History of the North American Free Trade Agreements

History of the North American Free Trade Agreements A free trade agreement is a pact between two countries or areas in which they both agree to lift most or all tariffs, quotas, special fees and taxes, and other barriers to trade between the entities. The purpose of free trade agreements is to allow faster and more business between the two countries/areas, which should benefit both. Why All Should Benefit from Free Trade The underlying economic theory of free trade agreements is that of comparative advantage, which originated in an 1817 book entitled On the Principles of Political Economy and Taxation by British political economist David Ricardo. Put simply, the theory of comparative advantage postulates that that in a free marketplace, each country/area will ultimately specialize in that activity where it has comparative advantage (i.e. natural resources, skilled workers, agriculture-friendly weather, etc.) The result should be that all parties to the pact will increase their income. However, as Wikipedia points out: ... the theory refers only to aggregate wealth and says nothing about the distribution of wealth. In fact there may be significant losers... The proponent of free trade can, however, retort that the gains of the gainers exceed the losses of the losers. Claims that 21st Century Free Trade Doesnt Benefit All Critics from both sides of the political aisle contend that free trade agreements often dont work effectively to benefit either the U.S. or its free trade partners. One angry complaint is that more than three million U.S. jobs with middle-class wages have been outsourced to foreign countries since 1994. The New York Times observed in 2006: Globalization is tough to sell to average people. Economists can promote the very real benefits of a robustly growing world: when they sell more overseas, American businesses can employ more people. But what sticks in our minds is the television image of the father of three laid off when his factory moves offshore. Latest News In late June 2011, the Obama administration announced that three free trade agreements,.. with south Korea, Colombia and Panama... are fully negotiated, and ready to send to Congress for review and passage. These three pacts are expected to generate $12 billion in new, annual U.S. sales. Republicans stalled approval of the agreements, though, because they want to strip a small, 50-year-old worker retraining/support program from the bills. On December 4, 2010, President Obama announced completion of renegotiations of the Bush-era U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement. See Korea-U.S. Trade Agreement Addresses Liberal Concerns. The deal that weve struck includes strong protections for workers rights and environmental standardsand as a consequence, I believe its a model for future trade agreements that I will pursue, commented President Obama about the U.S.-South Korea agreement. (see Profile of U.S.-South Korea Trade Agreement.) The Obama administration is also negotiating an entirely new free trade pact, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which includes eight nations: U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam and Brunei. Per AFP, Nearly 100 US companies and business groups have urged Obama to conclude TPP negotiations by November 2011. WalMart and 25 other U.S. corporations have reportedly signed onto the TPP pact. Presidential Fast-Track Trade Authority In 1994, Congress let fast-track track authority to expire, to give Congress more control as President Clinton pushed the North American Free Trade Agreement. After his 2000 election, President Bush made free trade the center of his economic agenda, and sought to regain fast-track powers. The Trade Act of 2002 restored fast-track rules for five years. Using this authority, Bush sealed new free trade deals with Singapore, Australia, Chile and seven smaller countries. Congress Unhappy with Bush Trade Pacts Despite pressure from Mr. Bush, Congress refused to extend fast-track authority after it expired on July 1, 2007. Congress was unhappy with Bush trade deals for many reasons, including: Losses of millions of U.S. jobs and companies to foreign countriesExploitation of labor forces and resources and defilement of the environment in foreign countriesThe enormous trade deficit generated under President Bush International charity organization Oxfam vows to campaign to defeat trade agreements that threaten peoples rights to: livelihoods, local development, and access to medicines. History The first U.S. free trade agreement was with Israel, and took effect on September 1, 1985. The agreement, which has no expiration date, provided for the elimination of duties for goods, except for certain agricultural products, from Israel entering the U.S. The U.S.-Israeli agreement also allows American products to compete on an equal basis with European goods, which have free access to Israeli markets. The second U.S. free trade agreement, signed in January 1988 with Canada, was superceded in 1994 by the complex and controversial North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Canada and Mexico, signed with much fanfare by President Bill Clinton on September 14, 1993. Active Free Trade Agreements For a complete listing of all international trade pacts to which the U.S. is a party, see the United States Trade Representives listing of global, regional and bilateral trade agreements. For a listing of all worldwide free trade pacts, see Wikipedias List of Free Trade Agreements. Pros Proponents support U.S. free trade agreements because they believe that: Free trade increases sales and profits for U.S. businesses, thus strenghtening the economyFree trade creates U.S. middle-class jobs over the longtermFree trade is an opportunity for the U.S. to provide financial help to some of the worlds poorest countries Free Trade Increases U.S. Sales and Profits Removal of costly and delaying trade barriers, such as tariffs, quotas and conditions, inherently leads to easier and swifter trade of consumer goods. The result is an increased volume of U.S. sales. Also, use of less expensive materials and labor acquired through free trade leads to a lower cost to manufacture goods. The result is either increased profit margins (when sales prices are not lowered), or increased sales caused by lower selling prices. The  Peterson Institute for International Economics estimates  that ending all trade barriers would increase U.S. income by a whopping $500 billion annually. Free Trade Creates U.S. Middle-Class Jobs The theory is that as U.S. businesses grow from greatly increased sales and profits, demand will grow for middle-class higher-wage jobs to facilitate the sales increases. In February, the  Democratic Leadership Council, a centrist, pro-business think-tank headed by Clinton ally former Rep. Harold Ford, Jr., wrote: Expanded trade was undeniably a key part of the high-growth, low-inflation, high-wage economic expansion of the 1990s; even now it plays a key role in keeping inflation and unemployment at historically impressive levels. The  New York Times wrote  in 2006: Economists can promote the very real benefits of a robustly growing world: when they sell more overseas, American businesses can employ more people. U.S. Free Trade Helps Poorer Countries U.S. free trade benefits poorer, non-industrialized nations through increased purchases of their materials and labor services by the U.S. The  Congressional Budget Office explained: ... economic benefits from international trade arise from the fact that countries are not all the same in their production capabilities. They vary from one another because of differences in natural resources, levels of education of their workforces, technical knowledge, and so on. Without trade, each country must make everything it needs, including things it is not very efficient at producing. When trade is allowed, by contrast, each country can concentrate its efforts on what it does best... Cons Opponents of U.S. free trade agreements believe that: Free trade has caused more U.S. jobs losses than gains, especially for higher-wage jobs.Many free trade agreements are bad deals for the U.S. Free Trade Has Caused U.S. Jobs Losses A  Washington Post columnist wrote: While corporate profits soar, individual wages stagnate, held at least partly in check by the brave new fact of offshoring that millions of Americans jobs can be performed at a fraction of the cost in developing nations near and far. In his 2006 book Take This Job and Ship It, Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) decries, ... in this new global economy, no one is more profoundly affected than American workers... in the last five years, weve lost over 3 million U.S. jobs that have been oursourced to other countries, and millions more are poised to leave. NAFTA: Unfilled Promises and a Giant Sucking Sound When he signed NAFTA on September 14, 1993,  President Bill Clinton exulted, I believe that NAFTA will create a million jobs in the first five years of its impact. And I believe that that is many more than will be lost... But industrialist H. Ross Perot famously predicted a giant sucking sound of U.S. jobs heading to Mexico if NAFTA was approved. Mr. Perot was correct.  Reports the Economic Policy Institute: Since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was signed in 1993, the rise in the U.S. trade deficit with Canada and Mexico through 2002 has caused the displacement of production that supported 879,280 U.S. jobs. Most of those lost jobs were high-wage positions in manufacturing industries. The loss of these jobs is just the most visible tip of NAFTAs impact on the U.S. economy. In fact, NAFTA has also contributed to rising income inequality, suppressed real wages for production workers, weakened workers  collective bargaining  powers and ability to organize unions, and reduced fringe benefits. Many Free Trade Agreements Are Bad Deals In June 2007, the Boston Globe reported about a pending new agreement, Last year, South Korea exported 700,000 cars to the United States while U.S. carmakers sold 6,000 in South Korea, Clinton said, attributing more than 80 percent of a $13 billion U.S. trade deficit with South Korea... And yet, the proposed new 2007 agreement with South Korea would not eliminate the barriers that severely restrict the sale of American vehicles per Sen. Hillary Clinton. Such lopsided dealings are common in  U.S. free trade agreements. Where It Stands U.S. free trade agreements have also harmed other countries, including: Workers in other countries are being exploited and harmed.The environment in other countries is being defiled. For example, the  Economic Policy Institute explains  about post-NAFTA Mexico: In Mexico, real wages have fallen sharply and there has been a steep decline in the number of people holding regular jobs in paid positions. Many workers have been shifted into subsistence-level work in the informal sector... Additionally, a flood of subsidized, low-priced corn from the U.S. has decimated farmers and rural economics. The impact on workers in countries as India, Indonesia, and China has been even more severe, with innumerable instances of starvation wages, child workers, slave-labor hours and perilous work conditions. And  Sen. Sherrod Brown  (D-OH) observes in his book Myths of Free Trade: As the Bush administration has worked overtime to weaken environmental and food safety rules in the U.S., Bush trade negotiators are trying to do the same in the global economy... The lack of international laws for environmental protection, for example, encourages firms to go to the nation with the weakest standards. As a result, some nations are conflicted in 2007 over U.S. trade deals. In late 2007, the  Los Angeles Times reported  about the pending CAFTA pact: About 100,000 Costa Ricans, some dressed as skeletons and holding banners, protested Sunday against a U.S. trade pact they said would flood the country with cheap farm goods and cause big job losses. Chanting No to the free-trade pact! and Costa Rica is not for sale! protesters including farmers and housewives filled one of San Joses main boulevards to demonstrate against the Central American Free Trade Agreement with the United States. Democrats Divided on Free Trade Agreements Democrats have coalesced in favor of trade policy reform over the past decade as President Bill Clintons NAFTA, WTO and China trade deals not only failed to deliver the promised benefits but caused real damage, said Lori Wallach of Global Trade Watch to  Nation contributing editor Christopher Hayes. But the centrist  Democratic Leadershp Council insists, While many Democrats find it tempting to Just Say No to Bush trade policies... , this would squander real opportunities to boost U.S. exports... and keep this country competitive in a global marketplace from which we cannot possibly isolate ourselves.

Name one of the subdisciplines of Psychology and describe it. Describe Essay

Name one of the subdisciplines of Psychology and describe it. Describe the DSM-IV. Why is Wilhelm Wundt an important figure in Psychology How does Behaviorism differ from Structuralism - Essay Example and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders which has been created and published by the APA (American Psychiatric Association and is manual that consists of information regarding to various mental disorders that are experienced by human beings (Rutherford, 2004, p.239). Wilhelm Wundt is recognized as the father of psychology and he has been regarded with such prestige because he was the creator of first laboratory for the field of psychology and separated psychology from philosophy and recognized that psychology was a separate field and had separate issues to solve through separate methods. It was his contribution that provided support to the formation of behaviorism and methods used by him to study psychology are still under operation. Behaviorism studies human behavior under the light of psychology, this means that behaviorists try to determine the reasons due to which human beings behave in a certain manner. Structuralism focuses on the fact that the aim of psychology is to interpret how environment impacts the consciousness of an individual and the changes in behavior exhibited by individuals when they come in contact with different

Groupwork Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Groupwork - Essay Example Group dynamics are increasingly becoming a topic of interest because of online, social interaction made possible by the internet. Although this model refers to the overall pattern of the group,it should be noted that individuals within a group have distinct ways of working. If distrust persists, a group may never even reach the norming stage. Group-dynamic games are experiential education exercises which aid people in learning about themselves, develop and enrich interpersonal relationships, and assess how groups function from a group dynamics or social psychological point of view. Group dynamics can be understood as complex from an interpersonal relationships point of view because it may involve relationships between two people ,relationships between a person and a group or relationships between groups . Group-dynamic games are specifically designed for the purpose of furthering personal development, character building, and teamwork via a Group-dynamic milieu. The group leader may sometimes also be the game leader, or between peers, the leadership and game-rules can vary. Some games may require large spaces, special objects and tools, quietness or many before-game and after-game requirements. existing games may need modification when aged, frail or disabled people are involved. The use of group dynamic activities have been used for years in conflict resolution, anger management and team building and many other areas such as drug rehabilitation and drama therapy. The propensity of children for peer-group

Communication system in an organisation

Communication system in an organisation INTRODUCTION In the current scenario, the process of change is so important in a business organisation. The competitive business market makes it inevitable. To achieve a good market for an organisation, the system or modes of business have to be got changed. It helps an organisation to compete with contemporary organisations. The change process is become a crisis sometimes. How a manager deals with it makes the difference. The real weapon of a manager is the method he adopt to communicate the change within the organisation. The organisations are forced to adapt with changes because of some reasons. Advance in technology, globalisation are some factors which force an organisation to adapt with change. The role of governments gets reduced with new policies. This is another factor which affect the change in an organisation (ChampyNohria, 1996). The market strategy of each organisation differs. So it is important for an organisation to make drastic changes according to the needs. Those changes make their firm unique. So a manager should be updated with new ideas and theories. When a change occurs or plans to occur, there will be chances of resistance from the employees part. Usually they resist because of the basic intent to resist change in every human being. Rumours and misconceptions will be surrounded within the business environment. There comes the importance of a manager. Nowadays companies have distinct groups to deal with change management. Sometimes they might have a tough task of changing the behavioural patterns of employees. It is a real crisis. So let us discuss how they deal with the change management with good communication skills. INTERNAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM The communication system in an organisation is differentiated in to two. They are internal as well as external communication system. Internal communication deals with the communications within the organisation. External communications deal with the communication with the external factors affecting the business. Our matter of concern, which is communication in the context of change is being dealt with internal communication system. The internal communication is so important in the organisations to cop up with the needs. It is the way through which the business people within the organisation communicate. The people in the different organs of an organisation are connected through internal communication system. Internal communication can be defined as follows, Internal communication is a form of corporate communication and can be formal or informal, upward, downward, or horizontal (dictionary.bnet.). It is to be identified that who is communicating and to whom the communication is made according to the situation. Appropriate tools or supports for communication should be used as well. COMMUNICATION SUPPORTS Team briefing, newsletters, electronic mails, mails, intranet, interviewing, memos, meetings, employee councils or work councils, mobile phones and reports are some supports use for communication. The communication support should be selected according to the situation, the communicator and the listener (sdcn.). Identifying audience is an essential and important step to be taken for the pertinent communication. CHANGE AND REASONS It is important for an organisation to get adopted their own in the business globe to survive (KebapciErkal, 2009). When the reasons for change are collected, the ultimate reason is none other than the need for survival. The globalisation made a large market and it forced the companies to change their field and strategies. The companies widen their area of business because of globalisation. The advance in technology in recent era is another factor which accelerated the chances for change. The introduction of internet and its popularity increased the chances for business with the support of it and ultimately companies are forced to change because of this also. The advancement in every aspect of technology needs changes and organisation adopt with it as well. The companies are getting changed with these liberal policies of governments and other international organisations. It makes the organisations role bigger, and widen the business market of them. Change becomes a necessity for organisations here. ChampyNohria mentioned these three reasons in the book FAST FORWARD in 1996. In the research it is felt that financial slowdown is another factor in the recent period which altered the strategies and plans of companies. The recession hit companies altered their whole strategies and other firms which did not hit by crisis altered their strategies not to hit by the recession. A lot of companies went for job cuts and other ways to decrease their expenses and to increase their profits. Infosys in India, Barclays in UK, and Wall Mart in USA are examples. TYPES OF CHANGES There are four types of organisational changes. They are strategic changes, structural changes, process oriented changes and people centred changes (Sudan Kumar, 2004) 1-Strategic changes Strategic changes are the changes altering the basic strategies of an organisation to attain the goals of it. The strategies are changed according to the needs of the market. The strategy of legal firms in USA an UK to outsource their works to third world countries made a big change in the business world. 2-Structural changes Structural changes deal with the alteration of structural characteristics of an organisation. The changes in the hierarchy of authority come under this type of change. Alteration in the administrative procedures and management are also structural changes. According to the needs companies like GM changed their structure of management to flat structure and it resulted in a huge impact in profit. 3-Process oriented changes Companies alter the process of their system with the advancement of technology or other factors. This is process oriented change. The introduction of robotics in production methods in companies are example of process oriented change. 4-People oriented changes People oriented changes are changes which alters the behavioural patterns of people within an organisation. It involves the changes in attitudes, Performance and behaviours of people within an organisation. CHALLENGES IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGE Kubler- Rose model explains five stages of grief (Hingley Cooper, 1986). The stages include denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. These stages are part of the change program also. It is human tendency to deny a change at its starting stage. There will be ambiguous mentality in those whom will be affected by the process of change. There will be rumours and diverse interpretation about the impact of change. Some personal interests direct changes in the environment as a resistance of change. Misunderstanding and low tolerance is the main challenge caused by the process of change. Each type of challenges are to be dealt with different approaches to tackle the situation. Increased stress and additional work for the workers are another challenge faced by the change process. Uncertainty, difference in perceptions and evaluation are other challenges. Motivation is the positive measure to overcome these challenges (Kebapci Erkal, 2009) STEPS INVOLVED IN CHANGE Levins three step model says Refreeze, Move and Unfreeze are the three steps of change process (Cameron and Green, 2004). The first step involves the current state, the describing the necessity of change, the second step move is the implementation of change and forcing the employees to participate in the change process. The final step unfreeze deals with the stabilization of the changed environment and make of the changed system permanent. There are 8 steps which are necessary for the successful execution of change process according to Kotter (Wickam, 2004). Establishing Sense of urgency. It must be felt by the top level managers that the status quo should change. A sense of urgency should be created and established within the organisation as the first step of change process. Creating a powerful coalition. A team should be set up for the change process. The team must be a powerful one to create a sense of importance for the process. The position of the team is important. It should include main line managers to overcome the blocks from the left outs. Good expertise should be included by experience, discipline and nationality etc. The team must contain members having high reputation for the credibility of the team. The team should contain enough leaders whose skills are proven. If such leaders are not available within the organisation, they should be brought for the easy going of the process of change. Developing a vision. According to Kotter, a vision of change will make the process easier. The vision must be imaginable to show the future. The vision must be desirable and feasible to show the long term interests and realistic, attainable goals. And the vision must be focused, communicable and flexible. Such a vision will help to make a decision and it will help to communicate the idea easily to the members of the organisation. Communication of the change Communication is an important matter of concern in the process of change. It is really important in the change process to identify the audience. The knowledge of audience, their culture, the nationality, their attitude, the tradition etc should be taken into consideration. Their custom may not allow the change process in to action. Then the tactical moves of the team of communication only can make them convince them with clear vision of the change. Two way communication system is always adopted than one way communication in the context of change. It will help to reduce the rumours and misconceptions of employees. Key messages can be passed to the audience at the pertinent timings. The messages must be transferred through the medium which can hit the audience with the clear idea of change. The communication should be made often. The messages must be passed several times to avoid the misconceptions of the employees. And it will help to make an impact of the necessity of the process in the organisation. The messages passed must avoid technical and tough words which make the employees confused. The idea must be passed to them in a crystal clear format. Determining the delivery method, frequency methods and trends are so important in the progression of the change process. It is important to structure the efforts of the communication team to make the process easier. The communication process must start in an easier format. It will help to avoid the tough and technical difficulties of communication. It will be an advantage to pre assesses the questions which have more probability to be raised by the employees earlier and find out the apt answers for them. It will help the management team to clarify the doubts and rumours of the employees. Preferred senders should be selected earlier to communicate different classes of employees. The official messages can be communicated by the CEO or president of the organisation for the reliability. At the same time personal messages in the context of change can be communicated by the supervisor of the employees for the emotional reliability. Following graph shows the bench mark study of 2007 on preferred senders. (change-management.) Empowering employees to act on the vision On completion of the successful communication of vision to the employees, the team should concentrate on building structures compatible to the vision communicated. The failure of some customer focused changes is the result of non adaptation of organisational structures. The employees must be given the pertinent training program for the successful execution of the vision. The training of new skills, attitudes and behaviour make the employees empowered and ultimately to the success of the change vision. For a major change, it is necessary to implement such cost effective, meaningful training programs in an organisation. Generating short- term wins In a major change, the ultimate success may be attained in a long time period. Then short term wins for the process of change is good for the program. It will help to increase the pressure on the employees. It is good to have visible, unambiguous, related short term changes are useful ways to keeping up the urgency of the change program, especially when the change is a long process. Consolidation of improvements and production of more changes It is important to celebrate the short term wins and it will increase the momentum of the program as it makes an impact that the process is half done and the ultimate aim is near. When the process is on progress, new people should be added to the management of the project to deal with the new changes. At the same time, the senior managers should have a clear supervision over the progress of the project. Avoidance of more interdependencies is as important as the above said proposals. Anchor the new approaches in the culture The clear over look over the embedded culture within the organisation according to the changing nature is an essential thing and it is the critical point in the change process. To embed the new culture within the organisation, an impact should be created that the new approach is better than the old one. The need of an alteration of habits and thinking pattern in a culture may be implemented before even the process of progress. It is necessary to have global understanding and responsibility for that. The team of change need to be trained themselves with more situational details to encounter with the change (Van Riel Fombrun, 2007). There are positive ways to handle the stress of intercultural situation, whether there be one time encounters or frequent dialogues in multi cultural settings(M J Bennet,1998). Only with good verbal support, training and supports from the management, the workers will be able to work up to the expectation of the vision of change. The hardest task in the process may be the implementation of cultural differences within the organisation. To overcome this difficulty, the human resources should be compatible according to the new culture, otherwise with the old ways of human resource, the old culture of the employees may revive. These difficulties make the importance of communication process more vital. CONCLUSION It is understood that change is a necessity and with change, challenges against it also created. In the thorough study about change, the importance of a communication process in the process of change is come to known in present environment. The two major changes made in the organisational structure in Tata Tea was a huge success. The separation of companys branded and plantation operations into independent value added centres made greater value in both the operations. Secondly, the integration of sales and marketing operations made much needed marketplace synergy to the firm. These are executed within the organisation with a special team of change in 2002-03 periods (tata.). This is a good example for the success of a change process with a special team of communication. It can be said that for a better process of change, a special management team is essential and they should have special managerial techniques and processes. A good communication among the top layer, middle layer and the working class makes the whole process an easy one. The leadership of the organisation must have a clear vision about the change, process of change and the communication method they are about to execute before the implementation of the change process. The success of the process of change depends upon the level of communication that exists in the organisation. The special team made to overcome the difficulties must have the ability to go to all layers with their communication skills.

The Colossal Decision to Deploy an Atomic Weapon: An Individuals Impact on Society :: Essays Papers

The Colossal Decision to Deploy an Atomic Weapon: An Individual's Impact on Society Never before in recorded history has there been an event that has take so many lives in one instant. On the day of August 6, 1945 the first atomic device ever detonated was deployed on the city of Hiroshima, Japan. It is recorded that sixty percent of Hiroshima was destroyed in this offensive maneuver. Seventy-eight thousand human beings lost their lives at 8:15 a.m.1 The man directly responsible for this attack was the President of the United States, Harry S. Truman. While it is true that individuals are for the most part guinea pigs to society, there arises one striking exception to this rule: the leaders of our modern age. The impact this certain individual had on society is inconceivable, and to fully understand Truman's decision to drop an atom bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we must understand the momentous forces driving him to this means to an end. There were many different circumstances pushing Truman to his decision to use this secret weapon against the Japanese. There were moral issues, military issues, and of course Truman and his closely-knit circle of advisors had to examine the impact of this use of atomic energy on the future of our planet. In the end, however, the opposing forces proved slight enough for Truman to overrule. The first barrier to using a weapon of such destructive capabilities is personal morality. It would be very reasonable to think that it would be an impossibility for one person to authorize the destruction of so many others. This issue turned out to be one of small importance for Truman for many reasons. First, the American public had a moral advantage in that the Japanese bombed us first at Pearl Harbor. Also, as Truman himself stated, "†¦ was either that or the atomic bomb, and I didn't hesitate a minute, and I've never lost any sleep over it since."2 This indicates his main reason for not having any moral qualms with this bombing, the consequences if he didn't drop the bomb. The most important of these was the expected American casualties if we chose invasion over the bomb. However, if Truman new the greusome effects the deployment of this weapon would have upon the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagisaki, perhaps he would have hesitated. To see what the effects of the a-bomb on the people and buildings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki click here.

Skeleton for Marge Piercy

Ashley Zogba November 30, 2010 Skeleton #1 Colors passing through us by Marge Piercy: In the collection of poems, Colors passing through us, Marge Piercy expressed her feelings and her perspection of life through her eyes using references to colors, and other daily life things. â€Å"Blue as still water. Blue as the eyes of a siamese cat. † She expresses her calm and cool feelings through the color blue. She refers to the still water, which symbolizes tranquility, serenity and the state of being at peace. Love is a lumpy thing. † Marge compares love to a lumpy thing. Almost like it has different sides to it. Then she continues on to compare it to cutting onions, fun, and work. Through her eyes, love has different stages. Love is â€Å"lumpy† it has its ups and downs. In bed, we act the grace of dolphins arcing like a wheel, The grace of water falling, from a cliff white and sparkling in a roar of spume. Piercy states that â€Å"in bed we act like grace†¦ â⠂¬  then she goes on to that later we eould be ourselves again.That means that we are one way but when we get out into the open world we follow society's rules of civilization. â€Å"The womb opens on a new beast† Marge piercy describes the world as a womb and a new beast as new opportunities. She uses the arrival of a new child to tie it all in one. In The collections of poems, Colors passing through us, Marge Piercy develops many significances through colors, animals and daily life things to express her feelings and her perspective of life.

What Is Ethnomusicology Definition, History, Methods

Ethnomusicology is the study of music within the context of its larger culture, though there are various definitions for the field. Some define it as the study of why and how humans make music. Others describe it as the anthropology of music. If anthropology is the study of human behavior, ethnomusicology is the study of the music humans make.  Ã‚   Research Questions   Ethnomusicologists study a wide range of topics and musical practices throughout the world. It is sometimes described as the study of non-Western music or â€Å"world music,† as opposed to musicology, which studies Western European classical music. However, the field is defined more by its research methods (i.e., ethnography, or immersive fieldwork within a given culture) than its topics. Thus, ethnomusicologists can study anything from folkloric music to mass-mediated popular music to musical practices associated with elite classes. Common research questions ethnomusicologists ask are: How does music reflect the wider culture in which it was created?How is music utilized for different purposes, whether social, political, religious, or to represent a nation or group of people?What roles do musicians play within a given society?How does musical performance intersect with or represent various axes of identity, such as race, class, gender, and sexuality? History   The field, as it is currently named, emerged in the 1950s, but ethnomusicology originated as â€Å"comparative musicology† in the late 19th century. Linked to the 19th-century European focus on nationalism, comparative musicology emerged as a project of documenting the different musical features of diverse regions of the world. The field of musicology was established in 1885 by Austrian scholar Guido Adler, who conceived of historical musicology and comparative musicology as two separate branches, with historical musicology focused only on European classical music. Carl Stumpf, an early comparative musicologist, published one of the first musical ethnographies on an indigenous group in British Columbia in 1886. Comparative musicologists were primarily concerned with documenting the origins and evolution of musical practices. They often espoused social Darwinist notions and assumed that music in non-Western societies was â€Å"simpler† than music in Western Europe, which they considered the culmination of musical complexity. Comparative musicologists were also interested in the ways music was disseminated from one place to another. Folklorists of the early 20th century—such as Cecil Sharp (who collected British folk ballads) and Frances Densmore (who collected songs of various Native American groups)—are also considered to be ethnomusicology’s forebears. Another major concern of comparative musicology was the classification of instruments and musical systems. In 1914, German scholars Curt Sachs and Erich von Hornbostel came up with a system to classify musical instruments that is still in use today. The system divides instruments into four groups according to their vibrating material: aerophones (vibrations caused by air, as with a flute), chordophones (vibrating strings, as with a guitar), membranophones (vibrating animal skin, as with drums), and idiophones (vibrations caused by the body of the instrument itself, as with a rattle). In 1950, Dutch musicologist Jaap Kunst coined the term â€Å"ethnomusicology,† combining two disciplines: musicology (the study of music) and ethnology (the comparative study of different cultures). Building on this new name, musicologist Charles Seeger, anthropologist Alan Merriam, and others established the Society for Ethnomusicology in 1955 and the journal Ethnomusicology in 1958. The first graduate programs in ethnomusicology were established in the 1960s at UCLA, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Indiana University. The name change signaled another shift in the field: ethnomusicology moved away from studying the origins, evolution, and comparison of musical practices, and toward thinking of music as one of many human activities, like religion, language, and food. In short, the field became more anthropological. Alan Merriam’s 1964 book The Anthropology of Music is a foundational text that reflected this shift. Music was no longer thought of as an object of study that could be captured fully from a recording or in written musical notation, but rather as a dynamic process affected by the larger society. Whereas many comparative musicologists did not play the music they analyzed or spend much time in the â€Å"field,† in the later 20th century extended periods of fieldwork became a requirement for ethnomusicologists.   In the late 20th century, there was also a move away from studying only â€Å"traditional† non-western music that was considered to be â€Å"uncontaminated† by contact with the West. Mass-mediated popular and contemporary forms of music-making—rap, salsa, rock, Afro-pop—have become important subjects of study, alongside the more well-researched traditions of Javanese gamelan, Hindustani classical music, and West African drumming. Ethnomusicologists have also turned their focus to more contemporary issues that intersect with music-making, such as globalization, migration, technology/media, and social conflict. Ethnomusicology has made major inroads in colleges and universities, with dozens of graduate programs now established and ethnomusicologists on faculty at many major universities. Key Theories/Concepts Ethnomusicology takes as given the notion that music can provide meaningful insight into a larger culture or group of people. Another foundational concept is cultural relativism and the idea that no culture/music is inherently more valuable or better than another. Ethnomusicologists avoid assigning value judgments like â€Å"good† or â€Å"bad† to musical practices. Theoretically, the field has been influenced most deeply by anthropology. For example, anthropologist Clifford Geertz’s notion of â€Å"thick description†Ã¢â‚¬â€a detailed way of writing about fieldwork that immerses the reader in the researcher’s experience and tries to capture the context of the cultural phenomenon—has been very influential. In the later 1980s and 90s, anthropology’s â€Å"self-reflexive† turn—the push for ethnographers to reflect on the ways their presence in the field impacts their fieldwork and to recognize that it is impossible to maintain complete objectivity when observing and interacting with research participants—also took hold among ethnomusicologists. Ethnomusicologists also borrow theories from a range of other social science disciplines, including linguistics, sociology, cultural geography, and post-structuralist theory, particularly the work of Michel Foucault. Methods Ethnography is the method that most distinguishes ethnomusicology from historical musicology, which largely entails doing archival research (examining texts). Ethnography involves conducting research with people, namely musicians, to understand their role within their larger culture, how they make music, and what meanings they assign to music, among other questions. Ethnomusicological research requires the researcher to immerse him/herself in the culture about which he/she writes. Interviewing and participant observation are principal methods associated with ethnographic research, and are the most common activities ethnomusicologists engage in when conducting fieldwork. Most ethnomusicologists also learn to play, sing, or dance to the music they study. This method is considered to be a form of gaining expertise/knowledge about a musical practice. Mantle Hood, an ethnomusicologist who founded the renowned program at UCLA in 1960, termed this â€Å"bi-musicality,† the ability to play both European classical music and a non-western music. Ethnomusicologists also document music-making in various ways, by writing field notes and making audio and video recordings. Finally, there’s musical analysis and transcription. Musical analysis entails a detailed description of the sounds of music, and is a method used by both ethnomusicologists and historical musicologists. Transcription is the conversion of musical sounds into written notation. Ethnomusicologists often produce transcriptions and include them in their publications to better illustrate their argument. Ethical Considerations   There are a number of ethical issues ethnomusicologists consider in the course of their research, and most relate to the representation of musical practices that are not â€Å"their own.† Ethnomusicologists are tasked with representing and disseminating, in their publications and public presentations, the music of a group of people who may not have the resources or access to represent themselves. There is a responsibility to produce accurate representations, but ethnomusicologists must also realize that they can never â€Å"speak for† a group of which they are not a member.  Ã‚   There is also often a power differential between the mostly Western ethnomusicologists and their non-western â€Å"informants† or research participants in the field. This inequality is often economic, and sometimes ethnomusicologists give money or gifts to research participants as an informal exchange for the knowledge the informants are providing to the researcher. Finally, there are often questions of intellectual property rights with regards to traditional or folkloric music. In many cultures, there is no concept of individual ownership of music—it is collectively owned—so thorny situations can arise when ethnomusicologists record these traditions. They must be very upfront about what the purpose of the recording will be and request permission from the musicians. If there is any chance of using the recording for commercial purposes, an arrangement should be made to credit and compensate the musicians.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sources Barz, Gregory F., and Timothy J. Cooley, editors. Shadows in the Field: New Perspectives for Fieldwork in Ethnomusicology. Oxford University Press, 1997.Myers, Helen. Ethnomusicology: An Introduction. W.W. Norton Company, 1992.Nettl, Bruno. The Study of  Ethnomusicology: Thirty-three Discussions. 3rd ed., University of Illinois Press, 2015.Nettl, Bruno, and Philip V. Bohlman, editors. Comparative Musicology and Anthropology of Music: Essays on the History of Ethnomusicology. University of Chicago Press, 1991.Rice, Timothy. Ethnomusicology: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, 2014.