Coases Theorem of Coase and Cattle

Coases Theorem of Coase and Cattle After familiarizing myself with Ronald Coases theory of economic efficiencies in economic externalities, I have discovered that Coases theorem is greatly debated amongst scholars who study law and economics. I have discovered the two schools of legal thought which are torn apart because of their opinion on the validity of Coases theorem. Basically, Ronald Coase declared that when there are no transaction costs, bargaining between neighbors will lead to an efficient outcome, regardless of the laws on property rights. The theorem is saying that when the transaction costs are low and somebody trespasses onto anothers property, in this case, cattle, neighbors are more likely to resolve the dispute by forgiving the trespass or by repaying the trespassed with a small reward. Since he has made it clear that this theory works when transaction costs are low, I agree absolutely with Ronald Coase. Ronald Coases theory that, when transaction costs are minimal, bargaining powers of people will re sult in an efficient outcome is correct. In Robert Ellicksons article, Of Coase and Cattle, he mentions a story about Frank Ellis and Larry Brennan. Larry Brennan lost approximately seven tons of baled hay to Frank Ellis cattle while they were roaming in open range. Brennan could have taken Ellis to court to reclaim a monetary value of approximately $500, but instead, he decided to notify Ellis of his cows wrongdoing. Ellis offered to give Brennan some of the hay that was baled in his barn, but Brennan declined the offer. Instead, Brennan knew that it would be in his favor in the future to have Ellis indebted to him, incase a situation arises where Brennan would need a favor performed. Since the transaction costs were pretty low and there was close proximity between Brennan and Ellis, the situation was resolved with efficiency. This is pretty common in rural areas since people of the small townships and farming communities live by the motto â€Å"live and let live.† The people who repeat this motto know they should p ut up with small imbalances in their accounts because they perceive that their future interactions will provide adequate opportunities for settling old scores. The fourth chapter of â€Å"Economic Foundations of Law,† by Stephen Spurr, has a great analogy of the Coase theorem that relates it to a Pareto-optimal efficient outcome. The example describes a conflict between a cattle rancher and a farmer who have adjoining properties. Since they have adjoining properties in an open range system, the cattle owned by the rancher are more than likely going to wander around within the farmers property—since it is almost impossible to tell which direction or how far cattle are going to migrate in the open range. With the herd of cattle grazing and walking around on the farmers crops, the farmer sustains a loss. However, the Coase theorem would make it simple for the farmer and rancher to come to terms and decide a remedy for the farmers loss. Stephen Spurr says, on page 67, â€Å"The socially optimal number of steers is the number that maximizes total social benefit minus total social cost, that is, the profit to the cattle rancher min us the damage to the farmer.† Essentially, this is saying that damage could be controlled by controlling the amount of head are in a herd of cattle which will in turn reduce transactions costs by reducing the amount the farmer will lose in damaged crops. From the pair of examples above, it is fairly easy to understand the Coase theorem. However, in Of Coase and Cattle: Dispute Resolution Among Neighbors in Shasta County, lies a vast story about a dispute between Frank Ellis, a new cattle rancher, and Doug Heinz, another cattle rancher. Since Frank Ellis was in an open range ordinance, he let his huge herd roam free. Ellis herd consisted of thousands of head of cattle and his property was approximately 15,300 acres, making it easily the largest farm in Shasta County at the time. Ellis hired a group of Mexican cowboys to take care of his handiwork, which included tending to the herd and doing whatever necessary farm tasks were required. Since his herd was situated on an open range, his cowboys â€Å"deliberately crossed the unfenced private lands of others, but also used those lands as free pasture,† as quoted by Ellickson. His exploitation of the laws of the open range sent anger flowing throughout the community, eventually enr aging a man named Doug Heinz. Doug Heinzs farm was situated right next to Ellis property, so the two were technically neighbors. While Heinzs farm was greatly smaller, approximately only 12 acres, Ellis herd was always destroying the fence that Heinz constructed in order to keep other cattle off of his land. When Heinz noticed some of Ellis cattle breaking through his fence, he decided to call Ellis and complain. To make a story short, Ellis sent a few of his cowboys out to retrieve the cattle. Their method of retrieving the cattle ended up destroying more of Heinzs fence and damaging even more of the crops. The cowboys took off more quickly than they came and Heinz never saw any sort of repayment for the damage done to his property. This caused Heinz to protest to the county supervisor and round up signatures on a petition to make the area, coincidentally around Ellis land, closed range. However, Heinzs petition to make the region closed range was never passed and Heinz was never r ewarded for the damage done to his property and had to suffer from more abuse at the hands of Ellis herd. Due to Heinz not receiving just compensation for his trouble, the Coase theorem cannot be applied here. The transaction costs were very high, with most of it coming from the damage done to Heinzs property, and the rest coming from the time that was spent circulating a petition to close the range. A Pareto-optimal resolution was not reached either, which is why Of Coase and Cattle attempts to explain the flaws in the Coase theorem. However, the author of Of Coase and Cattle does not take into account the transaction costs of the Ellis-Heinz conflict. The article also discusses conflicts between Traditionalists and Modernists, both of which are styles that ranchers use to take care of their herd. In Shasta County, California, these two neighboring styles are the scene of many conflict and episodes which convert the open range ordinances into closed range. The open range favoring Traditionalists believe their cattle can roam freely without any interruption in the land because they shouldnt have to fence in their cattle to remain on their property. The Modernists believe exactly the opposite; that ranchers should keep their cattle behind fences to prevent damage to neighboring property owned privately. The Traditionalists follow the practices of cattle ranching that were predominant in Shasta County in the 1920s. Traditionalists in the county believe that a rancher shouldnt fence his property because during the summer months, it would take an inefficient amount of land to make sure a herd as little of 200 cattle would be able to be nourished. Thus, the ranchers would let the cattle roam freely as to find nutrients around the mountainous regions of Shasta County. Just by stating that doesnt paint the entire picture, though. Traditionalist ranchers purchase grazing leases through the United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, as well as timber companies. The inefficiency of this is that a Traditionalist with a herd of only 100 cattle would need to lease a forest equal to the area of the city of San Francisco. Traditionalists would also need to construct fences to keep their cattle within the boundaries of the grazing lease areas, but since harsh winter storms and intense summer heat destroy their fences; its obvious that the most cost effective way to combat the phenomenon is to not erect a fence. The Modernists, who are typically younger than typical Traditionalists, see the Traditionalist way of ranching as primitive and out dated. The Modernist view is that their cattle do not belong on other peoples property, and vice versa; other peoples cattle do not belong on theirs. Not only do they wish to reduce the risk of damage done by their herd on anothers property, they also see it easier to administer nutrients, protect their herd from being impregnated by bulls, protect their herd from predators, and to watch over their herd during the dangerous winter months. The fenced boundaries are more of a sign to â€Å"stay out,† which adds privacy and value to the land. However, the cost of fencing off the boundary of an entire property by Californias standards is very costly. The statute that defines a legal â€Å"fence† efficient enough to house cattle calls for three tightly stretched strands of barbed wire stapled to posts situated approximately one rod, or 16 and one half feet, apart. Since Shasta County residents typically use four strands of barbed wire and steel posts instead of cedar, the cost of the fence has gone up. Ellickson gave the quote of the materials necessary to construct a four-strand barbed wire fence in the year 1982 as $2,000 per mile, which doubles if private firms are called in to perform construction. If, for example, Doug Heinz wanted to fence off his property, it would have cost him $18,000 for materials and another $18,000 for labor in the year 1982. A total cost of $36,000 in the year 1982 to enclose ones own property does not seem as efficient as being able to dedicate some of your time to help your neighbor replant damaged crops. Period maintenance on fences may also prove to be costly, especially in the weather of S hasta County. The point of comparing Traditionalists to Modernists is summed up by the first story of Ellis and Brennan. Modernists are willing to spend tens of thousands of dollars to make sure theyre investment, which could be the herd of cattle or the rest of their property, is slightly protected. The illusion of safety and security is heavily present in their ideology, which always isnt the case. Traditionalists believe they could remedy whatever problems arise by offering their assistance in fixing whatever damage takes place, whether it is to re-fence an area of land or to replant crops that were damaged by stampeding herds. It is much more cost effective to live the way of the Traditionalists. However, there are two sides to every story. One could consider Ellis to be a Traditionalist since he let his herd graze in open range. But, since a typical rancher in Shasta County does not have nearly the amount of cattle that Frank Ellis had, we can consider it an anomaly. Ellis caused thousands of dollars of damage and tallied up huge transaction costs in the effort that it took to circulate petitions by both parties, Ellis and Heinzs. Traditionalists can also solely be blamed for provoking Shasta County to enforce closed range policies in different areas. The stories discussed in Of Coase and Cattle not only prove the Coase theorem to be correct, but also proves Ellickson wrong. Ellickson wanted to prove Coase wrong by performing a tremendous amount of research in a county in California that has its problems when it comes to property law. Ellickson describes many different scenarios, all of which can easily be determined to be efficient or non-efficient. Ellickson simply states that Coase is wrong in his theory, but does not take into account the transaction costs for any of the stories. He may present the costs to each party involved in an incident, but he does not deduct that the costs arent necessarily high or low. To break this down further, we can reexamine Ellis versus Heinz and Ellis versus Brennan once more. Ellis versus Heinz was not Pareto-optimal because the transaction costs involved in resolving the incident were extremely high. If transaction costs arent defined simply in monetary terms, they could be described as stress and time spent on resolving a situation. In other words, transaction costs could also have the same definition as opportunity costs. Ellis herd cost Heinz tens of thousands of dollars that were never repaid, and thousands of dollars to other farmers which were also never repaid. However, the costs dont end there. Heinz and his allies spent a lot of time, grief, and money to go out and find people to sign his petition to get Ellis ranch on a closed range ordinance. Ellis did the same, to spend time to find people to sign a petition to keep his range open. The transaction costs in this example are extremely high since Ellis spent a lot of time and grief in attempt to fight Heinz and vice versa. To make the case even more interesting, Ellis was forced to fence off his land, which didnt benefit him in the long run. Therefore, the Coase theorem doesnt apply to this situation. At the same time though, Ellis versus Brennan resulted in an efficient outcome, since Brennan refused to take up Ellis offer of replenishing his supply of hay. There are a few schools of thought who think Coase was wrong in his theory. But, after reading Of Coase and Cattle, it becomes obvious that Ellickson was incorrect in his thesis that Coase was wrong. He is incorrect for a number of reasons, with the main one being that he doesnt take into account the transaction costs for the conflicts that he reports on. The main element of this paper was about Ellis versus Heinz, which proves that Ellickson was incorrect. When the transaction costs are low, the Coase theorem is 100-percent accurate. Ellis versus Brennan is a good example of that, as well as the quotes from ranchers in Shasta County. â€Å"I dont believe in lawyers [because there are] always hard feelings [when you litigate]† was said by Owen Shellworth, a Shasta County rancher. Another quote, by Tony Morton, states â€Å"being good neighbors means no lawsuits.† It is clear that neighbors would be more willing to settle conflicts on their own when the transaction costs are small. However, if the transaction costs are high, as in Heinzs case, the outcome will be inefficient. Of Coase and Cattle is a great read if you want to learn about property rights, dispute settlements, and the Coase theorems application to modern times. Of Coase and Cattle proves that with minimal transaction costs and defined property rights, the Coase theorem is accurate in predicting outcomes.

The African Identity | History and Concepts

The African Identity | History and Concepts According to the Lexicon Webster Dictionary an Identity is referred to as the condition or character that distinguishes a person or a thing (Lexicon Webster, 1981). The main distinguishing conditions or characteristics (the identity) that the slaves had were that they were black and Africans. Africans who were ripped from their homeland and brought into a new world to live under the rule of the white man (Europeans), who believed that they were inferior and whom they viewed as an oppressor. Question, did that Identity survive this oppression? Did that sense of being a proud, black, African get diminished by the slave trade? Agreeably, it would have been hard to maintain that identity, but I strongly believed that the strength of the African people, the strength that made them qualify for the labour required on the plantations, was the same strength they tapped into to hold on to every sense of I am an African. In this paper I would present ways in which they slaves would have been ab le to embosom the African Identity and reasons why many would think it was lost. Also I would confer the evidence present today to support that this identity survived long enough to have been transferred from generation to generation and is today, very present in the lives of the offspring of slaves. The slaves had to struggle to hold on to their Identity; a struggle that started as they were being forced from their homelands (Clarke, 1995). This struggle continued in the Americas. It was a brutal but not fatal assault of the black African slaves sense of self. They were being forced to accept a new identity; but did they really? Or was it just an idea? Although the slave masters restricted all forms or African culture from being practised and enforced their cultures, the slaves found creative ways of resisting this. A simple method such as masking it under the practises of the whites at least to keep some semblance of it alive was adopted (Saharan Vibe, 2007). Yes it would have been hard to maintain identities given that they were punished for doing so. However there are times when they could have interacted without the watchful eye of the slave master catching them (at nights, at church). There was always a defiant few whose bond to the sense of African identity was so strong that even these minimal moments were used to resist against the whites by keeping alive any forms of the identity possible and at least pass it on to other generations when they can (Lashington, 2011). There are numerous practises that we engage in today in the Caribbean and the Americas that are deeply rooted in African culture that even we dont realize. These support the fact that the Identity survived and lives today. It was so prominent it was called Africanism, the fight of the Africans to keep Africa Alive. This they did in different cultural Expressions: Religion, Music, Dance, Festival, Folk tales, Language, and customs. The extent to which the culture was kept alive was different from island to island because of the time the plantation system was started in the particular island and how many slaves were there (Phillip, 2010). I can personally attest to having participating in various expressions of traditional African culture. As a dancer I have been privy to learning the Bele dances a native African dance that is usually danced to the music of drums, shack shacks and sticks; a totally African combination. The Religion: having relatives that actively worship as Spiritual Baptist I was exposed to the Shango and Saraca which was accompanied by the same African instruments. I have witnessed customs such as the placing of black and red or blue Maljo beads on babies when born to ward of the evil spirits and attended many wakes in my short lifetime. I was taught in school of the Anansi stories that originate from Western Africa and other Moral stories. I have been in a su su before and have had many days of eating Ashum around all saints time. If I have experienced and is still experiencing elements of African culture today, how is it that it is said to have not survive the slave trade (Phillip, 2010). The foods we eat also stems from the African Identity. Examples of this are the ground provisions and salt fish (though the salt fish is more associated with slavery rather than African culture) but it was passed down. Going to the market early on a Saturday is another trait (Phillip, 2010). To focus on the expression of music to show how strongly some aspects were kept as compared to others. Just as music was used as a form of communication for the slaves during colonialism so it is today in the form of Calypso (especially in Trinidad) as social commentary and Reggae (mainly in Jamaica) is used to protest against forms of oppression. In some islands/colonies because the African music was not freely allowed there was a dilution with that of the Europeans. The same was for the language; hence the amalgamation of English and African to give patois in the British colonies and the French and African to give Creole language in the French colonies. The emergence of these new or modified languages did however play a pivotal role in the success of rebellions and resistances that were held in the Caribbean (Take Five, n.d). As a result of the traits of the Africans view that they will one day be free and return to the motherland that has been passed down, we are now experiencing today in the form of reggae music that reeks of the yearning of black people to return to the homeland. Well known reggae artiste Richie Spice in one of his latest albums In the Streets to Africa has two tracks on the album that pay tribute to the African heritage. One such track, Black like tar, where spice sings of being proud to be black and acknowledges Africa as the Motherland. Another of his tracks Motherland Calling sung as a chant to strong drumming music, Spice again acknowledges Africa as the motherland and the belief that even today the motherland is still calling; Africa is still waiting and one day will welcome all her children back home (Rastaman Vibrations, n.d). Then there is the Legendary Bob Marley who fought for black or African liberation from oppression. His songs spoke of Liberation and Unity. In the track Zimbabwe he urged the black man to get up and fight for be freedom/liberation and to have rights. The same for Get up stand up another call to get up and fight for our rights and to never give up on that fight. In another of his tracks Buffalo Soldier the words stolen from Africa, brought to America, fighting on arrival, fighting for survival; recognizes the fact that Africans were forced into slavery and have fought against the oppression of the colonialist systems to keep the African identity alive throughout (Rastaman Vibrations, n.d). The powerful message brought on by his songs continues with Marleys song Chant down Babylon. Babylon to Africans or black people symbolizes the spirit of those who enslave, commit genocide, slave labour and grind the poor less advantage peoples of the world. Marley also recognize the need for unity in the world. With this realization there came songs One love and Africa Unite a call to the people of the world to unite for the betterment of all people; especially Africans as they did during slavery. Lastly, there is the famous Redemption Song- the song of freedom. A song whose intent is to reassure the people that freedom is possible but that they must free minds before true liberation is realized. This is clear evidence that the same spirit of the African slave to be free and to return to their home land Africa still manifest in the lives of the Black people of the Caribbean and the Americas today. The reasons that many believe that this identity did not survive was because the great attempts of the Europeans to suppress any forms of the culture; because of the dehumanization instituted by slavery in the British colonies. These activities distorted the notion of what Africans thought of themselves to be but it did not eradicate it. This was the reason why the slaves rebelled and resisted against the inhumane treatment brought on by the European slave Trade; and the cultural domination it was instituting on the Africans (Bolland, 2002). I agree that there are elements or practices that would have been lost but to say generally that the Identity itself was lost is wrong. If it did not survive why then do we here chant of Kumbayas ringing from black churches today? Why kids are still taught with Anansi stories in the schools? The answer to these questions is simple because these things were passed down from our ancestors; slaves (Saharan Vibe, 2007). Another reason why it is believed that it was virtually impossible for African slaves to have a sense of identity was because it was never really acknowledged and when it was it was misrepresented as the white man was responsible for documentation of it (Clarke, 1995) This wasnt a happening only in the Americas. African history was shaped by external influences for centuries. From the Muslim historians from the eighth to fifteenth centuries to the accounts of European travellers during the age of exploration to the dreadful portrayal of Arica as a continent of eternal blackness by German philosopher G.W. Hegel in the nineteenth century. Thus it has been very difficult even in light of the decolonization movements of the continent. Continuing along that line, even native writers urged Africans themselves to come to terms with African Identity in relation to the wanton violence that had been imposed through post colonialism and that continues to plague Africans in post colonial times. In a painstaking recreation of how the western world created Africa as a historical construction, from backward, hostile and uncivilized portrayed by Hegel into the twentieth century Europes adoption of these older views (LeFlem, 2008). As a result of instances as these coupled with institutions such as the caste system that existed in the colonial plantation days that forced upon the slaves that blacks are inferior to the superior Whites, there was the emergence of a mentality that still lives on that have black people thinking that the white mans country, colour, culture etc is much better than ours (Baker, 2011). It is sometimes very easy when thinking of the African identity to equal it to Caribbean Identity or African American Identity. This is in no way true. If one tries to explain this concept of Caribbean Identity, an apt description of the typical Caribbean person is that he or she is part-African, part-European, part-Asian, part Native American but totally Caribbean; to understand this is to understand creative diversity (Midrelief.com, 2007). Again, this shows the survival of the African Identity; it was amalgamated with other influences (identities) to form the Caribbean Identity (Midrelief.com, 2007). A similar conceptualization can be concluded for African Americans. An important factor in this quest to determine the survival of the slave Africans identity is to understand that it has been exposed to Globalization. I strongly believed the remaining traits of that identity is being further diminished by this phenomenon. The culture that many fought to keep alive for so many years is becoming more and more obsolete by the broken down barriers in communication and travel and the many advances in technology (Take Five, n.d). Conclusion Though slavery raped us of the authenticity and pureness off the rich African culture that was once the boast of any African it was the strength of the African that helped him to keep to the struggle to emancipate himself from the shackles of a colonial legacy and not be captives in that evil system (Take Five, n.d). It is with certainty that I say that the African Identity is very much animate in the lives of many individuals, communities, nations, and continents because it has truly survived the attempts of colonialist to eradicate the sense of Africanism that was kept living in the hearts of the African natives throughout the duration of slavery and is still is present in the everyday lives of this generation whether we are aware of it or not. Agreeably the traces of the culture that is present today shows that it could not have been lost. Diluted? It is possible. Hidden in fusions with practices from colonial countries? Yes. But to say that the African Identity was lost because t hey were not in their homeland is not right (Midrelief.com, 2007). The onus is on us this present generation to keep what has survive to today and/or reformulate with what we learnt about the culture of our ancestors. We need to always remember how truly a proud, courageous, and intelligent people our African ancestors were, and that we must claim their spirit. All that is left is for us to use it to fully emancipate our minds! (Take Five, n.d)

Industry Analysis: Banking Essay example -- Essays Papers

Industry Analysis: Banking The banking industry has come under increasing pessimism of late because of rising short and long-term interest rates. The banking industry's market capitalization made a substantial decline. Most investors are concerned with whether the industry can sustain continued profitability as a result of these factors. Banks have responded in recent years to these problems by diversifying away from interest sensitive products and services. But interest rates are the fundamental aspect of any financial services. Therefore, I believe the financial services industry will be deeply affected by rising interest rates. Banks have experienced good business factors over the past two years. Interest rates were low, credit quality was good, and inflation was low. These factors are usually predictive of the types of earnings banks should report. But good times can't continue because interest rate hikes cause reduced lending activity, damaged credit quality, and reduced values of bond portfolios. Porter's Five Forces Analysis: 1. Rivalry among competing sellers: The banking industry is continuing to restructure and position itself for our changing economy as a result, many mega-mergers have occurred in recent years. Citicorp and Travelers Insurance agreed to merge in April 1998 at a value of $70 billion. Bank of America and Nation's Bank also agreed to merge shortly afterwards which became the largest bank in the United States. Bank merg...

Emancipation :: essays research papers

Emancipation has been defined as the pursuit, expansion, and security of freedom. I believe that most people including myself would say successful emancipation has taken place when freedom has been pursued, expanded upon, and secured. What makes peoples views of emancipation different is not its definition, but what is freedom? Freedom shows a lot of faces throughout the times and environments studied in both the Haitian and Jamaican Revolutions. Freedom for myself is a peace of mind. I feel that a person who wakes up with a peace of mind has experienced successful emancipation. Successful emancipation does not mean that everything is perfect and the way it should be. Perfection does not exist in this world; everything has its flaws and downfalls including emancipation, justice, and freedom. I think we all work towards the day we have established who we are and find comfort with our role in society. I also feel it is hard for us to be as thoughtful and passionate about emancipation as the slaves of these times were. Our minds can’t conceive the true feeling of what is like to be treated like something other than a human being. I feel our lifestyles are far beyond a slave’s view of what emancipation is. Slaves in both Haiti and Jamaica did not rebel in order to live a lifestyle we live today. They were willing to settle for far less than we have today. Slaves were willing to die in order to experience what they felt was successful emancipation. Successful emancipation for slaves was not be confounded to land or owned by whites. Slaves simply wanted the opportunity to work their own land, start families, and enjoy life. Although most people in Haiti and Jamaica of African descent were slaves, there was a small minority of free people, which consisted of mulattos and free blacks. Even though these free people witnessed first hand the experienced of slavery the compassion and empathy for it was definitely disappointing. Their understanding of emancipation was totally different than that of slaves. The free people already experienced and had what slaves desired and viewed as emancipation. Free people had their own land to farm, build houses on, and start families. Thus giving them a totally different perspective on emancipation and freedom. Despite free people had their own land, they still were not close to sharing the same rights as the whites.

The Philosophy of Filipino Culture

Philosophy of Filipino Culture May 20, 2010 Crossing Cultures: A Philosophical Reflection on Filipino Culture and Cultural Transition Experienced by Third Culture Kids Oh it's a mystery to me. We have a greed, with which we have agreed†¦ and you think you have to want more than you need†¦ until you have it all, you won't be free. Society, you're a crazy breed. I hope you're not lonely, without me. – Eddie Vedder (Society) In a world that is becoming increasingly smaller as globalization takes its universal toll on countries and cultures, the sentiments expressed in the lyrics of this song often resonate with the individual trying to find a sense of identity through society and feeling overwhelmed by it. As we have learned in class, an individual tries to concretize him/herself by acting in the world as a â€Å"dynamic X. † This characteristic, as explained by Max Scheller, is a universal factor inherent in everyone that drives us as humans to try to find our identity in a world that is constantly changing around us. Being a â€Å"Dynamic X† we ourselves are constantly changing, and we triangulate our sense of identity by comparing ourselves to the society around us to try and develop a sense of who we are through achievement, careers, personal preference of music, movies, literature and – most importantly – our name. It is through our name that we present ourselves and our capacity for historicity to the world. It is also through our name that we are known and recognized as part of a society. Considering the inherent characteristic of being a â€Å"Dynamic X† and how we use it to derive a ense of identity, the most influential factor which we use as a reference to triangulate our identity is culture. Culture, as we have learned in class, tells us how to be a person amongst others. The culture to which we are born into is something that we are affected by without having a conscious choice in how it affects us. As we develop into adults, we imbibe the cultural values, c ustoms and traits around us and form who we are through them. This process of imbibing a culture is forever ongoing, giving merit to the characteristic of being a â€Å"Dynamic X†. In its most general definition, culture can be seen as a code of systems and meanings which are unique amongst different diversities of people. Generally, most people are born and raised in one dominant culture to which they identify with as their own. Reflecting on this definition of culture and how we go about imbibing it as we develop our sense of identity, the question that this paper will attempt to answer is â€Å"what happens if a person grows up in several different cultures and how does it affect their own sense of identity? Falling into this unique and growing demographic, I personally have experienced growing up in several different cultures around the world. Being the son of a missionary couple, I have lived in three drastically different countries and cultures throughout my life. Having spent my early childhood years living in Jos, Nigeria, I assimilated into my identity certain â€Å"African† characteristics that I still feel have a hold on who I am today. Spending the bulk of my educational and developmental years here in the Philippines, I have also categorized my identity as being half-Filipino, an epiphany of sorts that only took place in my life after having experienced life alone in Philadelphia, PA U. S. A. All my life I have grown up with the mentality that the U. S is my â€Å"home. † Even though my mother is a full blooded Filipina, we were conditioned as children to believe that the U. S is where we would ultimately settle. This shaped my sense of identity significantly while growing up as I utomatically assumed that because I was an American citizen at birth I was 100% American. All that changed, however, when I graduated high school here in the Philippines and started college in the U. S. I soon found myself to be far different from the Americans around me. Several aspects of American culture, one that I associated as my own growing up, became increasingly difficult to relate to. I finally decided during my sophomor e year in college to move back to the Philippines to finish my studies. I regard that decision as one of the best ones I have made in my life. As I moved back here however, I also felt a severe distance and separation from the culture around me. This feeling led me to the realization that I was considerably different from people born exclusively into Filipino and American cultures. It was during my first months living back here that I realized I was a textbook example of what is known as a Third Culture Kid. According to sociologists David C. Pollock and Ruth E. Van Reken, a â€Å"Third Culture Kid (TCK) is a person who has spent a signfificant part of his or her developmental years outside the parent’s culture. The TCK builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership in any. Although elements from each culture are assimilated into the TCK’s life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of similar background. † Throughout the last half of the 20th century, the TCK demographic has been growing significantly as international travel and commerce have been made extremely convenient. Being a type of identity, however, the TCK experience does not fully encapsulate what it means to be an individual, as the second sentence in the definition above points out. Lacking the option to â€Å"own† a culture or be fully recognized as a member of a society definitely affects the sense of individual identity of the TCK growing up. As experienced by me, the longing to be a fully integrated member of a culture or society can create extreme insecurities and dysfunctions in a person if they do not focus on the advantages of what a TCK identity has to offer the world. Using my TCK identity as a framework for understanding the Filipino culture, hich I consider now to be the closest to my heart in terms of who I am, I will attempt to reflect on certain aspects of it that I found difficult to relate with and transition into my own sense of identity. Looking at these difficulties I experienced while transitioning back into the Filipino culture, a better sense of who I am – the fundamental question of philosophy – can be achieved. Also, in regarding these observations as lessons learned on my part, I can better understand how I interact and deal with people here in the Philippines, which has been a longing of mine for quite some time now. The first aspect of Filipino culture that struck me as cultural barrier was Language. Even though I grew up here in the Philippines for the majority of my life, I was raised in an English speaking home and school system. Although I can understand Tagalog fluently, and speak it well enough to get around the city and hold casual conversations, my accent is what ultimately distinguishes me apart from other Filipinos. Filipino culture, while heavily influenced by American culture, is at the point were to fluently spoken English is somewhat looked down upon by the majority of the masses living here. A reason for this can obviously be found in the shift from English to Tagalog as the language used in the educational system that took place a couple decades ago. This attitude towards English speakers has also been enhanced due to the rise in BPO and call centers here in Manila. Having trained communication skills in two different call centers here, I can say with conviction that people who work there, a large and growing percentage of workers aged 19-35, have a subtle disdain for the language that makes it difficult for fluent speakers of English to be accepted as members of this culture and society. This, obviously makes sense since the national language of this country is and should always be Tagalog. It does, however, create difficulties when trying to transition into this culture; difficulties aided all the more by the fact that casual joking about English speakers (i. e. nosebleed jokes etc) have practically become a social norm. ( Reflecting on this cultural barrier as a TCK and Filipino citizen, I’ve come to realize the importance of language as a tool for the transmission of culture and values, as was stated in Berger and Lukmann’s article on Institutionalism. Having undergone two years of being made fun of (lightly) for my Kano accent while speaking Tagalog, I have also realized that my identity as a TCK can adapt to the cultural bantering with a healthier attitude now days. I no longer feel insecure about my â€Å"baluktot† Tagalog and have come to accept that the Filipino culture pokes fun of me without any malice – a characteristic of our culture that I have come to admire. Another aspect of the Filipino culture that I have had difficulty relating to and integrating into my own identity is the Shame-based aspect of it. Having gone to an American based international school system, my attitude towards confrontation and humor was definitively American. This differs drastically from the Filipino culture, where shame is regarded as the ultimate social taboo. In American culture, there is a mutual understanding that confrontation and directness is the norm when addressing issues between people. This trickles down into the humor of Americans, which is based on practical jokes and oriented more towards embarrassment. This difference in mentality can create a lot of offense to Filipinos. On the other hand, the shame based cultural aspect of the Philippines can also create confusion to Filipino-Americans like me, who have experienced instances where a â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no† might not necessarily mean it. The confusion caused by this aspect of Filipino culture has dissipated over the time I’ve spent integrating myself into it. I feel now that my humor is more Filipino than American, and I can understand the dynamics of the shame based culture works. In general, I feel that overcoming this transition into Filipino culture has significantly helped me understand who I am as a Filipino-American. All in all, these aspects of Filipino culture, which have been overcome and assimilated by me have made me realize how much my identity is inclined and oriented towards this culture. Another aspect of culture that we learned about in class was that it changes after behavior changes. Being passed down from generation to generation, this characteristic also defines culture as constantly changing. The most significant realization that occurred to me about my identity as a TCK in relation to this definition of culture was that I have been more prepared to adapt and tackle change. As technology develops faster and faster, the rate of change in cultures worldwide increases. The unique advantage that I have as a TCK is that change and transition has been occurring in my life ever since I could remember. With the culture of ours gradually morphing into a culture of pressure to achieve, others who are not used to change and transition might not handle it as well as I can. This is the main advantage of being influenced by multiple cultures while growing up and I can say that as the world continues to demand individual responses to change, I am perhaps better equipped to handling them because of my TCK experience.

Natural Hair and the Lack of Hair Care Essay

Natural pilus has be start very popular among African American women, myself included, within the last x years. Finding the whisker give cargon crossroads required is al more or less impossible. There are no commercials on important stream TV or advertisements in magazines. If you want to manage anything about what products are avail suitable, the meshing is your ruff bet. With the help of Natural Hair bloggers and the YouTube vloggers, who created their carry to dish out selective information, women with cancel tomentum cerebri bemuse been able to get the necessary information on what products are available to them for use. Bloggers and vloggers peck products from different companies, review them, and then share their experiences with opposites in the natural hair community. These weensyer companies assist the bloggers and vloggers in hopes they provide an portentous review of their product, which in turn, leads to reaching the customers of their taper market. E ventually the larger companies soon natter this as a way to set up their products as well and followed suit.Pros of the IssueThe meshing and social media hand opened promotional doors for small companies such as Sundials Shea Moisture Hair Care crinkle and Mixed Chicks. These are just both companies who have a market respite in natural hair tutelage products. By sending samples to bloggers and vloggers, customers with natural hair started to inquire about their products at the local anaesthetic retail stores. Not long after, initially we began to see print ads in magazines targeting African American women, like Essence, Ebony and Jet. As the market started to grow ads began appearing in more than mainstream magazines like Womans Day, Allure, and eventually mainstream television.Commercials began to air on station like BET, TV One and Centric, which are geared to the African American community. A major promotional boost for these small companies came in 2010 and again in 2 011as iodine of the largest retail chains in the country, Target, invited companies that were selling merchandise on line to come and provide a presentation on their products, with the possibly of macrocosm picked up for sale in Target stores. Target resolved to showcase six natural hair care brands, placing them in prominent vagabond on the aisle and away from other ethnic hair products to allow them to stick up out (http//www.bloomberg.com/bw/ phrase/2013-06-20/startups-target).With the triumph natural hair care product companies were having, larger companies like LOral and Procter & Gamble, who ruled the $7 meg U.S. hair care market, decided to sum the curl trend. Because theyve cultivated a divided sense of identity with their customers, the smaller own companies continue to dominate (http//www.bloomberg.com/bw/article/2013-06-20/startups-target).Cons of the IssueWhen the major hair care companies realized that natural hair for African American women was here to stay they wanted a piece of the action and jumped into the natural hair care market. With more specie and larger advertising departments, the larger companies were able to hire advertising firms to produce bloom nonch commercials and print ads to for the market. Their ads were seen on main stream television and in more main stream magazines when compared to the smaller generally black owned companies. As these smaller companies continue to grow, hopefully so ordain their promotional dollars. There is a emergency for more commercials that will be seen by the masses.My Position on the Issue cosmos of African American decent, and also corroding my hair natural, I remember at the start of my journey the problem of non being able to find products or should I say, the right products to care for my hair. This took me to the internet and YouTube where there are lots of hoi polloi promotingproducts for natural hair care. Products are being used and reviewed for both the smaller compani es and more or less of the larger ones. I would love to see more promotion from both sizes of companies on main stream basic television.As the natural hair community continues to grow, the require for products will also grow. By not advertising across all spectrums of ad media, companies are missing a unit of measurement target market. I purchase most of the things I do, because I either have seen a commercial or by word of mouth. Perreault, Cannon & McCarthy (2010) tell us that Promotion is communicating information between the seller and potential buyer or others in the channel to influence attitudes and behavior.ReferencesDwoskin, E. (2013, June 20). Yale and Evin Bloomberg violin Home. Retrieved from http//www.bloomberg.com/bw/article/2013-06-20/startups-target Perreault, Jr., W. D., Cannon, J. P., & McCarthy, E. J. (2010). Promotion-Introduction to Integrated market Communications. In Essentials of Marketing (12th ed., p. 322). New York, NY McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

The Effects of Drugs on Our Society and Youths

While most quite a little character medicines to help, some discern to aversion them. This is what leads to curse, and it affects our kids and high society. The increasing phenomenon of drug ab physical exercise in society impacts American society in ways that economically cost society almost $100 billion a year. Illegal drug use has to sack It hurts the society, it hurts us, and mainly, it hurts the user. Drug users feed of societys money, insurance, and taxes. If we let this behavior continue the crime appreciate will shoot thrash about high. Drug use has increased oer the years at an alarming rate and can be fatal to a soulfulnesss health.In this paper, I take overnt chosen to clarify on any particular drug just drugs in general and the do they have on our society and our youths. A survey was conducted and showed that most people put it to be true that youths between the of 14-22 use recreational drugs. Recreational drugs atomic number 18 non limited to any partic ular company in society, meaning that a precise wide variety of people choose to use the drugs including immaturers, parents, business people, and often very dedicated students.As we possess an bet in how drugs affect a matter of social groups. These groups range from teens to high-class remote individuals who will have different reasons. It is broadly speaking known that most drugs do have negative returns on people. No matter race, sex, or age. Addiction is unreasoning Drugs are substances used without medical watch to alter a persons feelings, or behavior, especially teens with a family history of substance abuse. Most drug use begins in the preteen and teenage years.During these years, teens are faced with difficult tasks of discovering their self-identity, learning to recognise with authority, and searching for something positive that would give their life meaning. One of the most important reasons of teenage drug usage, is peer pressure. This is what represents s ocial influences that effect teens. It could have a negative or positive effect, depending on a persons social group. References The Journal of proterozoic Adolescence, Vol. 14, No. 1, 24-48 (1994), Retrieved August 4, 2009 from http/drugsandyouth. adolescence. com