The Concept of Multiculturalism in the Modern Society

Multiculturalism is a concept discussed by Siapera as regards media, but it can be used in many situations (48). Multiculturalism is the mindset which makes all people understand and respect traditions and values of other nations. All films and stories (including the texts by Fadiman or Tan), where people are not judged or presented in a biased way, but where people are ready to live in peace, are based on the concept of multiculturalism.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Concept of Multiculturalism in the Modern Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Identity is a very important concept for the modern society as people often have to live in another country and adopt new traditions, but they need to know who they are. Siapera stresses that identity is what construct’s people’s behavior and mindset (48). Identity helps people find their way in a new society as they can know for sure what is accep table for them and what is not, and how to behave in different situations. The concept of individuality is also very important as it plays an important role in the societies (Siapera 49). This concept can be used to make people (who are the majority in the society) understand that people who are seen as minority have their right to be slightly different. All people want to have their right for individuality (for example, teenagers try to express their individuality through wearing different clothes or listening to certain type of music), so having a bit different traditions is also a type of individuality. Tan (50) considered the concept of limitation concerning language, but it can also be used to discuss cultures, traditions, etc. For example, many people do not want to make an effort and try to understand people coming from a different place and they often think that newcomers have limited knowledge of language and limited understanding of what to do in the new country. However, these newcomers are not limited as they are simply different since they have to mix different values and different languages, and their language (mindset, etc.) is not limited but more complete. Language of intimacy is another concept considered by Tan (47). Language of intimacy is the language which is spoken by people who are close to each other (relatives, close friends, spouses, etc.). This language can be a bit different from the language spoken in the country as this is a kind of code for those who are close and this is another proof of their close ties. Cultural adaptation is a concepts mentioned by Fadiman who provides different examples of people’s adaptation to new ways of life (9). Of course, people coming from a different country have to adapt to be accepted in the new society. In the case of Hmong people this adaptation is giving American names to their children, but there are lots of examples in the real life where people start wearing the same clothes, speaking the same language, sharing similar values.Advertising Looking for essay on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The concept of connectedness is mentioned by Fadiman as the author stresses that it is important to look into lots of details to understand something (13). Cultures can be understood if numerous historical events are discussed and analyzed. Some people say that this or that nation is a group of lunatics, but they simply do not know historical events that led to the tradition which they think strange, even though they tradition may have deep routed and is quite logical and necessary for some reasons. Works Cited Fadiman, Anne. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collisions of Two Cultures, New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2012. Print. Siapera, Eugenia. Cultural Diversity and Global Media: The Mediation of Difference, Malden, MA: John Wiley Sons Ltd, 2010. Print. Tan, Amy. Mother Tongue. n.d. Web. Web. This essay on The Concept of Multiculturalism in the Modern Society was written and submitted by user Mustafa Stephens to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Church in the Wild Analysis Essay Example

Church in the Wild Analysis Essay Example Church in the Wild Analysis Paper Church in the Wild Analysis Paper Essay Topic: Wild Jay Z no Church in the Wild With the release of their newest CD, Watch the Throne, many of Jay-Z and Kanye West’s most exclusive tracks have come under scrutiny. One particular song containing debatable yet obvious theological symbolism is â€Å"No Church in the Wild.† Citing and exclaiming their religious and social beliefs, as well as their activities in today’s society in this new song, Kanye West and Shawn Carter (Jay-Z) show deep symbolism of today’s culture, the influence of Plato and Socrates on them, as well as their controversial lifestyles. Also, containing a featured chorus by Frank Ocean and a bridge by The-Dream, these parts touch on the symbolism and influence of religion and love in many lives today. The Watch the Throne duo revealed their theological beliefs in this song in many ways typical of their style. The song starts off with Frank Ocean’s hook: â€Å"Human beings in a mob, What’s a mob to a king? What’s a king to a God? What’s a God to a non-believer who don’t believe in anything?† Each of these couplets have significance to one another and are all tied together. He starts off by saying that there are human beings in a mob. But what is one human being to a mob? It is insignificant by number, but numbers make up the masses. He then goes on to ask â€Å"What’s a mob to a king?† creating the question that asks: can a mob of people overcome a king or is a king too powerful? But what is a â€Å"king to a God?† Does a mortal king have as much power as an almighty spiritual God? The song begins to unfold when Frank Ocean sings, â€Å"What’s a God to a non-believer who don’t believe in anything?† Frank Ocean brings up an interesting question: if a God is almighty and powerful and has influence over itâ₠¬â„¢s followers, what does this God mean to a non-believer? A non-believer does not care about a God’s existence, so to this person, this God does not even exist or matter. God has just went from being the most powerful being in the universe to superstition. The hook is ended with and also begins the song with the line â€Å"Will he make it out alive, alright, alright, no church in the wild.† This line touches on the â€Å"non-believer† who doesn’t believe in a God and is, in a sense, in the wild. The non-believer has no one protecting him, including a God, so will he be safe in this world where there is no church and God protecting him? As Frank Ocean’s hook of the song endz, the song breaks down and Jay-Z’s verse begins. Jay-Z touches on some philosophical and religious topics throughout his verse. During the second line of his verse, he raps, â€Å"Lies on the lips of a priests, Thanksgiving disguised as a feast.† What if every priest, the messenger for God, whom was supposed to spread the truth, was just telling lies? The basic theme of the track is that you have to fight for yourself, as there is nobody else there to save you (no church in the wild). This is explored through the use of scripture and religious imagery. With the media, Internet, and other means of communication, it is hard to tell what information is true. Thanksgiving, the American holiday to celebrate America’s independence and God’ provisions for our nation, but is tabooed by the fact that we killed numerous Native Americans for our nation. In his sixth line, he states, â€Å"Drug dealer chic, I’m wondering if a thug’s prayers reach,† which is also a Tupac reference, and wonders whether or not a thug or criminal’s prayer is reached by God. From lines 7-9 (â€Å"Is Pious pious cause God.I know yall hear my sneaks†), Jay paraphrases â€Å"The Euthyphro Dilemma†: Do the gods love holy (pious) things because they are pious, or are those things that are pious made in this holy way because the gods love them? This comes back to Socrates and his questioning and wondering of why we do things for certain people or the gods to make them happy for no reasoning? Why do we want to make God happy? It is because we are told to make God happy through worship. Jays verse starts with him describing impurities in things that are supposed to be perfect (i.e. Tears on the mausoleum floor, blood stains on the Colosseum doors, lies on the lips of a priest etc.) He then insinuates that he, Jesus, and Kanye are a new Holy Trinity:Jesus was a carpenter, Yeezy he laid beats (Kanye built music like Jesus, a carpenter would build a house - this could also be a loose allusion to Kanyes song Jesus Walks). He’s setting the two of them up as Gods of Rap. Kanyes verse stays with the Trinity by rapping about a a threesome (we formed our own religion†). He then describes a girl who is a perfect apostle for him, with two tattoos that read, No Apologies and Love is Cursed by Monogamy.

Corporate Responsibility and Marketing Strategies of Apple Inc Assignment - 3

Corporate Responsibility and Marketing Strategies of Apple Inc - Assignment Example The researcher states that in this era of globalization and international trade where rapid technological progression and cutthroat competition has become immensely important, priority has been exceedingly shifted towards corporate social responsibilities so that the companies can align their production and distribution process with social and environmental norms. The mastermind behind Apple Inc. was Steve Jobs who had founded the company in 1976. The company is famous for its iPod media player, iPad tablets; Mac line of personal computers, iPhone etc. iCloud, iTunes, App Stores etc. online services and iWork creativity, iTunes media browser etc. services has helped the company to achieve the leading position in the market. In terms of revenue, Apple is the second largest Information Technology Company only after Samsung and in the mobile phone manufacturing segment, it is third largest. According to the reports on 2014, Apple is having 437 retail stores in more than 15 countries wor ldwide and appoints more than 72,800 permanent employees. Strong research and development, innovation and customer orientation of Apple Inc. have resulted from the high degree of brand loyalty for the company which has aided to achieve world’s Most Valuable Brand Award in 2014. Clearly, practices of corporate social responsibility of such huge brand as Apple Inc. must be exemplary for all other corporations operating in the multinational platform. Apple Inc. is well known for its ethical and corporate responsibilities which the company has continued practicing since its inception and improved over time. Apple’s ethical practices are reflected in the code of conduct followed by all its employees irrespective of situations.

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 24

Marketing - Essay Example Stuffed animals need stuffing. By looking at the raw material inputs that are used in stuffed animals, it was thought that these hole punch scraps can be used as alternative. The major concern in deciding on which products to choose, where the hole punch scraps can be useful is the question of volume. Hole punch scraps can only be valuable if they are sold in huge volumes. The answer to this question has been found on the stuffed animals alternatives for raw material inputs. Hole punch scraps are waste materials, that in essence when they are manufactured they are very minimal in terms of costs. The materials that are used to stuff animals like â€Å"straw, beans, plastic pellets, cotton, synthetic fibres, or other similar materials (Wikipedia 2010),† are naturally produced for the stuffing, thus maybe more costly to manufacture. The demand for these products come from children and adults who look for comfort objects (Fisher 2010). From a psychological perspective, the fascination for comfort objects has sprung up during the late 1800s when life is hard and comfort objects like stuffed animals tend to cheer people up for unique psychological situations (FoxNews.com 2008). The origin of stuffed animals businesses is traced back to practices of taxidermy, where skins of hunted animals are stuffed in order to mimic their appearances even when they are no longer alive. The demand for these products can be traced to a need using Maslows hierarchy of needs framework (Kotler & Armstrong 2004). A comfort object provides the consumer with security and partly, some social needs. During unique situations such as personal tragedies, problems and moments of loneliness, and stressful events, comfort objects somehow provide the feeling of having company as well as the feeling of being safe holding something (FoxNews.com 2008). Pricing is a

Management Strategy and Decision Making Case Study

Management Strategy and Decision Making - Case Study Example The decline in consumption of manufactured products is the biggest reason. Paper is being replaced by electronic impressions. The majority of tasks performed in schools and offices have shifted towards soft copies instead of solid paper. Moreover, environmentalists have seized this opportunity by promoting electronic formats of books. So people don’t need to cut trees for paper. High Australian dollar, labour rate, and different regulations in other countries have made it hard for Australian manufacturers to keep up with the international competition. The pulp and paper industry is highly competitive. Developing, selecting and retaining organizational routines, is a comprehensive strategy for winning. The key drivers of profitability in the pulp and paper manufacturing industry include environmental, competition, market share, export legislation, environmental laws, recycling laws and export prices. The case states that over the past years Australian exports declined by $128 million due to falling export prices. There will be a very narrow margin for profitability in the future. The pulp and paper industry will face difficult time in the next five years. Increased environmental protection legislation will make it difficult for them to operate profitably. Only environmental hazard is not the only threat, people find it more convenient to have smart phone or tablet in their hand that can store thousands of books and documents, instead of carrying kilograms of paper. Pulp and paper manufacturers of Australia face even harsher challenges as increased competition from around world drives their profits down and captures their market share, while the Australian manufacturers are restricted due to strict legislations. Gunns should only enter this industry if they can ensure significant investment in technology to come up with cleaner and safer operations processes. The company should have a concrete plan (preferably the company

Demand And Supply Of Agricultural Products

Demand And Supply Of Agricultural Products The agriculture in UAE is reserved to dates, vegetables, fish, eggs and dairy products (Ministry of Foreign trade, 2011). Tunnel farming is the way forward to agriculture in UAE, more and more people are learning the techniques involved in tunnel farming. For a country like UAE which is a desert the land available for farming is limited, and the water resources are also limited, therefore using the latest technologies in farming plays a vital role in controlling the supply and demand of agricultural products in UAE. Water plays an important role in increasing or decreasing the supply of local agricultural products in UAE. One of the studies revealed that the consumption of water in UAE on individual basis is one of the highest in the world (Gornall Tordorova, 2009). For a country with already a very low export of agricultural products and local production, high water consumption makes it even more complex to cater for shortages of agricultural products in UAE. The Government in UAE is involved in discovering new ways to increase the land available for cultivation by using desert reclamation initiatives (Salama, 2008). The government has a history of investing in tree planting schemes and irrigation systems to increase the total agricultural production of UAE. The planting schemes involve planting trees which help crops to survive wind and also stop soil erosion, the schemes also involve initiatives to plant shrubs and date palms. According to figures released by Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, UAE is producing 600,000 tonnes of crops approximately which include, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, aubergines, cabbages and feed for live stock. The Government of UAE is rapidly increasing the land available for cultivation by converting desert into cultivated land one of the example is the 40,500 hectares of land available for cultivation along the Liwa Oasis, which has been converted from dessert into cultivatable land, in UAE there are mor e than 6,000 greenhouses and 22,700 farms. UAE is also committed to invest in agriculture overseas on islands and other parts of the world, because 85 per cent of the agricultural products in UAE are imported which include wheat, rice and corn. This is a major threat faced by a country set to become the business hub of the world with an increasing population, therefore the supply and demand forces play a major role in agriculture in UAE. Another strategy followed by UAE to tackle food shortages is to create food storage facilities where large quantities of agricultural products could be stored for longer time periods. Agricultural Imports and Exports of UAE UAE is the largest importer of agricultural products in the region and the imports of agricultural product in UAE will increase this year following the drought in the major exporters of agricultural products in the world which are Russia and Ukraine. Consequently rapidly changing the demand and supply of agricultural products in UAE and presents a major challenge for the Government to deal with supply and demand forces in Agricultural products. The global food crisis has reached alarming situation posing a major threat to economies with increasing population and consumption of agricultural products. Also the major suppliers of world agricultural products will experience a reduction in their yield of agricultural products this year due to draughts in different parts of the world. The world crop production has increased due to the use of latest techniques for farming as shown by the following figure-1 (GRIDA, n.d.). figure07.jpg Figure Trends in crop production of the world The increase in world crop production here is because of the increased cropland and rangeland area, increased of yield and greater cropping intensity. Therefore to cater the current demand of agricultural products it is necessary to use the latest technologies to increase the yield. As the graph clearly shows the most production increase is seen in Soybeans showing more than 4 per cent increase in the production. Cotton wheat and rice take a lot of water hence are impossible to be planted in a desert with limited water resources, therefore wheat and rice also adds up to the demand in agricultural products in UAE. Abu Dhabi is spending in agricultural research and development to come up with new ways of farming using minimal water resources. One of the most important techniques to save water in agriculture is to use piping systems, this system enables the farmer to save water in agriculture up to 40 per cent then the classical techniques of farming. Following the credit crunch the world has moved into era of scarcity of resources and an increase in the population, more and more people are moving into urban areas in search of a better future and business opportunities. The phenomenon of the move to urban areas is creating humungous pressure on the demand created by urban areas for agricultural products. Most of the agricultural products are used as part of food therefore an increase in population is directly related to the demand created for agricultural products. Another factor affecting the supply of the agricultural products is the limited life of the product due to which suppliers have to pay heavy cost in storing the products eventually affecting the supply of agricultural products. Therefore supplying agricultural products from all over the world becomes a challenge for even the developed economies of the world with limited local production of agricultural products. In the global village the consumer in UAE is ready to pay higher prices for quality agricultural products following which the suppliers in agricultural based countries are targeting UAE to earn better profits. Attracting suppliers from India, Pakistan, Russia, Ukraine, US, Australia and other parts of the world have started shipping their agricultural products to the consumers in UAE. Due to complexities and investments involved in shipping agricultural products overseas and selling it to buyers overseas, the farmers in agriculture enriched countries restrain from getting involved in international trade. Inviting speculators in the market who buy the products from farmers and then sell it in international markets, these speculators hold the power of affecting the price of agricultural products becau se of the ability to store and hold large quantities of a particular product. Enabling speculators to store the product until they find the right price to reap higher profits, this creates a shortage in supply and increasing the demand for the product which eventually increases the price of the product to the level at which the speculators are ready to sell their products to the consumers in UAE. Imports UAE is the largest importer of agricultural products in the Gulf, the consumers of UAE have the highest consumption when it comes to consuming water and other agricultural products. Due to limited resources for agricultural activities the country has to heavily rely on agricultural imports from all over the world. UAE is also used as a re-export hub of the world many suppliers buy their products from underdeveloped or developing countries of the world with trade restrictions and then bring the products to UAE enabling them to ship the products anywhere in world, the geographic location of UAE makes it attractive for suppliers from all over the world for re-exports. The agricultural products imported in UAE are: Wheat Rice Corn Tobacco Consumer Ready Goods Meat Fruit Vegetable Products Live Animals and their products Animal and vegetable fats, oils and waxes Wheat, rice and cotton are completed exported from other parts of the world due to high water consumption involved in the production of these products. Tobacco, Meat, Fruit, and vegetable products are also being planted in UAE using the latest tunnel techniques enabling year round production and helping UAE to cope with the extraordinary demand created for agricultural by a multiplying society. This year the imports are believed to surge again following the international food crisis, but the worldà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s production of agricultural products has also increased. Farmers all over the world are involved in using latest techniques of farming increasing the total production per area and reducing the water consumption by 40 per cent, enabling farmers to produce at lower cost. UAE imported AED 3.71 billion worth of agricultural products from US alone in 2011, which was up from AED 440 million in 2010 (Duncan, 2012). This shows the rapid increase in the consumption consequently increasing the demand for agricultural products in UAE. This rapid increase in the consumption of UAE in just one year is directly related to the increase in the population of UAE and also the country is set to become the business hub of the world attracting more tourist and business men from all over the world increasing the consumption of agricultural products. UAE also imports agricultural products from other parts of the world. Some of the top agricultural imports of UAE are shown with the help of following figure-2 (Gulfood 2010 Briefing, 2010). Figure UAE Top agricultural Imports The graph clearly shows the major imports which are hides skins, fats oils, wood products, Meat Animals, prepared Foods and vegetable products. The major chunk of the UAE agricultural demand is the vegetable products as shown by the graph above, the vegetable products have limited life hence require storage capabilities to extend the life of the product, due to which the supply of vegetables becomes a complex procedure starting from the farmer in the developing countries and making it available in the local store of UAE. Abu Dhabi has taken many initiatives to grow vegetables using tunnel farming enabling the farmers to produce round the year and also doubling the yield at the same time reducing the water consumption of the crop as well. The government in UAE is involved in initiatives to promote urban farming by offering agricultural studies in colleges and schools and also providing awareness on how to start urban farming, in effort to fight the huge imports of agricultural products in UAE. One of the ideas recently introduce is to use rooftops of buildings in urban areas for farming purposes, tunnels could be used to create the atmosphere required for the production of any crop year round. At the moment UAE is importing agricultural products from all over the world to tackle its sharply rising imports of agricultural products. Another step taken by the government is to invest in agriculture overseas to tackle the world food crisis. UAE has become the major importer of Agricultural products in the region, the major countries which import to UAE are 18 percent imports are from India, 13 percent from Brazil, 12 percent China, 10 percent United States, 8 percent Australia and the rest 39 percent of the agricultural products are imported from other parts of the world as shown by the pie chart in figure-3. Figure 2007 Data for Dubai and Sharjah Percent Market Share India being the largest supplier of agricultural products to UAE in 2007, the pie chart clearly shows the importance of UAE in the agriculture of the world. Therefore the supply of agricultural products to UAE is a matter affecting the whole world and the food prices in the world, in this time of recession it is vital for an economy like UAE to reach equilibrium in the supply and demand of agricultural products to provide sufficient food for the country. In the trade of agricultural products Imports play a major role in case of UAE as shown by the figures above. Therefore in reaching equilibrium in supply and demand forces or agricultural products in UAE managing imports is very important. The government of UAE is actively involved in investing overseas to meet the increasing demand of agricultural products in UAE, following the world food crisis it is predicted that the UAE food consumption will increase exerting more pressure on the consumption driving the demand even more higher than the current levels and eventually increasing imports of agricultural products to the country. Exports The exports of agricultural products from UAE have been limited to dates and other few vegetable products, agriculture in desert requires desert reclamation. UAE government is involved in initiatives for desert reclamation to increase the local production of agricultural products. The exports of agricultural products in UAE include: Dates Animal or Vegetable Fats, oils and waxes Live animals and their products Vegetable Products Dates have been historically imported from UAE which is a competitive edge of the country in the industry to be able to produce high quality dates, alongside which the government is also starting initiatives to commercialize camel milk in surge to reduce the import of milk and start exporting milk from UAE. Tunnel farming has enabled farmers in UAE to produce year round and supply vegetables globally in offseason. The government has started different initiatives to increase local production of agricultural goods by introducing following concepts. Island Farming Tunnel Farming Desert Reclamation Investing overseas in agriculture UAE is involved in farming on islands in the Gulf by using latest techniques of production using tunnel farming the government is trying to help reduce the imports of agricultural products by being self-sufficient. In todayà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s world of credit crunch self sufficiency play a vital role in the success of an economy, the global village has enabled countries with limited resources to be self sufficient by investing overseas. Therefore investing overseas to increase re-exports of UAE plays an important role in the current strategy of being self sufficient in agricultural products. Imports and exports of agricultural products play an important role in the supply and demand of agricultural products to the country. The imports and exports of agricultural products in UAE is shown by following figure-4, which clearly shows how rapidly the demand for agricultural products is increasing over the passage of time. Figure Imports and Exports of Agricultural products in UAE The graph above clearly shows the increasing trend in the agricultural products of UAE and shows almost no change in the behaviour of exports and they are stagnant at USD 1 billion approximately from 2005 to 2006, whereas imports have increased from approximately USD 6 billion in 2005 to above USD 9 billion in 2007. Further the statistics reveal that total Imports of Animal or vegetable fats, oils and waxes for first six months of 2012 were AED 1.268 billion and exports were AED 485 million approximately (National Bureau of Statistics, 2012). Live Animals and their products were also imported and the total imports were AED 5.806 billion and exports were AED 646 million, also AED 11.483 billion worth of vegetable products were imported and AED 304 million were exported. The figures show a substantial increase in imports of vegetable products for country with shortages of water and land available for cultivation. UAE government is taking concrete steps to invest in agricultural products overseas, which include, Egypt, Pakistan, Japan and other fertile parts of the world (Farm Land Grab, 2010). The statistics reveal that the investment in agricultural products by UAE in other countries will increase with the passage of time, as the rising demand of agricultural products invites more and more investors into the industry. Supply and Demand of Agricultural Products in UAE In the era of global food crisis one of the major challenges faced by UAE is to make sure the uninterrupted supply of agricultural products whether through imports or local production (Malek, 2013). The fresh statistics of 2013 reveal that 90 per cent of the Agricultural products are imported globally, which shows UAEà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s reliance on the international food market. In 2013 the food crisis is expected to become a major problem for UAE. After a detailed analysis conducted above the following figure-5 shows the supply and demand curves for agricultural products of UAE. Figure Supply and Demand Curves for UAE Agricultural products As we can see in figure-5 as the demand increases the supply remains stagnant which clearly shows, UAE needs to invest to increase the local production of agricultural products and also the country must explore investing overseas for food shortages alongside using latest techniques for farming in UAE. The gap between the curves clearly shows the shortage of food faced by UAE and adding the world food crisis the situation will worsen in 2013. To tackle the food shortages in UAE the farmers have turned to tunnel farming, tunnels allows farmers to control the temperature and the sunlight required for the growth of the plant (UAE Interact, 2012). It also acts as an incubator enabling the farmer to adjust the atmosphere as required by the plants, also pipe irrigation system is used which helps in saving water. Sustainable farming is the concept launched by the UAE government from Abu Dhabi to fight the food shortage. In our case the demand for agricultural products in UAE is increasing as shown by the figure-4, creating a shortage, also the local production of UAE is limited due to water shortages and limited land available for cultivation. Therefore the government is focusing on tunnel farming and other techniques of water efficient farming in UAE. Demand refers to the relationship between how much of anything people are willing to purchase available at different prices (Grant Vidler, 2000, p. 10). Therefore the increasing exports show that there is a shortage of agricultural products in the market, eventually increasing the demand for agricultural products. Demand and Supply Curve Economic theory reveals that a shortage in supply eventually increases prices, and surplus in supply reduces demand and decreases the prices eventually (Mceacher, 2012, p. 86). Such a state in economics is known as the state of disequilibrium, when there is a shortage or a surplus. In UAE the demand for agricultural products is increasing on a fast rate, eventually requiring more supply of goods and creating a shortage of agricultural products in the market. The world is already going through a worldwide food crisis followed by the draughts in major exporters of agricultural products like Ukraine and Russia. Managing the demand for agricultural products in UAE is a challenge faced by the government. The shortage in the supply of agricultural products will eventually lead to a food inflation in UAE by the year 2013, to control inflation in agricultural products the government has come up with strategies to increase agriculture by using latest techniques to produce more by using less water. According to law of demand if the price of the good increases the quantity demanded falls, provided other things stay equal (Mankiw, 2012, p. 73). Therefore the demand and price of a agricultural products have an inverse relationship. The above figure clearly shows the demand and supply curves for the agricultural products in UAE, both the demand and supply curve show that there is an increasing shortage in the supply of agricultural products in UAE. Attracting more and more investors from all over the world to invest in agricultural products in UAE, the most attractive region for investors in UAE have become overseas investment in agricultural products. As the world becomes a global village to deal with the increasing volatility and fluctuations in the supply and demand of agricultural products in UAE the government must come up with initiatives to maintain storage for agricultural products, as well as promoting urban farming, tunnel farming and other farming technologies. Factors affecting Demand Supply Some of the most important factors on which the demand of agricultural products in UAE depends are price of the product, prices of the related products, consumer income, expectation of future price changes, tastes and number of consumers (Carbaugh, 2010, p. 30). Demand for agricultural products plays the main part in the trade of agricultural products in UAE, consequently increasing the imports of agricultural products in UAE to record levels, making UAE the hub of agricultural products imports and exports. The explanation of these factors with respect to agricultural products of UAE is as follows. Price of the product Price of a product plays a very important role in the demand of that product. If the demand goes up it exerts upward pressure on the price of the product, when the product supplied are equal to the product demand the equilibrium price is reached (Hill, 2006, p. 32). Therefore the price of a product has a direct relationship with the demand of the product, in the case of UAE the agricultural products are experiencing an increase in demand. The prices for agricultural products in UAE are vulnerable because of low local production, desert land and water shortages (Kawach, 2010). According to the figures released by the government of Abu Dhabi, in 2009 the food imports increased by 31.5 per cent which was the record high surge in the imports of agricultural products. The main reason is the rapid increase in the population of UAE and also the food prices paid by the consumers in UAE attracts suppliers from all over the world. Prices of the related products Prices of other related products with agricultural products also matter some of them are pesticides and other sprays required for farming, the materials required for desert reclamation and animal feed etc. Overall all affecting the prices and eventually increasing or decreasing the demand for agricultural products. Consumer Income The income elasticity of demand represents the change in demand of a product with respect to the change of consumer income (Whittington Delaney, 2008, p. 126). The economic theory suggests that if the consumer income increases it also increases the demand for agricultural products or other normal goods. A study revealed that the monthly household income in UAE has reached up to AED 18,248 while the average household expenditure is AED 11,241 in 2009 (Bundhun, 2009). This increase in the consumer income in UAE will definitely affect the demand for agricultural products in UAE and eventually increasing the imports of agricultural products in UAE. Therefore we can say that consumer income is directly proportional to demand of agricultural products in UAE. Expectations of future price changes The agricultural market has become very volatile due to the world food crisis, and following the draughts in the major economies of the world which certainly affects the future prices of the agricultural products to increase at a fast rate. Tastes The consumer preferences and tastes play a vital role in creating a demand for any product, the health conscious consumer of UAE has definitely increased the demand for vegetables and other healthy food products. The taste preferences of the consumer in UAE have dramatically increased the demand for agricultural products in UAE. Number of Consumers UAE is experiencing a rapid increase in population as shown by the following figure (World Bank, 2013). population.png Figure Population of UAE The above figure-6 clearly shows how rapidly the population of UAE has increased from 1995 to 2011, which increases the demand for agricultural products by the consumers of UAE. Conclusions The government of UAE must boost up the initiatives started for development of agriculture in the country. The following must be paid full attention to survive the credit crunch prevailing in the global world. Investment in Agriculture abroad The government of UAE has started investing in agricultural based countries like the following: Pakistan Kazakhstan Egypt Investing overseas is the answer to the problem of shortages in supply of the agricultural products in UAE, these investments will also increase the re-exports of UAE and will help to attain equilibrium by filling the supply shortage in the agricultural market of UAE. Tunnel Farming Tunnel farming is also another way forward to provide for the huge demand of agricultural products in UAE. The government has taken steps in Abu Dubai for desert reclamation and tunnel farming. These tunnels enable farmers to produce year round and at a faster pace which helps to increase the yield of the crop as well as reduces the water usage by 40 per cent. Agriculture on Islands Keeping up with the high demand another way forward is the farming on islands in the Gulf, UAE must pursue its permanent mission in the UN to reclaim the Iranian occupied islands, as the country is face huge demand for agricultural product which must be taken care of before the food crisis gears up in the international food markets.

Essay --

Saving Our Democracy: Campaign Finance Reform Introduction Since the founding of the United States, money has played a large role in electoral politics. Of course, there was a time when political campaigns were much smaller than they are now – before television, radio, and the Internet. Modern campaigns cost millions, or even billions, of dollars, especially in presidential elections. This enormous increase in spending over the last few decades has caused many to fear for the future of American democracy. If so few can contribute so much, why would politicians even bother to listen to the average voter? Lawmakers have taken steps on numerous occasions to reign in this political spending and even the playing field for the average voter, but that would mostly be undone with the Supreme Court’s decision in the 2010 case, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. This controversial decision struck down many regulations, citing that they violated the First Amendment. In the election cycles since, we have seen an unprec edented wave of shadowy organizations contributing unimaginable sums of money, drowning out everyone else. In order to understand how the Supreme Court came to it’s conclusion and how the average voter can ultimately overcome it, we must understand the history of campaign finance law in the United States. Background Concerns about corporate influence in national elections found its way into the halls of Congress after President Theodore Roosevelt’s 1904 re-election. President Roosevelt himself suggested to Congress that they make a point of passing legislation that would ban corporate contributions to political campaigns. In 1907, the Tillman Act was passed, which did just that. Those that violated t... ...The financing in both states is funded by tax check-offs, as well as fines paid by past violations of their campaign finance laws. Many of these programs also contained a provision that granted matching funds to the publicly financed candidate to counter what a nonparticipating candidate raised, but the Supreme Court struck this down in 2011 in the case Arizona Free Enterprise Club’s Freedom Club PAC v. Bennett. The majority opinion stated that this matching of funds interfered with First Amendment rights, because it could cause donors to withhold their spending – or as the Supreme Court saw it, their speech. After the Bennett decision, New York City devised what has become known as â€Å"flexible financing†, a system in which candidates receive funds that match their own fundraising as opposed to their opponents’ fundraising. Shareholder Authorization Conclusion