Bernhard Schlink’s Novel Free Essays

In Bernhard Schlink’s 1955 novel, the reader, the conflict between condemnation and understanding is one of the overarching themes. In this story, Michael falls in love with Hannah Schmitz but further in the story realizes that she has played an important role in a terrible nazi event. He has trouble understanding what he is feeling. We will write a custom essay sample on Bernhard Schlink’s Novel or any similar topic only for you Order Now The book explores this conflict in court, this conflict between the two lovers, and finally a takeaway that each individual reader has to understand for himself. Although the conflict is present during the whole body of literature, it takes place in different situations which different conclusions. While Hannah is put on trial, she is confused. As she is illiterate, she decides to take the fall for all of the events even though she didn’t do the whole thing. She doesn’t realize that it was as bad as it actually was. It is made clear in the text that doing nothing to stop the events is the same thing as participating in them. QUOTE In this case, the reader feels sympathy for her, she doesn’t have mens rea, only the actus rea, as she was simply following orders. The courtroom is confused at first but then condemns her for a life in jail as they cant be undecided and have en liquet. The case has been resolved in criminal court. Furthermore, there are some strong feelings of shame throughout the text. Indeed, the second generation is finally learning what actually happened and has to deal with the first generation. It is seen with â€Å"Whatever validity the concept of collective guilt may or may not have, morally and legally— for my generation of students it was a lived reality. It did not just apply to what had happened in the Third Reich. (†¦) Pointing at the guilty parties did not free us from shame, but at least it overcame the suffering we went through on account of it.† This quote shows the clear difficulties that the second generation has to put up with in order to bear the first generation. This almost sounds like an alliteration with the multiple â€Å"p†, â€Å"g†, and â€Å"t† sounds. This makes the reading more difficult and highlights the difficulty for the generations to overcome this incident. Michael has difficulty feeling true anger because of his love for Hannah. The love story is a metaphor for the clear uncomfortable cohabitation between the 2 generations. The conflict spreads from the court room to the two protagonists. Michael feels guilty of loving her. This is seen with â€Å"I had to point at Hanna. But the finger I pointed at her turned back to me. I had loved her. Not only had I loved her, I had chosen her. (†¦) But love of our parents is the only love for which we are not responsible.† This shows the difficulty Michael has to continue on with his life. His brain is haunted by Hannah and his felling of being guilty. It is not resolved as ever since she was on trial, they didn’t have a conversation, there was no closure. He has to understand that that he has to accept what has happened and move forward. â€Å"I wanted simultaneously to understand Hanna’s crime and to condemn it. But it was too terrible for that. When I tried to understand it, I had the feeling I was failing to condemn it as it must be condemned. When I condemned it as it must be condemned, there was no room for understanding.† Pg 57. This shows that Michael has difficulty choosing between condemning and understanding, which concludes in an unresolved affair. He clearly feels guilty about the affair with Hanna, it is something which he can’t yet reveal to anyone. Michael is condemned because his whole life is now based around this incident. He is unable to sustain a real relationship and is confused. In order to move forward, Germany and its people have to deal with the nazi events. After she leaves Michael, he very clearly still loves her due to his constant thoughts and longing for her. During the trial, he observes her, just like when he first saw her which shows that his love for her never died, it must have camouflaged itself while he tried to distract himself from it. There is a large amount of sadness that Michael had from the fact that Hanna kept things from Michael such as her illiteracy and involvement in the holocaust, especially when it appeared he trusted her with a lot. His guilt comes from her whereas her guilt comes from herself. Moreover, he, along with the surviving daughter donates the inherited money to a jewish charity for illiteracy. The daughter doesn’t accept the money because if she does, it means that she forgives her and would release her of the responsibility. However it is not resolved, Germany lives with this past forever. â€Å"There’s no need to talk about it, because the truth of what one says lies in what one does.† The reader is left with his own understanding with his own experiences. His way of moving forward is with the charity, and researching to come to peace with the coexistence of the two generations. As he is feeling all of this guilt, it shows that he condemns himself and doesn’t understand his position. Hannah feels guilty of being illiterate, it is seen as she wants people to read to her so that she can learn. There are probably past events that she doesn’t own up to, because she never answers clearly when Michael asks about her past. Throughout the novel, there is reference to Hanna bathing a lot, this could simply be a metaphor for her trying to wash away the guilt from her past actions. Hannah or everybody else was put in the trolley situation. They could have either gotten killed or killed all of the people in the church. She condemns herself as she commits suicide. however, â€Å"only the dead understand†, she is trying to further understand and conclude this conflict by achieving this act. To conclude, the conflict between condemnation and understanding is like a dilemma. Characters struggle trying to do both but in the end they are only able to adopt one. Michael decides to understand whereas Hannah condemns herself. Overall, it is not resolved and Germany has to live with this heritage forever. However, it is not as intense today as it was for the second generation in the novel. The book explores this conflict in court, this conflict between the two lovers, and finally a takeaway that each individual reader has to understand for himself. Although the conflict is present during the whole body of literature, it takes place in different situations which different conclusions. For me, as a reader, having family going through the surviving daughter’s situation, I believe that it is time to forgive but not to forget How to cite Bernhard Schlink’s Novel, Papers

Nursing Case Study Evident From he Symptoms

Question: Discuss about the Case Study for Nursing Case for Evident From he Symptoms. Answer: Alzheimers Disease Alzheimers Disease (AD) is a form of dementia that results in the problems with behavior, thinking and memory. The symptoms of the disease develop gradually and tend to worsen over the time that gets severe enough to end up with interfering with the daily life activities (Alzheimer's Association, 2013). It is the commonest form of dementia that affects the intellectual abilities and holds up to 60 to 80 percent of the cases of dementia which is expected expand largely by 2050 (Appendix 1). Although it is not a normal part of increasing age, however, the biggest risk factor for the pathogenesis of the disease is increasing age and majority of the patients suffering from the disease are found in the age 65 years or older (Healthdirect.gov.au, 2016). It is a progressive disease that worsens gradually worsens over the time and becomes evident from the symptoms. The early stages of the disease are marked with mild memory loss and the later stage is characterized by the loss of ability of the individual to carry out the conversation in response to their environment (Aihw.gov.au, 2016). The prevalence of AD in Australia is 353,800 which is expected to reach 400,000 in five years. It has been identified as the second leading cause of the death of the people in Australia and three out of ten people who are above the age of 85 are suffering from AD and dementia (Fightdementia.org.au, 2016). The pathophysiology of the disease begins with the fact that the brain of the patient exhibits marked atrophy with a shrinkage of the gyri and widening of the sulci. It involves the entire cerebral cortex sparing the occipital pole. Ventricular dilation becomes apparent with thinning of the cortical ribbon in the temporal horn because of the atrophy of the hippocampus and amygdala (Jack et al., 2013). On the microscopic level, the large cortical neurons shrink resulting in a significant loss of neurons. The critical pathological substrate of the disease is shrinkage of the dendritic arbor of the bigger neurons with neurofibrillary tangles and neuritic plaques. These tangles and plaques act by damaging the healthy brain cells surrounding them causing the brain to shrink and death of the damaged cells. This death and destruction of the nerve cells result in problems in performing the daily life activities, changes in personality and memory failure (Burnham et al., 2016). There are a number of risk factors that results in the development of the disease in the individual and this includes lifestyle, environment, genetics and age. These factors have a different effect on different people and some of them can be controlled or changed while others are not. Age is the most prominent risk factor responsible for the development of AD and the risk is known to double every five years after the attainment of the age of 65 (Jack, 2013). The fastest growing age group has been found among the aged population above 85 years. Genes have a crucial role to play in the development of AD as it controls the early and late onset of the disease. While the early onset of the disease is less common, late onset constitutes the major portion of the occurrence of the disease (Reitz Mayeux, 2014). Air pollution has a link with the occurrence of AD as the analyzed amyloid plaques have revealed many environmental pollutants like nickel and aluminum. Lifestyle factors including ob esity, hypertension, diet lacking in vegetables and fruits and lack of exercise act as risk factors for the development of AD. Apart from these factors, the other factors include head injury, Down syndrome and family history that promote the development of the disease (Burnham et al., 2016). Assessment of Alzheimers Disease AD can be diagnosed by examination of the brain of the patient by an autopsy and therefore, it is difficult to carry out the diagnosis in the condition. However, brain imaging techniques can be helpful in this regard for tracing the amyloid plaques present in the living brain and is rapidly becoming a practice in Australia as AD is predicted to take an enormous shape in near future (Appendix 2). Specific assessment data based on history, physical exam and investigation has to be collected and the details have been presented below. Table 1: Specific assessment data for Alzheimers disease History Physical Examination Investigation Focused history: Cognitive problems, onset of memory, safety concerns, current functioning, behavioral issues and patterns of losses. Orthostatic blood pressure, vision and hearing screens Laboratory tests: Glucose, serum electrolytes, drug levels, CBC, TSH and BUN/creatinine Past medical history: Neurological conditions, head trauma and risk factors. Neurologic exam: Pathologic reflexes, deep tendon, localized findings, tremor, muscle tone and strength and cranial nerves Diagnostic tests: Treatment of depression, removal of offending medications Family and social history ------ ----- Medication history ------ ----- Source: (Loewenstein, 2013) Assessment tests for AD are essential as some of the pathological conditions tend to mimic AD that includes brain tumors and strokes, depression, drug reactions and thyroid problems. Therefore, early diagnosis and detection are recommended for AD. Three major problems associated with AD are disturbed thought process, chronic confusion and impaired verbal communication. The disturbed thought process is characterized by disorientation to circumstance, person, place and time, inability to reason, decreased ability to conceptualize or reason and memory loss. Chronic confusion is characterized by decreased ability for the interpretation of the environment, decreased thought capacity, disorientation and memory impairment. Impaired verbal communication is characterized by disorientation to person, anxiety, flight of ideas and repetitive speech. These signs and symptoms begin in the early stage of the disease, progresses over the middle stage and worsen over the later stage of the disease (Karantzoulis Galvin, 2014). Nursing diagnoses for AD are vital for the management of the disease as it worsens over the time. Patients need total care as not only them but also their family members fall under stress with the behavior of the patient. The nursing diagnoses for AD begin with bowel and urinary elimination as it is related to the loss of neurological function and muscle tone. Failure to determine the location of the bathroom and identification of their needs forms the essential diagnoses of AD. Sensory changes are also responsible for the disturbed sleep patterns that the patients face due to AD. Reduced muscle strength or tone and neuromuscular damage cause impaired physical mobility (Howard et al., 2015). Physical limitations and cognitive decline cause self-care deficit and it is another crucial nursing diagnosis for AD. Changes in the integration, transmission and reception results in disturbed sensory perception and is responsible for AD. Altered thought process is a result of irreversible neur onal degeneration and ineffective coping of the individuals is the result of incapability of the individual to resolve the intellectual changes and issues. Impaired verbal communication is related to the intellectual changes that includes disorientation and dementia. The ability of the individual to cope with the problems of life decreases. Emotional changes like lack of confidence and irritability is a result of impaired social interaction. Inability to identify and recognize the environmental hazards and weakness increases the risk for injury. Easy to forget and sensory changes cause imbalanced nutrition that reduces the intake of necessary nutrients required for the normal functioning of the body (Farina, Rusted Tabet, 2014). The exact cause of AD is yet not understood however, the nursing diagnoses help identify the disease and provide the required intervention as immediate treatment is a must for AD or it starts to worsen over the period. Goal of Nursing Care Since AD is incurable, therefore, the chief goals of the nursing care process are maintenance of the quality of life, maximizing the functions in the daily activities, fostering a safe environment and promotion of the social engagement. Based on the clinical reasoning cycle, the three discussed problems needs the description of the proposed action plan, the desired outcome and a time frame for the establishment of a goal. The proposed action plan has been discussed as the nursing intervention and since AD has no treatment, therefore, no time frame can be fixed for the duration of nursing care (Hartley et al., 2015). For disturbed thought process, the desired outcome is appropriate maintenance of the psychological and mental functioning of the patient for the maximum possible duration and reversal of the behavior as evident. After the nursing intervention, the patient is expected to have improved thought processing and its maintenance at the baseline level. Since AD is associated with behavioral problems, therefore the goal will include identification and control of the problem. Chronic confusion has the desired outcome of minimal dementia manifestations of reduced cognitive impairment and confusion. The patient will have a safe and stable environment for routine scheduling of the activities for reducing confusion and anxiety. The family of the patient has to be involved in the process of care as a part of the goal and they have to be enabled to utilize the patient information effectively for dealing with the patient confusion in regard to the limitations of the validation and stimulation of the patients thoughts (Hardy et al., 2014). In case of impaired verbal communication, the desired outcome is that the patient will be having effective understanding of communication and speech or should be enabled to use alternative communication methods. The goal of the nursing care is to promote the coordinated speech breathing. Nursing Care Strategies Nurses care strategies play a crucial role in the recognition of AD among the patients by assessment of the signs during the admission assessment procedure for achieving the goals. The nursing interventions aim at promoting the independence and function of the patient for the maximum possible duration (Aihw.gov.au, 2016). Other nursing objectives include promoting the safety of the patients, reduction of agitation and anxiety, improvement in communication and providing for intimacy and socialization. For disturbed thought process, the nursing intervention includes assessment of the ability of the patient for thought processing and observation of the memory changes, cognitive functioning, communication difficulty and disorientation. The rationale for this intervention is the assessment of the changes in status of the patient that may indicate progression of the deterioration or improvement of the condition (Laver et al., 2016). Assessment of the level of the cognitive disorders by the nurses includes the changes to orientation to the times, places, thinking skills and attention. The rationale for this intervention is to provide the basis for comparison or evaluation and influence the intervention choice. For chronic confusion, the nursing intervention includes assessment of the irreversible or reversible dementia, ability for interpretation of the environment, disturbances with orientation and intellectual thought processes. The rationale for this intervention includes determination of the extent and type of dementia for establishment of a care plan to enhance the emotional and cognitive functioning at the optimal levels. Terminating or avoiding the conversations or situations that are emotionally charged by the nurses is another form of nursing intervention. Anger should be avoided and expectations from the patient should be kept low according to their capability. The rationale for this is that catastrophic emotional responses are a result of the task failure w hen the patients feel that they are expected to perform beyond their ability and it results in anger and frustration (Jack et al., 2013). Impaired verbal communications include the nursing intervention of assessment of the ability of the patient to speak, sensory or cognitive impairment, neurologic disorders that affect the speech and presence of psychosis. Rationale for these nursing interventions includes identification of the speech patterns and problem areas for establishing a plan of care for the patient. Another intervention includes monitoring the patient for their nonverbal communication procedures that includes crying, pointing and smiling and they should be encouraged for the use of speech as possible. The rationale behind is that needs and feelings are expressed in case the process of speech is impaired. In such a situation, the patient can express his discomfort only by non-verbalization clues, striking out and excess mumbling (Smyth et al., 2013). Apart from these three major problems, the patient of AD suffers from the self-care deficit for hygiene and bathing. The nursing intervention for this problem in cludes provision of assistance to the patients for the maximum amount of activities while bathing and hygiene process. They should be provided with a hand towel and wash cloth for holding on. The rationale for this intervention is to promote self-esteem and independence for enabling them to control the situation. The patients like to grasp the hands of the nurse for support while bathing and using a washcloth will help them to provide a hold on as the means of support (Fightdementia.org.au, 2016). For patient care and management of AD, both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions are essential for optimal treatment of the psychological, behavioral and cognitive symptoms of the disease. References (2016).Businessinsider.com.au. Retrieved 21 August 2016, from https://www.businessinsider.com.au/the-scale-of-the-growing-tragedy-of-alzheimers-disease-has-been-reforecast-2014-11 {{meta.og.title}}. (2016).Healthdirect.gov.au. Retrieved 21 August 2016, from https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/alzheimers-disease Alzheimer's Association. (2013). 2013 Alzheimer's disease facts and figures.Alzheimer's dementia,9(2), 208-245. Alzheimer's Australia | Statistics. (2016).Fightdementia.org.au. Retrieved 21 August 2016, from https://www.fightdementia.org.au/about-dementia/statistics Burnham, S. C., Bourgeat, P., Dor, V., Savage, G., Brown, B., Laws, S., ... Masters, C. L. (2016). Clinical and cognitive trajectories in cognitively healthy elderly individuals with suspected non-Alzheimer's disease pathophysiology (SNAP) or Alzheimer's disease pathology: a longitudinal study.The Lancet Neurology,15(10), 1044-1053. Dementia (AIHW). (2016).Aihw.gov.au. Retrieved 21 August 2016, from https://www.aihw.gov.au/dementia/ Farina, N., Rusted, J., Tabet, N. (2014). The effect of exercise interventions on cognitive outcome in Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review.International Psychogeriatrics,26(01), 9-18. Hardy, J., Bogdanovic, N., Winblad, B., Portelius, E., Andreasen, N., Cedazoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Minguez, A., Zetterberg, H. (2014). Pathways to Alzheimer's disease.Journal of internal medicine,275(3), 296-303. Hartley, D., Blumenthal, T., Carrillo, M., DiPaolo, G., Esralew, L., Gardiner, K., ... Lott, I. (2015). Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease: Common pathways, common goals.Alzheimer's Dementia,11(6), 700-709. Howard, R., McShane, R., Lindesay, J., Ritchie, C., Baldwin, A., Barber, R., ... Jones, R. (2015). Nursing home placement in the Donepezil and Memantine in Moderate to Severe Alzheimer's Disease (DOMINO-AD) trial: secondary and post-hoc analyses.The Lancet Neurology,14(12), 1171-1181. Jack, C. (2013). How do heart disease and stroke become risk factors for Alzheimer's disease?.Neurological research. Jack, C. R., Knopman, D. S., Jagust, W. J., Petersen, R. C., Weiner, M. W., Aisen, P. S., ... Lesnick, T. G. (2013). Tracking pathophysiological processes in Alzheimer's disease: an updated hypothetical model of dynamic biomarkers.The Lancet Neurology,12(2), 207-216. Karantzoulis, S., Galvin, J. E. (2014). Distinguishing Alzheimers disease from other major forms of dementia.Expert review of neurotherapeutics. Laver, K., Cumming, R. G., Dyer, S. M., Agar, M. R., Anstey, K. J., Beattie, E., ... Dietz, M. (2016). Clinical practice guidelines for dementia in Australia.Med J Aust,204(5), 191-193. Loewenstein, D., 2013. Assessment of Alzheimers Disease. InHandbook on the Neuropsychology of Aging and Dementia(pp. 271-280). Springer New York. Reitz, C., Mayeux, R. (2014). Alzheimer disease: epidemiology, diagnostic criteria, risk factors and biomarkers.Biochemical pharmacology,88(4), 640-651. Smyth, W., Fielding, E., Beattie, E., Gardner, A., Moyle, W., Franklin, S., ... MacAndrew, M. (2013). A survey-based study of knowledge of Alzheimers disease among health care staff.BMC geriatrics,13(1), 1. Sounding the Alarm on a Looming Public Health Threat | Jonathan and Karin Fielding School of Public Health. (2016).Ph.ucla.edu. Retrieved 21 August 2016, from https://ph.ucla.edu/news/magazine/2015/autumnwinter/article/sounding-alarm-looming-public-health-threat

European Energy Market Essay Example

European Energy Market Paper 1. What do you think are the economic benefits of liberalizing the EU energy market? Who stands to gain the most from liberalization? -Economic benefits: The consumers would have freedom to choose their energy providers and probably could lower the costs. They will have improved service quality as they will have variety of producers. Energy providers can improve efficiency through innovation to be competitive which in turn will also reduce prices. Larger utilities should be able to realize economies of scale which will able them to compete more effectively. The consumers and businesses would gain the most from liberalization: Consumers could get the best lowest prices possible from producers; better production with the use of innovative technology. Business would have more business in the competitive market and could gain more profit. 2. What are the implications of liberalization for energy producers in the EU? How will the environment they face change after liberalization? What act ions will they have to take? -Implications: Replace the markets of its 27 member states with a single continent wide market for electricity and gas. The majority market shares would be acquired and dominated by a large single enterprise eg: Electric de France. -Changes in environment after liberalization: There are a lot of acquisitions and mergers in the energy markets. Politicians and governments try to protect their firms from other competitions with regulations. Bigger firms will try to acquire firms in local country. -Actions: Government would impose conditions to stop foreign companies from acquiring local companies. The local authorities would try to protect the local company advantages. 3. Why is the deintegration of large energy companies seen as such an important part of any attempt to liberalize the EU energy market? -There are vertically integrated producers consists of utilities that are producing, transmitting and selling power which made the markets lack of liquidity. The deintegration of biggest companies will encourage smaller companies to be active in the market. We will write a custom essay sample on European Energy Market specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on European Energy Market specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on European Energy Market specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer There will be fair competition and energy firms could compete with each other. -To reduce the barrier in doing cross-border transmission in national markets. Barrier to do cross-border transmission is the oppositions from various parties in the country which hinders the foreign companies to enter the national market in order to protect their integrated companies. If deintegration is done by the country, there would be more operators in the energy market that will encourage competition; increase affordability and dependability of the services. . Why do you think progress towards the liberalization of the EU energy market has been fairly slow so far? -The countries have been trying to protect their local small energy companies from the large foreign companies. -The governments and national companies try to protect their own industry from the foreign companies to maintain their market share in the industry. -Only the big firms are ready to face their competitors and increase their marke t share and power in Europe.

Ethical Issues in an Organization- Bribery Essays

Ethical Issues in an Organization- Bribery Essays Ethical Issues in an Organization- Bribery Essay Ethical Issues in an Organization- Bribery Essay Ethical Issues – Bribery In this paper on ethical issues, I will be presenting my perspective on the issue of Bribery in doing business. I will be summarizing three distinct articles from different sources, namely, Harvard Business Review, Bloomberg Businessweek and The Wall Street Journal, respectively. Later in this paper, I will provide some insight on how this aspect of corruption could potentially affect my business project for this course. The three articles that I have used in this paper are varied in their content. I have tried to use each article to portray an example of a potential bribe, the thin lines of definition for bribery, and how there are laws existing in this country to prevent the occurrence of bribery in doing business. The Harvard Business Review, for a brief time handled a forum in its blog titled ‘Good Decisions’ and in which I came across an article where an IT consultant wants to know if the sales commission that he was offered from a vendor he selected for a client is legitimate. This example is important because the vendor has already benefited from an impartial selection process that consultant did for his client. The controller of this forum, Clinton Krover lists out three reasons why it may not be right for the consultant to accept the ‘Commission’. As he points out, legally, the consultant represents his employer and so any ‘commission’ actually belongs to his employer and not him personally. It is another thing that the ‘commission’ itself may â€Å"violate bribery and kickback laws† notwithstanding the fact that the consultant may also violate his contractual obligations to his employers by a potential acceptance of the ‘commission’. The more obvious judgment with relation to this paper is with regards to ethics. An acceptance of the ‘commission’ would mean that the consultant would keep this vendor in his good books for future selection processes for his clients. Mr. Clinton provides an easy self questioning test to satisfy ethical guidelines with questions on how you may feel if â€Å"your employer and client found out about your commission? † and if one is â€Å"willing to ask your employer and client upfront if they object to you taking it? The author also points out the prudential reasons wherein the concerned person is at risk of a conflict of interest for indulging in such an act. Overall, it shows that bribery, in its forms of kickbacks or commissions can jeopardize an individual or a firm’s reputation and damage its business. In my next article in study from Bloomberg Businessweek, the author stresses on the need for a global standard on ethical practices and denounces the use of â€Å"Situation Ethics† in dealing with businesses abroad where standards of ethics in business are different than in the US. The author mentions the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) which makes it unlawful for American firms to indulge in bribery or kickbacks or any form of payment to secure or retain a business abroad. While American multinationals complain of losing competition to companies from other countries, maintenance of such ethical standards is required across all fronts in all parts of the world. The author lists out a few repercussions due to failure of maintaining such standards globally. As stated above, the reputation of a company is at stake each time an employee of the company or its subsidiary involves in corruption to win contracts abroad. The examples of Siemens and BAE systems is shocking and yet, as the author says, something company executives do not shy from to win large contracts. The author also stresses on the need for the CEO to fully spread through his chain of command, the importance of engaging in corruption free practices everywhere in the world. I see the need because an employee in a remote subsidiary abroad may not be aware of the strictness of the guidelines by which his company operates and a mistake by him costs the entire company a lot in reputation and in fines imposed by institutions of justice. As in the course textbook â€Å"10 day MBA†, wherein the author discourages the view of Milton Friedman’s â€Å"Businesses are in the business of maximizing shareholder’s value†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and that â€Å"Corporations pay the taxes that supports government’s social action†, this author also stresses on the importance of ethical business practice before a crude capitalistic view of profit making at any cost. In fact, the author endorses the idea that â€Å"good ethics create shareholder value†. My third article, from the Wall Street Journal showcases the stringent rules surrounding the conduct of businesses abroad enforced by the US Dept. of Justice. And while this article focuses on the foreign business aspect of corporations, I wanted to bring this up because of the nature of the bribes that involves â€Å"lavish dinners† and â€Å"holiday gifts† that also come under corrupt practices. The penalties imposed upon corporations regardless of their nationality, so long as they are registered in the US stock markets is also something that educates. The repercussion, beyond the multimillion dollar fines, is the loss of reputations and even the stepping down of CEO and board members because of the shareholder backlash because of such events. In conclusion, these articles do not differ on their opinion that bribery and similar corrupt acts demolish the reputation of an individual or a firm, and the reuslting loss of trust and business in the future. They do not differ in their examples from a legal microscope. Where they may differ is in their geographies but never in their belief in good ethical practices. And while foreign corrupt practices do not affect my business, the possibility of bribe in a business such is mine is highly possible because of our efforts to obtain customers to sell low cost authentic food to corporate workforce. Even to the extent of obtaining favoritism within corporations for marketing our services. It may also come in the form of biased contracts for our resources such as vegetables, meat and grains. These are the two major areas where I see a possibility of bribery as a corrupt act. The importance of ethics in business practices notwithstanding, I would like to quote from the first article â€Å"we judge ourselves by our motivations, but we judge others by their actions†. I would like to have my business be judged solely in terms of its quality of service and value. Abirami Rajendran [emailprotected] edu [ 1 ]. http://blogs. hbr. org/korver/2008/10/sales-commission-or-bribe-1. html [ 2 ]. businessweek. com/managing/content/feb2008/ca20080212_394828. htm? chan=careers_managing+index+page_top+stories [ 3 ]. http://online. wsj. com/article/SB124329477230952689. html

Business Strategy in Corporate Giftware industry (PEST Analysis) Essay

Business Strategy in Corporate Giftware industry (PEST Analysis) - Essay Example Corporate giftware is an industry, which caters to almost all the industries across the board, in varying degrees. Sponsoring sports and other events, organizing hospitality events also form part of the corporate gift industry. The profitability of any industry, in general, depends upon five environmental factors enlisted by Porter as: ï‚ § Buyers'/Consumers' power: This is the power of industry’s buyers to secure discounts or negotiate added value to products. The consumer profile of Corporate gifts presents a two-dimensional picture. Personalized Corporate gifts are procured by different companies like Intel, Microsoft, Tesco, Asda, Starbucks, Pepsi, Virgin Airways etc. from the companies which are in the business of personalizing the promotional merchandise. This merchandise is then given away to the corporate clients, general customers, students, sales agents, company executives etc or on occasions like employee appreciation, retirement or special recognition etc. Therefore the actual buying power lies in the hands of companies which get such merchandise prepared with their logos/ messages. But to a certain extent, the ‘power’ is also exercised by the stakeholders, who are the end point receivers of such gifts. The power depends on buyer concentration, information and switching costs. The desires and tastes of stakeholder also keep on changing with times and they expect their companies to give away items which are in tune with the times.

Natural Environment and the Urban Centres Essay

Natural Environment and the Urban Centres - Essay Example Sao Paulo was not a highly developed and industrialised city with a population of 65,000 in 1890 compared to Rio de Janiero of almost half a million. With the development of manufacturing enterprise in Sao Paulo, the population increased by 240, 000 in 1900s because of immigration. Sao Paulo constantly evolves into a productive city, which becomes the centre of manufacturing business that is the source of Brazil’s total industrial product. The Metropolitan of Sao Paulo has population of 16.4 million that implies of the need to extend the area from the centre, which accounts for 8,051 km (Cohen, 2006, p.38). Thus, as the population grows, the there is the larger need for space or area to accommodate residents. Cohen (2006) indicates that adjacent to the development is the transformation of the physical and social structure of a city. The attraction of huge investments to construct airports, manufacturing plants, and wide office space transferred to ‘urban fringe.’ The urban centre of Sao Paulo became the command area that dispersed in the regional or global operation, for example, telecommunications, law office, banking, information services, and management.Due to the development in Sao Paulo, it faces many environmental and ecological concerns such as sanitation, traffic congestion, and pollution. These signs are the effects of urban sprawl.   Pohanka (2004, p.242) defines urban sprawl as the ratio of agricultural lands converted to residential areas to shelter the growing population.

Theoretical Perspectives Of Multiculturalism And Multiracialism Politics Essay

Theoretical Perspectives Of Multiculturalism And Multiracialism Politics Essay Within any multicultural society lie numerous complexities. From the States definition to the implementation, limitations within the multicultural theory and other contributing factors can however complicate its compatibility to academic, political rhetoric and social reality. For Australia and Singapore, geography, history and political culture set these countries apart in the definition and employment of multiculturalism. Australia is a country with a diverse ethnic and cultural makeup; Singapore on the other hand has a longstanding adherence to the four founding ethnic groups. But within respective cases, discrepancies emerge within the context of academic and public interpretation, making the multicultural affair both a loved and loathed subject. By juxtaposing multicultural Australia with multiracial Singapore, this chapter will introduce a broad overview of the multicultural/ multiracial debate that has challenged the reality of these contemporary nation-states. It will begin with the discussion of Benedict Andersons theories of imagined political belonging. This will be followed by a close analysis of the measures that have been sought to reconcile the nation-state framework within Australia and Singapore. The chapter will then explore the theoretical debates that exist within the State administration before concluding with an overview of these approaches by drawing upon their similarities, divergences and their impacts on their respective societies. Globalisation and cultural homogeneity The conventional notions of citizenship and national identity have been synonymous to the ideology where national belonging is limited to a single nation. More recently however, the processes that drive migration, the influx and settlement of transnational workers and global economic development have resulted in increasingly heterogeneous communities within nation-states (Castles and Davidson 2000; Soutphommasane 2005). Faced with such dramatic challenges to the imaginations of homogeneity, the traditional idea of citizenship is increasingly undermined as states find it difficult to manage their internal framework based on a presumption of ethnic and cultural homogeneity. The core vision of nationalism is the idea that it consists of individual citizens that share a distinct and autonomous national culture. Benedict Andersons whose works influence us on the way we think about nation-states, observes that a nation is a makeup of a political community that is imagined as essentially sovereign and limited through the stimulation of deep emotional attachment: Nationality, or so, as one might prefer to put it in view of that words multiple significations, nation-ness, as well as nationalism, are cultural artefacts of a particular kind. [These artefacts] once created à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ became modular, capable of being transplanted, with varying degrees of self-consciousness, to a great variety of social terrains, to merge and be merged with a correspondingly wide variety of political and ideological constellations (1991: 4). At the heart of Andersons argument is the idea that nationalism is built on what is almost purely an emotional connection that binds communities together. The imagined nets of kinship between persons and the State allows diverse communities to connect with each other without actual knowledge of their fellow members, and these invisible ties that motivate them to risk their lives for the nation-state in times of warfare under the perceived imagining of their nationhood (7). Such imaginings which are based on the ideological construct is at the core of nationalism. When they are absent or otherwise eclipsed by difference, these imaginings are imposed or buttressed by the State. In another influential discourse, Ernest Renan (as cited in Eley and Suny 1996: 42) suggests that national identity cannot exist without first submerging difference, including cultural and ethnic distinctiveness that could prove divisive.  [1]  The existence of national identity is dependent on the States ability to organise a universal set of values and cultures for its society, or as Castles and Davidson indicate, One has to be made into a national before he or she can become a citizen (2000: 27). Without these national imaginings, the legitimacy of the State probably would not have prevailed. Under the pressures of globalisation and the changing character of migration towards the end of the twentieth century, the traditional notion of citizenship where political belonging is limited to one nation began to evolve. As mass international migration leads to the proliferation of cultural and ethnic diversity within national communities, it consequently became increasingly untenable for nation-states to maintain the ideology of a homogenous national culture (Soutphommasane 2005: 401). Such shifts in migration patterns have undermined even the strongest argument about homogeneity. Japan for instance, where the State has long made claims about the homogeneity of its population, is now forced to recognise the reality of ethnic minority workforces that have become increasingly prominent in Japanese society (Castles and Davidson 2000: 157)  [2]  . Scholars and political elites have also begun to recognise that new measures were necessary to recognise such social changes, especially the need to accommodate cultural pluralism brought about by the movement of people across national boundaries. In relation to this, scholars have critically studied the multifaceted processes of migration and have produced a vast number of works in this field, including new and plural systems of identification and belonging (Lawson 2000), transnational communities and hybridisation (Bailey and Smith 2004), and new patterns of belonging and citizenship (Castles 2002; Joppke 1999; Law 2002). The multicultural debate: the case of Australia Affected by the processes of globalisation, a number of countries have begun to expand the traditional notion of universal citizenship in legislation and public rhetoric to include every individual, especially minorities, into a re-badged national culture under the new form of multicultural citizenship. Multicultural citizenship acknowledges the practise of culture and formation of identities in a variety of social and cultural contexts, departing from the antecedent understanding of monoculture and homogeneity (Soutphommasane 2005: 403). It also recognises minorities, ostensibly furnishing such communities with stronger voices in decision-making at the local, national and international level (Moodod 2007). The shifting nature of State-society relations in Australia, under the broader ambit of multiculturalism, provides us with one of the most obvious examples in the development of multicultural institutions and policies. Up until the mid-twentieth century, Australian society had been relatively homogenous, with over 90 percent of the ethnic dynamic identified as British during the post-war period in 1947 (Dunn and Forrest 2006: 210). And for most of Australian culture and institutions, the Anglo identity poses as a dominant influence. However in the beginning of the 1970s, the demise of the White Australia policy and the nations demand for skilled labour attracted an influx of non-white groups into the Australian society (Anderson and Taylor 2005: 470). It gradually became difficult for the State to sustain the myth of its national identity on the basis of Anglo-Celtic origins. The dominant community had to accept realities of ethnic diversity and a cosmopolitan identity, although resistance towards this continues at all levels of Australian society to this day. Incidentally, multicultural citizenship is a subject of controversy in the political and academic lexicon. The idea of multiculturalism, which was introduced in Australia as a public policy to manage cultural differences, was condemned in some quarters as being oppressive, undermining the quintessential Anglo-Celtic heritage of the nation (Bulbeck 2004; Johnson 2002), as well as being a threat to national security (Noble and Poynting 2008). The issues of immigration and social cohesion have become widely familiar to the Australian media and public. Today, multiculturalism continues to be a recurring subject of contest as recent events in Australia, such as the Cronulla Riots in 2005 and the assaults on Indian students in Melbourne in 2009 have shown. In each instance, the friction caused by deeply entrenched and unmanageable differences have brought the issue of cultural divides back into the public sphere.  [3]   The interpretation of multicultural citizenship in Australian political administration has a long tail, and has assumed diverse meanings under various political leaders. When the Whitlam government first unveiled multicultural programs in the 1950s, the purpose of the policy was to direct welfare services and forms of assistance to disadvantaged groups, namely migrants from non English-speaking backgrounds and those with little political and social representation. However when the Fraser government came into power in 1975, this political understanding of multiculturalism changed. Instead of simply being about the provision of welfare services, multiculturalism became a bipartisan policy that underscored the significance of cultural preservation for various ethnic groups, with a pragmatic approach to foster minorities voices within the society (Castles and Davidson 2000: 170). It was during this period that multiculturalism functioned as a policy directive, in hope that it would facil itate access for minorities and marginalised groups to fully participate and benefit from social, economic and political aspects. This continued to the 1980s until multiculturalism began to encompass a wider definition than the mere representations of cultural and ethnic entities. By then, it also (controversially) began to push into a new national ideology where it represented the buttress of national culture and identity in Australia (Galligan and Roberts 2003). From a policy that had been specifically associated with migrant resettlement services since its emergence, multiculturalism in the 1980s progressed to the advocacy of accepting and celebrating cultural diversity within Australian society. [Multiculturalism is] a model to be worked towards-a vision for the futureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Multiculturalism should not just mean majority group assistance for minority cultural groups, but rather should be a way of perceiving Australian society as a whole Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs, 1982 (as cited from Galligan and Roberts 2003). The Keating government was keen on creating a new national identity based on the diverse nature of cultural groups within its society, its independence from the British monarch, its propinquity to Asia and its necessity to flourish in an increasingly globalised economy (Johnson 2002: 175). In a radical departure from traditional notions of Australian national identity, Keating wanted a national identity to acknowledge the British and Irish heritage in Australias history, judiciary system and culture, but yet was also distinct from core political values that privileged British identity (176). The new Australian identity, according to him, would illustrate his hope of Anglo-Celtic Australians embracing multiculturalism for the future social and economic benefits of the nation. Keatings policies were unpopular, garnering backlashes from politicians, scholars and public. This largely relates to the notion of multiculturalism displacing the legacy of Anglo privilege with a more cosmopolitan and inclusive national identity. There were concerns that broader conceptions of Australian identity could overhaul distinctive values and qualities that make up the uniqueness of Australian culture and subsequently disregard mainstream Australians for the interests of non-Anglo ethnic groups (Johnson 2002: 177). Hence, fear and tension began to heighten as the dominant group felt progressively pressured to surrender their privileged position under the escalating diversity of ethnic groups. Within the political framework, Keatings vision for new Australia reached an important juncture in 1996 when two public figures publicly opposed to his policies Pauline Hanson and John Howard. Following this marked a drastic decline in the significance of multiculturalism as the usage of the term became eschewed in Australian politics (Castles and Davidson 2000: 165). Beyond what could be described as reflexive ripostes to threats at cultural power, criticism surrounding the idea of multiculturalism have also much to do with its indistinct and constantly-evolving definition. (Ellie Vasta: 212) In some cases, it was deemed to have been introduced almost accidentally by political elites to accommodate the fluctuating diversity of the society. A term that is developed on-the-spot, the understanding of multiculturalism is therefore inconsistent. On one level, it is assumed as an appropriate designation for welfare policies and on another, it merely becomes a term that describes the multiple cultures that exists within Australian society. Hence multicultural critics such as Zubrzycki 1995) blame multiculturalism for being a presupposed concept with its principles couched in jargon, and the extent of its effectiveness is not largely known. Another polemic of multicultural citizenship reveals further dilemmas in the accommodation of cultural differences within a common civic culture. According to the National Agenda for a Multicultural Australia (1989), multiculturalism must be expressed with an overriding and unifying commitment to Australia, to its interests and future first and foremost. Nonetheless Soutphommasane (2005: 408) argues that while it is important for a national culture and a sense of shared belonging to anchor a multicultural society, multicultural citizenship cannot be observed under a civic culture that is impervious to change. If so, this could undermine the political representation of minority cultures at the institutional level, contradicting multiculturalisms pledge to include citizens from diverse cultural backgrounds and provide them equal voices as the majority. Built-in cultural biases within Australian political institutions which have witnessed the entrenchment of traditions first established by the Anglo-Celtic elites would continue to pose a problem for multicultural citizenship unless it provides the basis for a more inclusive form of political identity for multicultural citizens (Soutphommasane 2005; Castles and Davidson 2000). In essence, it is never possible to classify multiculturalism as something that is either good or bad in a society. A recent survey conducted by The Age indicates that most Australians continue to support immigration despite the political kerfuffle that coloured its history (Edwards 2009). This partly points to the fact that peoples perception and experiences of migrants are often fluid and contextual (Wise 2005: 183) and as a result, they may display versatile responses between positive and negative assessments of their migrant neighbours. Drawing experiences from an ethnography fieldwork conducted within a culturally-diverse suburb of Sydney, Wise also concludes that no clear division can sit between the merits or deficits of multiculturalism even though multiculturalism continues to stand as one of the prominent topics of debate in Australias political history. One People, One Nation: the multiracial framework in Singapore Unlike Australia, ethnic pluralism has always been a distinctive and defining feature of Singapore society since its founding as a colony. Long before Singapore established itself as an independent nation-state, its society was already made up of diverse ethnic groups originating from different parts of the Malay Archipelago, Asia, the Middle East and Europe due to trading links between these countries, international migration and settlement (Lai 2004: 1). For Singapore, ethnic pluralism has also been the central challenge to societal cohesion and nation-building. In the colonial era, ethnic communities were deliberately kept apart from one another as a matter of public policy. However in the years leading to the nations independence, as events of internal unrest and racial riots plagued Singapores social order, the ruling regime the Peoples Action Party (PAP) recognised that a cohesive nation was imperative to state survival (Lai 2004: 5). Hence upon independence in 1965, Singapore immediately included the idea of multiracialism in its Constitution, and the notion served as a foundation for other policies (Chua 2003: 60). However, Singapores approach in managing its multiethnic population remains strikingly different when compared to Australia. Multiracialism in Singapore represents an aspiration of the political elites to unite ethnic and cultural differences together, emphasising on bridging social divisions and advocating a shared sense of national culture. While multiculturalism in Australia which is essentially a public policy to manage diversity as well as to police racial discrimination and racism among diverse ethnic societies (Castles and Davidson 2000l; Chua 2005; Moodod 2007), multiracialism in Singapore can be thought of as being the States chief instrument of control in social life; it is developed as a tool of necessity due to Singapores heterogeneity and represents the States opportunity to recognise cultural differences. The policy of multiracialism allows the State to suppress potential tensions among ethnic groups, pre-empting public dissent and disallowing the issue of race to threa ten the States legitimacy of rule (Barr 2006; Chua 2003). On the face of affairs, the Singapore State has been quite successful in maintaining social order and stability with this pragmatic ideology, and has managed to avoid public race-related conflicts since the start of the 1970s. Within the context of Singapore, it is firstly important to distinguish the differences among ethnicity, race and culture because these terms are often used interchangeably in public and official discourse. While ethnicity and culture are forms of social construct where communities or groups seek identification and develop relationship with each other based on differences and day-to-day interactions (Lai 2004: 2), race on the other hand is identification based on the physical attributes of a person, namely the colour of a persons skin (Franklin 2003: 470). Due to colonial history, multiracialism remains as the official term within the political administration of Singapore instead of multiculturalism. Similarly, the State employs the term race instead of ethnicity and multiracialism instead of multiculturalism. Multiracialism expresses the States intention to create social order in the face of potentially divisive issues such as race, religion, ethnic origin and culture (Trocki 2006). The CMIO model of multiracialism is an essential component of the States ideology of pragmatism. Developed as an intentional decision of nationhood, CMIO multiracialism scheme a convenient political tool for the State to homogenise cultural differences within a racial group by attributing race to essentially one culture, language and to a lesser extent, religion (Lai 1995: 179). Prior to Singapores independence in 1965, the ethnic population in colonial Singapore was diverse with many languages and cultures practised within a single race. The Chinese race for instance, constituted of the Hokkiens, Teochews, Cantonese (Chua 2005: 5) as well as other linguistic communities who shared different culture and traditions (Trocki 2006: 139). Under the CMIO framework however, these differences were streamlined and orga nised around the elements of colonial history, language and geography. The heterogeneous population was categorised into four major race groups Chinese, Malay Indian and Others. Each race is attributed to one culture and one language the Chinese race is associated with Mandarin which is the official race-language; the Malay race with the Malay language; and Indian race with the Tamil language. Within the States interpretation, the CMIO model is looked upon to be the most effective approach for managing its society. In contrast to assimilation where the minority races are overridden by the dominant, CMIO model gives fair treatment by recognising all racial groups as equal in policy. It ensures that the interests of minorities and their interests are protected so they are not disadvantaged in the society, as well as providing equal opportunity for them to advance. Most importantly, the CMIO model illustrates the States efforts for encouraging race consciousness and the divisions within the society, advocating tolerance for such differences, and the desire for individuals to mutually accept each other for the benefit of the nation (Chua 2003: 17). However while the CMIO framework allows for the simplification of racial interpretation in both private and public lives, scholars have observed that it is in fact problematic. In recent years, multiracialism classification of CMIO surfaced once again in the light of academic debate as the nation steers itself towards integration of the world economy under the processes of globalisation. The Singapore states desire to attract what it calls foreign talent has opened the door to a high density of transnational relations as economic policies have resulted in a large influx of migrant workers (Yeoh and Chang 2001; Yeoh 2004): It is precisely for our childrens sake that we must take this open, cosmopolitan approachà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ However talented we may be, it is impossible for us to produce in our next generation the same constellation of talent, the same richness and diversity of backgrounds and abilities, just from the children of three million Singaporeans. -The Straits Times, 25 August 1997. Scholars have expressed concerns that the presence of transnational workers could invite a population that is increasingly too heterogeneous to be defined within the parameters of the CMIO classification. As Yeoh (2004) points out, a cosmopolitan Singapore shifts away from the older stance of multiracialism and the nations quest to build a cohesive society based on the four founding races (2442). For the government, it has long since been its ambition to assume individuals to have a fixed and unequivocal ethnic identity under the CMIO model; cosmopolitanism on the other hand invites fluid and complex forms of identification that can no longer be homogenously recognised. Increasingly, individuals of heterogeneous backgrounds would feel suppressed by the state-imposed CMIO model which limits them to negotiate and choose their own identity, leading to consequences where individuals feel unrecognised and separated from their ethnic classification (Lai 2005: 11). Under such circumstances, there would be Chinese and Indian migrant workers that do not subscribe to the CMIO-defined Chinese category, as well as those who feel that CMIO-defined Others is an insufficient representation of their race. Meanwhile the local community is also aware of the paradigms weaknesses: What [does] the CMIO classification in Singapore for? Are you against or for that? I do think its ridiculous that children of mixed heritage have to be forced to take their fathers races as theirs. I think the CMIO classification is merely for the govt to carry out their plans, such as HDB racial policy and so on. However I find it totally unnecessary. Sgforums.com, 27 February 2005. The indication of forced in the writers assertion explains her belief that social reality is actually more complex than the States simplified view with the CMIO multiracialism model. Instead the writer views the model as a coercive method for nation-building policies, as well as overwriting individualism for the societal good. Another contributor expresses her views on the limitations of the CMIO multiracialism model, and how it critically de-emphasises the importance of dialects that exist within the Chinese language other than the official race-language, Mandarin: An abundance of knowledge of Chinese traditions, values and history is contained in the oral and written embodiments of these southern Chinese languages, such as surviving literature, operas and stories. Sadly, the chain of passing down this heritage is being lost rapidly in Singapore. -Sgforums.com, 7 March 2009. Deng is exasperated that the governments move to suppress the use of dialects with the Mandarin language has a cost to bear. While the present Chinese community are mostly bilingual in English and Mandarin something that the government hopes to achieve, dialects also quickly become a language unknown to them. Chua (2003) describes this phenomenon as one of the consequences of the state-imposed CMIO multiracialism model where the understanding of racial harmony is minimalist and lacks substantial cultural exchange, deep understanding and even less cultural crossing of boundaries (75). This reinforcement is built on the tolerance of differences, as well as the governments aspiration to prioritise a shared sense of commonality and national identity before ethnic identities. The CMIO classification model also has internal contradictions if one approaches the idea of cultural difference within anthropological paradigms. As Franklin (2003) indicates, culture is in essence a complex notion which is malleable, flexible and also contestable (477). Rather than being fixed, it carries a mobile meaning which overtime can be moulded, lost, changed under the conditions of everyday life. Likewise, ethnic identity is a makeup of longstanding history, culture and tradition that equip members with an exclusive shared sense of belonging and membership (Lai 2005: 10). Hence it is not possible for identities, under the circumstances imposed by the State, to be effectively curtailed to a homogenous identity shared by a particular race group and subsequently, a homogenous identity shared by the national community. In reality, identities from cultural context can never be completely displaced by national identities (Bader 1997). The States ambition of protecting minority interests with the CMIO multicultural model also promises more optimism in rhetoric than in reality. Multiracialism in practice does not translate into equality for all races; accounts of marginalisation, especially among minorities, continue to pose a significant problem for Singapores ethnic-relations.The introduction of the Speak Mandarin program towards the end of 1970s which was intended to serve as cultural ballast for the non-English educated Chinese is suggested to reveal biases in its implementation that would in turn disadvantage non-Chinese race groups (Trocki 2006: 153). The program which is seen as an effort by the government to align Singapore with Chinas emerging affluence and to create Chinese cultural elites became less significant when it comes to other second languages. Despite the fact that the Malay and Tamil languages are the nations official languages, there was lesser push from high status institutions to promote thei r usage (Gopinathan, Ho and Vanithamani 2004: 236). Similarly, Michael Barr noted significant levels of cultural bias within the education system which often put non-Chinese children at a disadvantage (Barr 2006). He argues that the disparate portrayal of uplifting Chinese and the boisterous non-Chinese in the school textbooks, along with racial stereotype, depictions of prejudice and racial consciousness, would detrimentally deprive minorities of inspiring role models, undermining the States meritocracy ideal and its emphasis on equality as a method for encouraging harmony and understanding among all race groups. Australia and Singapore compared This chapter has illustrated the differences between the management of multiethnic population in Australia and Singapore. While multiracialism in Singapore has been inscribed in the Constitution since the beginning of its sovereignty and has been incorporated in many of its public policies since, multiculturalism only emerged in Australia during the 1970s as a policy to control differences. Secondly, for reasons of colonial history, Singapore uses the word race in replacement of ethnicity and uses multiracialism instead of multiculturalism as the official term within the political administration. And thirdly, Singapore functions on a political culture disparate from Australia. Being a one-party state, the Singapore government rules in a politically-hegemonic position with little risk of being displaced by alternative sections of parliamentary power, therefore establishing a form of governance that is deviated from the Western understanding of an open and liberal democracy. And unlike Australia, the Singapore government predominantly uses multiracialism as an instrument of social control. And such elements can be illustrated in the CMIO model where the government streamlines cultural differences to simplified classification, as well as controlling and advocating languages deemed as beneficial for the national interest. For Australia, the definition of multiculturalism evolves overtime in political administration as a consequence of responding to realities. However even when both countries have a different inherent understanding of multiculturalism, they present weaknesses and dilemmas that contradict respective political intentions of managing a multiethnic society where minorities risk domination of the majority at the socio-political level, and are subsequently put to a disadvantage. And in both countries, both governments emphasise greatly on national culture and language by placing individuals allegiance to the nation before their own ethnic and cultural values. But in the process of doing so, scholars in both contexts noted the costs of doing so. In the case of Australia, minorities risk being displaced by the dominant Anglo-Celtic group as well as underrepresentation at the political level especially if local institutions remain unreceptive to change. And in the case of Singapore, the importance of dialects and its values that are increasingly displaced by the State-imposed CMIO model, resulting in a minimalist understanding of r acial harmony where race groups do not engage, interact and have a deep understanding of each others cultures.