reviewed. These themes include: how prevalent is elder financial abuse, who is committing elder financial abuse, what effects does financial abuse have on its victims and what can be done to help prevent elder financial abuse. Although the literature presents these themes in a variety of contexts, this paper will primarily focus on their application to how devastating elder financial abuse can be to its victims. The prevalence of financial elder abuse is on the rise. As baby boomers are now in retirement criminals are taking advantage of this ever-increasing opportunity to steal from them. Burns, Henderson, Charles, Sheppard, Zhao, Pillemer and Lachs (2017) suggests that, â€Å"Approximately one of every 18 cognitively intact older adults living in the community experiences financial fraud or scam each year.† It is felt that elder financial abuse can be considered a sort of financial exploitation. This exploitation occurs when the perpetrator misuses or takes the elder’s money for their own personal benefit. This frequently happens without the knowledge or consent of a senior, depriving them of vital financial resources. The rising number of seniors only increases the opportunities for perpetrators to practice their art of stealing. The question that begs to be answered is who would do this to our most vulnerable generation? Perhaps the most tragic element of elder abuse is the fact that in many cases, the perpetrator is a trusted friend or family member whom the elderly person thinks is acting in their best interest. A popular way to gain access to the elder’s finances is through using the services of a lawyer. Lawyers need to be aware of the ways in which their services may be used by family members or caregivers as a means of financial abuse. Hannah (2016) say’s â€Å"Often, a lawyer may be asked to draft documents that provide an elderly persons family member or caregiver with an opportunity to steal the elderly person’s possessions. â€Å"A story was once told about a distraught sister,  convinced that her brother was stealing from their parents. The daughter was concerned because the son was given total control over their parent’s affairs. This gave him the legal authority to make both financial decisions without being accountable to anyone else and all healthcare decisions as well.   When asked if the daughter had called Adult Protective Services, she said, â€Å"no because she didn’t want to get her brother in trouble.† Perpetrators are not limited only to the ones the senior might know, there are others. Seniors control a major portion of the nation’s wealth. Thieves go where the money is and realize that the elderly often suffer from cognitive and physical disabilities and are vulnerable. Also, many seniors are socially isolated, lonely and have no one to consult with on financial matters thus making them susceptible to manipulation. Goergen and Beaulien (2010) explains, â€Å"Perpetrators pretend trustworthiness by posing as relatives when they call the elderly on the telephone or pose as craftsmen at victims’ doorstep, or they appeal to victims’ readiness to help by pretending to be a family member in a situation of distress and needing support.† Another sad story was told, when a man prompted an elderly woman to sell her home and wire the money to a mysterious bank account.  The man, who claimed to be communicating from another country, promised to marry her. It was all a scam. Today, the woman is homeless. When asked why she did that, she said, â€Å"well that’s what you do when you’re in love.† People committing financial fraud schemes are experts in deception, and very good at coming up with new ways to trick unsuspecting victims. They have learned to be experts in manipulation. Tacchino (2017) says in some cases, the elderly client feels responsible for what happened and they are too embarrassed to make a complaint. Suffering victimization can lead a senior to withdraw and have an increasing feeling of hopelessness. Faced with financial loss, some victims may contemplate suicide. Additionally, having money stolen in retirement can make it difficult for the elderly to afford needed medical care which can cause medical conditions to worsen. While it’s important to understand the signs of elder abuse, it may be more productive to take steps to prevent abuse from occurring in the first place. Oumlil and Williams (2011) Given the significance of the elderly consumer market in the development of successful and comprehensive marketing strategies, it is imperative that marketing decision-makers and policymakers better understand and respond to the varied needs of this significant consumer segment.   Family conversations can help gain insight into the senior’s affairs and mental state. Jackson (2015) explained, people who have been battling financial exploitation are pleased to observe the increased attention that financial exploitation is receiving at all levels of society. Family discussions between elders and adult children could serve as a much-needed reality check. Ideally, conversations on these matters should take place well before retirement, to ensure that elders are adequately prepared. This will give the whole family the time needed to anticipate, plan, and make smarter, more informed decisions. In identifying weaknesses and gaps, one question would be how often are perpetrators caught and what are the penalties that they would receive.   There is very little to no news of anyone being fined or sent to prison for stealing an old person’s life savings. In conclusion, focusing on these five major themes which have emerged though out the literature reviewed include a better understanding of the prevalence in elder financial abuse, who is committing elder financial abuse, what effects financial abuse has on its victims and what can be done to help prevent elder financial abuse. Hopefully this will show how devastating elder financial abuse can be. Oral History An interview with Joe F. who wished to remain anonymous is 77 years old.   He had the unfortunate experience of someone trying to trick him into sending money under the false impression of helping a family member out of a financial jam.   Joe became an unwilling expert in the popular scam which is commonly known as the grandparent scam. Goergen and Beaulien (2010) explain, that perpetrators pretend trustworthiness by posing as relatives when they call the elderly on the telephone or pose as craftsmen at victims’ doorstep, or they appeal to victims’ readiness to help by pretending to be a family member in a situation of distress and needing support. It is so simple and so devious because it uses one of most reliable assets seniors have, it’s their hearts. Scammers will place a call to an elderly person and when the senior picks up, they will say something along the lines of: â€Å"Hi Grandpa, do you know who this is?† This is exactly how Joe said his unsuspecting scam call started out. He said when he answered the phone, the voice on the other end was hard to recognize, the excuse was given that it was a bad cell phone signal. The unsuspecting grandparent guesses the name of the grandchild the scammer most sounds like. By doing this the scammer can establish a fake identity without having to do any background research. Joe said, â€Å"Is this Jack?† The voice on the other end said, â€Å"yes, its Jack.† Once the fake grandchild identity is established the scammer will usually ask for money to solve some unexpected financial problem such as overdue rent, payment for car repairs, etc. In Joe’s case the caller said they were in a traffic accident and needed some money to have the car towed. Often the scammer will ask money to be sent via Western Union or MoneyGram. Often money transferred this route does not require identification to collect.  At this point, Joe began to be suspicious because Jack only has his learners permit and would not be driving alone.   So, Joe began to probe further by asking where Jack was. The voice on the other end was reluctant to say. Often the scam artist will beg the grandparent, â€Å"please don’t tell my parents, they would kill me.†Ã‚   By this time, Joe felt like this was a scam and hung up the phone. These scams are likely to be done hundreds of times on unsuspecting seniors just like Joe. The fact that no research is needed makes this a scam a popular one that can be perpetrated over and over at very little or no cost to the scammer. After the call, Joe went on to say how vulnerable he felt. He said they knew my number, they knew my name and now they know my grandsons name. Then he said, â€Å"my feelings of vulnerability turned to anger.† These feelings are common with the victim. Imagine the heightened feelings of vulnerability and anger knowing they had stolen your money as well. Joe said he was glad I was doing this research on this topic and hopes this will help others be more educated about how to avoid being victims of this type of financial abuse. Brian’s Story is about financial elder abuse that happens when the perpetrator is known to the victim. Brian’s brother, stole thousands of dollars from him when Brian moved into an assisted living center. Brian’s retirement funds began to disappear after his brother was granted power of attorney to take care of his finances. After Brian had a visit with his son, they uncovered that Brian’s brother had lied to him about the selling price of his condominium. The price was $156,000 more than what is brother had said the condo sold for. When he returned home, Brian unsuccessfully tried to address the subject with his brother. Things took a turn for the worse when he got a letter from Medicare that said that because he hadn’t paid his premiums he was suspended from the program. His brother had neglected making these payments. For Brian, taking his brother to court proved futile. Through a series of consultations, Brian said he was told that even if his brother did get convicted, he would be dead by the time he would recover any of the money. But Brian isnt letting his financial woes keep him down.   His attitude is inspirational. Brian is not alone. So many elders will be financially abused annually, and the numbers will continue to rise, because many seniors are likely too scared or otherwise unable to seek help. Discussion As many of us have parents that are elders or we might be elders ourselves, it is important to understand how prevalent elder financial abuse is. It is imperative to know who is committing elder financial abuse, to understand what effects does financial abuse have on its victims and what can be done to help prevent elder financial abuse from happening. Some have argued that financial elder abuse is not very common because the news seldom carries stories of such cases. However, findings from Burns, Henderson, Charles, Sheppard, Zhao, Pillemer and Lachs (2017) suggests that approximately five percent of cognitively intact older adults living in the community experiences financial fraud or scam each year. As the increase of baby boomers now in retirement criminals are taking advantage of this ever-increasing opportunity to steal from them. As a home health nurse, I am finding that financial elder abuse is happening more and more due to the increased complaints reported by my patients. So why are the elderly so vulnerable? Thieves go where the money is and realize that the elderly have it. To make getting it easier, many seniors often suffer from cognitive and physical disabilities making them more vulnerable. Goergen and Beaulien (2010) explains, perpetrators pretend trustworthiness by posing as relatives when they call the elderly on the telephone or pose as craftsmen at victims’ doorstep, or they appeal to victims’ readiness to help by pretending to be a family member in a situation of distress and needing support. This is what happened to Joe F. but he was one of the lucky ones who figured out it was a scam. Too many other seniors fall victim and lose. It seems simple enough not to trust strangers but who can protect the senior when the abuse is coming from someone known and trusted? Lawyers need to be aware their services may be used by family members or caregivers as a means of financial abuse. Hannah (2016) often, a lawyer may be asked to draft documents that provide an elderly persons family member or caregiver with an opportunity to steal the elderly person’s possessions. Education provided to law firms includes reviewing the tactics of a potential perpetrator and how they seek to gain access to a senior’s finances. This education is helping to reduce the incidences of elder financial abuse. As a home health nurse, I will use this research to help educate the elderly patient population that I serve. One of a nurses primary ethical responsibilities is to work with the patient to provide care that maximally enables the physical, emotional and social well-being of the patient. A nurse is also responsible for protecting and advocating for patient’s safety and rights. Protecting the elderly patient from financial abuse is truly advocating for your patient. Nurses also have a responsibility to work with the public and other professionals to foster local, community, and national efforts to improve the financial safety of the elderly population. I have learned to be more empathetic, to help provide emotional support by listening and allowing patients to express how they feel about be a victim of financial abuse. The older adult is often ashamed to admit that they have succumbed to financial abuse. Nurses have a unique opportunity to talk to their patient who have been victimized about their feelings and may also be able to suggest a referral to a professional who is experienced in dealing with financial abuse victims. The nurse may also be the first person to recognize symptoms of depression or suicidal intent of abused elderly victims. The elderly population is entitled to a safe, quality life free from financial abuse. Many nurses and other professionals are working to enhance this safe quality of life for the elderly. This article has reviewed what these health care providers and other professionals have already done to promote safe financial environment and suggests activities that can further enhance the safety of our care of the Elderly form financial abuse.   Nurses are playing, and will continue to play, an ongoing role in the movement to protect the elderly from financial abuse. References Burnes, D., Henderson, Charles R., Sheppard, C., Zhao, R., Pillemer, K., & Lachs, Mark. (2017). Prevalence of financial fraud and scams among older adults in the United States: A systematic review and meta-analysis. American Journal of Public Health, 107(8), E13-E21. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2017.303821 Goergen, T., & Beaulieu, M. (2010). Criminological theory and elder abuse researchfruitful relationship or worlds apart? Ageing International, 35(3), 185-201. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12126-010-9063-2 Hannah, J. M. (2016). Financial abuse of the dependent elder: A lawyers ethical obligations. Family Law Quarterly, 50(1), 117-121. Retrieved from https://ezproxy.southern.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1807742181?accountid=28568 Jackson, S. L. (2015). The vexing problem of defining financial exploitation. Journal of Financial Crime, 22(1), 63-78. Retrieved from https://ezproxy.southern.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1648112727?accountid=28568 Oumlil, A. B., & Williams, A. J. (2011). Financial services and the elderly poor: Development and implementation of sustainable intervention strategies. Journal of Financial Services Marketing, 15(4), 274-286. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/fsm.2010.23 Tacchino, K. B. (2017). Preventing financial elder abuse. Journal of Personal Finance, 16(1), 78-88. Retrieved from: https://ezproxy.southern.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1925859899?accountid=28568

Non State Actors In International Security

Non State Actors In International Security 1. In the process of state transformation, such as the emergence of new political spaces beyond the territorial nation state, relocation of politics from the state to international and sub-national organizations, diffusion of political power from public authorities to semi-public and private actors, and de-legitimization of the state (crisis of the welfare state, state failures, lack of performance), the old paradigm of top-down, state-led, command control ways of steering the states has been replaced by the new forms of governance and policy instruments: network-like arrangements of public and private actors, self-regulation by business organizations, public-private and civic-private partnerships, etc have emerged (Arts, 2005, p. 2). Many scholars refer to this as a shift from government to governance which is generally referred to as global governance in the study of international relations (Ibid.,p 3). This new concept of global governance invariably includes the relevance of non -state actors (NSAs) for governing global issues. 2. With the proliferation of non-state actors in International Politics,..the traditional Westphalian nation-state is experiencing an erosion of power and sovereignty (Non-state actors, 2010). This eventually undermines the states monopoly of the use of force as well as the monopoly on raising taxes and revenues which seriously restrict the effective performance of basic functions of the sovereign nation state.  [1]  This would not only lead to additional humanitarian disasters, but create tangible security problems and governance failures at the local, regional and at the global level. 3. Non-State Actors have emerged in international relations as important actors. They are limiting the authorities being enjoyed by sovereign nation-state under state-centric international relations based on principles of Westaphalian system.  [2]  By weakening states, NSAs are establishing themselves at domestic as well as international level. 4. At present world order, international security seems to be influenced by NSAs at unprecedented level. The diverse range of non-state actors plays a unique role in the changing dominion of international security in different manner, either positively or negatively. Certainly the various types of non-state actors like Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs), Non Governmental Organizations (NGO), Multinational Corporations (MNCs) and private security firms, and Violent Non-State Actors (VNSAs) may exert their energy in different manner in order to influence the international relations of 21st century there by affecting the international security as a whole. In order to understand the degree, nature, and gravity of influence, the major NSAs have been exerting on international security, their role in international relations need to be explored. METHODOLOGY Statement of the problem 3. To understand and explore the degree, nature, and gravity of influence, the major non-state actors have been exerting on international security. Hypothesis 4. The NSAs are the important players of international relations and they influence international security to a greater extent. The degree and nature of influence exerted by various non-state actors is not same. It is basically depend on the intention and capability of the individual non-state actor. Justification of The Study 5. In post cold war era, international security seems to be influenced by NSAs at an unprecedented level. The role that the NSAs play in the international security arena has come to the notice of many only after the attacks of September 11th. The non-state actors come in various shapes and sizes ranging from Intergovernmental organization, non governmental organization, Transnational companies, terrorist and various criminal organizations etc. This diverse collection of NSAs, with different intentions and capabilities, each plays different and unique role in the international relations. This study will try to explore the role of NSAs in international relations in order to understand the degree, nature, and gravity of influence that the major NSAs have been exerting on international security. Scope 6. Every study and research will not be free from some weakness and drawbacks. The study is limited to certain boundaries for which future new researcher will try to find out the fact in more detail. The scope of the study is limited to the exploration of the influence of major NSAs on international security. NSAs, most active as well as with the strategic influence on international relations have been selected for the study. In this study, international security has been discussed from the traditional security point of view. The traditional security concept refers to the realist construct of security in which the referent object of security is the state. Research Methodology 7. Due to the nature of the subject matter the research is based on the documentary sources. Published materials in the form of books, journal article, dissertations, and reports mainly collected from electronic sources, mostly internet, have been used as secondary sources for this research. Organization of the Dissertation 8. It is proposed to study the subject in the following manner: (a) Chapter I: Introduction. The subject would be introduced broadly. Similarly the necessity to carry out the research and the objective to be achieved from the study would be highlighted. This chapter also includes the limitation of the study, methods followed and the preview of the study. (b) Chapter II:Non State Actors and International Security. The detailed Concept of non-state actors and its role at present day world order will be highlighted. Brief background of non-state actors, its relevance at present day context and the diverse assortment of non-state entities will also be briefly brought out. Finally the most influential non-state actors in international relations in framing the international security will be identified for further discussion. (c) Chapter III: Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs) as Non State Actors. This part would bring out various important intergovernmental organizations presently active in the world politics. Arguments would be made to qualify these intergovernmental organizations as non-state actors and at the end their contribution in international security will be brought out in detail. (d) Chapter IV: Violent Non State Actors (VNSAs) and International Security. This part will highlight the role and significance of the violent non-state actors in international security. In doing so firstly the violent non-state actors are clearly defined and out of many violent non-state actors only relevant and most influential violent non-state actors would be selected for further discussion. (e) Chapter V: International Nongovernmental Organizations (INGOs) and Multinational Corporation (MNCs) as International Players. In this portion the argument would be made to analyze importance of the International Nongovernmental Organizations and Multinational Corporations in driving the international relations of 21st century. Finally some conclusions will be drawn regarding the role being played by International Nongovernmental Organizations and Multinational Corporations in shaping the international security. (e) Chapter VI: Conclusion. Based on the arguments made in the various chapters a logical conclusion would be drawn in identifying the degree, nature, and gravity of influence, the major non-state actors have been exerting on international security. CHAPTER II NON STATE ACTORS AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY 9. According to Wikipedia, online encyclopedia, Non-State Actors, in international relations, are actors on the international level which are not states. (Non-state actors, 2010). In Bas Arts definition, they ..are all those actors that are not (representatives of) states, yet that operate at the international level and that are potentially relevant to international relations (2005, p. 4). Citing Josselin Wallace (2001), Joanna Szalachas defines NSA as ..an organization largely autonomous from central government funding and control, it acts between the modern states within the networks, which extends across many borders (n.d., p. 3). 10. First two of above mentioned definitions are simple and believe that only an actor, essentially not a state, active as well as influential at international level, could be a NSA. Szalacha seems to be accepting that a transnational actor focused to a state could also be a NSA. Saying largely autonomous from central government, she does not negate the possibility of some link between NSA and state. Abram Paley is concerned about the strategic role or effect of an actor to qualify itself as a NSA. After discussing several definitions, he summarizes an inclusive definition of strategic NSA with two vital components: (a) any actor that participates on the international stage or affects international interaction, but is not part of the domestic state structure, and (b) an actor-not an issue-that has the common attributes with which all actors in Common game-theoretic models are endowed-i.e. preferences, beliefs, strategies, etc. (Paley, 2008, p. 33). 11. From these different definitions of NSAs, following could be concluded: NSAs are autonomous from states or do not represent the states or governments but may have some link with certain state(s). NSAs operate at international or minimum transnational level. NSAs strategically influence international relations. 12. There are different classifications of NSAs; Table 1 shows three of them by Paley (2008, p. 29), Ataman (2003, p. 45) and Arts (2005, p. 4). Although, there are great similarities in all these three classifications, all writers mention that their classification is not the complete one. Paley says his classification is out of some common example and NSAs are not limited to them, whereas Atamans list of five NGOs is the ones which he believes are of more effective types. 13. There are varieties of actors other than state and it is difficult to find one of such actors without some sort of international or transnational connection in present context of globalization. Therefore, one may come up with more types of NSA than that is mentioned here. For example, Wikipedia in its classification of NSAs, apart from these common ones, has also included the international media, and transnational Diaspora communities (Violent non-state actors, 2010). It has grouped NSAs using violence as Violent NSA but not included IGOs. Regarding, VNSA, it is a common practice to address all NSAs which use illegal violence as their means. There is a lack of consensus on the issue of IGOs; one school of thought believes that an organization formed and collectively participated by the states cannot be termed as a NSA.  [3]  As per the definition and degree as well as gravity of their strategic influence on international relations, one can draw the conclusion that the major N SAs could be classified into four groups, namely IGOs, VNSAs, INGOs, and MNCs. Abram W Paley Muhittin Ataman Bas Arts International Terrorist Organizations. International Criminal Organizations. Nongovernmental Organizations and Grassroots Activists. International Institutions and Inter-governmental Organizations. Multi-national Corporations. Individual Actors. International Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs). Transnational or International Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs). Multinational Corporations (MNCs). National Liberation Movements (NLMs). Epistemic Communities. Religious and Humanitarian Organizations. Terrorist Groups and Drug Traffickers (Narco-Terrorists). Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs). International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs). Corporate Interest Groups (CIGs) and Transnational Corporations (TNCs), Epistemic Communities (ECs). a remainder category (including terrorist networks, professional organizations, scouts, churches, etc.). Table 1: Different Classifications of NSAs 14. NSAs appeared at international level as a group of social actors since 1980s and by 1990s, those organizations have gained power and increased influence on public institutions and different states agendas (Szalacha, n.d., p. 3). But NSAs are not completely new phenomena; ..the Hanseatic League monopolized trade on the Baltic Sea between the 13th and 17th centuries, the highly powerful East India Company was founded in 1600, European haute finance was a major contributor to the relative peace of the 19th century, and the Red Cross dates to the 1860s (NIC, 2007). According to Ataman, The proliferation of non-state actors has recently led some observers of international relations to conclude that states are declining in importance and that non-state actors are gaining status and influence (2003, p. 42). Quoting Miller, Ataman further says, The growth of so many kinds of non-state actors challenges and even weakens the state-centric concept of international politics and replaces it w ith a transnational system in which relationships are more complex. These organizations changed the international environment (Ibid.). A report says, A globalization-fueled diffusion of finance and technology has enabled non-state actors to encroach upon functions traditionally performed by nation-states, facilitating their evolution into forms unheard of even a few years ago (NIC, 2007). 15. The NSAs have emerged in international relations as equal as the nation-states. It may compel states to adopt more complex transnational system but in reality, NSAs rise has greater impact in international relations. NSAs have changed the overall traditional concept of international relations, based on the principles of Westphalian system of sovereign states, as Schwartz writes, The influence of non-state actors in this globalized world is unquestionably stronger than at any point since the Westphalia system of state sovereignty was established in 1648 (n.d.). 16. International security is the most influenced aspect of the changing trend of international relations due to the rise of NSAs. Under the traditional concept of international relations, international security is maintained through two types of organizations: classical collective security organization and defensive security organization. The first type of organization is designed to promote international security through regulating the behavior of its member states, whereas defensive security organization is to protect a group of states from threats emanating from a challenging state or group of states. (Gleason Shaihutdinov, 2005, p. 274). In present context, the role of traditional collective security organizations has expanded, if not changed; those organizations have been transformed into NSAs as intergovernmental organizations. Similarly, defensive security organizations have lost their appeal in present unipolar world order; but threat of violent NSAs for them has replaced t hat of formidable rival state or group of states. 17. Non-State Actors have emerged in international relations as important actors. They are limiting the authorities being enjoyed by sovereign nation-state under state-centric international relations based on principles of Westaphalian system. By weakening states, NSAs are establishing themselves at domestic as well as international level and they influence the international security to a greater extent. The degree and nature of influence may vary from one NSA to other; it could be positive or negative as well as at large or small scale. Whatever role the major NSAs are playing in international relations, needs to be studied in order to explore their influence in international security. CHAPTER III INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS AS NSAs Defining IGOs 18. The term official web page of Harvard University defines IGOs as an entity created by treaty, involving two or more nations, to work in good faith, on issues of common interest. In the absence of a treaty an IGO does not exist in the legal sense. For example, the G8 is a group of eight nations that have annual economic and political summits. IGOs that are formed by treaties are more advantageous than a mere grouping of nations because they are subject to international law and have the ability to enter into enforceable agreements among themselves or with states. (Harvard Law School 2010, Intergovernmental Organizations) 19. The main purposes of IGOs were to create a mechanism for the worlds inhabitants to work more successfully together in the areas of peace and security, and also to deal with economic and social questions. In this current era of increasing globalization and interdependence of nations, IGOs have come to play a very significant role in international political systems and global governance. 20. The number of IGOs is difficult to determine, but estimates range from 270 to more than 1000. They cover multiple issues and involve governments from every region of the world. Among the oldest IGOs are the United Nations, which replaced the League of Nations, the Universal Postal Union, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Other well-known IGOs are the European Union (EU), the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the African Development Bank (ADB) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). 21. Since the creation of the UN and NATO, IGOs have become essential actors in the international security. IGOs, such as the UN and the EU, have the ability to make rules and exercise power within their member countries, their global impact continues to increase. 22. Ataman cites Miller to define IGOs as ..voluntary associations of sovereign states established to pursue many objectives for which states want to cooperate through sort of formal structure and to which states are unable to realize by themselves (Ataman, 2003, p. 43). Sovereign states establish IGOs through a treaty  [4]  and accept its authority to make decisions regarding particular problems for common benefit. In other words, the states voluntarily give up sovereignty to an IGO in order to achieve common security, cooperation for collective goods, economic rearwards and political influence. 23. In Atamans view IGOs could be classified by their scope (global and regional) or by their function (political, economic, social and environmental) (Ibid.). Wikipedia has classified them as worldwide global organizations, regional organizations, Cultural, linguistic, ethnic, religious, or historical organizations, Economic organizations, organizations for collective security or mutual defense provisions (Intergovernmental organization, 2010). Among these organizations United Nations (UN) and its specialized agencies as well as some regional organizations such as European Union (EU) and collective security organization such as NATO play significant role in international security (Ibid.). Types of IGOs 24. IGOs are typically organized by their membership and by their purpose. For example, the UN is called a global organization because all countries are allowed membership. There are currently 192 member states in the UN. Some IGOs are regional and limit their membership to states within the designated regions. Other IGOs are referred to as selective organizations because they base their membership on criteria other than geography. The Organization of the Islamic Conference, for example, bases its membership on religious affiliation. OPEC, on the other hand, is comprised only of countries that produce oil. Specialized IGOs, such as NATO, limit their activities to a particular field. General IGOs have expertise on a wide variety of topics. The UN is also a general IGO as it is involved in a wide range of issues, including security, poverty reduction, health, telecommunications, international criminal justice, human rights, economic development, and environmental protection (Ibid.). Role in International Relations and Effects on International Security 25. Quoting several constructivist views, Susan Park writes. IGOs ..are norm diffusers or transmitters within the international realm; teaching states their interests (Park, 2004). They ..do this through establishing regimes, forming international agendas, constructing discourse, enforcing rules, and mediating between states (Ibid.) Park believes that these important roles ..show the significance of these organizations as the glue of the international state system, binding states together in various regimes (Ibid.). She argues that the IGOs .. act as official gate-keepers, determining which non-state actors and groups within civil society are deemed legitimate, thus de-legitimizing others, thereby shutting the latter out of the global governance structure (Ibid.). 26. IGOs are the main tools of global governance in true sense; and they are legitimate NSAs. They are responsible for collective security and defense, and they have been contributing a lot for the maintenance of international security. IGOs, formed out of common interests of the member states, maintain international security or stability by keeping member states united. On the other hand, especially collective defense oriented IGOs maintain balance with rival state or group of states. 27. UN is the key player of international relations in present context. The primary mission of UN is to maintain international peace and security.  [5]  To fulfill its mission UN has a strong mandate which it exercises through the Security Council. Since its inception, UN has continuously been trying to prevent conflicts, keep and enforce peace, and disarmament as well as proliferation of WMDs. 28. Regional organizations are also taking big steps, especially on the field of Human Security. EU is unifying entire Europe, which now is unlikely to spark other Great War. Unified Europe can maintain a balance with any other power which may emerge in future. However, regional alliances for comprehensive security are replacing the traditional military alliances; NATO is still effective. NATO, the only remaining major defense organization after the disintegration of former Soviet Union and demise of rival Warsaw Pact, is no more concerned for balance of power, but it is still significant for US and its allies for their defense. NATO is instrumental for US led War on Terror in Afghanistan. Criticism 29. The role played by IGOs at the international level is not out of controversy. There is always a question mark over their effectiveness. Some scholars argue that there problem lies on the fundamental structure and changed role of IGOs, mainly security organizations; according to Gleason Shaihutdinov, Throughout the world, the major inter-state security organizations continue to be essentially Westphalian in nature. They assume the primacy of state actors. While collective security organizations have re-focused to their objectives to confront challenges emanating from below the level of the nation-state, they have not yet reorganized their operational programs to achieve these goals. (2005, pp. 274-275) 30. IGOs like UN have been blamed as tool for powerful countries to impose their principle on the weak countries. ..the UN Security Council cannot accept any decision against the interests of the five permanent members and those of their allies, i.e., the UN Security Council decisions on the Palestinian question against Israel have often been vetoed by the United States (Ataman, 2003, pp. 44-45). The stability achieved on the cost of a states principles could not be long lasting; since it creates discontent and hatred among the people, which could be the seed of a future conflict. 31. Other IGOs, such as WTO and IMF, have been criticized for their role in globalization. Many people believe that globalization further weakens the weaker nation-states whereas strong states take maximum benefit out of it. The increasing gap between powerful states and weak states can gradually lead them to a conflict, jeopardizing international security. Overview 32. Security always puts its stakeholders under a dilemma; states need to think rationally while joining organizations or alliances. Barry Buzan portrays a picture of such dilemma in following words: Security cannot be achieved by either individuals or states acting solely on their own behalf. Some collective measures are necessary among the members of the system if each is to achieve security. Just as security cannot be achieved by individual actors, neither can it be created by concentrating all powers and responsibility at the upper levels. When such concentration happens, as we have seen in the case of individuals and the states, the collective institution becomes major source of threat to those smaller actors it was supposed to protect. (1987, p. 253) 33. Schwartzs following view on UN reflects importance of such IGOs amid their own drawbacks, While the UN is certainly not the ideal institution for international security simply because it is the sum of its parts, states the world would undoubtedly be far more insecure without it. There is no other forum in the world in which every state that wishes can participate. The implication of this should not be underestimated. Communication is essential for averting crises. And there is no other organization in the world with as broad and sweeping a mandate as the UN (Schwartz, n.d.). 34. The criticism of IGOs, exposed drawbacks and their likely consequences are not baseless accusations, but these needs be sorted out through reforms. As the key actors of global governance, IGOs play most significant role on regulating international relations and make huge positive contribution to the maintenance of international security. CHAPTER IV VIOLENT NON-STATE ACTORS AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY General 35. Even a cursory global survey suggests that violent non-state actors (VNSA s) have become a pervasive challenge to nation-states. In the 21st century, the state monopoly of the use of force is increasingly being reduced to a convenient fiction. No nation state is free of VNSAs. Relatively few of the sovereign states can truly claim a monopoly of force within their territorial borders. 36. One of the most striking features of VNSAs is their sheer variety. This suggests that there is some danger in lumping them together under a single rubric. Yet, it is clear from the preceding analysis that they do have certain things in common: they all emerge in response to inadequacies, deficiencies or shortcomings in many states and to one degree or another seek to compensate for those shortcomings. At the same time, there are important differences in motivation, purpose, power structures and the like. One of the dangers, however, is that they will increasingly form alliances with one another. There are certainly examples of linkages between organized crime and terrorist networks. Identifying VNSAs 37. VNSAs are those NSAs which use illegitimate violence as their means, they might be having some links with a state(s), and their objective could be political or economic. In Ulrich Schneckeners view VNSAs armed non-state actors willing and able to use violence for pursuing their objectives, and not integrated into formalized state institutions (Schneckener, 2006, p. 25). Following statement portrays a detail picture of VNSAs: VNSA are a distinct form of non-state actor, which distinguishes them from police forces and militaries. It is their use of collective violence that most clearly distinguishes Sendero from Starbucks, but their goals and methods also contribute to their illegitimacy. They are illegitimate vis-à  -vis the classical state system in part because the essence of being a state is having a monopoly on the legitimate use of violence. By definition, VNSA resort not only to random or opportunistic aggression, but to collective violence as a tool to achieve goals. Collective violence is really an extension of collective action, which is coordinated action by the members of the group in pursuit of common ends. (Bartolomei, Casebeer, Thomas, 2004) 38. Williams says One of the most striking features of VNSA s is their sheer variety. This suggests that there is some danger in lumping them together under a single rubric (2008, p. 17). VNSAs could be found being treated separately or as a group on the study of NSAs. Table 2 shows two different groupings of VNSAs by Ulrich Schneckener (Schneckener, 2006) and Phil Wiiliams (2008). However, there is no significant difference between these two groupings; on the basis of degree of activity as well as impact at international level, only terrorist organizations, insurgents, organized criminal groups, and private security agencies or private military companies (PMCs) could be considered as major VNSA for this study. Ulrich Schneckener Phil Williams Rebels or guerrilla fighters Militias or paramilitaries Clan chiefs or big men Warlords Terrorists Criminals Mercenaries and private security companies Marauders Warlords Militias Paramilitary forces Insurgencies Terrorist organizations Criminal organizations and youth gangs Table 2: Different Classifications of VNSAs The functions VNSAs fulfill for members and supporting constituencies 39. A key part of this is the extent to which the VNSA becomes an alternative form of governance and fulfils functions normally the responsibility of the state. It is important to determine what kinds of capacity gaps and functional holes are filled by VNSAs. These can include the provision of state functions such as imposing and maintaining security and order and can extend to what might be described as paternalistic forms of social welfare. Indeed, for VNSAs filling functional spaces is often even more important than filling territorial spaces. This analytical framework is helpful in considering a wide variety of VNSAs. These include warlords, terrorist organizations, organized crime groups both domestic and transnational, transnational youth gangs, militias and insurgencies. VNSAs in International Relations as Security Threats 40. VNSAs directly challenge and affect individual nation-state or number of states through networking of violent operations. According to Fraiman, they ..pose significant challenges to the administration of states, mainly by threatening their internal monopoly on the use of force. However, at times, these groups can also present considerable external security threats to other states in the international system (2009, p. 1). The most of the modern major conflicts are betwee