Media Influence on Society (Smoking) Essays

Media Influence on Society (Smoking) Essays Media Influence on Society (Smoking) Essay Media Influence on Society (Smoking) Essay The mass media, some may argue that It Is for the common good, others say It Is all brainwash hyped up by publicity, who is the one at fault, or can they both be correct? Throughout the decades the media has grown exponentially with the advance of technology. It all started out with the telegraph, moved to the radio, newspapers, magazines, television and now the World Wide Web. Today people live in a social community, between testing, Faceable, Twitter, TV, Magazines, or newspapers, people are always being informed of what is going on. Oh a day to day axis, people base their decisions off of knowledge, experience, values, and attitudes. When people work, they base what they do off of what they have learned from their experience and studies. However in their daily lives, they rely on the mass media to fill them in with current news and what they want to be aware of. People put their trust into todays media, but the media does have a positive and negative affect on the way people are channeling the Information being dealt. A way that the mass media Is positive has to be looked at from a technologies way of view. Technology helps reduce the distance for its users; the world would Just me to be smaller due to the increased communication and access information. Staying connected also helps people stay In tuned with that Is going on In the world. Getting news feed sent directly to smartness, laptops, and Pads Is Just an everyday occurrence. Cinema, radio, television, magazines are a school of inattention: people look without seeing, listen in without hearing (Robert Browser). Even Browser would have to agree that people do not even realize that they are being flooded by the mass media. The mass media makes billions on the commercials, ads, and publicity that people are exposed to. People buy what they might think is a good item based on what they see or hear TV, the radio, magazine, or newspaper ads. How can people be so sure that what they are buying Is the best available Item, or Is It the best available Item that the media dons upon them? These are the effect that the media has on teens, they buy what they see the hottest celebrities wearing, or what their favorite actor or singer is selling. Apparently there are some positive and negative influences on teens. In a negative type of way, teens may see the commercials for cigarettes, cigars, and alcohol as being cool and acceptable. This might give them an excuse to give drugs a try and might even leave a permanent habit that they can carry onto their children. Besides the obvious fact of tobacco and alcoholic products being a negative Influence on teens, fast food chains are also polluting the minds of the young, developing teens. McDonalds showing their annual commercial for the Micro, or Taco Bell advertising their value menu will call out to kids seeing that these foods are cheap and delicious but not knowing that they are filled with saturated fats, trans fats, and high sodium content may lead to obesity, high blood pressure, high holster, or diabetes If eaten excessively. Joe Kelly from PBS says, Theyre talking to pre-pubescent girls about managing their calorie intake!! With Campbell soup, of all things an All-American family company. This is crazy! I saw the ad on the Rosier ODonnell snow. Overall AT our memoirs saw It Ana sent me e-mails saying, Have you seen this ad, its crazy (Kelly). Along with obesity, society puts this image in teens heads on how they should look, having bulging biceps and a cut 6-pack maybe the ideal body for guys but it may not work out for all males, and achieving that type of body takes a lot or training and dedication. Being stick thin as a girl may also be as unhealthy or ma ybe even unhealthier than obesity. Anorexia is also a chance when young girls are starving themselves trying to fit into a 00, and looking like a Victorians Secret model. On the other hand the media does have a positive effect on teens. Some might think that the media has negative influences on society, there are certain shows and ads that persuade teens to be a better them. Today we are beginning to notice that the new media are not Just mechanical gimmicks for creating worlds of illusion, but new languages with new and unique powers of expression Marshall Mclean). When Mclean says this, he is acknowledging that the media has an influence in society by changing society for the greater good and potentially evolving humans to be smarter. When it comes to shows like The Biggest Loser or Extreme Home Makeover, they provide a great influence on kids to get out there and make a change, whether it is losing some excess weight to get down to a healthy more comfortable size that they are not so self-conscious about, or doing some volunteer work in their community to change someone elses life in a positive way. Also teens are at a stage in their life where they do not quite know who they are and area looking for a sign of acceptance. They want to be accepted by their parents, role models, peers, and they Just want to be loved and successful. The media creates this ideal image that teens want to match, kids see fancy cars, nice houses, and extravagant parties and the only thing on their mind is, l want to be Just like them, or l wish I had that kind of money. In a way, the media pushes kids to achieve success, by getting a better education and really trying in school to be that lawyer, or hat film director, or that brain surgeon. In my opinion, even though the media has positive influences on our society it is masked by the mass majority of negativity. Some young minds are intellectual enough to see around the publicity and propaganda, but to others that are brainwashed, it may be hard to see what is real and what the media wants to be seen as real. When William Branch said, All of us who professionally use the mass media are the shapers of society. We can vulgarize that society. We can brutalize it. Or we can help lift it onto a higher level (William Branch). He is stating that people can either take the media for being good or bad, and how people interpret that and use it in their everyday life is all on them. When it comes down to reality shows like Laguna Beach, Gossip Girls, or The Hills; the mass media puts off teenage life as being this rich and spoiled but when in reality, these kids are Just one in a million that have overly wealthy parents. These shows teach kids the value of quality over quantity, but not in any kind of realistic way. When kids watch these shows, they want what all the kids have on TV, they want the $140 pair of Arabian sunglasses, rather than the $6. 99 pair they can pick at Target across the street. Another value that kids are learning from the media is violence. The effects of violence in the media can be traumatic for growing children that are in the process of shaping their personality traits, values, and beliefs. In the past years, there have been incidents of school shootings and playground violence and those events have Eden lanker to excessive use AT violent peeve games Ana grapnel war Images. I neuron video games like Call of Duty, kids are thinking that war is a form of entertainment, UT in reality war is a serious issue that should not be taken lightly. Over all, whether some may think that the mass media may either be a good thing or bad influence, the public can come to a mutual agreement that the world would not be the same without the mass media. People use the media on a daily basis, keeping in tune to what is going on is important, whether it is something less important like what Lad Gaga wore to the Grammas, to the latest earthquake that struck California. Malcolm X once said, The medias the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and thats power. Because they control the minds of the masses (Malcolm X). Even though the mass media is linked to spreading hyped up fake news like a wildfire, but on the safe side, it helps a lot to inform people about the realities as well. Media has a constructive role to play for the society. The media focuses on social issues in almost every era. Issues in society are always raised in order to provide Justice to the people. Being born and raised in LA and having an older sister that I was pretty much attached to the hip at, I felt like I was always into self-image and always wanting the est. of the best things. I was spoiled as a kid and into my preteen age by my sister, she always seemed to buy me brand named clothing when honestly, I Just wanted something comfortable. I think the psychology term of Nature vs.. Nurture really came into play here. The whole idea of Nature vs.. Nurture is that we are all born with a set personality, this is who we are and this will never really change, that is our nature side. Our nurture side is how we were raised, the different things that our parents tell us to do or not to do mold our nature side and ultimately makes us who we are today. I think my nature was really about sports and I was nurtured into fashion and other material goods. I feel like the media has had an exponential influence on my sister, who was my role model growing up, and that really made me who I am today. Like I said before, I am no better than anyone else, I look up to the media for guidance because I feel like I would be lost without it, but I think it is good that I can admit up to that and can see clearly how the mass media influences me. The wrong is the fact that society today believes that whatever is in the media is socially acceptable to the common populous. When these beliefs revolve around bad influential things then children grow up believing that these are all acceptable and just the way the world really is. It is harmful for the future of our societies and also spread ignorance around the world. We have to realize that although sex, pain and suffering makes for a good story, it should be taken as it is, very bad, and not be glorified in any way. There should be limitations to freedom of speech as some things people can get away with are utterly disgusting. Look at Camel cigarettes, the image here is their Marci Grass Limited Edition flavored packs.

Widening Participation In Higher Education Policy Essay

Widening Participation In Higher Education Policy - Essay Example The gap between both the social groups was around 30%, a figure on the higher side. Some reasons that have been cited for this trend include the inability to bear the overall expenses of studying for a higher university degree, the desire to earn money rather than study, and the feeling that good institutions and good jobs are closed doors for them. Furthermore, it did not help matters that the ones in control had their own views about students and higher education. It was Margaret Thatcher and her government who ushered in New Right Ideology to deal with matters concerning higher education. These were her very words, "We are going much further with education than we ever thought of doing before" (Margaret Thatcher 196). This government took control in 1987, and their agenda can be summed up to include four major changes that they brought into the system. The first one was to make all educational institutions directly responsible for their finances and budgeting. It resulted in fierce competition between schools and colleges, since those that exhibited wonderful results in external examinations would be favored with more finances. Scholarly pursuits got relegated to the background, and the focus was shifted to attracting as many students as possible to respective institutions. This had not been the old pattern of thinking. In e arlier days, the bureaucracy interfered as less as possible, believing that universities and institutions were meant for intellectual development more than anything else. Advertisements for academic posts contained phrases such as-"used to introducing commercial thinking", "excellent strategic and financial skills", "naturally authoritative and decisive leader", "commercial acumen", "strong strategic awareness", "creative visionary", "energy, resilience with the ambition to drive the organization forward"-and so on. These were discovered by Professor Rosemary Deem, Lancaster University's Department of Education Research. Managerialism had thus entered the field of education. The techniques, values and practices from the commercial sector made an entry into the higher educational arena. Though these managers did strive Last Name 1 towards excellence, they also tended to subject everything to minute scrutiny, resulting in a lot of dissatisfaction all round. Next on the agenda was governmental control over institutions offering higher education. This could be termed as the Rationalist approach. Funds would not be allocated to whoever asked for them; the government would take up "rationing of funding". Furthermore, a national curriculum would be prepared and this had to be followed diligently. Based on how well the teachers delivered that curriculum to the students, the institution would receive its share of finances for its functioning. There were also detailed directives given as to how the curriculum was to be delivered. And no one was allowed to take liberties with it, considering that government-appointed inspectors would be making their rounds. Their final reports carried a lot of value, for higher education could not be

Compare the education between Saudi Arabia and United state Essay

Compare the education between Saudi Arabia and United state - Essay Example Saudi Arabia and the United States are allies. However, while learners in the United States continue to access valuable education and subsequent employment, learners in Saudi Arabia continue to undergo substandard education. Saudi Arabia needs to be at the same level of education as the United States, if the two countries are to gain meaningful cooperation. A lot of scholars have written on the current trends in education in Saudi Arabia and what future holds. Such literature acknowledges that most of the elite in Saudi Arabia have schooled in the United States and provideslessons that Saudi Arabia can learn from the United States (Lippman, 2012). In order for Saudi Arabia to compete globally with nations such as the United States, theformer needs to borrow from the educational system of the latter. It would be very beneficial for Saudi Arabia to emulate the United States in terms of learner-centered instructional methods, more investment in libraries, more emphasis on higher education, and the use of online

Why Are Some People Socially Excluded Essay Example for Free

Why Are Some People Socially Excluded Essay Why are some people socially excluded? Are they excluded by society or their own behaviour? In this essay I will aim to discuss why some people are socially excluded and whether their social exclusion is as a result of individual behaviour or a consequence of the forces of society that are ultimately beyond the control of the individual. There is much difficulty when trying to understand as well as explain the term/ idea that is Social exclusion, as writers/institutions have varying degrees (and at times conflicting ideas) of what â€Å"social exclusion† is, who it includes or rather excludes and why some people become socially excluded from the wider society, whether it be through levels of human agency, the impact of institutions and or changes in legislation. Barry (2002) â€Å"SOCIAL EXCLUSION† as working definition is comparatively agree as Individual that are unable to participate or have full involvement in â€Å"key activities† of the societies in which they belong or are a part of. Legrand, Piachaud, Burckhardt (2002). There can be a multitude of differing factors involved leading to an individual or group being excluded from society, however there are many key social problems that have a direct impact on how â€Å"social exclusion† is affected by a large majority individuals/groups. A good example of a key issue is Inequality. Giddens (2006). Inequality affects individuals, in short, by way of differences ,such as Income, Health, Education, Housing, Disability, ‘Race’ and Ethnicity, Gender (and roles), Age Etc Fulcher and Scott (2011). Which essentially in itself (though interrelated), socially excludes/ isolates these groups from one another Le Grand et al (2002). Now although, â€Å"social Exclusion† is not restricted to the confines of any one particular Sub -issue mentioned (though encapsulates them all to some degree), it would be a modest assertion to agree that any individual/group affected by any of these inequalities will undoubtedly be socially excluded of full involvement from â€Å"key activities† of the wider society Le Grand et al (2002). An example of this exclusion could be a person/ group that lived on a deteriorating council estate with low achieving schools and minimal employment opportunities within that their area, could potentially be less able to ‘participate’ in activities which would achieve self betterment Giddens (2006) , say that of an individual/group living in a in which they own, in  an area with reputable schools and jobs are aplenty. This highlights Social exclusion for the former in terms of housing, education, employment as well as income. Though there are numerous examples of how inequality can have a huge impact on individuals’/groups being socially excluded through decision(s) made by forces beyond their control, this in itself can only account for a particular group experiencing Social exclusion and gives no justification for the wider society and how other individual/groups experience social exclusion. Fulcher and Scott(2011). So when considering the many dimensions of Social Exclusion as a concept of â€Å"someone or something being excluded . it raises the question of personal responsibility† Personal responsibility or human agency is the way in which social exclusion is not experienced by forces beyond the control of the individual , but in fact a personal choice not to participate with the activities of wider society, thus excluding themselves from society by their own behaviour Giddens ( 2006). Using the previous example of inequality, â€Å"an individual could choose to turn down a good job to become economically active or abstain from voting in political elections† Giddens(2006 p.356). Though this is an example the that focuses on inequality, social exclusion is a much broader concept than just that, and between sociologist there is much debate on how much agency really does go into social exclusion as a personal autonomy Barry(200), when comparing it to other groups that do chose to isolate themselves from the wider society , for instance , affluent individuals groups that choose private health care over the NHS or private schools as opposed to public schools, it is fair to suggest that there is indeed a level of personal responsibility Fulcher and Scott (2011)

Essay --

As can be seen in fig.1, the VCS system converts given IMGE into random shares. To the naked eye, the random shares do not providing meaning. The VCS system has many applications in the real world. They include transmission of military orders securely, authentication and authorization, transmitting passwords and so on. The researchers worldwide focused in physical properties like color, pixel expansion etc. The proposed construction of VCS based on threshold for levels of whiteness; color VCS was considered in colored VCS. Other scheme is proposed which allows sharing of multiple secret images. Naor et al. introduced EVCS (Extended Visual Cryptography Scheme) with a simple example. This paper proposes EVCS corresponding to VCS. The EVCS takes a secret image and the original share images as input and generates shares that can satisfy the criteria given below. †¢ Secret image can be recovered from any subset of shares. †¢ Forbidden shares can’t be used to obtain secret image. †¢ All the shares are meaningful images. EVCS is something similar to stereography where covering shares are m...

Albania and EU integration Essay

To provide a basic idea for Albanian economy and its European integration possibilities. 2. To provide knowledge about advantages and disadvantages that Albania faces in different sectors of economy. 3. To provide knowledge about Albanian ability to take the obligation of membership. 4. To provide knowledge about systematic and unsystematic risk for Albanian European integration. Methodology 1. Research problem Is Albania in line with EU expectations? Which are the abilities of Albania to maintain the obligation of membership? Basic objective is to examine, firstly economic development of Albania based on the collected data from 2002 – 2012, than to verify if they are in line with EU criteria. 2. Expectations Since Albania is determined in its decision to join European Union and to be part of Economic integration, it has made a progress in reforming institutions, in legislation, and the most important the assignment of SSA (Stabilization and association process). But the progress is very slow and insufficient. The cause of this polarization remains on political culture of the country which historically has not faced any experience of democracy. So expectations are not very positive. On a long term basis only new socialized and democratic generation can truly execute fundamental reforms needed to be part of European Economic Integration. Data Collections 1. Primary data: World Bank reports and Instat. 2. Secondary data: Journal websites and financial news papers. European Union Integration – The impact in Albanian Economy The aim of this project is to demonstrate how much the economic development in Albania is in line with European Union? In the first section will be analyzed, Relations between Albania and EU. Over all now Albania is part of Stabilization and Association process, in regular political and economical dialogue with EU. Last decade we can say that our country have faced some changes on our politic system and economic one, through three main factors, visa liberalization, financial assistance and civil society. How we realize these challenges? Did these three factors affect positively our economy; since we are one of the main countries that were not affected by world crises and how? In the second section will analyze economic criteria by examining development of economy in Albania. The examination includes different areas of economy? The existence of a good function of market economy: This includes the main essentials’ of economic policy where the primary objective is the protection of a market oriented economy. Here we can mention that Albania has a visible progress starting from year 2007 when we signed CEFTA agreement. Macroeconomic Stability: Over all Albania has preserved the macroeconomic stability, because it was less affected by external economic conditions. Monetary policy of Albania has help to keep stable inflation and control inflationary expectations. Public debt is over limited and essential reforms are still missing. Interactions of market forces: According to the official data, results that state involvement in economy remains limited but it is focused on energy, transport and water supply. Market Entry and Exit: Here we can conclude that Albania is one of the countries that have facilitated business entry to the market but procedures for market exit are still ineffective. Legal System: Albanian faces many weaknesses in rule of law, according to real data, corruption is in considerable levels and reforms of property rights are still incomplete. This has adverse affect on the market environment. Financial sectors and Development: Some progress is made but it is needed the consolidation of public finances and the reduction of public debt. Human and Fiscal Capital: The structure of macro economy remains unchanged; also informality remains again a challenge. Albanian economy is tangible by industry specific shocks. State influence: State interventions are limited but it is still a concern the impact on the public finance of the lack of diversification and Economic integration with EU: Albania has remained a leading trading and an investment partner of EU, as result trade with CEFTA has been increased. The third section will  examine Albanian ability to take the obligation of membership. The analysis is structured based on internal and external market of Albania which includes: Free movement of goods; there has been a progress as regards of stabilization, but further efforts are needed to be done and the preparations are advanced in this part. Free movement of people; The progress here is visible, since 2010 Visa liberalization can be counted as a success especially towards professional qualifications, but further efforts are needed to be plane. Free movement of capital; there also has been some progress with adaption of amendments of criminal code, low of banks and low of prevention of money laundering but even though there are several efforts that are needed to be taken. As a conclusion I have to say that Albania has made little progress toward economic development and the consolidation of its democ ­racy. This is shown by the report of European commission on October 2012, as the results at fulfilling the EU’ twelve priorities were poor, and obviously it was clear that Albania would lose its chances to be awarded with the candidate status on December 2012 – and December 2013. Such a step was not justified by our economic and political conditions. Relations between the EU and Albania Albania is a country that is part of the Stabilization and Association Process. According to this pact we can say that Albania has strictly implemented its obligations. Between the EU and our country there is a regular political dialogue and economic growth, which has continued through the SAA structure. In March and April of last year, Albania took part in the meeting organized by the Stabilization and Association Committee and the European Council in which they discussed the reform of public administration. Albania was involved in this dialogue with multilateral economic focus with the Commission and the EU member countries, with focus, preparation and coordination of domestic economic policies to integrate economic and monetary union in the EU. One of the most important achievements of Albania was the liberalization of visas for citizens traveling to the Schengen area. This agreement entered into force in December 2010. Immediately after this agreement and until today, the committee evaluates on a regular basis, the progress made by the country in the implementation of rules and visa roadmap. Albania is a country that is  waiting for EU membership, as such; it has received transition assistance, institution building and cross-border mergers. For the period 2007 – 2013, the European Union has allocated for Albania, an amount of â‚ ¬ 594 million. This amount of benefit, its focus is on justice, politics and public administration reforms in Albania, and also based on individual sectors, transport, and environment, and agriculture, social and rural development. This component is managed by the EU Delegation in Albania / Tirana. Regarding the upcoming years 2014 – 2020, the European Commission and the Albanian government will negotiate and discuss the needs and capacities for future assistance. We need to know that Albania is a member of several EU programs as example; Program Throughout life learning; Europe for Citizens, Culture, Competitiveness and Innovation. Economic Criteria In 1993 after examination of economic development and the state in which Albania was, in Copenhagen European Council stated that, to be part of the European Union, Albania needs to be focused towards a functioning market economy and also to have the capacity to cope with the challenges of a competitive market of EU The existence of a functioning market economy Policy Essential In order for Albania to have a focused market economy and sustainable, the main political parties, which have impact on the country’s economic policies, must agree on the basis of sound market economy, despite political tension in the country. Based on the report of the European Committee for Albania, the country’s macroeconomic stability has been maintained, but there are some shortcomings again. Among these deficiencies can mention the 2012 budget deficit, which was beyond the norm. The deficit caused, statutory debt, allowed to pass the measure of 60 %. In the process of privatization of property might say that was a failure. In January, Albania presented at EC Economic and Fiscal program for the years 2013-2015. The medium scenario is characterized by a very optimistic macroeconomic program. But according to the assessment of this program the Commission has submitted a lack of enforcement and targeting strategy but we can say that consensus  on the basis of a mark et economy has been maintained. Macroeconomic stability According to the data obtained in the annual report of the Bank of Albania, we can conclude that economic growth in 2012 was 1.6% less than a year ago. Total gross output also shows that in 2012 was about 5% less compared with a year ago. Inflows of foreign currencies in the country by immigrants have had a slight increase of 1.6% for 2012, while private consumption has fallen to low levels. One of the main factors of economic growth, have been net exports, while for imports can say that they have recorded a considerable Decrease. After a 12-month period with a significant reduction, economic indicators tend to show a growth in late 2012 and early 2013. However we can say that GDP grew only 1.7% in the first quarter of last year. Foreign demand for Albanian products has resulted in considerable numbers. GDP per capita in purchasing power and consumption resulted in 30% among 27 that was average. According to the analysis may conclude that Albania recognized the economic growth, so gl obal crisis did not affect Albania during early 2013. During the period 2012-2013 the current account deficit decreased by about 1.5%, becoming 10.5% from 13% in 2011. Imports introduced to a decrease, 5.2% less than a year ago, while exports increased by 8.5% in total value, but may be noted here that there was a considerable increase in the export of goods but not services. In June 2013 current account deficit reached 10.1% in value to the corners of Albania. The inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) throughout 2012 remained unchanged with that of a year ago. This influx financed about 70 % of current account deficit therefore 10 % more than in 2011. The flow of incoming capital suffered a Decrease of 11.3 % in a year, but we can say that during 2012 had a positive balance of payments and a significant increase in international reserves at 4.2 %. During 2013, foreign direct investment (FDI) rose by 12.3 % more than the previous year in annual terms. Also we can say that the current account deficit has decreased, but again is an important aspect that affects the economy of our country especially considering the volatility of FDI and remittances. Throughout 2012 we can say that there has been a significant improvement of working conditions, the unemployment rate has however recognized high scores although this year it has had an average of 13 % compared with 13.4 % the previous year. The private sector in the country  has increased em ployment offer, in Albania at a rate of 2.8 % based mainly in the agriculture sector of the country. By 2013, according to statistical data, unemployment continues to be high again, with an improvement of about 0.2 %. To maintain a constant interest rate, and to administer a possible inflationary trend, was used a sound monetary policies that brought the country’s macroeconomic stability. The inflation rate in the country declined by 1.5% compared with a year ago, keeping a constant level of 2%. This stability at a rate of 2-4% inflation was the main objective of the Bank of Albania. Since that in Albania, we have basket price fluctuations this reflected in a slowdown of annual inflation from 2.5% in 2012 to 2.2% in 2013. In an effort to stimulate economic growth in the country, the Bank undertook several measures, as for example the reduction of the basic interest rate from 3.75 to 3.5% during the past year. The financial system in Albania has achieved a significant degree of Euroisation. Loans in Euros remained at a level of 61% of deposits in July the past year, compared with 64% in 2012. While in terms of other deposits in foreign currency statements have a slight decrease of 2%. Albania represents a floating exchange rate regime, which has remained the same since 1992. Albanian Lek has maintained sustainability where its value in 2012 reflected a 0.9% appreciatio n against the euro. We generally are within the boundaries of a stable monetary policy, have a storage inflation and a stable exchange rate. Annual revenues did increase by about 7% in 2012 compared with the previous year. During this year, the excise tax and VAT suffered significant declines, we can say that this Decrease, resulted in 12% less than the initial objectives. Revenues from GDP fell by 25.1%, which were considered in 2011, to 24.5% in 2012. In terms of GDP spending, can also say that suffered a decrease of 0.6% compared with a year ago. Public expenditures represent just 4.6% of gross production, from 5.4% the previous year. Public debt grew considerably and non-positive, from 59.4% of GDP in 2011 to 62.9% in early 2013. So our public debt has passed the legal boundaries of 60% to nearly 3%. In the area of tax administration, we can say that there have been significant improvements in the electronic payment of taxes and also the tax filing system. There are still weaknesses in tax collection. Measures have been taken for approval to exclude imports of machinery, processing equipment and raw materials used for investment. An important measure is the abolition of  personal income tax. Interplay of market forces The country’s economy is dominating the private sector, which constitutes about 80% of GDP. Privatizations have been the basis for several state companies to place as Alb petrol oil Typeset, Alb telecom for telecommunications, INSIG as insurance and CEZ Distribution for energy, which due to disputes arbitrary, is now again in the hands of the state. There are counted about 11 new agreements for investments in agriculture, in 2012. In the energy sector we have also signed agreements for investment in hydropower opening. Privatization of three HPP has a monetary value of â‚ ¬ 109.5 million. However, I can say with conviction that state involvement in the economy is limited. Market entry and exit Registrations and licensing, of businesses have became more restrictive, and has faced a considerable increase of about 8% compared with a year ago. This was made possible through the established network one-stop-shop. Today licensed businesses make up about 12% of active companies. Legal system The legal system has had a slight progress, however, is necessary to ensure the proper application of the legal system. Still exist, the ownership uncertainty. Another weakness of our state law is delays of legal proceedings, more harmful to the business. The capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the Union Existence of a functioning market economy Albania has maintained macroeconomic stability through a market economy, but the economic slowdown last year causes the increase of the current deficit. This deficit has resulted in a decrease in domestic production, low inflation policy due to BoA’s objective. This deficit and rising public debt beyond the limits, has led to a lack of successful management of fiscal policy, the fiscal plan is expected to be even weaker. Albania has some structural obstacles which do not bring economic growth, contrary depleting it. Even though we have a certain advantage, barriers and other weaknesses continue to affect our economic system. Here we can mention the right of  property, unemployment, and incomplete process of privatization, low competitive ability, etc. . Overall, Albania has needed to consolidate public finances, and the reduction of public debt, strengthen the economy, performance, labor market, and most importantly, the fight against corruption. Economic integration with th e EU In 2012 Albania was faced with a trade Decrease, Imports and Exports constituted 87% of GDP compared with 92% a year ago. Key partner for trade of goods and services remains the EU. From the statistical data we say that EU exports in 2012 accounted for 75% of the total, and 62% of total imports. In the first six months of 2013 resulted a shrinking trade deficit with the EU, as a result of increased exports by 18.8%, but at the same time, the EU imports fell much less. One of the main partners in trade agreements remains Italy, taking half of Albanian exports and giving third Albanian import. Italy also remains one of the most important investors in Albania although much investment during the last year has seen a decrease. Export Import, with CEFTA countries has slowed by 27% which resulted in 2011, to 3% today ABILITY TO TAKE ON THE OBLIGATIONS OF MEMBERSHIP The ability to take the membership is seen in three main factors. Free movement of goods; there has been a progress as regards of stabilization, but further efforts are needed to be done and the preparations are advanced in this part. Free movement of people; The progress here is visible, since 2010 Visa liberalization can be counted as a success especially towards professional qualifications, but further efforts are needed to be plane. Free movement of capital; there also has been some progress with adaption of amendments of criminal code, low of banks and low of prevention of money laundering but even though there are several efforts that are needed to be taken. Agriculture and rural development Based on the last economic report of EU, Albania is one of the countries that have not utilized the negotiated quotas for the agriculture products; however we can say for sure that exports have been increased with countries that Albania has bilateral agreements. Exports and Export level per GDP has  been positively increased. Now we can raise a question, Why Albania has not exploiting quotas that have been negotiated in agreement from which expectations were higher? Why our agriculture products do not have comparative advantage. Regarding to Ministry of Agriculture in Albania, food products and consumer production of agriculture sector is in low rates of trade. Farms are considered small while to many hectare of land are still barren, technology process is almost old today we have still lands that are tilled by hand and levels of marketing are negative ones. This is the reason why imports in different agricultural products in Albania are higher. Regarding numbers, Albania has nearly 400 Thousand farms counted until today. These farms derive 21% of GDP and have employed more than 750 thousand persons. We should know agriculture land is 0.2Ha/ person, while 20% of poor people are farmers, in this 20% we have 93.5% of them who produce only to maintain their families not to export, the other 80% of farmers produce to sell outside borders and domestically. They sell up to 40 % of their production. Why these results? Because private investments in Albania are only 42.5 EUR per person, we still have 73 % of productive land tilled by hand. Public investments are 15 EUR per person, while we have firstly undistributed land from 98.5% of land that is returned to farmers 85.5% of it is not registered. Other problematic cases in our agriculture are also, Input quantity and quality are still low and limited. The knowledge is in low levels, Information that we take from market is inadequate, No existence of competitive products, and land market lack. Another problematic issue is that farms are not administrated well, by resulting so in a lower level of competitiveness toward other countries. Social policy and employment In terms of labor law, labor code is still in a process of approval, a challenge for our society remains the work of children ages 5-17 years old. This trend varies in 7.7% of all children in our country. In terms of health and safety at work, measures are taken to prevent accidents at work and improve working conditions. We can say that the number of accidents at work in 2012 was reduced significantly compared with 2011, but still further improvements must be hatched. As regards employment policy, is being designed an employment strategy for 2014-20. This design is still not approved. The official unemployment rate resulting in 13% during 2012, but long-term unemployment and youth unemployment are high and they need for immediate measures for reduction. Minister of Labor, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities has approved three cases for persons with disabilities. Guardian of a person with disability is paid by the Albanian state. The inclusion of supervision and review of employment of individuals with disabilities in employment offices. Design activities for sign language in schools. These projects are not yet finalized. Gender Discrimination Many explanations for the gender pay gap are proposed and finally the gender pay gap is the difference between genders seen from the human development perspective, such as education, qualitative skills and experience that men and women show to the workplace. By this point of view differences between genders are often presented as discriminatory, that for instance women leave much earlier the labor market than men do, so in Albania we have more part time works for women. By analyzing the data’s we notice that the pay gap for professional or scientist women (engineers, mathematicians, financial experts, and medical doctors) in Albania is lower than man, in terms of numbers the take nearly 2.4% less than men do. In cases like basic occupations such are, construction, fast food, street vendors the wages are 21 % lower for females compared with males. Public and private sector generate two different ways of payment, when the gap is higher on private system rather in public one. The gender pay gap in the private sector is 13.7 percent, compared with15.7 percent of the public sector. Both male and female in Albania site that here has no equality in the hiring/recruitment and no standards. I think that to reduce the inequality between males and females employees should follow the same recruitment standards for both. This should be implemented also to the recruitment for managerial positions, in order to increase the number of women applying for these job positions. I believe that a unified standard of recruitment would reduce considerably the gap. Conclusion As a conclusion I have to say that Albania is a country that is part of the Stabilization and Association Process. According to this pact we can say that Albania has strictly implemented its obligations. Today Albania is a member of several EU programs as example; Program Throughout life learning; Europe for Citizens, Culture, Competitiveness and Innovation. Based on EU conditions we must say that Albania has made improvement. The existence of a good function of market economy: This includes the main essentials’ of economic policy where the primary objective is the protection of a market oriented economy. On its macroeconomic situation, we conclude that over all Albania has preserved the macroeconomic stability, because it was less affected by external economic conditions. Monetary policy of Albania has help to keep stable inflation and control inflationary expectations. Public debt is over limited and essential reforms are still missing. According to the official data, results, states involvement in economy remains limited but it is focused on energy, transport and water supply. Albania is one of the countries that have facilitated business entry to the market but procedures for market exit are still ineffective. Albanian faces many weaknesses in rule of law, according to real data, corruption is in considerable levels and reforms of property rights are still incomplete. This has adverse affect on the market environment. Some progress is made but it is needed the consolidation of public finances and the reduction of public debt. Regarding to Human and Fiscal Capital the structure of macro economy remains unchanged; also informality remains again a challenge. Albanian economy is tangible by industry specific shocks. Albania has remained a leading trading and an investment partner of EU, as result trade has been increased. Albanian ability to take the obligation of membership, the analysis is structured based on intern al and external market of Albania which includes: Free movement of goods; there has been a progress as regards of stabilization, but further efforts are needed to be done and the preparations are advanced in this part. Free movement of people; The progress here is visible, since 2010 Visa liberalization can be counted as a success especially towards professional qualifications, but further efforts are needed to be plane. Free movement of capital; there also has been some progress with adaption of amendments of criminal code, low of banks and low of prevention of money laundering but even though there are several efforts that are needed to be taken. . Based on the study the situation with the income inequality in Albania is similar to other countries of the region and maybe beyond the region. This is caused from the same factors and causes negative effect on society. The gender gap in Albania has even another factor, that of specific cultural that is characteristic for Albanian environment to prohibit this Albania should increase the harmonization of the community, working conditions, health and securities and Equal opportunities. Albania has made little progress toward economic development and the consolidation of its democ ­racy. This is shown by the report of European commission on October 2012, as the results at fulfilling the EU’ twelve priorities were poor, and obviously it was clear that Albania would lose its chances to be awarded with the candidate status on December 2012 – and December 2013. Such a step was not justified by our economic and political conditions. References European report for Albania 2012-2013 http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/key_documents/2013/package/al_rapport_2013.pdf Bank of Albania Annual Report 2012, Production date: 21.06.2013, Author: Bank of Albania http://www.bankofalbania.org/web/Annual_Report_2012_6609_2.php Instat, Conjuncture, Main Economic Indicators, Q3-2013

The Joy Luck Club By Amy Tan - 1192 Words

(H) The life of women has drastically changed throughout the ages. (CIS) The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan portrays life in America and in China in the 1930’s for women. (GS1) When stories are true, there is more power behind them. (GS2) Novels need accuracy for the book to have feeling. (GS3) A rave-worthy novel needs truth to really draw the reader in. (thesis) Author Amy Tan accurately portrays life for Chinese women in the 1930’s and it enhances the power of the novel because the stories have true roots, the accuracy gives the book more feeling, and the truth behind the stories transports the reader into the novel. (ts) The stories presented in The Joy Luck Club have true roots. (M1) Some of the tales in the novel are based on real people. (m1) â€Å"Tan knew some details of her grandmother s dramatic life: that she had been raped by her merchant husband and committed suicide by swallowing raw opium buried in rice cakes when her daughter, Daisy, Tan s mother, was just n ine years old. But no one had ever mentioned her being a courtesan† (Amy Tan Sydney Morning Herald). (m2) Tan uses her grandmother’s story to create An-Mei’s mother, who is a fourth wife in a courtesan household. (m3) Tan develops An-mei by using her grandmother’s story, showing that being a courtesan is present in china and suicide is used as an escape. This gives the book more power because it shows that An-mei’s death is serious. If the stories in the book are not based on real people, then they are based onShow MoreRelatedThe Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan963 Words   |  4 PagesThe novel The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan shows the past and present experiences of several women including An-mei Hsu, the mother of Rose Hsu Jordan. Beginning at a young age, An-mei has to endure many situations. Her grandmother tells her that her mother is a ghost but she comes back to take care of her grandmother when she is ill. 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This novel depicts the sacrifices made by a group of immigrant mothers in order for their daughters to have a better life in America. Although the daughters do not real ize the reasons behind their mothers motives until their stories and personalRead MoreThe Joy Luck Club By Amy Tan Essay1377 Words   |  6 PagesThe Joy Luck Club is a novel by Amy Tan which tells the individual, cohesive stories of Chinese American daughters and their Chinese mothers. In each story, the cultural differences between mother and daughter acts as a wedge between them. The conflicting cultures of descent and consent causes a conflict between mother and daughter; although they ultimately want to have a relationship with each other, the differences in values make coming together harder. For the mothers, their expectations for theirRead MoreThe Joy Luck Club By Amy Tan1459 Words   |  6 Pages 12/1/15 JLC FLE First Draft English 8-6 Clear Reflection, of Personality The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan follows multiple Chinese-American women who struggle with their self-identity and creating a balance between American and Chinese culture. Because of their immigration and many hardships in life, many of the women feel like they cannot trulyRead MoreThe Joy Luck Club By Amy Tan1164 Words   |  5 PagesThe Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan is about four Chinese immigrant mothers and their four daughters, who were born and raised in America. The mothers, through their experiences in China, have attained vast knowledge that they now wish to pass on to their daughters. One mother, An-mei Hsu, wants to pass on her knowledge to her daughter, Rose Hsu Jordan. Rose is worried about her inevitable divorce with her husband, which was caused by her indecisiveness. An-mei hopes that by giving Rose advice, she canRead MoreAmy Tan s The Joy Luck Club1097 Words   |  5 PagesCulture defines humanity. Culture makes humans different than any other living organism ever kno wn. Culture is what makes humans unique, and yet culture is easily the most misunderstood characteristic of individuals. In Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan develops the theme of incomplete cultural understanding leads to an inability to communicate one’s true intentions through juxtaposition and conflict between mothers and daughters and their cultures. The conflicting Chinese culture of the mothers’