Explain some of the reasons for the increase in family diversity over Essay

Explain some of the reasons for the increase in family diversity over the last 30 years - Essay Example However, family is considered to be the most important because it is the most significant institution for primary socialization of the young and to provide support and security to the members of the family. With time it has been claimed by many sociologists that the institution of the family is in decline due to the changes which are occurring in our surroundings. (Giddens,2005) There have been many changes in the family over the years. There has been a decline in marriage followed by an increase in cohabitation and lone parent families. The loss of functions supported by the weakening of extended kinship links have resulted in declining family sizes. It is these changes that have caused increasing diversity in the family structures and these changes will be discussed in detail. Family is said to have lost most of its functions. Functionalist as a perspective, specialize in explaining the functions of all social institutions. Parsons and other functionalists argue that with the comin g of industrialization the functions of the family have reduced and have been taken over by other institutions through the coming of the welfare state. This has resulted in structural differentiation of the functions (Browne, 2006, pg 43). According to Parsons Family now have two basic functions: primary socialization of the young and the stabilization of the adult personalities. Initially family was a unit of production as well as a place which was not only responsible for the primary socialization of the young but also involved in their health and education aspects. However, with the coming of the welfare state health and education are no longer the primary functions of the family. Now family is more a unit of consumption rather than a unit of production. (Giddens, 2005) The next visible change in the family is the weakening of the link with the extended kin. As time has progressed after industrialization there has arrived a need of a more geographically mobile workforce. This has resulted in different members of the extended family to go for work to different places. People have become richer now and the standard of living has improved due to the existence of the welfare state. The society has now transformed into a meritocratic one where the name and background is no longer important and this result in the weakening of the ties of the extended family. (Browne, 2006) There is an argument put forward by sociologists that the extended family does exist in the modern society. It has just evolved into a different shape. A very good example will be the Asian community in Britain (Browne, 2006, pg 50). The Asians are usually found living close to each other where there might be separate nuclear families living in the same street or neighborhood, and in regular contact with each other. Such examples have been visible in many areas and giving rise to the concept of modified extended families. This means that even though the children are living away from their paren ts they are in contact with their kin. It can be said the kin are a means of support and this type of family is common in many parts of the world. Julia Brannen (2003) argues that now we are living in the age of the beanpole family. As the expected lives of people are increasing and they are living longer this is giving rise to a family where there are four

Analysis of The Somebody Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis of The Somebody - Essay Example He considered owning all the things, places and buildings where he signed his name and looked at himself as somebody, a popular person who has a reputation of his own. The story is written in simple narration where the author used words and conversations used mainly among street people to adapt to the attributes of the characters. The main character claims he is Mexican whereby, unsophisticated English words are used and being a gang member, the narrator uses phrases commonly used like the use of the word ‘man’. For instance when Chato commented about what happened to the houses in his neighborhood, he said, â€Å"I hope that never happens to your street, man†. He used the phrase to speak to his reader or audience regardless of gender. The use of figurative speech is abundant in the story making it an interesting narrative, catching the attention of readers, letting them pause and think about what they could possibly mean. The figures of speech also stir the imagi nations of audiences to the picture the author wants to paint in their minds, making the events and characters come alive. â€Å"The toilet roars like a hot rod taking off† is a simile used in the story which portrays the whooshing sound made by the toilet bowl when it is flushed. The terms could also imply that the toilet sound is louder than it should be, making it appear in the reader’s mind that the setting is in a poor family’s house where repairs or change of materials are not done even when badly needed. Other figurative connotation used as a simile is â€Å"like a ghost in the graveyard†, which describes the narrators way of walking down the street, allowing the reader to imagine that he was walking alone in a dark, abandoned road. The figures of speech help the reader to have a clear picture of the images the author wants to portray through the words of the main character which was done quite successfully. About his writing, Chato describes it in the same fashion as, â€Å"It’s real smooth and mellow, and curvy like a blond in a bikini†. The comparison of two unlike things is used in this description which may have been an exaggeration but to the author, might have reached his goal of putting the penmanship of the character beside a curvy woman’s naked body to show how attractive is writing is. Metaphor was also used in the narration of the main character as he described the legs of her mother with the following phrase, â€Å"Her legs got those dark blue rivers running all over them†. He used the image of rivers to describe the varicose veins on her mother’s legs which could have been correctly represented because as the rivers carry water or fluid, the veins do the same however, they carry blood. Rivers when seen from afar are colored blue but the representation of the author about the varicose veins mentions them to be dark blue. The author also used personification in the story, making things perform human actions. For example, he said about the houses being destroyed by the bulldozers and wrecking bars of S.P. Railroads, â€Å"You could hear those houses scream when they ripped them down†. Houses cannot scream but the author used the word probably to inform readers about how the owners had no other choice but to let their houses be bulldozed against their will. It could also be that he was referring to the noise made in the midst of the wrecking of the houses, the sound of bars and hammerings and probably made a parallelism to how a person would react if one is ripped off or destroyed. In another

Major Challenges Facing Youth In Developing Economies Economics Essay

Major Challenges Facing Youth In Developing Economies Economics Essay ABSTRACT The challenge of keeping youths engaged meaningfully has been a major concern of governments in the developing nations. This paper x-rays the major challenges facing youths apart from unemployment. These include but not limited to inequality, corruption, poverty, cultism, human trafficking, emigration, drug addiction and trafficking as well as (HIV/AIDS) endemic. The authors stressed the need to encourage youths to engage in entrepreneurship undertakings and further highlighted the benefits of youth self reliant such as development of entrepreneurial and managerial skills, evenly distribution of national wealth, exploitation of untapped industrial opportunities, moderation of rural-urban migration, high value added to the economy, promotion of indigenous technology, and improvement in balance of trade. Hence, the authors recommended institutional support for youth self reliance; inclusion of entrepreneurship studies in high school and undergraduate curricula; tax incentives to young entrepreneurs; and financing of sporting activities to check social vices among youth. Key words: Youth;; Self Reliance Programmes; Unemployment ; Developing Economy 1.0 Introduction According to the projection of the United Nations Population Division (UNDP, 1993), currently young people between ages 15-24 constitute 18 percent of worlds population at 1.1 billion and the world is very close to reach the peak of historically highest youth population (Lam, 2007). These young people, across the globe, especially in developing countries, where the population density and growth is also highest, face unprecedented challenges in their capacity to access public resources and family resources, stemmed from waves of cultural and economic globalization. Most critical issues for youth development are poverty, health practices, gender biases, education, employment, social responsibilities and good citizenship, juvenile delinquency etc (World Youth Report, 2003). Demand of skilled workers in the knowledge economy has created hindrance for a large portion of world youth, especially in developing countries, where higher education system has not been able to realize sufficient value addition in terms of enhancing the employability in the new age labor market. A staggering 400 million young people around the world are unable to find decent work. Worthy of note is that, todays youth find themselves in an era, where for the first time in the modern civilization, purely economic value of higher education has reached an unprecedented low proportion. Shariff (1998) observed that adults engaged in self employment more than the youth, especially in developed countries. This is notable in countries whose economic growth rate is slow or stagnant. He observed further that self employment is much more appreciated among Sub-Sahara African than in other countries of the world. The youth are a major source of human capital and key agents for socio cultural, economic, and political development as well as technological innovation worldwide. Their imaginations, ideas, energies and visions are essential for the continuing development of societies. Their training, development, intellectual perspectives and productive abilities are key determinants of the progress and future of societies. To capture the significance of youth in the economic development process, Central Bank of Nigerias governor notes in 2011 that the current economic development efforts will not amount to anything if the youth who are the real economic agent are not part of the economic transformation. He notes further that robust economic growth will only be achieved if the youth are adequately empowered, which is the only path to sustainable economic development. 2.0 Conceptual clarification 2.1 Youth. There is hardly any universally acceptable definition of youth. Youthfulness need not be exclusively determined by age. Other factors, like economic, cultural and environmental conditions may be equally important in defining youth. The continuing debate on who is a youth has not resolved the confusion surrounding the concept. In many African countries, laws define adulthood as commencing from age of 21, although recently, there have been attempts to lower the age to 18 years (Curtain, 2000). Sociologically, youth denotes an interface between childhood and adulthood. Youth, as a social group are defined in terms of age. Hence, the majority of youth has been variously defined as ranging from the ages of 10-11 years to 35 years. The United Nations Organisation (UNO) has come up with a specification of age bracket 15-24 years as youth, while the Commonwealth uses the age category of 15-29 years. For the purpose of this paper, youth is defined as young women and men who fall wi thin the age bracket of 15 35 years. Furthermore, anyone who is acknowledged by deed as identifying with and committed to youth development may be recognised as youth. It has been recognised the world over that youth constitute the most important human resource potential that can contribute significantly to the overall development of a nation. The youth constitute the driving force of society, the spirit of today and the hope for the future. In addition, youth constitute the largest segment, they are also the most socially active and productive sector. The educational system has not adequately equipped young people with the relevant skills, knowledge and cultural values needed to face the challenges of after school life. As a result, young people cannot find placement in the white-collar job market; neither are they able to create economic opportunities for themselves in the informal sector. There is therefore the need to relate the educational system to the job market. United Nations Organisation (1995: 11) therefore notes in that: Young people in all countries are both a major human resource for development and key agents for social change, economic development and technological innovation. Their imaginations, ideas, considerable energies and visions are essential for the continuing development of the societies in which they live. The problems that young people face as well as their visions and aspirations are essential components of the challenges and prospects of todays societies and future generations Mobilizing the creativity and passion of young men and women, and recognizing the unique perspective of youth on their current and future needs are quickly becoming national and international priorities. Globally, youth are eager to contribute their quota through investment of their energies in the socio-economic development of the societies. In addition, they desire to be absorbed into socio-economic system in order to change the old order. In terms of sheer numbers, youth represent a significant portion of the global community. Today, approximately 20 per cent of the worlds population is in the 15 to 24 age group, and in many developing countries this group will soon constitute 50 per cent of the population. In addition, 60 per cent of the worlds youth population, or over 600 million young people, reside in the Asia-Pacific region (Kenyon, 1998). Linked directly to these figures is the growing recognition of the importance of youth development at both the national, regional and international levels. Youth constitute a unique group within society. While they are often considered one of the most vulnerable groups within the social fabric, they are also regarded as the greatest source of hope for the nations future. Youth represent a significant portion of the worlds population: it is estimated that the global youth population in 1995 was over 1 billion and comprised 18 per cent of the worlds population, of whom 84 per cent lived in developing countries. Those under the age of 30 could form as much as 55 per cent of the worlds population by the year 2005. In the least-developed countries of the world, the figure is closer to 70 per cent. (Kenyon, 1998) 2.2 Self Reliance. The concept of self reliance is located centrally within the discourse of community development and is connected to related concepts like self-help, independence, mutual-help, indigenous participation and rural development. It advocates the need for people to improve their condition using local initiatives and resources in their own hands. The concept is fast being accepted as a new formula for community development because of its widespread acceptance in the development planning of most African countries. The concept of self-reliance has the tendency to give greater stimulus and cohesiveness to community development in these countries (Anyanwu, 1992). According Fonchingong Fonjong (2003), self-reliance is situated within the discourse of community development and is connected to related concepts like self-help, mutual help, indigenous participation and rural development. It champions the need for people to better their lots using local strategies and resources at their disposal. The definition assumes that youth use the resources at their disposal to proffer solutions to the challenges peculiar to their group and confronting them persistently. They also want to realize their dreams and be at the fore front of developing the communities. Anyanwu (1992) contends that in most African countries, community development has depended significantly on voluntary cooperative efforts. This follows a traditional trait that clearly underscores the virtue of self-reliance. This explains the emerging trend in community development, which sees it as an important point of take-off for better living. The emphasis is to involve groups of people in planned programmes from which they may gain skills that will enable them to cope more successfully with the problems of their everyday lives. Self-reliance is thus development on the basis of a countrys (regions) own resources, involving its populations based on the potentials of its cultural values and traditions (Galtung, 1980). Communities and individual people define their own development according to their own needs, values and aspirations (Preiswerk, 1980). Local-level development provides a major force in activating the utilization of local resources (land, water, labour) and therefore constitutes one of the most effective methods of promoting peoples participation in determining their own development. The needs for local alternatives and self-reliance have been voiced in more explicit terms by other scholars. For example, Brett (1988) has called for cooperative and voluntary alternatives, while Sandbrook (1985) has emphasized the need for small-scale community solutions. In its fundamental sense, self-reliance is defined as a state of mind that regards ones own mental and material resources as the primary stock to draw on in the pursuit of ones objectives, and finds emotional fulfillment not only in achieving the objectives but of having achieved them primarily by using ones own resources. 2.3 Unemployment. Unemployment is a social issue that every nation deals with regularly. Even the most advanced economies still battle with the issue of unemployment. In fact the classical economists averred that there can never be a situation of total employment in any economy. However, responsible governments must strive at all times to keep unemployment rate as low as possible. According to Fajana (2000), unemployment is a state of worklessness/idleness experienced by persons who as members of the labour force perceive themselves are perceived by others as capable of work. Unemployment is a situation where those who are willing and able to work cannot find full employment or even if it is partial employment. The unemployment situation in Nigeria is unsettling. Statistic shows that almost 75% of those who are able and willing to work cannot find gainful employment, especially among young graduate/school leavers. Fajana (2000) categorizes unemployment into six namely structural, frictional, seasonal, cyclical, residual, and technological. Types of Unemployment S/N Name Cause 1. Structural This occurs when there is a change in the structure of an industry or economic activities of the country. Change in taste, change in technology, change in demand are some of the types of changes that may occur. It is mostly found in Asia and Africa. In other words, it occurs due to mismatch between the demand for labour and the ability of the workers. 2. Frictional The unemployed may remain so on account of shortage of raw materials, or mechanical defects in working plants. Therefore, the better the economy is doing, the lower the chances of this type of unemployment occurring. 3. Seasonal This is due to seasonal variations in the activities of particular industries caused by climatic changes, changes in fashions or by the inherent nature of such industries. In the tropical region, ice factories are less active in rainy season because of low demand for ice. 4. Cyclical This is otherwise known as Keynesian unemployment or demand deficient unemployment which is due to the operation of the business cycle. This arises at a time when the aggregate effective commodity demand falls below the full employment level of output. 5. Residual This is caused by personal factors such as old age, physical or mental disability, poor work attitudes and inadequate training. 6. Technological This is caused by changes in techniques of production. Source: Fajana, S. (2000) Functioning of Nigerian Labour Market, Lagos: Labofin and company 3.0 Major Challenges facing Youth in developing economies The declining growth and economic restructuring has worsened the employment situation among the youth in most of the developing countries and most especially in Africa. Youth unemployment has increasingly come to be as one of the most serious socio-economic problems currently confronting many developing countries. It is difficult to provide accurate statistics of youth unemployment in developing countries in general and Africa in particular, as available estimates of world unemployment face the conceptual limitation. Nonetheless, existing estimates indicate that in Sub-Saharan Africa, urban unemployment affects between 15 to 20 percent of the workforce (ILO, 2005). According to this estimates, young people comprise 40 to 75 percent of the total number of unemployed. Source: National Bureau of Statistics (2010) According to Awogbenle and Iwuamadi (2010), the statistics from the Manpower Board and the Federal Bureau of Statistics showed that Nigeria has a youth population of 80 million, representing 60% of the total population of the country. Also, 64 million of them are unemployed, while 1.6 million are under-employed. The 1990-2000 data on youth unemployment indicated that secondary school graduates constituted the largest group of the unemployed. There is also 40% of the unemployment rate is among urban youth aged 20 24 and 31% of the rate is among those aged 15-19. Furthermore, two-thirds of the urban unemployed are ranged from 15-24 years old. Curiously, the educated unemployed tended to be young males with few dependents. Awogbenle and Iwuandi also observed that that there is no consistent trend of  unemployment rates in Nigeria. An increase in one or two years is sometimes followed by a decline in the subsequent years. Table 1: Nigeria Unemployment Rates by Age Group and Sex S/N Age Group Unemployment Rate 1. 15-24 41.6 2. 25-44 17 3. 45-49 11.5 4. 60-64 16.7 Gender Analysis 1. Male 17 2. Female 23.3 Source: Ruhl, O. (2009) Nigerias Youth: Turning Challenge into Opportunity. World Bank Statistics on Youth Unemployment, March, 2009. Table 2: Table Youth Unemployment Rate in Nigeria 2000-2011 S/N Year Rate 1. 2000 31.1 2. 2001 13.6 3. 2002 12.6 4. 2003 14.8 5. 2004 13.4 6. 2005 11.9 7. 2006 13.7 8. 2007 14.6 9. 2008 14.9 10. 2009 19.7 11. 2010 41.6 12. 2011 23.9 Source: National Bureau of Statistics (2011) According to Abdullahi (2012), the Nigerian Minister of Sports, out of Nigerias 150 million population, 40 million are unemployed. As 45% of the population is between the ages of 15 to 40 years, this means unemployment mainly affects the youth. He revealed that the alarming situation has socio-economic implications considering the fact that Nigeria has 45% of the jobless population are between the ages of 15-40 years and due to the extremely low life expectancy of 45 years, only 3% of Nigerians manage to reach the ages of 60 and above. Nigerian youth are therefore the hardest hit by the menace of unemployment. Hence, the increase rate of kidnapping, youth unrest and most significantly, an extremely unstable social economic structure that has hitherto been bedeviling Nigeria. The percentage of unemployed labour force is disheartening not to mention rate of unemployment among youth. Apart from the figures released early this year by the National Bureau of Statistics, which puts unemployment rate in 2011 at 29.3 per cent, the situation has over the years grown from bad to worse. From 2000 until 2011, the unemployment rate averaged 18.82 per cent, reaching an all time high of 23.90 per cent in December of 2011 representing about 20.3 million Nigerian youth who are currently unemployed. The situation is compounded daily as institutions of higher learning churn out fresh graduates to add to the already saturated labour market. The percentage would have been higher save for the governments efforts to reduce the unemployment rate among graduates from the nations universities through various programmes such as National Directorate of Employment (NDE), National Poverty Alleviation Programme (NAPEP), Youth Enterprise With New   Innovation in Nigeria (YOUWIN) to m ention but a few. Some identifiable factors causing youth unemployment in Nigeria these include but not limited to: Ineffective mechanisms for overcoming the challenges of cyclical and structural youth (18 to 24 years) unemployment in Nigeria and to alleviate poverty at all levels of governance. Going by the 2006 census in Nigeria, the nations population was put at140,431,790 and projections for the future indicate that the population could be over 180 million by the year 2020,given the annual growth rate of 3.2 percent (National Population Commission and ICF Macro, 2009:3). Rapid population growth is another major factor causing youth unemployment. Dysfunctional educational system in curricula-structure does not promote youth entrepreneurship, innovative skills and virile apprenticeship schemes. Instead, most graduates of Nigerian education system lack basic skills with which to enter into labour market. Most graduates leave university with the thinking that they must seek employment in large organisations. Most functionaries in public and private sectors are largely bereft of ideas of blending education, training and learning for resolving youth unemployment menace. This is why most government programmes are yet to achieve the desired results of reducing youth unemployment. Corruption has been the bane of development in Nigeria and it has impacted negatively in the industrialisation process initiated by successive governments. It has attained an endemic level with public office holders paying lip service to its eradication because they are part of the beneficiaries. Poverty of political commitment towards youth empowerment and innovative approaches at local, state and federal levels is another cause of youth unemployment. There are no verifiable statistics of actual labour shortages, employment, under-employment and vacancies analyses that can guide national planning. In addition, in Nigeria loanable funds that youth can draw from to invest are not accessible. Although, government, banks and other financial institutions would tell you that funds are available for entrepreneurship adventure. Accessing the funds has not been easy. Figure 2: Spiraling General  Unemployment  Rate Growing at 16% per year  »Ã‚ ¿http://www.doreopartners.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/spiraling_general_unemployment_rate.gif Source: National Bureau of Statistics (2010) Figure 3 : Youth Unemployment 3X General Unemployment http://www.doreopartners.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/youth_unemployment.gif Source: National Bureau of Statistics (2010) Apart from the major challenges of unemployment, inequality, corruption, poverty, cultism, human trafficking and emigration are other challenges facing developing economies, Nigeria inclusive. Despite Nigerias decades of development efforts, both the gap between the poor and the rich countries and the inequalities within states and nations have widened. Poverty simply means inadequacy of income to meet such basic needs as food, shelter, clothing, education, healthcare etc. Poverty leads to malnutrition, sickness, illiteracy, unemployment, low status of men and women, immorality, crime, and exposure to environmental risks, limited access to assets, social services, and political power. Unemployment and poverty lead to psychological disorders, depression, despondency, suicides and divorces. While relative poverty causes envy, jealousy and self-depreciation, mass unemployment and persistent poverty which could lead to socio-political unrest and revolution. Thus, unemployment, inequality and poverty have economic, social and political implications. 4.0 Significance of Youth Self Reliance There is an increased concern, nationally and internationally, for youth issues, responsibilities and rights and also widespread consensus on the invaluable role of youth in the development process. Yet youth are invariably victims of exclusion from governance, decision-making and development process, which impact negatively on their desires for self reliance and self realization. The Human Development Report (UNDP, 1993) echoes the need for people to participate in their own development, stressing that peoples participation is becoming the central issue in the face of current challenges facing the world for development. It is now widely accepted that there are many good reasons to promote self reliance among young people. Entrepreneurship undertakings are probably one the most effective means of making youth self reliant. While caution should be exercised so that entrepreneurship is not seen as a panacea for curing all societys social ills, many experts such as Curtain (2000) warn, it has a number of potential benefits. An obvious, and perhaps the most significant one, is that it creates employment for the young person who owns the business. Figure 4: Young working poor in selected countries (Estimates for youth and adult cohorts), in percentage Source: ILO, Global Employment Trends for Youth. Geneva, August, 2010. In addition to the above, youth self reliance (YSR) will achieve the under listed among developing economies. The indigenous entrepreneur and managerial skills needed to transform the economy are developed. Labour intensive industry is boosted by YSR, which helps government to achieve the employment and income distribution objective. Encouragement of youth to be self reliant enhances the exploitation of untapped industrial opportunities. The evenly distribution of wealth and regional economic balance objective of government is enhanced as the menace of rural/urban migration, which exacerbates urban congestion is checked. There is higher value added to the domestic economies thereby checking the dumping of products from developed in developing economies. Indigenous technology is promoted through youth self reliant programmes. The above will definitely improve the balance of trade and payment of the developing economies as well as strengthening the local currency coupled with the benefit of promoting exportation and preventing over reliance on a single commodity to earn foreign exchange. Over dependency on oil revenue has been the bane of industrialization in Nigeria. 5.0 Recommendations Conclusion In line with the above observations, it is recommended that youth entrepreneurship programmes should be made compulsory right from the secondary school. More so, curricula in the higher institutions should be redesigned to capture the current reality of producing job creators and not job seekers. There should also be institutional support for youth entrepreneurship programmes at all tiers of government; local, state, and federal. Cheap funds made available and accessible to interested young entrepreneurs is a necessity for the development of self reliant programmes among youth. Data on youth unemployment are not accessible, if they are available. Many of the policy makers are not equipped with facts and figures. Many a times, they rely on sources that are not reliable in formulating policies and taking decisions relating to youth empowerment. Government institutions should equip to collate data frequently and make them accessible at any point in time. If there are authentic data, planning and paying social security of not less than fifty thousand naira ((#50) should not be difficult considering the amount of financial resources being wasted public office holders. The prevailing harsh economic environment in Nigeria is a disincentive to any interested young entrepreneurs and so should be made conducive as much as possible. For example multiple taxation should be eliminated through the harmonization of tax system in the country. Infrastructure facilities are abysmal failure, especially the electricity around which modern industrialization and developmental strategy revolve. More than enough megawatts of electricity should be generated in the country. The appalling situation of electricity generation has turned many youth to criminals in Nigeria. Motivating youth to acquire technical skills should top the priority of any government, Nigeria not exempted. Apart from free tuition, graduates of technical colleges should be absolved into the government service and or private organisations. Able and willing youth should be encouraged to contribute their quota to national economic development efforts. Security of lives and properties must be guaranteed in Nigeria. Governments efforts to woo foreign investors that will help to ignite the fire of economic revival will not yield any fruits if the issue of security is not addressed. There should be an increased youth and orphans self-reliance, self-discipline, social responsibility and spirit of adventure. Youth should be helped start income generating activities for their livelihoods to reduce dependency syndrome. Involvement of religious organisations in youth self reliance programmes should be encouraged. This is imperative in view of the fact that many of them have excess funds they can use since they do not pay tax. This will be counted as part of their social responsibility efforts to the society. Opportunities to acquire overseas training in form of exchange programmes among regional governments e.g. Economic Commission for West African States (ECOWAS) should be provided for youth after completing skill acquisition course. Suffice it to note that regional integration will be a great impetus for youth in countries which fall the same region. There is no doubt that Nigeria is blessed with abundant human and natural resources. The challenges facing the youth and related issues are very critical because of the emerging trend of youth unemployment, political and religious unrest. Hence, youth self reliant programmes should occupy the front burner of the federal, state, and local governments. Nigeria, arguably the most populous black nation in the world, needs sincere analysis of the current unemployment situation in the country as well as other challenges confronting the youth. The scientific analysis of this menace will lead to honest policy formulation, implementation, and monitoring of youth self reliant programmes which will eventually stem the tide of youth crimes and guarantee the future of the country.

Animal Farm :: Free Essay Writer

Animal Farm The novel, Animal Farm, was written by George Orwell andwas published in 1946. The story is about a farm in England around the time of the Russian revolution. The animals on Manor Farm are irritated with the way they are being treated, so they start a revolution. The pigs,who were the smartest animals on the farm, took controlof the farm while the other animals worked. Throughout the novel the pigs lie to the other animals and change the rules, of the farm to accommodate themselves.George Orwell's real name was Eric Blair. He was born in 1903. He went to school at Eton, and after service with the Indian Imperial Police in Burma, he returned to Europe to earn his living writing novels and essays. He was a political writer who wrote of his own times. He was a man of intense feelings and fierce hates. He hated cant and lying and cruelty in life and in literature. He was critical of communism but was himself a Socialist.The setting for Animal Farm is Manor Farm in England during the time of the Russian revolution. The farm is enourmous.The farm has been enlarged by two fields bought from Mr. Pilkington, and various new buildings had been added. One of the major characters in the novel, Animal Farm, is Nepoleon. Napoleon, after driving Snowball, another pig who was trying to take over the farm, off the farm, took over. Nepoleon says one thing, and does the other, takes otherpeoples ideas, and he is the biggest liar on the farm. Nepoleon took the freedom of the animals, that they had gained from the revolution, and twisted it so that now instead of being enslaved by the farmer, they were enslavedby him.In the novel, Animal Farm, the animals speak with a Russian accent. For instance, the word "comrade" is used often. The pigs mostly use a Russian accent, but the other animals mainly use an American accent.Animal Farm is about a farm in England during the Russian revolution. The animals on Manor Farm are fed up with the way they are being treated. Inspired by a speech given to them by a late animal named Major, the animals revolt. The animals drive the owner off the farm and take over. The pigs who were the smartest animals took control, set up rules, and kept the farm together.Throughout the years on the farm the pigs lie to the other animals about, if they work hard, all the luxuries they would receive.

How is the theme of evil dramatized in Macbeth? Essay

In Elizabethan times everyone believed in the Natural Order which can also be referred to as The Chain of Being. The Chain of Being is a hierarchy, where God is at the top and the King is second, last are the elements; fire, air, water and earth. If something happened to the king everything under the king’s rank would be affected. This stopped people overthrowing the king because they were told bad things would happen to them. We can tell that the Chain of Being was affected in Macbeth because of what some of the characters say in Act 2 Scene 4 after King Duncan has been murdered. â€Å"A falcon tow’ring in her pride of her place, Was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed† This shows an image of a mouse hunting an owl and killing it which is the reverse of what happens under normal circumstances. Animals are under the king’s rank. The horses also turn to cannibalism, â€Å"And Duncan’s horses†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"’tis said they eat each othe r.† Treason is the illegal act of overthrowing the government or king. Macbeth manages to overthrow King Duncan, which is treason, and at the end of the play Macbeth gets overthrown by Macduff. Just a few years before Shakespeare wrote Macbeth, Guy Fawkes attempted to overthrow King James I. Treason involves people at lower ranks of the Chain of Being moving up the chain, which will include killing and murdering, which are evil acts. Shakespeare wrote Macbeth for King James I, who had just been crowned, to warn him about the revolution that was about to take place. In Act 1 Scene 3 the opening establishes the witches as evil. They act haphazardly and randomly. There words â€Å"fair is foul and foul is fair†, is chanted in a mischievous way. It implies the witches believe that evil is good and they find good repulsive. Not only does this portray their attitude to life but it is also a warning to the audience that there is much confusion and things are not what they may seem to be. Macbeth is also heard to utter these words and show that he is influenced by the witches. In Elizabethan times, witches were usually women rejected by society and represent evil. In the play they have a great influence over Macbeth and intend to involve him in their evil, â€Å"There to meet with Macbeth.† Evil is created around the witches because the witches are instantly thought to be dark and to have a connection with the devil. The feeling of evil is made stronger because the witches meet in lifeless dark places away from society. In Act 1 Scene 1 the witches meet in a desolate place and in Act 1 Scene 3 they meet on a heath. This creates an eerie feeling. The weather reflects the witches’s emotions and in the four witch scenes there is thunder. All this emphasizes their destructive nature. The witches also do not look human. They are supposed to be women but they are bearded. â€Å"You should be women and yet your beards forbid me to interpret † Anyone who does not look ‘normal’ or human may have evil links. In some productions of Macbeth, the witches come across as alien, which can be evil as it’s not the norm. In one film production the witches are naked. It is a human trait to cover up with clothes. When asked where the second witch has been she replies â€Å"killing swine† which shows cruelty for her own amusement. The curses they chant are to cause pain upon others which reflects their own evil behaviour â€Å"sleep shall neither night or day† – the first witch causes insomnia upon Macbeth. In Act 4 Scene 1 the witches used black magic which involves adding ingredients to a cauldron. They use the image of innocence by adding a â€Å"finger of a birth strangled babe† which shows new life destroyed. Many people would say this is evil. ‘That look not like†¦.’ this, said by Banquo, shows us that he fears the witches and is unsure if they are real, on the other hand he confidently asks ‘What are you’, suggesting that he may know of the witches, or even be friendly with them. Although this also has the possibility of being interpreted as Macbeth seeing the witches as unnatural and evil for he does ask about what they are. Macbeth can be considered as being an evil character in that he kills King Duncan in cold blood by stabbing him. It is premeditated as indicated in the soliloquy of his inner thoughts. â€Å"We’d jump the life to come, but in these cases, we still have judgment here.† It also shows selfishness, ambition and self gain for the King’s position. In suspecting his close friend Banquo may want to turn Macbeth in for his crime, â€Å"Wisdom that doth guide his valor†¦to act in safety.† Macbeth knows he must get rid of Banquo and his manipulating character by convincing the murderers and himself that killing him is right. â€Å"Both of you know Banquo was your enemy†¦so he is mine; and it such bloody distance that every minute of his being thrusts against my near’st of life.† He portrays evil in that he is plotting a murder against his friend and influencing others in believing that they are doing the right act in killing him. Others may consider Macbeth to be more of a strong warrior than evil. He goes beyond the limits of a solider in battle for his king and country. Therefore he can be seen as an honorable man â€Å"What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won†. Lady Macbeth describes him as having â€Å"Too full o’th’milk of human kindness†, a humanity. Macbeth can be seen as corruptible for ambition but lacking the ruthlessness to get what he really wants. He is a complex character – he has aggression and determination which makes him a successful warrior. However he also has a conscience with a sense of guilt. These contrasts in Macbeth’s character and his attempts to fix them are what make him human. â€Å"Commends th’ingredience of our poisoned chalice to our own lips†. This shows Macbeth to be a reluctant murderer; he is troubled by his conscience even before committing the act. He uses the soliloquy to express his struggle between right and wro ng. Macbeth constantly questions his brutality and his inability to live with himself as a murderer. â€Å"This is a sorry sight†. At the beginning of the play Lady Macbeth appears to be a kind, caring wife to Macbeth but underneath that â€Å"innocent flower† there is a â€Å"serpent†, a scheming and manipulative woman. â€Å"Look like th’flower but be the serpent under’t†. When Lady Macbeth finds out about the witches her determined ambition and her cold nature leads Macbeth astray. Lady Macbeth is so determined to succeed that she calls to the evil spirits to make herself more evil, â€Å"fill me from crown to the toe-top, full of the direst cruelty! Make thick my blood.† On the other hand Lady Macbeth can be seen to be a lonely and frustrated character. She is an ambitious woman in a man’s world where the men have all the power and control. She is often portrayed as being on her own, for instance when reading the letter as Macbeth is at battle and she misses him. She has a driven will with much energy and very little to do. She shows vulnerability and an inwards sense of horror at what she has done but at the same time she is denying these qualities incase she shows a weakness. â€Å"These deeds must not be thought after these ways; so it will make us mad.† In her sleepwalking, Lady Macbeth’s conscience tortures her and she imagines her hands covered in blood. â€Å"The thane of Fife had a wife. Where is she now? What, will these hands ne’er be clean? No more o’that my Lord, no more o’that.† She committed suicide. In conclusion I feel that Shakespeare’s message to his audience is that revolution should be created slowly as the characters at the top of the Chain of Being are not sympathetic to others. This was one of his strong beliefs as Shakespeare was a secret Catholic who supported the pope and was a sympathizer to Guy Fawkes. He also tells the audience that committing evil acts and affecting the Chain of Being ends up corrupting the system. If you are one of the people who committed the acts then, Shakespeare tells us it is hard to clear a guilty conscience. In Macbeth’s search for power, he ends up killing Duncan which leads to several more murders. He started off by being known as â€Å"Brave Macbeth† but once the king was murdered he was corrupted by power. He was defeated by his constant search for more authority and control. Macbeth was only meant to be Thane Of Cawdor and when he managed to become king, he abused his power. Shakespeare’s sends us the message that some people were made to have more control because they could handle it and had the personality trait to control themselves with the amount of power they have. He also sends us the message that too much power corrupts. Many people would say that ambition in the key to success but in Macbeth it is a downfall. Macbeth has the three witches and Lady Macbeth constantly pushing his ambition. Shakespeare gives us that message that having ambition is good but you should go out of your own ability because it may lead to your death, like Macbeth. The relationship between good and evil is very clear to see. The main theme of the play is showing the audience how an honest, regular man can be changed into evil and be dehumanized. He is not evil but instead is surrounded by evil influences such as his wife and the witches. However, goodness does win as Macbeth is killed and the evil dies away with him.

Marketing Engineering – Ford Hotel

Curso: Analisis Cuantitativo y Toma de decisiones: Fecha: 09 Marzo 2013 Integrantes: – Monica Calderon – Monica Chavez – Monica Escobar – Julio Jaramillo – Sandra Saco Vertiz Case 3: Positioning the Infiniti G20 EXERCISES 1. Using the data in Exhibit 1 and the associated perceptual mapping software, describe the two (or, if applicable, three) dimensions underlying the perceptual maps that you generated. Based on these maps, how do people in this market perceive the Infiniti G20 compared with its competitors? El G20 es visto como un automovil atractivo y exitoso.Muy bien posicionado junto a otras marcas de la gama como BMW y Honda 2. Infiniti promoted the G20 as a Japanese car (basic version $17,500) with a German feel, basically a car that was like the BMW 318i ($20,000), but lower priced. Is this a credible claim, given the perceptions and preferences of the respondents? Los 2 principales competidores del G20 son BMW 318i and the Honda Prelude. Es una dificil tarea promocionar el G20 sobre el BMW 318i en alto prestigio y atractivo; este ultimo punto punto es subjetivo y los gustos del publico pueden cambiar facilmente.El prestigio del auto puede ser promocionado, pero con menor precio del G20 vs BMW, el publico podria percibir que el auto mas caro es el que mas prestigio tiene. De acuerdo a la data y en comparacion con el BMW 318i, el G20 tiene menor precio, elevado ahorro en combustible y larga garantia. Promocionar estos puntos del mercado el G20 tiene un gran valor sobre el BMW 318i es la mejor solucion y puede ser muy bien apreciado por los consumidores. 3. Which attributes are most important in influencing preference for these cars in the three segments (S1, S2 and S3) shown on these maps?To which segment(s) would you market the Infiniti G20? How would you reposition the Infiniti G20 to best suit the chosen segment(s)? Briefly describe the marketing program you would use to target the chosen segment(s). Los mas important es atributos por segmento son: Segment 1 (S1): Hi Prestige, Quiet, Interesting, and Common. Segment 2 (S2): Roomy, Easy Service, and Sporty. Segment 3 (S3): Unreliable, Poor value and Poorly built. El mercado para Infiniti G20 serian los segments 1 and 2, porque ellos aparecen como el modelo ideal de clientes para Infiniti.Ellos comparten las mismas cualidades y estilo de auto que estamos produciendo. Adicionalmente podriamos reposicionar el G20 como lujoso, deportivo, confortable, logrando satisfacer los requerimientos del consumidor de ambos segmentos. 4. What ongoing research program would you recommend to Infiniti to improve its evaluation of its segmentation of the market and positioning of its G20? Podria recomendar a Infiniti invertir mas tiempo concentrando o mejorando los atributos menos valorados por los consumidores, a la vez que podria encontrar la forma de hacerlos mas economicos e interesantes.Ayudando tanto a mejorar su produccion, costos y a la vez mejorar la percepc ion del producto de parte de los clientes. 5. Summarize the advantages and limitations of the software provided for this application. Consideramos una limitante que el programe no brinde una explicacion de los resultados, o una interpretacion de los escenarios. Como ventaja podemos considerar que nos permite visualizar el impacto de cada uno de los atributos en el consumidor, y en base a esa informacion ofrecer mejoras en el producto final. Case 4: Forte Hotel DesignEXERCISES 1. Design: Using a blank Excel spreadsheet, follow Step 1 in the Conjoint Tutorial and develop a Study Design Template (ME>XL==>Conjoint==>Create Study Design Template) for Forte, using the attributes and levels from Exhibit 1. Next, follow Step 2 in the Tutorial, Create a data collection instrument, selecting â€Å"Ratings† method and â€Å"1† for the number of respondents (you). When you are done, check to be sure that your sheet looks like the â€Å"Forte Hotel Data (Conjoint, 1 Ratings)† data set in My Marketing Engineering.Then, briefly summarize the advantages and limitations of describing products as bundles of attribute options. En este ejercicio creamos los atributos y los diferentes niveles de cada atributo, familiarizandonos con el uso de la herramienta. 2. Utility assessment: Using the sheet that you created in Question 1, rate each of the bundles, giving your most preferred bundle â€Å"100† and your least preferred bundle â€Å"0,† as described in Step 3 in the Tutorial.When you are done, follow Step 4 in the Tutorial and perform a utility assessment for yourself (ME>XL==>Conjoint==>Create Study Design Template>>Estimate Preference Part Worths). Interpret your own preferences on the resulting Part Worths Sheet. Como resultado del ejercicio Podemos interpretar que Monica prefiere la habitacion con un escritorio y prioriza el telefono al internet. Desea entretenimiento exterior para practicar actividades deportivas. Le encanta la limpieza per sonal y desea sus zapatos bien lustrados.Tambien prefiera acercarse al restaurant al delivery. 3. Open the â€Å"Forte Hotel Data (Conjoint, 2 Partworths)† data set in My Marketing Engineering and review the Partworths developed from the respondents in this case. Based on your experiences in completing these tasks, summarize the advantages and limitations of conjoint analysis for obtaining preference data from customers. Respondents' Preference Partworths Respondents' preference partworths. The most preferred profiles sum up to 100, the least preferred to 0.Respondents / Small Suite Large Room Room Office Internet access Speaker phone Attributes and Levels 0 9 11 52 13 Amanda 10 37 0 0 9 Ann 26 0 10 21 0 Bruce 8 0 22 13 25 Byron 34 0 30 0 16 Byung 45 0 16 0 2 Colleen 17 7 0 7 24 Courtney 15 0 12 0 14 Daniel 13 0 24 10 23 Dierdre 11 20 0 9 0 Elio 0 27 7 4 0 Eugene 8 0 31 8 0 Frank 20 0 14 0 7 Gabriel 0 19 5 10 22 George 14 31 0 14 0 Gina 6 16 0 0 16 Hans 0 7 47 0 8 Hector 34 0 16 6 27 Jin Hyuk Room fax 0 3 14 0 11 0 0 38 0 19 2 10 21 0 13 9 25 0 Ventajas: Permite identificar la combinacion de atributos preferidos por los consumidores.Explotar los atributos preferidos o mas valorados con un adecuado plan de marketing. Permite caracterizar perfiles de los clientes y asi poder enfocar mejor nuestras ofertas. Limitaciones: No podemos segmentar completamente a nuestra oferta hacia el consumidor (salvo que la base sea estadisticamente robusta). Requiere de un analisis cualitativo previa para identificar las variables a considerar. 4. Analysis: Open the Forte Hotel Data (Conjoint, 3 Analysis) data set in My Marketing Engineering, which has competed Steps 5 and 6 in the Tutorial for you.Follow Step 7 in the Tutorial, ((ME>XL==>Conjoint==>Run Analysis) and assess the viability of the four specific hotel concepts that Forte is exploring for the State College area. Base this evaluation on the preferences of a sample of 40 business travelers on that sheet (Exhibit 2 ) and the cost estimates summarized in Exhibit 3. The base cost to build each hotel room (without the attributes and options listed in Exhibit 3) is expected to be about $40,000 for a 150- to 200-room hotel, regardless of the mix of room types. . Identify the optimal product concept from among those Forte is considering. Explain how you arrived at your recommendation. Consideramos que optimal product 1 es el concepto que deberia considerar Forte porque este le permitira una mejor penetracion en el mercado, lo cual ademas de traer la mayor aceptacion redundara en un pronto recupero de la inversion. 6. Would you recommend product concepts other than the four Forte is considering for the State College market? Explain how you arrived at your recommendation(s).Las 4 opciones engloban el tipo de cliente que normalmente tienen este tipo de cadena de hoteles con lo cual la segmentacion esta muy bien aplicada; sin embargo podrian agregar una opcion enfocada a empresas, BtoB, que esten intere sadas en utilizar el hotel como centro de convenciones que duren uno o mas dias y la empresa contratante deba hospedar a sus invitados, si bien es cierto, no es constante todo el ano, podrian tener preparada una opcion con servicios estandar y ciertos entretenimientos. Podria llamarse Business 1. 7. Summarize the major advantages and limitations of a conjoint study for new roduct design. What conditions favor the use of this approach in the hotel industry? (Consider such factors as types of customers and market conditions in responding to this question). Este modelo le permite a la industria hotelera saber la valoracion del mix e atributos valorados por el cliente y de esta forma tener una propuesta enfocada en el publico objetivo al que se dirige, ademas le permite saber, en la medida que disponga de informacion de los otros hoteles, en que segmento tendria mayores probabilidad de tener una mejor aceptacion.Sin embargo el uso de esta herramienta requeriria de un alto costo de inver sion inicial en investigacion de mercados, ya que exigiria la realizacion de una encuesta que permita contar con datos para la evaluacion. Case 5: Durr Environmental, Inc. – Air Pollution Control Systems Durr faced the following questions: 1. Is it economically sensible to enter the US market? 2. If so, what would be the best offering to make? 3. Would it be better to provide two different offerings? If so, what should they be? 4.Which segment(s) of the customers should they target, with what selling proposition for their new offering(s)? Provide a business case to address these issues. Assume the following: The business must generate marginal revenue of $4MM/year to justify entry, and it will cost Durr an additional $3MM/year to support a second offering. 1. Modelo de Negocio: Tamano del Mercado * Participacion del Mercado *Margen de Contribucion Segun la premisa debemos justificar mas de US $4MM para justificar la entrada al mercado.Tamano del Mercado: Market research indic ated that there would be about 300 units of that size sold in the US each year over the next decade. Participacion del mercado Margen de Utilidad: Producto Servair= 200K + 200K + 10K + 70K – 300K = US $180K Producto Premier= 200K+200K-170K+0+0= US $230K Producto Base =200K+0+0+0=US $200K Conclusion: Para Servair ==> 300 * 0. 1877 * 180 = US $10. 1 MM Para Premier = 300 * 0. 1433 * 230= US $9. 8 MM Para Base = 300 * 0. 0889 * 200=US $5. 3 MMDado que los 3 escenarios son mayores a los US $ 4MM, podemos ingresar al mercado con cualquiera de los productos. Cada uno de ellos nos permitira mayor o menor ganancia segun nuestra apuesta. 2. If so, what would be the best offering to make? Luego analizamos por cada tipo de producto. Segmentamos por Producto 1: Y ahora segmentamos por Producto 2: Sugerimos el producto Premier DX porque tiene mayor probabilidad de aceptacion y por ende nos permite ganar mercado mas rapido. Maximizar beneficios y asegurarnos posicionamiento de marca. . Wou ld it be better to provide two different offerings? If so, what should they be? Recomendamos ingresar solamente con el producto Premier, dado que lograriamos mayor participacion de mercado, un mayor nivel de beneficios e incluso eliminar un competidor. Sin embargo, si quisieramos incorporar un segundo producto sugerimos que sea el primero, pues pese a tener una menor contribucion marginal que el tercero tendriamos mayor probabilidad de aceptacion y por lo tanto tendriamos menor exposicion al riesgo. . Which segment(s) of the customers should they target, with what selling proposition for their new offering(s)? Podrian ser empresas que tienen un alto sentido de responsabilidad con el medio ambiente y desean ejercer control del sistema de emision de gases de manera eficiente. Prefieren invertir en un buen sistema y asegurar un contrato de servicio, para evitar quedarse sin soporte ante algun inconveniente.

Free Essays on Africa

The Legacy of Colonialism: Integration, Dependency, and Responsibility The economic philosophy of colonialism has contributed to the present economic instability of the continent of Africa. Assigned third-world economy status, dependent upon the world market, and caught amid social and political wars, Africa has not adapted well to the changes thrust upon it by colonial rule. But while historical events have played a significant role in condemning Africa to poverty and underdevelopment, African leaders themselves have also failed to own up to their leadership responsibilities. A factor contributing to Africa’s inability to manage itself effectively is the colonial economic system, which has been thrust prematurely upon Africa, and which has relegated the African economies to a peripheral third-world status within the world economy. The most notable legacy of colonialism has been the integration of socialist-type colonies into the global capitalist economy. The main force keeping economies in the global system and sustaining imperialism is the market itself. For the wealthy in Africa, the market is a wonderful benefit, offering goods that Africa does not manufacture. The world market enables African elites to consume products of western civilization without having to initiate the difficult and long-term process of constructing the productive base of their societies. It is easier, and makes more short-term sense, to embrace the global market than to try to build industries from the ground up. Unfortunately, the virtual non-existence of an indigenous m anufacturing industry renders Africa dependent on and vulnerable to the changing world market. The economy’s reliance on the world market is an important economic effect of colonialism, as are the new social and demographic changes effected by Africa’s incorporation into the global economy. The introduction of an organized commercial economy has largely replaced Africa’s tradit... Free Essays on Africa Free Essays on Africa Africa in General and Madagascar Africa, until the middle to late nineteenth century was known as The Dark Continent. The reason for this reputation was that at the time no outsider was able to go in land of the big continent and see the diversity and the complexity of it. The first impression the European got was what they saw that the coastal areas of Africa and took this impression back to their countries and labeled the continent as being dark, not only because the encounter they had with dark skinned people also because of their ignorance. Africa can be looked at in several different ways, such as climate, ethnicity, history, languages, vegetation, natural resources, physical feature, and religions. First, Africa has five main climate regions: tropical rain forests, mediterranean, savanna, steppe, and desert. It also has small regions of highland, marine, and subtropical. Second, the vegetation varies depending on the climate area. In desert regions it is mostly barren but does have small amount of vegetation, which has adapted to a limited supply of water. Tropical rain forest usually has three layers of trees, all of which are broadleaf evergreens. They also have a variety of small ferns, vines, and shrubs. In the mediterranean environment there are evergreen trees mixed with coniferous and broadleaf trees. Oaks, pines, and small shrubs also are common. There are two types of savanna, woodland that has tall tress and perennial grasses and grassland, which consists of low growing deciduous, evergreen, and shrubbery. Grassland savannas also have many species of bare thorn shrubbery and the grasses are almost barren. Depending on the area, Africa's cash crop consists of coffee, gum, rubber, tobacco, cocoa, grapes, ground nuts, sugar, citrus, cotton, oil palm, and tea. Then we can say that the climatic region determines what vegetation, cash crop or natural can survive where. Generally speaking however Africa's natural resources a... Free Essays on Africa The Legacy of Colonialism: Integration, Dependency, and Responsibility The economic philosophy of colonialism has contributed to the present economic instability of the continent of Africa. Assigned third-world economy status, dependent upon the world market, and caught amid social and political wars, Africa has not adapted well to the changes thrust upon it by colonial rule. But while historical events have played a significant role in condemning Africa to poverty and underdevelopment, African leaders themselves have also failed to own up to their leadership responsibilities. A factor contributing to Africa’s inability to manage itself effectively is the colonial economic system, which has been thrust prematurely upon Africa, and which has relegated the African economies to a peripheral third-world status within the world economy. The most notable legacy of colonialism has been the integration of socialist-type colonies into the global capitalist economy. The main force keeping economies in the global system and sustaining imperialism is the market itself. For the wealthy in Africa, the market is a wonderful benefit, offering goods that Africa does not manufacture. The world market enables African elites to consume products of western civilization without having to initiate the difficult and long-term process of constructing the productive base of their societies. It is easier, and makes more short-term sense, to embrace the global market than to try to build industries from the ground up. Unfortunately, the virtual non-existence of an indigenous m anufacturing industry renders Africa dependent on and vulnerable to the changing world market. The economy’s reliance on the world market is an important economic effect of colonialism, as are the new social and demographic changes effected by Africa’s incorporation into the global economy. The introduction of an organized commercial economy has largely replaced Africa’s tradit...