History and Influences on South East Asia

History and Influences on South East Asia CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION If there were only two men in the world, how would they get on? They would help one another, harm one another, flatter one another, slander one another, fight one another, make it up, they could neither live together nor do without one another Philosophical Dictionary, 1764 Increasing role of China in South Asia has attracted the attention of the policy framers as well as scholars. Its foreign policy towards Southeast Asia has varied from indifference to hostility, but Chinese interest in the region has persisted since 1949. While India occupies a vital position in the Chinese calculation, there are discernible variations in Chinese policy towards other states in the region. The behaviour of Southeast Asian states towards China has also varied. Notwithstanding the persistence of the Indian factor in their perceptions, we observe different response to Chinese behaviour and policy in these states. Chinese foreign policy is undergoing a metamorphosis never seen in the history of the Peoples Republic (PRC). The country has enjoyed a more secure place in the world than before, yet it has remained dissatisfied with its international status. Chinas quest for international legitimacy and a positive image is tested by its pursuit of security interests and the power politics logic of its own and other states. Chinese foreign policy strategy has equally stressed the need to protect its national interest in a threatening world and the struggle to remold the international environment in line with its preferences. Clearly PRC foreign policy is complicated, dynamic, and consequential. China has managed to become a rising star in the international arena, both politically and economically. The bipolar world order lasting for nearly half a century came eventually to an abrupt end in the closing months of the 1980s as a result of dramatic changes in Eastern Europe and the so-called post cold w ar era began in the final decade of this century. China has some motivations in the Southeast Asia one of these is China is in pursuit of hegemony[1] in the region, another possibility is primarily defensive an attempt to neutralize the region while China focuses on internal priorities and the third possibility is to have a cooperative structure. India is seeking an expanded role in the international Geo-political arena which includes Asia and Southeast Asia. Indias growing economy ,common energy security interests, national interest, and power projection makes India China a Peer competitor. Beijings current goal in southeast Asia is to maintain a stable environment around its periphery to assure others that China is not threat, and to encourage economic ties that contribute to Chinas economic modernization and thus regime stability. The foreign policy instruments that Beijing has employed to secure its goals are constituent throughout most of Southeast Asia, but the priorities assigned to different strategic goals vary depending on Chinas interest in different part of the region. CHAPTER II METHODOLOGY STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM To examine the current politico-economic influences in South east Asia and recommend measures for India to significantly expand its politico-economic strategic influence in the South East Asian region with a view to counterbalance the overwhelming Chinese politico – economic dominance in the South East Asian Region.. Justification of the Study The most significant strategic development after the Cold War, is probably the sudden growth in Chinas economic potential and consequent national power. A rapid rise in power of a major country in the past has usually led to tension in the region, conflict with the neighbours and eventually a war. To make an assessment of Chinas posture well into the future is fraught with number of uncertainties. Equally, a projection of that role in the next century would, of necessity, demand an intimate acquaintance with how the Chinese have been involved in their dealings with this part of the world in the past. Above all, how that relationship has evolved, to the present day environment. Idea shall be to restrict the paper and sketch out important events in the near past, which have shaped the present and loom larger than the hoary past on the future that is yet in the limbo. The basic intention in writing this dissertation is To examine the current politico-economic influences in South east As ia and recommend measures for India to significantly expand its politico-economic strategic influence in the South East Asian region with a view to counterbalance the overwhelming Chinese politico – economic dominance in the South East Asian . A direct question has been addressed whether or not China restricts India from emerging as a global player. Scope Axiomatically any meaningful discussion of Chinas role in Southeast Asia would imply an understanding of its relations with the Indian subcontinent as a whole. Of the worlds great powers, China is geographically the closest to the Southeast Asian countries. It has common borders with Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Caombodia. There is significant cultural similarities far reaching political and strategic repercussions over the past couple of centuries, and has propelled the worlds most populous regions into interaction in a wide variety of ways. From a simple geographical perspective, qualitative changes in the Chinas foreign policy should be expected if China grows from a medium-sized power to superpower. At its present rate of economic growth, Chinas productive capabilities and total wealth will soon outstrip those of the other Asian powers. As a weaker power, Chinas dependence on the favour of its neighbours has been comparatively high. But increased relative capabilities make i t feasible for a rising great power to exert greater control over its surroundings. If the opportunity arises to establish a dominant role in the region, China can be expected to seize it. Thus the scope of this paper has been restricted to Chinese dominance in the Southeast Asian region, which will pose vexing problems for India . An attempt has been made to analyse, how India can focus and counterbalance the overwhelming Chinese politico – economic dominance in the South East Asian. Organisation of Dissertation. The study is proposed to be dealt in the following sequence: Modern History strat influences in South East Asia. Political Economy of South East Asia. Chinese political and economical strategy in South East Asia. Indian political and economical strategy in South East Asia. Comparative Analysis of Indian Chinese politico-economic strategies in SE Asia. Recommended response of India to expand its influence in the region. CHAPTER III MODERN HISTORY AND STRATEGIC INFLUENCES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA The post-Cold War world is seeing in some areas a resurgence of nationalism and in others a greater emphasis on regionalism. These two tendencies will overlap. In Southeast Asia national and ethnic differences were significantly blunted by European colonialism and in some cases have been further submerged in the post-colonial period of new nation states. But what is new in Southeast Asia is the development of voluntary (as distinct from externally mandated) cooperation on a sub-regional or regional level. Most recently there is the assertion of an Asian identity, shared by Southeast Asians, which is sharply distinguished from Western value systems, social norms and economic models. It is too early to say how far that will be taken or how much it will influence the political and social development of Southeast Asia. The very important differences between and indeed even within the Southeast Asian countries induces some skepticism in academic circles about the existence of Asian values [2] etc. But there is no doubt that there is a perception in the region of some essential shared values or priorities, and a rejection of what are seen as Western individualistic and libertarian values. An embryonic sense of shared interests transcending ethnic or national groups emerged in colonial times between independence movements, student movements and other groups, including notably the various Marxist-inspired or communist movements in the region. But until after the Pacific War there was little connection across the region. The colonial empires were very separate and governed on different principles. It is a common observation nowadays that Australia, on the fringe of the region, only recently and belatedly become aware of and involved with its Southeast Asian neighbors. That is true, though with some qualifications. There was peripheral contact in the north even before the Europeans colonized Australia. But in the colonial era there was no steady development of contact or interest. The shifting patterns of alliance politics in Europe affected such contacts as there were between the colonial administrations in Southeast Asia and Australia, and indeed between the Southeast A sian colonial administrations themselves. Australia was not unique, or even unusual, in having little contact with its neighbors and in having its external links directed principally along the lines laid down by the metropolitan power. What are now the independent nations of Southeast Asia also had little contact with each other during the European colonial period. Just as the lines of communication and trade ran from Melbourne and Sydney to London, so did those between the French, Dutch, and other British colonies and the respective metropolitan powers in Europe. Right up to the Pacific War there was little or no communication between, for example, what are now Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The links ran from Manila to the United States, from Batavia to the Netherlands, from Hanoi to France, and so on. It was the remarkable Japanese campaign which began at the end of 1941 which precipitated or accelerated the radical changes which took place between 1945 and the end of the Vietnam war. The sheer speed and success of the Japanese successes against numerically superior defending forces in Southeast Asia made a strong impression on opinion in the erstwhile colonies. The Japanese failed to capitalize on that in the sense that after early political successes in encouraging nationalist and pro-Japanese movements the appeal to shared Asian interests lost plausibility in the face of Japanese policies and actions which were exploitative or worse. Although Japan lost the war and left wounds in the region which are still not healed, the war precipitated the end of the moribund European colonial era, and accelerated the creation of independent states largely within borders established by the colonial empires. For some years trade and other economic links remained predominantly in the old colon ial grooves but with the economic supremacy of the United States and then with Japan embarked on decades of the highest rates of economic growth the world had yet seen, those patterns diversified. In the region the United States and Japan became the two most important outside powers and that was reflected inter alia by their leading roles in the setting up of the Asian Development Bank in 1966. By that time Australia[3] too had perforce diversified its trade away from Britain which had made it clear that it would seek its future economic arrangements in Europe and the Commonwealth arrangements which had supported much of Australias traditional export industry were phased out. Australia turned to Japan and others for new markets (a trade agreement with Japan had already been made in 1957). Australias development assistance programme had from the beginning concentrated on Southeast Asia and become and increasingly important instrument for involving this country with the region, especially as significant numbers of students from the region came to our universities and other institutions under the Colombo Plan and successor programmes.The failure of the attempted coup in Indonesia, the Gestapu of 30 September 1965, and the subsequent establishment of the New Order government there opened the way to overcome the regional or sub-regional strains produced by President Sukarnos eff orts to crush the newly-constructed Malaysia, as well as other tensions created or exacerbated by the Sukarno policies. In this climate ASEAN, the Association of South East Asian Nations, was established in 1967 and set out on its long and successful course of gradually building a sense of common interest and regional association among the six (originally five) members. ASEAN recently embarked on the development of AFTA, the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement. ASEAN has become the key institution in Southeast Asia not only because of its success in developing a sense of community among its very disparate members, and in finding a road for them to closer economic cooperation. It has also become the forum for discussion with the main world powers on a wide range of matters. This has come about through an annual mechanism of post-Ministerial consultations held after ASEANs own internal consultations through which ASEAN member governments, at Foreign Minister level, meet with their counterparts. These counterparts, termed dialogue partners, currently are Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand and the United States. In 1994 discussions on regional security were further developed with the establishment of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) which groups ASEAN and its dialogue partners with Russia, China, Vietnam, Laos and Papua New Guinea. Looking at the recent evolution of Southeast Asia perhaps the most sig nificant thing has been the change that has occurred since the ending of the Cold War and the collapse of communism. Until relatively recently the centrally planned economy model had much attraction for many developing countries and there was up to the beginning of the eighties quite widespread aversion to capitalism and to the liberal market model as exemplified by the Western industrialized countries. Now virtually all of Southeast Asia is committed to market economics, albeit with more governmental political control than in the Western countries. There is a virtual unanimity about the commitment to economic development based on relatively open markets, private ownership and competition. With that has come a period of unprecedented economic growth. The major economies of Southeast Asia are all growing at rates previously thought unattainable for a sustained period. There are of course some uncertainties about the future; but there are few who doubt that Southeast Asia will early i n the twenty-first century be a major centre of economic power and influence. Southeast Asia has traditionally been a site of great power competition for regional dominance, due to its strategic location as a bridge between continental and maritime East Asia. To manage this competition and to enhance their own sub regional autonomy, the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) engaged in a number of regional institution building initiatives during the early 1990s. This institutionalism agenda led to speculation that ASEAN could become the hub of a nascent regional security community following the 1997 Asian financial crisis, however, the prospect that ASEAN could act as an autonomous entity to mitigate Sino-U.S. geopolitical pressures seemed increasingly tenuous. Weakened by political and economic instability, intra-regional disputes and a simultaneous expansion of its membership, ASEAN has come to question its own identity. This has only further undermined ASEAN-led regional security initiatives such as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF ). More frequently, Southeast Asian states have favored bilateralism and have looked to external powers to realize their security interests. These changing sub regional dynamics have, in turn, prompted renewed efforts by China and the United States to cultivate influence within Southeast Asia. Chinas attempts to gain support for its new security concept and US efforts to secure additional access and infrastructure agreements along the East Asian littoral are illustrative. To some extent, Sino-U.S. geopolitical competition has been modified by strategic cooperation resulting from the war on terror. China still remains wary of U.S. attempts to engage Southeast Asia in countering global terrorism. These trends have, in turn, compelled analysts to reconceptualize the Southeast Asian security landscape in a balance of power context. It is clear continental Southeast Asian states have aligned with China and maritime Southeast Asian states have aligned with the United States. The geographi c position of China and the United States, and the evolution of their interests and military capabilities accordingly, make it unlikely that either country would seek to project power into the others respective sphere. Southeast Asian states maintain a position of equidistance between the great powers. She attributes this to the ASEAN states general distrust of great powers and their desire to maintain the delicate Sino-U.S. regional balance. CHAPTER IV POLITICAL ECONOMY OF SOUTH EAST ASIA China sleeps, when she wakes, the World will tremble Napoleon The South east Asian countries over the past four decades has transformed itself from a region with enormous economic and political problems to one blessed with relative peace and prosperity. In particular the five ASEAN economies, namely, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand , grew strongly in the 1960s with an average rate of 6 percent. This buoyant economic performance continued in the 1970s with 7.3 percent as they benefited from the massive inflows of the foreign exchange earnings due to sharp increase in the world price of primary commodities, including two oil shocks which benefited some of the members the same period. In the 1980s the region slowed down to an average growth rate of 6.1 percent. Regional economies experienced recessionary conditions due to high interest rate policy of the US Federal Reserve Bank, the consequent debt crisis in the region, the recession in the ASEANs major trading and investment partners, and the fall in the world prices of the primary commodities. But there was also a positive trend of influx of export- oriented foreign direct investment from Japan and the NIEs following the strong appreciation of their currencies. The recovery from 1991 to 1996 was followed by an economic contraction in 1997-98 due to the crisis which began in Thailand in July 1997 and spread to other parts of the region. In 1999-2000, the ASEAN economies staged a dramatic recovery with Singapore and Malaysia leading, things again turned sour with the September 11 attacks and the lackluster performance of the export sector. There was again a decrease in the economic growth due to the SARS, Iraq cri sis and terrorist related attacks, slump in the electronic market and collapse of the WTO talks in Cancun. The global economy is most rapid in emerging Asia where GDP accelerated to 7.2 percent in 2003, accounting for about 50 per cent of world growth. Looking forward, growth is projected to remain high at 7.4 per cent in 2004 and 7.0 per cent in 2005. The IMF stated that while domestic demand growth has increased significantly in emerging Asia, the regional current account surpluses remain very large, with exports supported by the rebound in the information technology (IT) sector as well as depreciating exchange rates. In the ASEAN-4, Thailand has shown the strongest expansion at 6.7 per cent in 2003, and is expected to remain high at 7 per cent in 2004 and 6.7 per cent in 2005. Cyclical considerations and high levels of public debt necessitate fiscal prudence for Thai authorities. The Malaysian economy is also recovering strongly and is expected to continue with inflation and unemployment remaining at low levels. However, the main policy priorities are the implementation of the announced fiscal consolidation to achieve a balanced budget by the year 2006 and greater exchange rate flexibility accompanied with suitable macroeconomic policies. Indonesias modest growth continues to be driven by private consumption, and has been accompanied with lower inflation. The Indonesian government should continue to implement its planned fiscal consolidation. Moreover, it needs to sustain banking, legal and judicial reforms in order to provide a better investment climate conducive to higher growth. As for the Philippines, uncertainties remain high even after the May 2, 2004 presidential elections. The main concerns of the Philippine government include increasing the tax revenues, restructuring the power sector, strengthening the banking sector, and improving the business system. Following the SARS crisis, the Singapore economy recovered in 2003 with supportive macroeconomic policies. To enhance its medium-term competitiveness and growth prospects, the IMF recommends a deepening and acceleration of reforms including further divestment of government  ­linked companies Issues and Challenges for Southeast Asian/ASEAN Domestic policy issues and challenges. On the domestic front, the growth prospects for ASEAN are very much dependent on various factors including the ability of their respective governments to provide economic, political and social stability, implement economic reforms, and diversify their economies. ASEAN policy makers thus face the following challenges: Sound macroeconomic environment. Following the 1997/98 economic crisis, government budget deficits relative to GDP have broadly increased and this is of serious concern for ASEAN governments, particularly for Malaysia and the Philippines. Price instability has become a serious concern for Indonesia and the Philippines. Exchange rates in Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines and Myanmar have weakened significantly. Moreover, the rising levels of foreign debt in the Philippines and Indonesia could create additional uncertainties. In terms of the current account surplus as a proportion of GDP, the six older ASEAN members have broadly shown higher levels relative to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV countries). Thus, in order to achieve a sound macroeconomic environment, ASEAN economies need to adopt a prudent fiscal policy, low inflation rates, stable exchange rates, and manageable levels of external debt and current account balance. Stable political and business environment. The political environment in some countries has been affected by military uprisings, kidnappings, bombings and other terrorist-related activities, peoples demonstrations, and elections. A 1997 survey of Japanese firms conducted by JETRO indicated that political stability is considered as the most significant determinant of Japanese investments in ASEAN. Thus Southeast Asian governments need to find ways and means towards achieving and maintaining a politically stable environment in order to encourage domestic and foreign investments. Social Harmony. ASEAN countries need to address issues such as conflicts between racial groups (e.g. the Chinese and pribumis in Indonesia, and the Chinese and bumiputras in Malaysia), between religious groups (e.g. the Muslims and Christians in Southern Philippines) and between the poor and rich. Despite all the policies and resources spent on alleviating poverty and reducing income inequality, unemployment, poverty and income inequality continue to be the major policy concerns of ASEAN governments. In reality, it is very difficult to reduce poverty and narrow the income gap given the interplay of politics, economics and industry, and the conflicting goals of the various interest groups in the economy like businesses, religious groups, the elite, farmers, small and medium entrepreneurs, etc. Thailands income gap between the rich and the poor was the widest in the world (Bangkok Post, 2S Aug 2003). In the Philippines, Gerard Clark and Marites Sison (2003) in their study titled liDo t he well-off really care about the plight of the poor? revealed that majority of the respondents suggested that some elite people cared while others did not; and those who did care did too little or acted primarily out of self-interest. In fact, there are some people in the superior group like the elite who wish the poor to remain poor because of the benefits that can be derived from their poverty. For instance, politicians often depend on the poor at elections time for support that propels them to political office. Economic Reforms. Southeast Asian governments need to continue implementing economic reforms that include market opening, trade, investment and financial liberalization. These reforms are particularly crucial for the CLMV countries as they undergo transition from centrally planned to market  ­oriented economies and for the crisis-hit countries especially Indonesia and Thailand. In the case of Indonesia, there was a lack of seriousness on the part of the political leadership to undertake economic reforms. For example, there were delays in the removal of tariff control and the privatization of state assets and enterprises, so that the process of reforms is reverting to protectionism. Furthermore, a delay in the IMFs financial assistance added to the ineffectiveness of Indonesias recovery programme. Thailand completed its 34-month Stand-By Arrangement from the IMF that formed part of an international financial package worth US$17.2 billion from multilateral and bilateral lenders. Outs tanding obligations at end-June 2002 amounted to US$6.4 billion and repayment was finally completed on July 31,2003, some two years ahead of schedule a significant achievement on the part of the Thai government. Economic Diversion. Various factors impel ASEAN economies to continue to diversify their economies: volatile and broadly declining primary commodity prices, depletion of non-renewable primary resources such as oil and gas, and the high costs of production. Following the decline in crude oil prices in the 1980s, Brunei and Indonesia have begun to diversify their economies from oil towards non-oil products and services (finance, tourism). Because of the high costs of production (e.g. high labour costs), Singapores economy has emphasised the significant contribution of the services sector (IT, education, tourism, finance). The services sector has accounted for about 60-70 per cent of Singapores GDP. Moreover, to improve the competitiveness of Singapores manufactured products and services, several cost-cutting measures have been implemented, namely, cuts in contribution rates for mandatory saving, reduction in corporate taxes, and reduction in utility charges. Long-run policies include t raining and re-training programmes for workers and greater focus on RD activities for innovations and improvement in technology. In Singapore, there are more than 600,000 workers with secondary education or lower. As such, it is extremely important that these workers upgrade their skills and learn new tasks to be more productive and to be more employable in the future. There are also other schemes such as the job re-design programmes implemented by the Singapore Productivity and Standards Board which involves changing both job content and arrangement to encourage workers to become more productive. Other ASEAN countries can learn from Singapores experiences with regard to cost-cutting measures, training and re-training programmes, and RD activities to improve productivity and competitiveness. Multi-Ethnic States. Multi-ethnicity is a dominant feature of the region and therefore stable inter-state ties and intra-state ethnic stability are closely intertwined. The region has to work toward the stability and security of strong, secular, federal multi- ethnic states if it is to remain secure and stable in the coming years. The Challenge of Democratisaton. The other key political challenge that confronts South East Asian nations is how to build stable, democratic state structures in condition of a rising tide of expectations for better life and greater liberty. Through much of Asia, the struggle between pressures for democratization against existing authoritarian state structures or oppressive socio-political conditions is a reality. Human rights abuses are common in many of the states. In Myanmar and Indonesia there is a rising pressure for political change and expansion of political rights. Militancy, insurgency and terrorism have wracked many parts of ASEAN region in the past and continue to do so even now. Only through steady democratization, decentralization and provision of caring and efficient governance can the integrity of state structures and stability be preserved. CHAPTER V Chinese political and economical strategy in South East Asia. China perceives itself as a central power on Earth. The rest of the World is an array of greater and lesser powers which neither have unified structure nor a single head Macnall Mark[4] Chinas political and economic strategy are interlinked with the security relation that China shares with the Southeast Asia as a region. China embraced the Southeast Asian regionalism and of multilateralism with Southeast Asia is part of broader decision to jettison Chinas old confrontational policy and style. Chinese leaders officials turned this approach to South east Asia on its head replacing the assertiveness that characterized pre 1997 Chinese policy with accommodation. This concerted campaign assuaged South east Asian fears but also paved the way for South east Asian and Chinese to participate in and profit from this rapidly expanding economic ties. Chinese leaders and officials smoothly employed diplomacy in innumerable meeting with South east Asian counterparts to slowly and carefully win greater influence in south east Asia. The Chinese foreign policy community made a concerted effort to represent Chinas reemergence as a regional power. It portrayed recent trends as aligne d with the economic and security interests of its southern neighbors. China convinced the neighbors that it is not a threat. China employed the same set of instruments of Chinese national security policy at both multilateral level with ASEAN and bilateral level with individual ASEAN states albeit with differing effects in the countries concerned depending on their individual circumstances. It places contentious issues temporarily to the side, places processes before product and welcomes efforts to build EAST ASIAN community. Beijing binds the South East Asean countries with a spectrum of economic, political and cultural and security proposals. As Beijing courted its southern neighbors, it supplemented diplomacy with economic ties in terms of trade and economic investment. China opened China to overseas ethnic Chinese and invited ethnic Chinese Southeast Asians to invest in China and subsequently invited Southeast Asians. Rapid increases in the Southeast Asian- China trade led to ove rcome the financial crisis. Chinas economic success has been as impressive as its diplomatic campaign, because china and Southeast Asian countries have been competitors both FDI and for developed markets in Japan,Europe and the United States. Beijing has worked assiduously tp provide Southeast Asian economies with a stake in Chinas economic expansion thus stabilizing Chinas periphery and contributing to Chinas own economic growth. Chinas turn to multilateralism diplomacy was to compliment its intense bilateral diplomacy was timely. ASEAN grew during the 1990 and accommodated new countries and also in the due course of time it had not been able to respond to the financial crisis and also the turmoil in East Timor. Chinas help to ASEAN gave a new appearance to ASEAN. Multilateral diplomacy provided a two way street for ASEAN countries and China and provided measures to forge new bonds. ASEAN also History and Influences on South East Asia History and Influences on South East Asia CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION If there were only two men in the world, how would they get on? They would help one another, harm one another, flatter one another, slander one another, fight one another, make it up, they could neither live together nor do without one another Philosophical Dictionary, 1764 Increasing role of China in South Asia has attracted the attention of the policy framers as well as scholars. Its foreign policy towards Southeast Asia has varied from indifference to hostility, but Chinese interest in the region has persisted since 1949. While India occupies a vital position in the Chinese calculation, there are discernible variations in Chinese policy towards other states in the region. The behaviour of Southeast Asian states towards China has also varied. Notwithstanding the persistence of the Indian factor in their perceptions, we observe different response to Chinese behaviour and policy in these states. Chinese foreign policy is undergoing a metamorphosis never seen in the history of the Peoples Republic (PRC). The country has enjoyed a more secure place in the world than before, yet it has remained dissatisfied with its international status. Chinas quest for international legitimacy and a positive image is tested by its pursuit of security interests and the power politics logic of its own and other states. Chinese foreign policy strategy has equally stressed the need to protect its national interest in a threatening world and the struggle to remold the international environment in line with its preferences. Clearly PRC foreign policy is complicated, dynamic, and consequential. China has managed to become a rising star in the international arena, both politically and economically. The bipolar world order lasting for nearly half a century came eventually to an abrupt end in the closing months of the 1980s as a result of dramatic changes in Eastern Europe and the so-called post cold w ar era began in the final decade of this century. China has some motivations in the Southeast Asia one of these is China is in pursuit of hegemony[1] in the region, another possibility is primarily defensive an attempt to neutralize the region while China focuses on internal priorities and the third possibility is to have a cooperative structure. India is seeking an expanded role in the international Geo-political arena which includes Asia and Southeast Asia. Indias growing economy ,common energy security interests, national interest, and power projection makes India China a Peer competitor. Beijings current goal in southeast Asia is to maintain a stable environment around its periphery to assure others that China is not threat, and to encourage economic ties that contribute to Chinas economic modernization and thus regime stability. The foreign policy instruments that Beijing has employed to secure its goals are constituent throughout most of Southeast Asia, but the priorities assigned to different strategic goals vary depending on Chinas interest in different part of the region. CHAPTER II METHODOLOGY STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM To examine the current politico-economic influences in South east Asia and recommend measures for India to significantly expand its politico-economic strategic influence in the South East Asian region with a view to counterbalance the overwhelming Chinese politico – economic dominance in the South East Asian Region.. Justification of the Study The most significant strategic development after the Cold War, is probably the sudden growth in Chinas economic potential and consequent national power. A rapid rise in power of a major country in the past has usually led to tension in the region, conflict with the neighbours and eventually a war. To make an assessment of Chinas posture well into the future is fraught with number of uncertainties. Equally, a projection of that role in the next century would, of necessity, demand an intimate acquaintance with how the Chinese have been involved in their dealings with this part of the world in the past. Above all, how that relationship has evolved, to the present day environment. Idea shall be to restrict the paper and sketch out important events in the near past, which have shaped the present and loom larger than the hoary past on the future that is yet in the limbo. The basic intention in writing this dissertation is To examine the current politico-economic influences in South east As ia and recommend measures for India to significantly expand its politico-economic strategic influence in the South East Asian region with a view to counterbalance the overwhelming Chinese politico – economic dominance in the South East Asian . A direct question has been addressed whether or not China restricts India from emerging as a global player. Scope Axiomatically any meaningful discussion of Chinas role in Southeast Asia would imply an understanding of its relations with the Indian subcontinent as a whole. Of the worlds great powers, China is geographically the closest to the Southeast Asian countries. It has common borders with Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Caombodia. There is significant cultural similarities far reaching political and strategic repercussions over the past couple of centuries, and has propelled the worlds most populous regions into interaction in a wide variety of ways. From a simple geographical perspective, qualitative changes in the Chinas foreign policy should be expected if China grows from a medium-sized power to superpower. At its present rate of economic growth, Chinas productive capabilities and total wealth will soon outstrip those of the other Asian powers. As a weaker power, Chinas dependence on the favour of its neighbours has been comparatively high. But increased relative capabilities make i t feasible for a rising great power to exert greater control over its surroundings. If the opportunity arises to establish a dominant role in the region, China can be expected to seize it. Thus the scope of this paper has been restricted to Chinese dominance in the Southeast Asian region, which will pose vexing problems for India . An attempt has been made to analyse, how India can focus and counterbalance the overwhelming Chinese politico – economic dominance in the South East Asian. Organisation of Dissertation. The study is proposed to be dealt in the following sequence: Modern History strat influences in South East Asia. Political Economy of South East Asia. Chinese political and economical strategy in South East Asia. Indian political and economical strategy in South East Asia. Comparative Analysis of Indian Chinese politico-economic strategies in SE Asia. Recommended response of India to expand its influence in the region. CHAPTER III MODERN HISTORY AND STRATEGIC INFLUENCES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA The post-Cold War world is seeing in some areas a resurgence of nationalism and in others a greater emphasis on regionalism. These two tendencies will overlap. In Southeast Asia national and ethnic differences were significantly blunted by European colonialism and in some cases have been further submerged in the post-colonial period of new nation states. But what is new in Southeast Asia is the development of voluntary (as distinct from externally mandated) cooperation on a sub-regional or regional level. Most recently there is the assertion of an Asian identity, shared by Southeast Asians, which is sharply distinguished from Western value systems, social norms and economic models. It is too early to say how far that will be taken or how much it will influence the political and social development of Southeast Asia. The very important differences between and indeed even within the Southeast Asian countries induces some skepticism in academic circles about the existence of Asian values [2] etc. But there is no doubt that there is a perception in the region of some essential shared values or priorities, and a rejection of what are seen as Western individualistic and libertarian values. An embryonic sense of shared interests transcending ethnic or national groups emerged in colonial times between independence movements, student movements and other groups, including notably the various Marxist-inspired or communist movements in the region. But until after the Pacific War there was little connection across the region. The colonial empires were very separate and governed on different principles. It is a common observation nowadays that Australia, on the fringe of the region, only recently and belatedly become aware of and involved with its Southeast Asian neighbors. That is true, though with some qualifications. There was peripheral contact in the north even before the Europeans colonized Australia. But in the colonial era there was no steady development of contact or interest. The shifting patterns of alliance politics in Europe affected such contacts as there were between the colonial administrations in Southeast Asia and Australia, and indeed between the Southeast A sian colonial administrations themselves. Australia was not unique, or even unusual, in having little contact with its neighbors and in having its external links directed principally along the lines laid down by the metropolitan power. What are now the independent nations of Southeast Asia also had little contact with each other during the European colonial period. Just as the lines of communication and trade ran from Melbourne and Sydney to London, so did those between the French, Dutch, and other British colonies and the respective metropolitan powers in Europe. Right up to the Pacific War there was little or no communication between, for example, what are now Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The links ran from Manila to the United States, from Batavia to the Netherlands, from Hanoi to France, and so on. It was the remarkable Japanese campaign which began at the end of 1941 which precipitated or accelerated the radical changes which took place between 1945 and the end of the Vietnam war. The sheer speed and success of the Japanese successes against numerically superior defending forces in Southeast Asia made a strong impression on opinion in the erstwhile colonies. The Japanese failed to capitalize on that in the sense that after early political successes in encouraging nationalist and pro-Japanese movements the appeal to shared Asian interests lost plausibility in the face of Japanese policies and actions which were exploitative or worse. Although Japan lost the war and left wounds in the region which are still not healed, the war precipitated the end of the moribund European colonial era, and accelerated the creation of independent states largely within borders established by the colonial empires. For some years trade and other economic links remained predominantly in the old colon ial grooves but with the economic supremacy of the United States and then with Japan embarked on decades of the highest rates of economic growth the world had yet seen, those patterns diversified. In the region the United States and Japan became the two most important outside powers and that was reflected inter alia by their leading roles in the setting up of the Asian Development Bank in 1966. By that time Australia[3] too had perforce diversified its trade away from Britain which had made it clear that it would seek its future economic arrangements in Europe and the Commonwealth arrangements which had supported much of Australias traditional export industry were phased out. Australia turned to Japan and others for new markets (a trade agreement with Japan had already been made in 1957). Australias development assistance programme had from the beginning concentrated on Southeast Asia and become and increasingly important instrument for involving this country with the region, especially as significant numbers of students from the region came to our universities and other institutions under the Colombo Plan and successor programmes.The failure of the attempted coup in Indonesia, the Gestapu of 30 September 1965, and the subsequent establishment of the New Order government there opened the way to overcome the regional or sub-regional strains produced by President Sukarnos eff orts to crush the newly-constructed Malaysia, as well as other tensions created or exacerbated by the Sukarno policies. In this climate ASEAN, the Association of South East Asian Nations, was established in 1967 and set out on its long and successful course of gradually building a sense of common interest and regional association among the six (originally five) members. ASEAN recently embarked on the development of AFTA, the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement. ASEAN has become the key institution in Southeast Asia not only because of its success in developing a sense of community among its very disparate members, and in finding a road for them to closer economic cooperation. It has also become the forum for discussion with the main world powers on a wide range of matters. This has come about through an annual mechanism of post-Ministerial consultations held after ASEANs own internal consultations through which ASEAN member governments, at Foreign Minister level, meet with their counterparts. These counterparts, termed dialogue partners, currently are Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand and the United States. In 1994 discussions on regional security were further developed with the establishment of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) which groups ASEAN and its dialogue partners with Russia, China, Vietnam, Laos and Papua New Guinea. Looking at the recent evolution of Southeast Asia perhaps the most sig nificant thing has been the change that has occurred since the ending of the Cold War and the collapse of communism. Until relatively recently the centrally planned economy model had much attraction for many developing countries and there was up to the beginning of the eighties quite widespread aversion to capitalism and to the liberal market model as exemplified by the Western industrialized countries. Now virtually all of Southeast Asia is committed to market economics, albeit with more governmental political control than in the Western countries. There is a virtual unanimity about the commitment to economic development based on relatively open markets, private ownership and competition. With that has come a period of unprecedented economic growth. The major economies of Southeast Asia are all growing at rates previously thought unattainable for a sustained period. There are of course some uncertainties about the future; but there are few who doubt that Southeast Asia will early i n the twenty-first century be a major centre of economic power and influence. Southeast Asia has traditionally been a site of great power competition for regional dominance, due to its strategic location as a bridge between continental and maritime East Asia. To manage this competition and to enhance their own sub regional autonomy, the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) engaged in a number of regional institution building initiatives during the early 1990s. This institutionalism agenda led to speculation that ASEAN could become the hub of a nascent regional security community following the 1997 Asian financial crisis, however, the prospect that ASEAN could act as an autonomous entity to mitigate Sino-U.S. geopolitical pressures seemed increasingly tenuous. Weakened by political and economic instability, intra-regional disputes and a simultaneous expansion of its membership, ASEAN has come to question its own identity. This has only further undermined ASEAN-led regional security initiatives such as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF ). More frequently, Southeast Asian states have favored bilateralism and have looked to external powers to realize their security interests. These changing sub regional dynamics have, in turn, prompted renewed efforts by China and the United States to cultivate influence within Southeast Asia. Chinas attempts to gain support for its new security concept and US efforts to secure additional access and infrastructure agreements along the East Asian littoral are illustrative. To some extent, Sino-U.S. geopolitical competition has been modified by strategic cooperation resulting from the war on terror. China still remains wary of U.S. attempts to engage Southeast Asia in countering global terrorism. These trends have, in turn, compelled analysts to reconceptualize the Southeast Asian security landscape in a balance of power context. It is clear continental Southeast Asian states have aligned with China and maritime Southeast Asian states have aligned with the United States. The geographi c position of China and the United States, and the evolution of their interests and military capabilities accordingly, make it unlikely that either country would seek to project power into the others respective sphere. Southeast Asian states maintain a position of equidistance between the great powers. She attributes this to the ASEAN states general distrust of great powers and their desire to maintain the delicate Sino-U.S. regional balance. CHAPTER IV POLITICAL ECONOMY OF SOUTH EAST ASIA China sleeps, when she wakes, the World will tremble Napoleon The South east Asian countries over the past four decades has transformed itself from a region with enormous economic and political problems to one blessed with relative peace and prosperity. In particular the five ASEAN economies, namely, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand , grew strongly in the 1960s with an average rate of 6 percent. This buoyant economic performance continued in the 1970s with 7.3 percent as they benefited from the massive inflows of the foreign exchange earnings due to sharp increase in the world price of primary commodities, including two oil shocks which benefited some of the members the same period. In the 1980s the region slowed down to an average growth rate of 6.1 percent. Regional economies experienced recessionary conditions due to high interest rate policy of the US Federal Reserve Bank, the consequent debt crisis in the region, the recession in the ASEANs major trading and investment partners, and the fall in the world prices of the primary commodities. But there was also a positive trend of influx of export- oriented foreign direct investment from Japan and the NIEs following the strong appreciation of their currencies. The recovery from 1991 to 1996 was followed by an economic contraction in 1997-98 due to the crisis which began in Thailand in July 1997 and spread to other parts of the region. In 1999-2000, the ASEAN economies staged a dramatic recovery with Singapore and Malaysia leading, things again turned sour with the September 11 attacks and the lackluster performance of the export sector. There was again a decrease in the economic growth due to the SARS, Iraq cri sis and terrorist related attacks, slump in the electronic market and collapse of the WTO talks in Cancun. The global economy is most rapid in emerging Asia where GDP accelerated to 7.2 percent in 2003, accounting for about 50 per cent of world growth. Looking forward, growth is projected to remain high at 7.4 per cent in 2004 and 7.0 per cent in 2005. The IMF stated that while domestic demand growth has increased significantly in emerging Asia, the regional current account surpluses remain very large, with exports supported by the rebound in the information technology (IT) sector as well as depreciating exchange rates. In the ASEAN-4, Thailand has shown the strongest expansion at 6.7 per cent in 2003, and is expected to remain high at 7 per cent in 2004 and 6.7 per cent in 2005. Cyclical considerations and high levels of public debt necessitate fiscal prudence for Thai authorities. The Malaysian economy is also recovering strongly and is expected to continue with inflation and unemployment remaining at low levels. However, the main policy priorities are the implementation of the announced fiscal consolidation to achieve a balanced budget by the year 2006 and greater exchange rate flexibility accompanied with suitable macroeconomic policies. Indonesias modest growth continues to be driven by private consumption, and has been accompanied with lower inflation. The Indonesian government should continue to implement its planned fiscal consolidation. Moreover, it needs to sustain banking, legal and judicial reforms in order to provide a better investment climate conducive to higher growth. As for the Philippines, uncertainties remain high even after the May 2, 2004 presidential elections. The main concerns of the Philippine government include increasing the tax revenues, restructuring the power sector, strengthening the banking sector, and improving the business system. Following the SARS crisis, the Singapore economy recovered in 2003 with supportive macroeconomic policies. To enhance its medium-term competitiveness and growth prospects, the IMF recommends a deepening and acceleration of reforms including further divestment of government  ­linked companies Issues and Challenges for Southeast Asian/ASEAN Domestic policy issues and challenges. On the domestic front, the growth prospects for ASEAN are very much dependent on various factors including the ability of their respective governments to provide economic, political and social stability, implement economic reforms, and diversify their economies. ASEAN policy makers thus face the following challenges: Sound macroeconomic environment. Following the 1997/98 economic crisis, government budget deficits relative to GDP have broadly increased and this is of serious concern for ASEAN governments, particularly for Malaysia and the Philippines. Price instability has become a serious concern for Indonesia and the Philippines. Exchange rates in Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines and Myanmar have weakened significantly. Moreover, the rising levels of foreign debt in the Philippines and Indonesia could create additional uncertainties. In terms of the current account surplus as a proportion of GDP, the six older ASEAN members have broadly shown higher levels relative to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV countries). Thus, in order to achieve a sound macroeconomic environment, ASEAN economies need to adopt a prudent fiscal policy, low inflation rates, stable exchange rates, and manageable levels of external debt and current account balance. Stable political and business environment. The political environment in some countries has been affected by military uprisings, kidnappings, bombings and other terrorist-related activities, peoples demonstrations, and elections. A 1997 survey of Japanese firms conducted by JETRO indicated that political stability is considered as the most significant determinant of Japanese investments in ASEAN. Thus Southeast Asian governments need to find ways and means towards achieving and maintaining a politically stable environment in order to encourage domestic and foreign investments. Social Harmony. ASEAN countries need to address issues such as conflicts between racial groups (e.g. the Chinese and pribumis in Indonesia, and the Chinese and bumiputras in Malaysia), between religious groups (e.g. the Muslims and Christians in Southern Philippines) and between the poor and rich. Despite all the policies and resources spent on alleviating poverty and reducing income inequality, unemployment, poverty and income inequality continue to be the major policy concerns of ASEAN governments. In reality, it is very difficult to reduce poverty and narrow the income gap given the interplay of politics, economics and industry, and the conflicting goals of the various interest groups in the economy like businesses, religious groups, the elite, farmers, small and medium entrepreneurs, etc. Thailands income gap between the rich and the poor was the widest in the world (Bangkok Post, 2S Aug 2003). In the Philippines, Gerard Clark and Marites Sison (2003) in their study titled liDo t he well-off really care about the plight of the poor? revealed that majority of the respondents suggested that some elite people cared while others did not; and those who did care did too little or acted primarily out of self-interest. In fact, there are some people in the superior group like the elite who wish the poor to remain poor because of the benefits that can be derived from their poverty. For instance, politicians often depend on the poor at elections time for support that propels them to political office. Economic Reforms. Southeast Asian governments need to continue implementing economic reforms that include market opening, trade, investment and financial liberalization. These reforms are particularly crucial for the CLMV countries as they undergo transition from centrally planned to market  ­oriented economies and for the crisis-hit countries especially Indonesia and Thailand. In the case of Indonesia, there was a lack of seriousness on the part of the political leadership to undertake economic reforms. For example, there were delays in the removal of tariff control and the privatization of state assets and enterprises, so that the process of reforms is reverting to protectionism. Furthermore, a delay in the IMFs financial assistance added to the ineffectiveness of Indonesias recovery programme. Thailand completed its 34-month Stand-By Arrangement from the IMF that formed part of an international financial package worth US$17.2 billion from multilateral and bilateral lenders. Outs tanding obligations at end-June 2002 amounted to US$6.4 billion and repayment was finally completed on July 31,2003, some two years ahead of schedule a significant achievement on the part of the Thai government. Economic Diversion. Various factors impel ASEAN economies to continue to diversify their economies: volatile and broadly declining primary commodity prices, depletion of non-renewable primary resources such as oil and gas, and the high costs of production. Following the decline in crude oil prices in the 1980s, Brunei and Indonesia have begun to diversify their economies from oil towards non-oil products and services (finance, tourism). Because of the high costs of production (e.g. high labour costs), Singapores economy has emphasised the significant contribution of the services sector (IT, education, tourism, finance). The services sector has accounted for about 60-70 per cent of Singapores GDP. Moreover, to improve the competitiveness of Singapores manufactured products and services, several cost-cutting measures have been implemented, namely, cuts in contribution rates for mandatory saving, reduction in corporate taxes, and reduction in utility charges. Long-run policies include t raining and re-training programmes for workers and greater focus on RD activities for innovations and improvement in technology. In Singapore, there are more than 600,000 workers with secondary education or lower. As such, it is extremely important that these workers upgrade their skills and learn new tasks to be more productive and to be more employable in the future. There are also other schemes such as the job re-design programmes implemented by the Singapore Productivity and Standards Board which involves changing both job content and arrangement to encourage workers to become more productive. Other ASEAN countries can learn from Singapores experiences with regard to cost-cutting measures, training and re-training programmes, and RD activities to improve productivity and competitiveness. Multi-Ethnic States. Multi-ethnicity is a dominant feature of the region and therefore stable inter-state ties and intra-state ethnic stability are closely intertwined. The region has to work toward the stability and security of strong, secular, federal multi- ethnic states if it is to remain secure and stable in the coming years. The Challenge of Democratisaton. The other key political challenge that confronts South East Asian nations is how to build stable, democratic state structures in condition of a rising tide of expectations for better life and greater liberty. Through much of Asia, the struggle between pressures for democratization against existing authoritarian state structures or oppressive socio-political conditions is a reality. Human rights abuses are common in many of the states. In Myanmar and Indonesia there is a rising pressure for political change and expansion of political rights. Militancy, insurgency and terrorism have wracked many parts of ASEAN region in the past and continue to do so even now. Only through steady democratization, decentralization and provision of caring and efficient governance can the integrity of state structures and stability be preserved. CHAPTER V Chinese political and economical strategy in South East Asia. China perceives itself as a central power on Earth. The rest of the World is an array of greater and lesser powers which neither have unified structure nor a single head Macnall Mark[4] Chinas political and economic strategy are interlinked with the security relation that China shares with the Southeast Asia as a region. China embraced the Southeast Asian regionalism and of multilateralism with Southeast Asia is part of broader decision to jettison Chinas old confrontational policy and style. Chinese leaders officials turned this approach to South east Asia on its head replacing the assertiveness that characterized pre 1997 Chinese policy with accommodation. This concerted campaign assuaged South east Asian fears but also paved the way for South east Asian and Chinese to participate in and profit from this rapidly expanding economic ties. Chinese leaders and officials smoothly employed diplomacy in innumerable meeting with South east Asian counterparts to slowly and carefully win greater influence in south east Asia. The Chinese foreign policy community made a concerted effort to represent Chinas reemergence as a regional power. It portrayed recent trends as aligne d with the economic and security interests of its southern neighbors. China convinced the neighbors that it is not a threat. China employed the same set of instruments of Chinese national security policy at both multilateral level with ASEAN and bilateral level with individual ASEAN states albeit with differing effects in the countries concerned depending on their individual circumstances. It places contentious issues temporarily to the side, places processes before product and welcomes efforts to build EAST ASIAN community. Beijing binds the South East Asean countries with a spectrum of economic, political and cultural and security proposals. As Beijing courted its southern neighbors, it supplemented diplomacy with economic ties in terms of trade and economic investment. China opened China to overseas ethnic Chinese and invited ethnic Chinese Southeast Asians to invest in China and subsequently invited Southeast Asians. Rapid increases in the Southeast Asian- China trade led to ove rcome the financial crisis. Chinas economic success has been as impressive as its diplomatic campaign, because china and Southeast Asian countries have been competitors both FDI and for developed markets in Japan,Europe and the United States. Beijing has worked assiduously tp provide Southeast Asian economies with a stake in Chinas economic expansion thus stabilizing Chinas periphery and contributing to Chinas own economic growth. Chinas turn to multilateralism diplomacy was to compliment its intense bilateral diplomacy was timely. ASEAN grew during the 1990 and accommodated new countries and also in the due course of time it had not been able to respond to the financial crisis and also the turmoil in East Timor. Chinas help to ASEAN gave a new appearance to ASEAN. Multilateral diplomacy provided a two way street for ASEAN countries and China and provided measures to forge new bonds. ASEAN also

Anatomy And Physiology: Need For Nutrition

Anatomy And Physiology: Need For Nutrition Nutrition is the process by which living organisms obtain or absorb food. These foods contain chemical substances which are the source of energy and necessary for growth, repair and maintenance. Nutrients build the body and allow it to function. There are six types of nutrients; carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, minerals and water which living organism need for sustenance. Carbohydrates produce and store energy and heat. There are two types of carbohydrates; simple and complex. Examples of simple carbohydrates are glucose and sugars. Complex carbohydrates are the starches the body gets energy from, they include; potatoes, rice and pasta. Protein plays a vital role in the formation of structures in organisms. They are used for body building or growth and repair of damaged tissue. Proteins are also used in the formation of enzymes, hormones and muscle. Living organism also needs fat to be healthy because it supplies and stores energy and heat. They are used in the transportation of the fat soluble vitamins and supports organs like the kidneys, and signals hormones. Vitamin A ensures proper bone growth and healthy skin, vitamin B complex breaks down carbohydrates and fat and helps to give healthy nervous system, whiles vitamin C heals wounds and helps the immune system. Vitamin D ensures the absorption of calcium for strong bones and teeth whiles vitamin E helps in the formation of red blood cells. Minerals also play important function in the body: Iron is very important in the formation of haemoglobin, Calcium and phosphorous are needed for the formation of strong bones and teeth, whiles Iodine is important for the proper functioning of the thyroid gland. Water is an important compound because it provides the medium in which all biochemical reactions such as digestion, excretion and absorption takes place. Water helps in regulating the body temperature and also forms the basics of all the body fluids. 2.1 Explain the functions of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins, and evaluate different food sources. Carbohydrate is one of the nutrients that provide our bodies with energy. They include sugars and starch, and their principal function in organisms is the production and storage of energy and heat. There are two types of carbohydrates; simple and complex. Examples of simple carbohydrates are glucose and sugars, whiles complex carbohydrates are the starches the body gets energy from. Different food sources of carbohydrates are; rice, potatoes, and pasta. If the right amount is taken, they supply the body with the required energy needed for the muscle, brain and central nervous system. They also play an important role in the metabolism of amino and fatty acids as well as regulating blood glucose. Lipids consist of natural fats and oils which are derived from plant and animal sources. They perform the function of storing and supplying of energy, body building components and certain vitamins. Most of the energy used by the heart is obtained from fats. Lipids also protect various organs. Lipids are also used as hormones that play the role in regulating body metabolism. They help in the production of hormones and store vitamins ADEK. Sources of fats are: margarine, milk and groundnut oils. Proteins play a vital role in the formation of structures in organisms. Proteins are built up from amino acids and are used for body building or growth. They are also for the repair of damaged and worn out tissues. When there is shortage of carbohydrates and fats, they are used for the production of energy. Proteins are also used in the formation of enzymes, hormones and muscle. They also form a major component in the bone, muscle and other tissues and fluids. Food sources of protein include; meat, fish, eggs and groundnut and the end product of digesting protein is amino acids. 2.2 Explain the need for vitamins and minerals and evaluate different food sources. Vitamins are organic constituents of food required in very small amounts for a variety of metabolic purposes and for good health. Minerals on the other hand are inorganic elements essential for normal growth and development. There is the need for vitamins and minerals because they are important for maintaining good health and prevents some diseases. They are found in a variety of foods, so a balanced diet should provide the body with the needed quantities. They control the chemical reactions within the body to convert food into energy. There are 13 vitamins which are classified into two groups: water soluble vitamins which are B C and fat soluble vitamins; A, D, E k. Vitamin A is important for growth and healthy skin, and also helps in the bodys immune system. Food sources for these vitamins include; milk, butter, chicken, and mackerel. Vitamin B complex breaks down carbohydrates and fat and helps to give healthy nervous system; whiles vitamin C heals wounds and helps the immune system. Vitamin D ensures the absorption of calcium for strong bones and teeth and vitamin E helps in the formation of red blood cells. Vitamin K helps the liver in the production of blood clotting factor for the prevention of internal bleeding. Through the activity of the healthy bacteria, the body also makes vitamin K in the large intestine. Various food sources of vitamins include; liver, beans, green vegetables, oranges and egg yolk. Minerals also play specific and important function in the body. There are two types namely; macro minerals and micro or trace minerals. Macro minerals are needed in large quantities and they are calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride and sulphur. Trace or micro minerals are needed in small quantities. Even though the body needs it, it requires just a little bit for the body to function; ion, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, fluoride and selenium. Ion is present in foods as green vegetables, eggs and kidneys and is very important in the formation of haemoglobin. Its absence reduces the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood and causes anaemia. Calcium and phosphorous are needed for the formation of strong bones and teeth. You can get them from milk, fish and whole grain cereals. Calcium plays a role in blood clotting and muscle contraction. Iodine is important for the proper functioning of the thyroid gland. Its food source include cheese and sea fish. Magnesium is derived from fruits and helps in the transmission of nerve impulses. Potassium is another form of mineral which keeps the muscles and the nervous system working properly. It ensures the right amount of water in the blood and body tissue. Food sources are bananas, broccoli and tomatoes. Zinc is the last mineral type which helps the immune system. It is the bodys system for fighting off illnesses and infections. It also helps with cell growth and helps heal wounds such as cuts. The food sources for this mineral include pork, lamp, beans and lentils. 3.1 Describe the main organs of the digestive system The digestive system comprises of the digestive tract; a series of hollow organs joined in a long tube from the mouth to the anus, and other organs that helps the body to break down and absorb food, known as the accessory organs. Those accessory organs include the salivary glands, the pancreas, the liver and the gallbladder. The human digestive tract takes in food in various forms and extracts the nutrients that the body turns into energy, and the remains are then excreted. The digestive tract also contains a layer of smooth muscle that helps to break down food and move it along the tract. Organs that make up the digestive tract are the mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine also known as the colon, rectum and the anus. The mouth is the site of ingestion. Its primary function is to help digest food by crushing and breaking down the size of the food into smaller units. The mouth includes the teeth, tongue and the hard and soft Pilates. There are also three sets of salivary glands: parotid, sublingual and sub maxillary that secrete saliva to help in chewing food. There is a lining in the mouth called the mucosa which contains tiny glands that produces juice to help digestion. The tongue also mixes saliva with food and moves it towards the pharynx. The oesophagus is a food tube that begins at the pharynx and leads to the diaphragm into the stomach. Bolus is pushed down the oesophagus by peristalsis; a circular sphincter muscle opens to let food pass and closes behind it to prevent the food flowing back from the stomach. The stomach is the location for breaking down food by gastric acid and digestive enzymes after it comes down the oesophagus. There is also a lining called the mucosa which contains tiny glands that produces juice to help digestion. The small intestine is the main place for digestion because, it where vitamins and nutrients are absorbed. It then passes through the large intestine which compact the waste and stores any water left over from the small intestine. Wastes are finally disposed off by the anus at the end of digestion. The liver, pancreas and gall bladder are important in secreting and storing substances that helps in the breaking down of food. The liver and pancreas produces digestive juice that reaches the intestine through the small tubes called ducts. Digestive juices are stored in the gallbladder until they are needed in the intestine. Parts of the nervous and circulatory systems also play a major role in the digestive system. 3.2 Explain the function of the main organs of the digestive system. The role of the digestive system is the physical and chemical breakdown of food. After ingestion, food and fluids are processed by the digestive organs so that nutrients can be absorbed and circulated through the bloodstream and then to the body for the needed nutrients. Any remaining food which is not able to digest is eliminated through the anus as faeces. The digestive system is made up of the digestive tract; a series of hollow organs joined in a long tube from the mouth to the anus and other organs that help the body to break down and absorb food. Organs that make up the digestive tract are the mouth, pharynx, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine also known as the colon, rectum, and anus. These are the main organs of the digestive system. There is a lining called mucosa inside these hollow organs. In the mouth, stomach, and small intestine, the mucosa contains tiny glands that produce juice to help digest food. The digestive tract also contains a layer of smooth muscle that helps break down food and move it along the tract. Mouth is where digestion process begins; food is entered, cut, crushed and chewed by the teeth and broken down with saliva. The process of mechanical and chemical digestion begins at the associated accessory organs such as the teeth tongue and salivary glands through mastication, whiles the mouth also begins the propulsive process of swallowing. The next organ is the pharynx which serves as the passage way when food is swallowed and connects the mouth and the oesophagus. The oesophagus is a thick walled muscular tube that connects pharynx with the stomach and serves as the passageway for food from the mouth to the stomach. This works by a process called peristalsis. The stomach is a j shaped muscular bag which chums, digests, and stores food. It continues the process that began in the mouth of reducing the size of the food. It acts as a temporary storage site for food where chemical digestion of proteins begins. A few fat soluble substances are also absorbed through the lining of the stomach into the blood stream. Another organ of the digestive system is the small intestine which is located between the stomach and the large intestine. It measures about 6m approximately. The small intestine is where digestion is completed and virtually all the absorption of the digestion products into the blood stream happens. Mechanical digestion and propulsion of the food through the gastrointestinal tract is achieved by the alternate contraction of the smooth muscles of the small intestine wall. Enzymes conveyed through ducts from the pancreas, liver and gallbladder, together with enzymes secreted from the cells lining. The small intestines function is to chemically digest the food. The soluble digestion products are taken up into the blood stream by passive and active mechanisms. The large intestine, also known as the colon is part of the main organs of the digestive system which measures about 1.8m long approximately and is located by the pancreas and wraps around the small intestines. It is considered as the largest part of the digestive system which contains large amount of vitamin producing bacteria B1, B2, B6, B12, folic acid and biotin. The large intestine is the site of absorption for the remaining water from the indigestible food matter, stores this unusable food and eliminates them from the body as faeces which consist of indigestible materials, bacterial and sloughed off intestinal cells. The large intestine takes about 11 to 16 hours to finish up the remaining process of the digestive system. The rectum acts as a temporary storage facility for the human waste. It walls expands the receptors from the nervous system found in the rectum walls, stimulate the desire to remove waste matter from the body through the anus, which is the opening part of the rectum where waste from the body are expelled. Two solid digestive organs, the liver and the pancreas, produces digestive juice that reach the intestine through small tubes called ducts. The gallbladder stores the livers digestive juices until they are needed in the intestine. Parts of the nervous and circulatory systems also play major roles in the digestive system. 4.1 Explain the process of digestion The digestive system is a gastrointestinal tract that has mouth, pharynx, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine and large intestine. It has other accessory structures, such as salivary gland, pancreas, liver, and gallbladder. (Anatomy and physiology,1999). Digestion actually starts in the mouth when food is ingested; food is chewed and mixed with saliva to moisten it, as the enzymes in saliva begin to break down carbohydrate (starch). When food is chewed, it becomes lubricated, warmer, and easier to swallow and digest. The teeth and mouth works together to convert each bite of food into a bolus that can readily move into the oesophagus. There is a lining in the mouth known as mucosa which contains tiny glands that produce juices to help digest food. After the bolus is swallowed, it enters the oesophagus where it continues to be warmed and lubricated as it moves toward the stomach. The acidic environment of the stomach and the action of gastric enzymes and pepsin convert the bolus into chime, a liquefied mass that is squirted from the stomach into the small intestine. Inside the hollow organs is a lining called the mucosa in the stomach, which contains tiny glands that produce juices to help digest food. Carbohydrates tend to leave the stomach rapidly and enter the small intestine, proteins leave the stomach less rapidly, and fats stayed there the longest. The stomach then secretes juice that works to convert food into a thick liquid. These liquid then passes into the small intestine. The conversion of protein into amino acids, fat into fatty acids and starch or carbohydrate into simple sugars is what happens next in the small intestines. The small intestine is the principal site of digestion and absorption. Enzymes and secretions from the pancreas, liver, gallbladder, and the small intestine itself, combine to break down nutrients so that they can be absorbed. The pancreas is a veritable enzyme factory, supplying enzymes to digest proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Intestinal cells also supply some enzymes. The wall of the small intestine has millions of tiny cells that are known as villi. Inside the hollow organs is a lining called the mucosa in the small intestine which contains tiny glands that produce juices to help digest food. Cell has many small blood vessels where digested materials are taking in, and transported to the body cell. Materials that are not absorbed move into the larger intestine, where the water and salt get absorbed. The hard solid waste go es out via anus. 5.1 Describe the structure of the liver The liver is the largest gland found in the body, and it weighs between 1and 2.3 kg. It is located at the right upper part of the stomach. It has two lobes that is a round body part. Its two blood vessels enter the liver as hepatic portal vein that comes from the small intestine, and the hepatic artery that is oxygenated blood from the lungs. The liver has two ducts that unite to form the shared (joint) hepatic ducts that open with the pancreatic duct in the hollow side of the duodenum. The gallbladder is inside liver, it acts as storage for bile, which is formed by the liver cells. The right lobe of the liver is larger than the left. The boles divide into many tiny lobules that are made up of many liver cells. The whole liver structure is permissible with the system of blood capillaries and lymph capillaries. The liver cells do secrete bile that is collected in the bile capillaries, and then join to form bile ducts. The entire bile ducts eventually join to form the main hepatic duct . The main hepatic duct then gives off a branch that is known as cystic duct. The cystic duct goes into the gallbladder. The cystic duct joins hepatic duct while inside the gallbladder. The two ducts continue as the universal bile duct, which joins the pancreatic duct to form a shared duct, which opens into the duodenum (first section of small intestine). (Anatomy and physiology,1999). 5.2 Describe the role of the liver in dealing with nitrogenous waste and toxins. The liver is like chemical processing centre which has got many functions and they includes; the production of bile, it also produces proteins, and stores glycogen, iron and some vitamins. The liver also removes toxins and waste from the blood and converts them into less harmful substances. It also regulates blood sugar, lipids and amino acids, forms plasma proteins and stores vitamins such as A and D. When the body uses protein, it is broken down into amino acids by the liver. The by product of the used protein is ammonia which is toxin to the body. The liver then uses enzymes to convert this ammonia into urea, which goes into the blood. It is then picked by the kidneys to flow out of the body. Other disposal is through the intestines. Without the help of the liver to convert ammonia into urea, it would build up in the blood which can cause problems. Another factor is the use of drug or alcohol. Again, the liver with the help of digestive enzymes breaks down this substance which is then disposed off by the body. These broken down toxins are eliminated from the body by converting and then excreted to the bile or blood. Through the duodenum, bile waste substances enter the intestine and eliminates from the body as faeces. Blood waste substances is also filtered from the blood by the kidneys and eliminated from the body as urine. The liver has to convert fat soluble toxins into water soluble substances that can be excreted from the body. It filters the blood to remove large toxins, synthesizes and gets rid of bile and other fat soluble toxins and live enzymes eliminate unwanted chemicals. The process of disposing of toxins occurs by oxidations and conjugation. Oxidation neutralizes the toxin which will then be neutralised by conjugation. This process converts a toxic chemical into a less harmful chemical. Conjugation is the pathway where the liver cells add another substance such as sulphur molecule to a toxic chemical to make it less harmful then excretion. 6.1 Describe the gross and ultra structure of the kidney The gross structure of the kidney is what we can see with our naked eye. It consist of the fibrous capsule surrounding the kidney, the cortex which is a red/brown colour layer of tissue that is below the capsule and outside the pyramid and the medulla, which is the innermost layer consisting of the renal pyramids. The ultra structure is what we can not see with our naked eye. They are the functional units, the nephrons and the smaller numbers of collecting ducts. The kidney is either of two bean shaped excretory organs that filter waste from the blood. It is located at the dorsal part of the abdomen. The left kidney lies slightly above the right. Each kidney is supplied with blood by the renal artery and drained by the renal vein. Coming out of the two kidneys are a pair of ureters which conveys urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder for temporary storage. The last portion is the urethra which is responsible for sending urine out of the body. The diagram below was lifted from; (www.ivy-rose.co.uk/human body), shows the gross structure of the kidney. The kidney is reddish brown in colour and has got a deposit of fat on top of it. It can be seen to have a central cavity, the pelvis, while the surrounding mass of tissue is differentiated into an outer cortex and an inner medulla. Urine formed in the kidney passes by a pair of ureters, into the bladder where it is stored until released by the urethra. Each kidney contains about one million nephrons which can be regarded as the functional unit performing both functions of excretion and homeostasis. At the inner end of the nephron is a spherical structure called the Malpighian body which is located in the cortex. It consists of a cup-shaped Bowmans capsule and a double layer of epithelium, enclosing a small cavity known as capsular space. The capsule then extends into a tube that coils many times to form the proximal convoluted tubule. It then descends into the medulla where it makes a u-turn known as the loop of Henley. The tubule ascends again into the cortex, forming the distal convoluted tubule, which opens into a collecting duct, along with several other nephrons. The collecting ducts converge at the pelvis of the kidney, shedding their contents into the ureter, which carries the urine to the bladder for temporary storage. Entering the narrow opening of each Bowmans capsule is a small arteriole, which breaks up into a network of capillaries, the glomerulus. Leaving the capsule is another arteriole, which subdivides to give a network of capillaries enveloping the convoluted tubule. 6.2 Explain the process of filtration in the nephron The main function of the kidney is to purify the blood which flow through it. It extracts and eliminates all harmful substances and ensures it has the correct composition. This is achieved through the process of filtration, re-absorption and secretion. Because the artery bringing blood into the glomerulus is larger than that carrying blood away from it, a high pressure is built up within the glomerulus. Under this pressure, filtration occurs. This involves the forcing of substances from the glomerular capillaries through the thin wall of the Bowmans capsule, into the lumen of the tubule. This filtrate consists of water, glucose, amino acids, vitamins, salt and urea. The filtrate passes down to the proximal convoluted tubule where considerable re absorption occurs. Over 80% of the glomerular filtrate is absorbed including all the glucose, amino acids, water and vitamins. The process of absorbing the useful metabolites back into the blood stream is known as selective re absorption which involves active transport and passive diffusion. Active transport requires energy (ATP) which is provided by the cells of the tubule. Further waste substances may be added to the tubules by active secretion from the blood capillaries surrounding the tubules. The Henles loop and distal convoluted tubule help to regulate the amount of water in the body. This is achieved by the help of a hormone known as ADH (Antidiuretic hormone) produced by the pituitary gland. The tubule also helps to regulate the pH of the blood, regulating the amount of ions in it. When the osmotic pressure of the blood is very high, more water is absorbed from the urine. This mechanism dilutes the blood and returns its concentration to normal. At low osmotic pressure of the blood, very little or no water is absorbed in the convoluted region of the tubule. Low concentration of the blood increases its regulatory activities by forming weak or diluted urine at regular intervals but discharged in large quantities to help bring the blood concentration to normal. This regulatory activity is controlled by ADH. Its presence in the blood stream affects the collecting duct thereby regulating the amount of water in the urine. 6.3 Explain the methods by which the kidney varies the volume and concentration of urine. The cells of the human body are surrounded by liquid that is remarkably constant in its properties. The various metabolic processes that take place in the cells of the body require a constant internal environment. Homeostasis is the process that ensures maintenance of this internal environment. Almost all chemical activities in the body system are enzyme controlled and they work better under good condition with respect to pH, temperature and other factors. Whenever the bodys normal temperature is altered and the condition of salt with respect to K*, Na*, C1- ions are not well maintained within the physiological limits, a number of process including nervous transmission are affected. The regulation of the amount of water and mineral salt in the body is controlled by hormones. When the amount of water in the body is low and the body begins to dehydrate, the concentration of salt in the blood increases resulting in an increase in the osmotic concentration of blood. The brain detects this change and nerve impulses are sent to the pituitary gland to stimulate an increase in the production of ADH. This increases the permeability of cells of collecting ducts and they reabsorb more water which helps to normalise the osmotic condition of the blood. On the other hand, when water in the body system is higher than normal, ADH production stops or reduces. Under this condition, large volumes of water are discharged together with the urine into the external environment, which is known as osmoregulation. REFERENCE: Ken, Chisholm (2009) importance of nutrition [online] Available at: http://www.nutrition.about.com (Accessed: 03/01/2010 at 2227) Matt, Ziemian (1982) Human Anatomy Colouring Book, New York: Dover publication. Ross, Wilson (2006) Anatomy and Physiology, Churchill Livingstone Elsevier 10th Ed. Ross, Wilson (1990) Anatomy and Physiology, Churchill Livingstone 7th Ed. Thompson, Bnowak (2009) liver detox [online] Available at: http://www.people.cornellcoge.edu (Accessed: 02/12/2009 at 0800) Author unknown (2009) the digestive system [online] Available at: http://www.digestive.niddk.nih.gov (Accessed: 10/01/2010 at 1815) Author unknown (2010) structure of the kidney [online] Available at: http://www.ivy-rose.co.uk/humanBody (Accessed: 12/01/2010 at 1002) Author unknown (2010) filtration of the kidney [online] Available at: http://www.purchon.com/biology (Accessed: 12/01/10 at 1717) Author unknown (2010) filtration of the nephron [online] Available at: http://www.health.howstuffworks.com (Accessed: 12/10/2010 at 1733) Author unknown (2010) filtration of the nephron [online] Available at: http://www.nsbn.org/humanphysspace/focus4/ep-urine(Accessed: 12/10/2010 at 1747) Professional Ethics: Compare And Contrast Professional Ethics: Compare And Contrast Professionals carry a lot of moral responsibilities to those in the population in general, and to society. Professionals can act on informed decisions that the public cannot, because the public lacks the knowledge that the professional has. There are several ethical principles that dictate how a professional should act in a business setting. These ethical principles have many similarities but are ultimately very distinct. Teleology is a Greek word meaning end or purpose. Teleology refers to moral philosophies that results in moral decisions based on the final outcome. A person looks at the choices presented to them and weighs all the outcomes and then chooses the consequence that best suits there desires. There are two major teleological philosophies, egoism, and utilitarianism. An egoist is a person who is only concerned for him/her self. They do everything that they can to further their own needs. This doesnt mean they are evil and greedy. An egoists goals can include getting a better job, a better house, or that stock portfolio they always wanted. In regards to ethical decisions, the egoist will choose the path that leads to their own goals with little to no regard to the other stakeholders. For the most part an egoist only thinks short term, there are some egoists that can think long term. These egoists are called enlightened egoists. Another version of the egoist, the enlightened egoist, is able to look further along in time, they are also able to think about other peoples interests when making ethical decisions. An enlightened egoist will still keep there own interests ahead of others. An example of an enlightened egoist would be some one that helps a turtle cross the street only because that person would feel bad if the turtle were to get killed by a car, and also it would help the turtle. In regards to business ethics, the egoist would be someone that tells management of someone else wrong doing against the company but only if it would benefit there position in some way (Ferrell, Freidrich, Ferrell, 2010). The egoist isnt the only one that is concerned with consequences. A utilitarianist concerns themselves with many consequences but unlike egoists they dont do things just for themselves. The egoist and utilitarianist are very much plan oriented. They weigh all the outcomes and consequences, and what will happen to the stakeholders. The difference however is that the utilitarian will try to find the best choice to benefit everyone, while the egoist will of course try to get as much benefit as possible for himself. Utilitarians dont just think about the benefits to humans either. Utilitarians will choose whats best for everything, including plants, animals, and the environment. Dont confuse them for tree hugging hippies though. If a solution does not benefit all stakeholders a utilitarian will not choose it. Deontology Deontology is completely different from teleology. Really the only thing that they have in common is that deontology is also a Greek word. Deontology is from the Greek word for ethics, and refers to a focus not on the self like Teleology but on others, and others intentions. Deontology teaches that there some things that just should not be done even if it could increase utility. Someone that follows deontology would try to convince there boss to give an employee another chance to improve their performance even though it would probably help overall productivity just to fire the person. The basic guiding ethical principle of deontology is that if you are comfortable having everyone see your actions and your rationale for committing this action is suitable to become a universal guiding principle then you are ethically sound in committing that action (Ferrell, Freidrich, Ferrell, 2010). Another example of this would be the taking of office supplies for use at home. If this were a universal ethical standard then companies would be going out of business because they would be spending ridiculous amounts of money on office supplies. Deontology can also be broken down into two different schools of thought, rule deontology, and act deontology. Rule deontology focuses on a conformity to general moral principals. Basic deontological philosophies use reason and logic to create their rules of behavior. Whistle-blowers are the best example of rule based deontologists, if the whistle-blower is bringing up a complaint that affects the general health and well being of its employees and customers even if they would suffer the loss of their job or worse. On the other end of the deontological spectrum is the Act deontologists. The act deontologist will still use rules and logic but not the currently established ones that the rule deontologists have created. Those rules are only guidelines to be used to make an ethical well thought out decision. Act deontologist also treat every action differently and as a seperate incident to be determined on its own. There is also some debate on the obligations of deontologists to the law. Some argue that one of the deontological duties is the duty to obey the law. Otheres argue that any duty to obey the law depends on whether the possesses practical authority (Deontological Ethics, 2003). Relativist Perspective The relativist perspective is more of a study of ethical norms and behaviors across the numerous and uncountable cultures of this world. It kind of follows the ideals of deontology in that it studies the rules of ethics that each culture creates. Relativists pride themselves on being fair and impartial to each cultures ethical norms. Relativists know that ethical decisions are based on cultural norms and therefore there can be no absolute ethical rules. For the most part relativists will adhere to moral and ethical standards of the culture that the relativist is currently in, but will adjust these morals and ethical rules as they move from culture to culture. To put this in perspective the relativist perspective can almost be used as the job description for an anthropologist. A good example would be polygamy, the practice of which is very acceptable in some societies but frowned upon in most of America (Moral Relativism, 2004). Virtue Ethics Virtue ethics is all about being an ethical person. Virtue ethicists will tell you that they do not follow a set of rules. Their actions are dictated by virtues and these virtues are inherent to your person. Virtue ethicists are also not concerned about the consequences of their actions like the Teleologists, nor do they have to think things through like a utilitarian. A virtue ethicist does whats right because they are a good person. Virtue ethics are not a habit like smoking, it is a persons very nature. These virtues (the rules that drive a virtue ethicist) will often come into conflict with a persons emotions. The truly virtuous however, are capable of putting aside their emotions and act without pause. Justice Justice is a system that is used to evaluate the fairness of different situations. Justice is based on rules, just like the deontologists, but in contrast these rules are written and are capable of forcing people to follow them. There are three types of justice that can be used. There is distributive justice, procedural justice, and interactional justice. Distributive justice relates to the guidance of the allocation of benefits and burdens of economic activity. In other words this is what decides who the laws should apply to. Procedural justice relates to the procedures used to produce the outcome, and interactional justice is used to evaluate communication processes. Conclusion Professionals have an uncountable number of moral and ethical decisions that they must decide on, and they need guidelines to help them make the best ethical and moral decisions. These guidelines can come from a great many sources, and it is ultimately the professionals decision on what to follow. Society in general follows these guidelines, and indeed without these guidelines society could very well fall apart into chaos. Are We Dependent on the Media? Are We Dependent on the Media? Media! Are we becoming dependent? Media is everywhere in society; it is almost impossible for people to ignore. Media; such as television, film and social media; can play a significant role in socialising children, and forming their ideas about the world. This creates a cycle where each generations views and ideas become influenced by media and each generation depends upon it for morals and ideas. UK children watch an average of more than two and a half hours of television a day and spend an hour and 50 minutes online a day, a poll suggests. It is estimated that children watch 40,000 television adverts each year. (AAP, 2006) and as children grow, viewing of television increases. Under 6s only watch 2 hours of television whereas 8 18 year olds watch on average 2 extra hours a day. This suggests that people rely more on television as they grow, now this may be because there is more choice for them to choose from or that they are in fact becoming dependent upon it. Most forms of media are seducing in many ways, which can make them become addictive because they appear exciting. Advertising people use clever techniques to hook people in and make them want to consume more media; using techniques such as; repetition of the advertised item, allowing for them to be build awareness and using television adverts, it allows both sight and sound to be used. This allows the advertiser to disguise the repetition by changing how its delivered. An advert for a product called HeadOn is an example of this. (Number 1) Viewers dont know what the product does but the name is remembered. There are many other techniques; such as association with something well known; i.e. a celebrity or song, or a desirable emotion being used. There are also ways such as promotions, bandwagon usage; everyone else is using it and so should you. A successful advertisement creates a desire in people and allows for a way to fulfil that desire, which makes the audience feel good about doing anything about it. Often we just receive messages from the media and do not question them making it easier for people to forget that everything does not have to be accepted. Media messages have only been one way. Audiences watch and consume them but we do not create or influence the media, however, new content on the internet has changed this; such as social networking sites and audiences uploading content online, using sites such as YouTube. Changes have come about because it allows for the audience to interact more with media, instead of just creating it, they allow for thought processes and creativity to flow, people do not just consume the media they are given but they add their spin, allow themselves to show off their opinions, creativity and even make a career out of something they are passionate about. They interact with the media they are looking at. Youtubers make a significant amount of money. Dan Howell aka Danisnotonfire; uses YouTube professionally and has a net worth of around  £2million. (Telegraph, 2015). He is a video blogger and recently became a radio personality. He creates many different videos; from internet help groups; asking his followers to ask him questions; to collaborating with other YouTubers such as AmazingPhil; Phil Lester. They like to interact with their followers, even having Tumblrs which allow for this. They show peoples fan art and vlog about different subjects. Young people dont sit in front of the TV for hours, they sit in front of a laptop for hours, says Danisnotonfire. Media companies have to adapt or die, like Blockbuster Video. (Conrad Withey, founder of Popshack, 2015) Many YouTube stars have become household names: Zoella (8.4m subscribers) has published four best-selling books in six months. Both Danisnotonfire (4.8m subscribers) and AmazingPhil (2.6m subscribers) have also brought out a book and sold out a UK tour. YouTube stars have become one of the few ways to reach younger consumers. A survey by Variety found that the five most influential figures among Americans aged 13-18 were YouTube stars, eclipsing mainstream celebrities including Jennifer Lawrence and Seth Rogen. (Variety, 2015). In the last 15 years media outlets have rapidly increased. In 1988 there were 4 television channels in the UK, now there are over 250. There were 60 radio stations, now almost triple that. There were 14 cinemas, now there are 2000 (Peake, 2002) these changes suggest a wider range of choice meaning people can spend more time using what is there. Early theories of media effects argue that media has a direct effect on behaviour. Hypodermic syringe theory (Harold Lasswell, 1920s) sees the media to have an immediate effect on peoples mood and actions. For example, violence in movies can produce violent behaviour which can enable influences on peoples perceptions. This could manipulate and control audiences but most of the research used to support this is from laboratory experiments which is fine but it lacks ecological validity as people behave different in laboratories than in real life. This theory ignores individual differences. Uses and gratification theory challenges this approach. T his asks what an audience does for the media instead of vice versa. It is argued that media is there to satisfy certain needs. McQuail et al. (1972) identified four needs that need to be met by watching television, they were escapism, companionship, personal identity; this was to see how clever they were using programs like quizzes; and the last need was their need for information. The uses and gratification approach lets the audience choose from the media to satisfy their needs. However, how can we identify audiences needs and how do we know that audiences have a wide range of programs, are they selective? People are adapting with the technology. In 1990, the internet had existed for only 7 years and only 3million people had access to it worldwide, of these 73% of were American. In 2008 there were 140 million people alone who have registered Facebook accounts and 40 million people had Bebo (comscore.com) Of these people there were only 22% of adults used them whereas almost double of children aged up until 17 used these sites, showing that maybe age has a part to play. According to Ofcom (2011) there were 18.8 million people to have a fixed residential broadband in the UK; while the figures continue to rise the UK population in 2011 was 63.2 million so only 30% of the population had it. The usage increases as the range of media increases but it only explains correlation and not causality. This could also suggest that people did not have internet at home but with the rise in other devices that access the internet; smart phones and dongles; they could be using these instead. 76% of those asked in thinkwithgoogle.coms survey said they accessed the internet every day from their phones, so the internet usage could be higher. It could be argued that people could be seen to use more media as there is more of it to access, so the average could still be the same. Peoples needs are forever changing and they seem to change with the media, as we are predisposed to media from a young age and it increases with age. (Jessica Farrow, 2015) Media dependency theory argues that the more dependent an individual is on the media for having their needs met, the more important the media be to that individual, thus there is a vicious cycle. (Sandra Ball Rokeach and Melvin Defleur, 1976). This theory is based on the uses and gratification theory which identifies how people use and become dependent upon media. People will use the media for many reasons; information and entertainment are just two examples. The media will also have much more influence over the individual; if someone is dependent upon the media then it is easy to set an agenda. Agenda-setting theory (Max McCombs and Donald Shaw, 1968) describes the ability to influence the importance of topics on the public agenda. I.e. if a news story is frequently covered then the audience will regard it as more important. For example, the constant televised show of the presidential 2017 election, this is important to everyone but is it only important because we keep getting told of it. The Paris attacks are another example, whilst this is important, there were bombings and attacks in different eastern countries but we were never told of this. Bad news almost always dominates the headlines; people respond more to negative words than they do to positive. Media is always made for a reason and the audience helps that by being a part of the cycle. This approach can be easily measured as it is positivist and it predicts a correlation between media dependence and importance the media has. However, each person uses the media differently, so individual differences need to be taken into account. This theory does not do this but according to Chaffe and Bergers criteria for scientific theories (1997) this theory is good. It is simple to understand and can be proven false, if a person is not dependent upon media then it will not be of great importance to the individual. This is also a great springboard to further research and helps to organise and relate to other media effect theories. It is a good theory but it needs to be expanded using the other theories such as Social cognitive theory (Bandura, 1986) build on uses and gratification theory[T1], it helps distinguish the stimulus for media consumption. Social cognitive theory explains behaviour in terms of the reciprocal causation between individuals, environments, and behaviours. This allows to make a more personal relationship between them instead of a much larger picture. Cognitive approaches like cultivation theory treats media consumers as passive sponges who file away bits of information. This does not always adequately describe consummation of media. Some people are more involved in certain aspects of medias, like fans of shows or movies. These people are not passive in their approaches but are interpreting material and seeking pleasures such as happiness and escaping their routines. People who are dependent upon media rely upon getting their needs met, so they spend more time using media to get the socialising they need and the needs covered. Each individuals needs is different but this seems to happen from childhood. Addiction is a serious problem for everyday life, usage of the internet; a large part of mass media; helps to fuel peoples addictions. To be classed as an addiction suggests that people are becoming much more dependant and that the use of media can be dangerous especially if it is changing the biology of peoples brains. Media activates the same pleasure centres of the brain as substances like alcohol and drugs. Among these alterations, the most significant is in the uncinate fasciculus which connects the limbic system to the hippocampus, creating a dissymmetry in the frontal lobe of the brain. Addiction is only possible if the activity is rewarding to the individual. They start to need to media for their own personal needs and become selfish and as it is everywhere it is almost impossible to stop what they are doing. Even if individuals do not have much of a reason to use any form of media, they have to use it because it is necessary to stimulate their brain and release the chemicals needed to feed the addiction. Having behaviour problems such as ADHD and depression can effect this differently, as the brain reacts to different stimulus in ways that a brain would usually do and I will discuss this in my next essay. Using social media can be detrimental to health. We see people doing different things with their life, maybe getting promoted or just a holiday and the mood can change, people can become envious. It makes everyone compare their lives to others, making people feel like they could be doing better, that they want something. Alison Stevenson wrote a blog on this and she says, For years, Id hear news of a friends success, and my immediate reaction would not be joy for that person. Instead Id think to myself, why didnt that happen to me? Only after the initial wave of self-pity had subsided, would I be able to finally feel genuinely happy for that personà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I couldnt help but obsess over why my particular path hadnt lead me to the success I saw in other peoples lives. (Alison Stevenson, 2015)[T2][JF3][JF4] If a mood can change like that just from using sites such as Facebook, then what is it doing to the mass population who are constantly using it. People seek approval and online media makes that much easier and worse to do. Stevenson admits that stopping using the site helped her ease off on the envy and learn to be happier. Social media also allows people to showcase the best side of their lives. They can show an idealised self to the world which allows people to be envious. A poll on Twitter revealed a sentiment of social media fatigue. Jazzi, does not blog so much anymore, hasnt used Instagram in 70 weeks and her response to the poll was her first tweet since 2014. She still maintains all platforms except for Facebook and doesnt interact with others. Stacey, a PA from London, deleted Facebook three years ago when it went rogue and published private messages on [her] public wall. Since she deleted it she has no regrets. (Jane Helpern, Think Pieces, 2015) This goes to show that people do not have regrets from leaving social media and that can make it easier to live a day to day life.[T5] We consume media but how much is it sensationalised to create more drama and effect. Television does it; even documentaries have a habit of adding to it. For example, Nanook of The North (1922) raised issues that continue to this day, there was a deceptive depiction of Inuit culture, actors were used in place of real people, parts of the Inuits identities were erased and the plight of the eskimos were overlooked. He manipulated the story, changing customs to show his vision. He continued to omit issues regarding the natives in favour of supporting his vision (Gray, 1950). A documentary, chronicles the lives of real people. Flaherty, the director, raised controversy with Nanook, because his most serious manipulation of the subject was to pay both his technical assistants and his performers (Nanook of the North, 1996) and establish characters.[T6] Documentaries seem to show one side, does this make them biased or does that allow for the subject to be talked about? The Rageh Omaar documentary (2016), which talks about migration and technology, talks about Estonian culture and how the media seems to have hindered the culture they live by but there is also the other side, did the media help create the culture? Documentaries can provoke different feelings, such as socialisation; which in turn, linking up to the Rageh Omaar documentary; can be a hinder to everything and make people change in some way. If the culture is aware of the media presence then could it help, maybe creating empathy in people if they are represented truthfully? By using the programme itself to show this, it shows how technology do both. [T7][JF8] Children still use a lot of media today, using items like tablets for games and educational purposes. This changes their development and the way they learn and socialise with each other, many children in the western world use media at such a young age. I will look more into this when I write my second essay, also looking at the cultural differences posed and how different media technology is in developing countries and how the rise in technology and the effects of this. People get sensitised to the media and they do not always know or realise how much they are taking in. The aim of this study is to establish if society is dependent upon media and whether they use too much of it in their everyday lives. What is too much needs to be considered but this will be looked into further in my next essay. To ensure validity I will back it up with theories already made and statistics already found. Media dependency theory will be one of these. As stated media is everywhere so this study will sh ow people use media in all aspects of their lives and they need it fulfil their needs; whether psychological or biological. References Ball Rokeach, S, and Defleur, M. (1976) A dependency model of mass media effects Communication Research, 3, 3 21. 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Available At: https://i-d.vice.com/en_us/article/social-media-suicide-why-generation-z-is-going-off-the-grid (Accessed: 17th January 2017) Internet World Stats (2013) INTERNET USAGE STATISTICS The Internet Big Picture [Online] Available At: http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm (Accessed: 28th September 2016) Mass Communication Context (2000) Media Dependency theory [Online] Available At: http://www.uky.edu/~drlane/capstone/mass/dependency.htm (Accessed: 14th October 2016) New Media TrendWatch (2013) Usage Patterns and Demographics [Online] Available At: http://www.newmediatrendwatch.com/markets-by-country/18-uk/148-usage-patterns-and-demographics (Accessed: 15th October 2016) Ofcom (2012) Facts and Figures [Online] Available At: http://media.ofcom.org.uk/facts/ (Accessed: 15th October 2016) On Assignment (2016) On Assignment with Rageh Omaar. ITV1, 27th September 2016 Pilkington, A and Yeo, A. (2009) Sociology in Focus for AQA A2 Level. Second Edition East Lothian: Scotprint and Haddington Stevenson, A (2016) Theres an antidote for life-envy [Online] Available At: https://www.headspace.com/blog/2016/01/13/how-social-media-is-distracting-you-from-your-goals/ (Accessed: 17th January 2017) Tech Addiction (No Date) Internet Addiction Statistics [Online] Available At: http://www.techaddiction.ca/internet_addiction_statistics.html (Accessed: 12th December 2016) The Telegraph (2015) Making money from Zoella and Dan Is Not On Fire: the start-ups behind the YouTube stars [Online] Available At: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/technology/11669543/Making-money-from-Zoella-and-Dan-Is-Not-On-Fire-the-start-ups-behind-the-Youtube-stars.html (Accessed: 17th January 2017) WorldMapper (No date) Internet Users 1990 [Online] Available At: http://www.worldmapper.org/display.php?selected=335. (Accessed: 15th October 2016) Image References: Number 1: HeadOn, (2006). HeadOn Advertising, ScreenShot image. Available at: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/f_SwD7RveNE/hqdefault.jpg [Accessed 17 Jan. 2017] Video References: KyleLC (2006). HeadOn. Available At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_SwD7RveNE (Accessed: 17th January 2017). [T1]You do not always use a capital letters when referring to this theory make sure you are consistent. [T2]Cut down this quotation to save word count [JF3] [JF4] [T5]Decrease this section, include only a couple of examples? [T6]Reduce section on Nanook of the North [T7]Reduce [JF8]

The Benefits of Playing Sports Essay -- Benefits of Sports

In everyone’s life there is always a thing or moment that reveals something new about you that you never noticed was there, Now the question is what did sports reveal to me? Since the very beginning, I had the will of giving it my all when I had a goal ahead of me, and always took the big steps to accomplish it. All of my experiences have led me to become what I am today, What is it that reveals who we are as a person? Is it the way we act? or just our life experiences? I believe that the significant events, actions, and accomplishments in the end define who you are in life. Something that has been so important and meaningful that happened to me was getting involved in sports. I have played sports from soccer to basketball, I know that if I had not been involved in sports, I would not be the person I am today. From the first day I started to play sports, I learned about responsibility, integrity, the importance of doing hard work, and much more. Taking the chance to play sports has definitely been life changing. Something that sports made me realize is that even though I can be the most dedicated person when working on a task, I still have the greatest aptitude to procrastinate on some things that is brought to me; most of the time it’s almost like a second nature to me to puts things aside. However, when I have an important task ahead of me, it’s always done right. I am dependable; one of my first big accomplishments would be when I first got into County Middle School soccer team, and from that day on, I have made it my aspiration to continue playing. Two years later when it was time for me to initiate high school I was told doing getting into the team would be extremely difficult, and it would be an immense ... ...hat clearly in mathematics, Getting excellent grades all the way through high school. I kept thinking about my future, and I decided to choose a major in which my skills would be of great use and then I thought why not business, and it was not a poor choice because I soon realized that economics came easy to me. Although the experience I got from high school was well by itself, it was not enough to prepare me. I truly want to increase my knowledge. I know that if I had never played sports, I would not have the drive nor the self-confidence I have today. It is extremely important to me to receive a good education beyond high school. Soccer was the force that kept me going; it showed me that there is no good lesson learned without any torment, only if you can bear through it and keep moving forward will you realize that you are strong enough prevail over any obstacle.

Faulkners Light in August - Setting :: Light August Essays

  Light in August - Setting    Most of Light in August is set in the towns, villages, and countryside of the early 1930s Deep South. It is a land of racial prejudice and stern religion. Community ties are still strong: an outsider is really identifiable, and people gossip about their neighbors. In this part of the country, the past lives on, even physically. For example, the cabin in which Joe Christmas stays and in which Lena Grove gives birth is a slave cabin dating back to before the Civil War. And finally the South of this epoch is still close to nature. Right outside the town are the woods. All these aspects of the setting lend themselves especially well to Faulkner's favorite themes, for example, the relationships between the community and the individual and between the present and the past.    But Faulkner's setting is quite specific. Faulkner modeled his fictional Yoknapatawpha County on Lafayette County, Mississippi, and the city of Jefferson on his hometown, Oxford, and perhaps on neighboring Ripley as well. He describes his region's smells, sights, and sounds in loving detail: its chirping insects, its summer heat, its unique light. Some of Jefferson is a quite accurate rendering of Oxford--for example, the hilltop over which Lena first sees Jefferson in the distance, the ditch in which Joe Christmas briefly hides when pursued by Percy Grimm, almost all of the route Joe Christmas walks from the town barbershop through Freedman Town and back, and even the schedule of the Jefferson train that the Hineses take. (Note that the farther Faulkner gets from Jefferson the less detailed his descriptions of setting often become.)    Still, Faulkner felt free to modify his sources whenever it suited his fictional purposes. He removed Oxford's intellectual center, the University of Mississippi. And Presbyterians are a larger percentage of fictional Jefferson than of real-world northern Mississippi. This change helps Faulkner explore his interest in Calvinist and Puritan forms of Christianity. Of course, you must also remember that Mississippi in 1932 was quite different from what it is today. At that time racial segregation was enshrined in law; blacks were not permitted to vote, and many brutal lynchings occurred.    Specific residences are almost always Faulkner's fictional creations.

The Impact of Technology on Education Essay -- Teaching Education Essa

The Impact of Technology on Education Technology affects every aspect of our lives. From romance to business, it has shown its presence everywhere. But technology has had a huge impact on education that cannot be denied, and has done nothing but improve the quality and quantity of education. Today, schools are being pressured more and more to improve the technology they use and teach in the classrooms. Parents are placing this pressure on schools so that their students have the skills needed to compete in the real world job market. Students are placing pressure on the schools to improve technology by having more knowledge of current technology than the school’s staff. Teachers in turn are placing emphasis on the schools to improve technology they want to increase efficiency of information sharing, grading, and communication in the classroom. Businesses place an emphasis on technology in schools so that the schools adequately prepare their future employees, the students. The government is also placing pressure on schools to improve technology in the classrooms so that Americans can compete, along with helping prepare successful employees to help improve the economy in the future. These pressures are welcomed however, as schools are eager to improve their current use of technology in the classroom. But why are schools so eager to improve their use technology? And why is there so much importance placed on educating today's students with modern technology? The answer is simple: because technology has such a positive impact on education, and in so many ways. In regards to Language Arts education, the prominence of word processors has helped to ease the work of editing and rewriting. Built in spelling ... ...mpus isthe use of WebCT. This web site allows professors to create a source for the course syllabus, lecture notes and course calendar’s to be posted, along with public forums and public chat rooms. WebCT keeps track of what students are enrolled in what courses and when the student logs in, it brings up the information available for that student’s courses, along with notes if anything has been updated since the student’s last visit. All of this is available forLSSU students at their web page. These are examples of how exactly technology has affected education at Lake Superior State University. Technology has had a huge impact on education. It continues to shape the way we learn and what we learn today and in the future. As technology advances, so does the quality of education and that is nothing but good news for the students of today and of the future.

Competitive Intelligence In The Business World Commerce Essay

In today ‘s fast changing concern universe, no-one likes surprises. The ability to be pro-active and non reactive is one of the greatest techniques for making value within an organisation. This requires a uninterrupted procedure of transforming information into intelligence so that a company can pull off the hereafter. Wining a conflict in the concern country implies, like in any other confrontation, cognizing your opposition, in this instance, the competition, really good. The director can non do a feasible scheme, founded entirely on information about his company. A competitory scheme means that one is competitory because he differentiates himself from the others. And for this, one has to cognize what the others are making. Nowadays the CEO ‘s demand a warning system which can seasonably present the relevant information from the concern environment, so that they are able to do determinations with a unafraid degree of certainty that allows the company to keep its competitory advantage. The market globalisation and the velocity of scientific discipline and engineering development require the use of supervising systems, capable of placing chance niches indispensable for the growing of the companies. One of the best tools for doing this possible is Competitive Intelligence. This instrument supports the strategic planning in every company. Competitive intelligence in concern organisations has benefited greatly from military and authorities intelligence patterns and cognition. Many of the innovators in the concern intelligence community migrated from a assortment of governmental organisations. They brought a set of constructs and penetrations that have been refined over centuries. Most notably, Sun Tzu ‘s authoritative work on military intelligence is widely read, and he is credited with being the male parent of intelligence. This construct has proven, along the old ages, its end ( actionable intelligence that will supply a competitory border ) and advantages when applied right. Still, most midsize houses lack dedicated competitory intelligence operations, despite the fact that most concern leaders recognize that their success depends on looking frontward and traveling more rapidly that the competition. Harmonizing to Ben Gilad and Leonard Fuld, competitory intelligence ( CI ) is the action of ethically and lawfully assemblage, analysing, and pass oning information about 3rd party participants in one ‘s competitory sphere – from rivals, to providers, clients, act uponing parties, regulators, distributers, possible new rivals, and so forth, to be used by companies in their planning and determination devising. The procedure of roll uping, hive awaying, analysing and pass oning this market intelligence is today an institutionalised procedure in most big companies. Done decently, this helps a company avoid surprises by expecting rivals ‘ moves and diminishing response clip. Put merely, competitory intelligence is a method of roll uping and analysing information that lets companies place possible alterations sing rivals before these become obvious. Datas can be gathered from public or private beginnings, from networking with a rival ‘s staff or clients or from research in the field. A cardinal regulation is that all activity must be legal. CI practicians must besides unwrap their individualities at all times and non cod information under false pretences. Direct Beginnings Passive – Web Company sites Portals Search engine – Imperativeness releases – Industry ( market ) analysis – Financial Analysts – Employment Ad Active – Trade shows – Technical conferences – Employment – Meetings and programs Indirect Beginnings – Customer interviews – Customer studies – Gross saless forces – Rep and distributers – Suppliers and spouses – Former employees The footing of competitory intelligence is cognizing the difference between information and intelligence. This will assist directors acquire on the route to more efficient determination devising. Information is factual. Its Numberss, statistics, disseminated spots of informations about people and companies and what they ‘ve been making that seems to be of involvement. Information frequently appears to be stating you something but in world it ‘s non. One ca n't do good determinations based on information no affair how accurate the information is or no affair how comprehensive it is. Intelligence, on the other manus, is a aggregation of information pieces which have been filtered and analyzed. It has been turned into something that can be acted upon. Intelligence is what directors need to do determinations, non information. Another term for intelligence is knowledge.Milestones in the development of competitory intelligenceOrganizations collected commercial intelligence since the first trade took topographic point. Books on organisational intelligence aggregation appeared every bit back as the 60 ‘s but these early efforts at formal intelligence activities for concerns remained largely academic and instead uneffective until 1980, when Michael Porter of Harvard Business School published his book, â€Å" Competitive-Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors † which laid down the theoretical foundation for applied CI. In the late 70 ‘s Fuld & A ; Co and Washington Researchers were the boosters which offered competitory research to corporate clients. In 1986 the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals was founded in the U.S. Accepting the importance of competitory intelligence, major transnational corporations, such as ExxonMobil, Procter & A ; Gamble, and Johnson and Johnson, have created formal CI units. Importantly, organisations execute competitory intelligence activities non merely as a precaution to protect against market menaces and alterations, but besides as a method for happening new chances and tendencies. The first professional enfranchisement plan ( CIP ) was created in 1996 with the constitution of The Fuld-Gilad-Herring Academy of Competitive Intelligence in Cambridge, MA.Variations of competitory intelligenceOver clip, concerns recognized a signifier of intelligence that was called in assorted ways ( competitory intelligence, concern intelligence, corporate intellige nce, competitory information or commercial intelligence ) , but most of the experts have settled to name it competitory intelligence. Regardless of the term that we use, CI is the usage of public beginnings to develop informations about rivals and the market environment and its transmutation in useable information, thorough analysis. When believing about CI, public information refers to the information that one can entree lawfully and ethically. Publicly does non intend needfully published information. The most normally recognized fluctuations of CI are: strategic intelligence rival intelligence ( McGonagle and Vella ) proficient intelligence market intelligence 1. Strategic intelligence Strategic intelligence represents competitory intelligence provided in support of strategic determination devising. This means supplying the highest degrees of direction information on the competitory, economic and political environment in which companies operate now and in which they will run in the hereafter ( See David b. Francis â€Å" Your rivals: who will they be? † Competitive Intelligence Review 8, no.1 1997: 16-23 ) . This type of intelligence by and large supports the senior direction for the overall scheme. The most common applications are in the development of strategic programs, capital investings, political hazard appraisal, amalgamations, acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate programs, R & A ; D planning ( See Edwin Ruhil and Sybille Sachs â€Å" Challenges for strategic competitory intelligence and the corporate degree † , Competitive Intelligence Review 8, no 4 1997: 54-64 ) . Strategic intelligence involves the appraisal of a house ‘s direct rivals, the competition environment and its indirect rivals, but an every bit of import portion is the development of intelligence on the long-term alterations caused by all of the forces driving the industry competition ( Larry Kennedy â€Å" Competitive intelligence in concern procedure technology: a survey at digital equipment corporation † Competitive Intelligence Review 8, no 2 1997: 8-13 ) . The focal point has to be on factors as engineering tendencies, political hazards and regulative developments. It is designed to warn the company of impending jobs and alarm it to upcoming chances, ever in clip to take needed action ( Mark Sullivan, â€Å" Using competitory intelligence to develop a strategic direction action- oriented measuring system † , Competitive Intelligence Review 8, no 2 1997: 34-43. ) . 2. Rival intelligence Competitor intelligence is the usage of public beginnings to turn up and develop informations that are so transformed into information about rivals, their capablenesss, current activities, programs and purposes. The function of this type of intelligence is to assist the operating directors within strategic concern units or merchandise directors and other people involved in the procedure of merchandise or concern development. 3. Market intelligence Market intelligence is intelligence developed on the really current activities in the market place ( See Kenneth A. Sawka, â€Å" Warning Analysis: a hazardous concern † , Competitive Intelligence Review 8, no. 4, 1997:83-84 ) . Market intelligence depends on extremely developed package tools and analytical accomplishments extremely trained people to supply market cognition, professional expertness and selling penetration. The information should be received fast and detailed so that they enable a house to happen out information sing the success of failure of its merchandise publicity, the following moves of the rivals sing their publicities and possibilities of cross-promoting the merchandise. Frequently users of market intelligence are marketing sections and market planning section because they use the feedback on the success or failure of old gross revenues attempts. 4. Technical intelligence Technical intelligence activities enable a house to react fast to menaces and to place the chances which result from proficient and scientific development. It is believed that TI is a map which if it is executed decently, could ensue in a economy of 10 to 100 times the investing in the map ( See Davis C. Pring, â€Å" Competitive Intelligence and Market Research: Filling the Gaps † in Global positions on CI, erectile dysfunction. John E. Prescott and Patrick T. Gibbons, 1993, 223-239 ) . Technical intelligence can supply information about the methods and procedures used by the rivals, their dependance on outside engineering, patents or new engineering acquired, the capablenesss of the rivals ‘ R & A ; D staff, appraisals about outgos for this section. TI chiefly focuses on technological tendency instead than on the market 1s. A portion of the experts considers that it should be more concerned about the chances of the house, than on the menaces to the house.Active and defensive CIWhen CI started to go popular, there was no treatment of anything besides the actions designed to roll up information about the rivals, called active rival intelligence. During its development, analysts started to recognize that what they were making, it could be go oning to them besides. This led to a new involvement towards activities that were destined to protect companies against CI activities from other companies, called defensive rival intelligence. Active CI procedures are those aimed at roll uping natural informations every bit good as analysing those informations to supply finished intelligence. The end of a defensive plan is to do life much more hard for your rival ‘s intelligence analysts, so they will give your house more operating flexibleness. Counterintelligence is the procedure of countering, forestalling the intelligence garnering attempt of other parties, your rivals. It has to be understood as a portion of an on-going procedure. This plan ‘s effectivity is measured through minimisation of losingss due to the competitory intelligence attempt of the rivals. Many companies are really careful to protect their physical buttocks, but it is far more of import to protect the intangible assets of the company. Cloaked rivals are those that protect themselves from the intelligence assemblage attempts of their rivals. For making this, the most of import facet is to understand how rivals work, which channels they use, and the techniques they use. One has to deprive rivals of a few cardinal pieces of informations that are critical for the large image of the analysis ( Deborah C. Sawyer, â€Å" Specifying your competition: Dardan Horses, Fifth Columns, and other menaces † , competitory intelligence magazine 3, April -June: 45-46 ) .Implementing competitory intelligence – the CI procedureAlthough the chief occupation of competitory intelligence is to back up direction determination devising, holding a methodical competitory intelligence system in topographic point can assist the company address many different issues. A methodical competitory intelligence plan can: Anticipate alterations in the market place. Anticipate actions of rivals. Discover new or possible rivals. Learn from the successes and failures of others. Increase the scope and quality of profitable marks. Learn about new engineerings, merchandises and processes that affect the company ‘s concern. Learn about political, legislative or administrative alterations that can impact the company ‘s concern. Enter new concerns. Expression at the company ‘s ain concern patterns with an unfastened head. Help implement the latest direction tools. The CI procedure is most normally divided into four basic phases, which make up what is known as the CI rhythm: Planning: this means set uping the demands of the company. On one manus, the directors of the company acknowledge the demand for CI and, on the other manus, they define what sort of CI the company needs. It besides means what inquiries the directors want to reply with the CI, who else may be utilizing CI, and how, by whom, and when the CI will eventually be used.This is besides the portion of the rhythm in which the competitory intelligence practician decides which class he should take in carry throughing his undertaking. This phase can besides be thought of as the other terminal of the intelligence rhythm because one time specific intelligence is delivered to the determination shaper his consecutive actions – based on that intelligence – will excite farther intelligence demands. The company ‘s state of affairs will surely alter based on those actions. Gathering: this stage involves the existent assemblage of natural information from which intelligence will be produced. The huge bulk of aggregation stuffs are public sphere significance they are available to anyone who knows where to look. Beginnings include periodicals, one-year studies, books, broadcasts, addresss, databases and so on. Creative aggregators can normally happen anything they need lawfully and ethically. Collection besides involves treating information so that it can be transmitted and stored electronically if desired. Once in electronic signifier it can be manipulated into a signifier which allows it to be analyzed. Analysis: this is by and large considered the most hard portion of the intelligence rhythm. Analysis requires great accomplishments and daring because it requires the analyst to weigh information, expression for forms and come up with different scenarios based on what he has learned. Even though analysis is based on logic and difficult information, analysts must sometimes ‘fill in the spaces ‘ and do intelligent conjectures about possible results. Dissemination: this measure involves administering the intelligence merchandise to those who requested it. It ‘s the clip when the analysts will propose possible classs of action based on his work. He must be able to stress his recommendations and support them with logical statements. The ensuing intelligence will besides be distributed to others in the company who can utilize it. The concluding signifier of the CI, every bit good as its timeliness/opportuneness and security are of import considerations. Surveies have shown that the distribution of the attempt the CI professionals spend among these four phases of the CI rhythm is about as follows: Needs – 20 % Gathering – 30 % Analysis – 40 % Dissemination – 10 % The component that runs through and straight links all the stages of the CI rhythm is the demand to supervise, on a uninterrupted footing, what the company has done and how good. The end is to supply feedback from each stage to the other three of the CI rhythm. By making this, the company can better both the merchandise of an single assignment and the full CI procedure even as the organisation is utilizing it. Feedback to and from each stage of CI to all others is indispensable. That feedback generates a changeless reappraisal that seeks to raise and so reply inquiry like: Are the CI marks still rectify? Should the CI unit attention deficit disorder or delete marks, countries of involvement and so on? â€Å" Know the enemy and cognize yourself ; in a 100 conflicts you will ne'er be in hazard † Sun Tsu: The Art of the WarBest PracticesThere are several points that we need to see throughout the competitory intelligence procedure. Undertakings to be performed by CI Professionals ( See CI Education Harvard Style by Ben Gilad, Competitive Intelligence Magazine, Volume 6, Number 4 ) : Go beyond internet hunts: collect from human resources. Travel beyond public databases: roll up hard-to-get information from less obvious beginnings. Go beyond rivals: analyze whole markets and industries. Go beyond inactive analysis and current market statistics: predict alteration. Travel beyond marketing intelligence: understand finance and cost accounting. Travel beyond selling, finance, and cost: understand scheme. Go beyond scheme: understand hazard. Time is critical Awkwardness is the enemy of competitory intelligence. Having cognition about something three hebdomads after you need to move is of small value. One needs to inquire himself, from where will he acquire the information and how long will it take. This requires a really deliberate and strong competitory intelligence attempt. Without a serious committedness to competitory intelligence, clip will wipe out whatever hope one has for effectual decision-making. The aim should be to shut the spread between when the event occurred and when 1 has the cognition to move. Remain Impersonal Although it ‘s non easy, it is critical that competitory intelligence remains free of prejudice, supplying impersonal type consequences. Competitive intelligence is non intended to back up an bing direction determination. Good competitory intelligence should talk the truth and allow direction make up one's mind how it wants to continue. One manner to guarantee that competitory intelligence is impersonal, is to do it independent, similar to other independent maps such as internal auditing. Besides, where one places competitory intelligence within the organisation can act upon the â€Å" freedom † that competitory intelligence has. Alternatively of doing it a sub-section of selling, make competitory intelligence accessible to all maps. The CI Function tends to suit good with maps like Strategic Planning and Knowledge Management. Large Egos putting to deaths CI – One ground competitory intelligence is non widely used is simple – it can be really unpopular. Competitive intelligence can belie what direction has been recommending. And if direction is non willing to listen to competitory intelligence, so it will hold small value. Travel where the information is Sometimes competitory intelligence can be extremely effectual through insouciant and obvious beginnings of information ( See Guy Kawasaki – How to drive your competition loony ) . There are some simple stairss for understanding the competition: Shop the competition, go a client of the competition, query the rival ‘s clients, inquire the authorities about the competition and go friends with a research bibliothec. One of the more clip devouring activities within competitory intelligence can be roll uping and categorising information. So cognizing where to look can be half the conflict. One needs to pass clip speaking to people who are in the know. Challenge conventional thought Great competitory intelligence will dispute direction to believe in new ways. There are excessively many alterations taking topographic point in the universe today. There is no manner direction should be comfy with the position quo. Therefore, competitory intelligence should intentionally prove and formalize critical direction determinations. Similarly, direction should welcome and promote competitory intelligence to dispute both tactical and strategic decision-making. Competitive intelligence should be a world cheque. The Learning Organization – Competitive Intelligence becomes priceless when it changes the behaviour of an organisation. This is best accomplished when the organisation becomes a learning organisation. Act ethically Competitive intelligence should non prosecute in illegal Acts of the Apostless. Additionally, competitory intelligence should non endanger the repute of a company. Fuld & A ; Company recommends the undermentioned 10 commandments of competitory intelligence: 1. Make non lie when stand foring yourself. 2. Detect your company ‘s legal guidelines. 3. Make non in secret enter an interview if it is against the jurisprudence. 4. Make non publish a payoff. 5. Make non utilize listen ining devices. 6. Make non misdirect anyone in an interview. 7. Make non trade monetary value information or capacity with a viing company. 8. Make non administer or interchange misinformation. 9. Make non steal a trade secret. 10. Make non knowingly pump person for information that could give that individual ‘s occupation or repute. CI is non descrying – Some people equate competitory intelligence with descrying. Competitive Intelligence is non about descrying, it ‘s about cognition. Partner with Risk Management Over the last several old ages, there has been increased accent on Risk Management – protecting the company from unexpected losingss. However, Risk Management is really internally focused ; things like control processs within the company, security precautions, mandates and blessings, transparence in coverage, and so away. Since hazard direction is internal, we need to congratulate hazard direction with competitory intelligence. The ground is simple – Curie is externally focussed and these external forces have major hazard deductions. Therefore, it is highly of import to unite RM and CI for a comprehensive attack to put on the line direction. Human intelligence Intelligence collected and analyzed by and from human beginnings is frequently the finding factor behind your intelligence capablenesss. Those organisations with extended human beginnings as opposed to over-reliance on published beginnings will hold superior competitory intelligence capablenesss. This will take to increased effectivity in strategic decision-making, giving the company a cardinal competitory advantage. Infrastructure before package No uncertainty that many professionals will seek out a package solution to competitory intelligence. Although engineering can assist ( and it continues to germinate ) , the director should concentrate most of his attempts on constructing the substructure ( staffing, preparation, processes, etc. ) associated with competitory intelligence. One should n't work in contrary, coercing the procedures to suit some package solution – design the procedures foremost and so supplement the competitory intelligence with investings in basic engineerings. Additionally, one may desire to leverage bing engineerings, such as internal databases, intranets and other applications for constructing your CI substructure. World Class CI takes clip – The usual clip required to construct a first competitory intelligence plan is between 5 and 7 old ages.

Egocentric Ways of Thinking

An egocentric tendency is the inclination to think only of oneself without thinking of others. Basically, this means putting some or all aspects in your life at the moment over everything else. I believe that everyone has egocentric tendencies mainly in areas where we fail to think logically. Three ways that I am egocentric include egocentric hypocrisy, blindness and immediacy.Egocentric hypocrisy is the natural tendency to ignore flagrant inconsistencies between what we profess to believe and he actual beliefs our behavior imply, or inconsistencies between the standards to which we hold ourselves and those to which we expect others to adhere. This applies to me in various ways. For example, I want all of my friends to be as holy as a Christian. I'm not saying they need to be saved but I would like for them to practice religion.When people ask me what religion I am part of I always say I am a Christian because I was raised by a Christian woman and in a Christian home. Hypocritically, I don't practice what I preach. I don't agree with a lot of the things a Christian is opposed to live by, such as how we can't listen to certain kinds of music, how we can't have sex before marriage, smoke or drink, and do most things that teenagers would call fun. So in conclusion, I can't hold my friends to certain standards when I do not even live by them myself.Another egocentric tendency I possess is egocentric blindness, the natural tendency to not notice facts or evidence that contradict our favored beliefs or values. Meaning, I am ignorant to things that I don't already know or haven't seen with my own eyes. Since I am this way I always have my guard up and I feel like it is very hard to â€Å"trick† me. I don't believe anything I haven't seen with my own eyes. I have heard countless testimonies and miracles being done by the mercy of Christ but I have never actually experienced it.Therefore, I believe that faith is whatever it is believed to be. Yet people choose to argue religion while having no real evidence besides a man written bible. When people argue with me about religion I tend not to entertain it. When I do decide to, I try to get others to see that yes religion s acceptable and while I may not agree with religion I do understand why people believe. My mom once told me â€Å"If God isn't real and you believe then when all is said and done you have absolutely nothing to lose.But say God is real and you do not believe, then you have absolutely everything to lose. † Speaking for myself, it is a lot easier to believe in something you can see. Egocentric immediacy is the natural tendency to overgrazing immediate feelings and experiences-?so that when one event in our life is highly favorable or unfavorable, all of life seems favorable or unfavorable as well. Its like favoring a certain belief or feeling as long as things are going right but turning away from those beliefs or feelings when things aren't in your favor.Last year on Jan uary 14th, I had been extremely ill and was admitted to the hospital with an internal infection. During my stay at the hospital, I received a phone call from my mother in Tampa, stating that my great grandfather had passed away. I immediately felt the need to give up on everything. The feeling I felt at that moment was superior to all persons, places, and things that came my way. The day after he passed away I began praying that he was pain free from cancer and living a great after life somewhere else.As I was standing in my kitchen one of the wine bottles, that Just so happened to be from Italy, cork popped off. That immediately put me at ease. I felt like my prayers had been answered. An egocentric tendency is the inclination to think only of oneself without thinking of others. While we're all people in progress it is important to change the way we think. But naturally when thinking egocentrically, we fail to do so.