The Concept of Modern State Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Concept of Modern State - Essay Example Although the majority of modern states fit Weber’s definition there are also some states with characteristics that do not fit Weber’s description. For example, failure of the state to have a total monopoly over ‘the means of legitimate physical violence over a definite territory’ or absence of any reasons for addressing the legitimacy of such monopoly as rational-legal does not necessarily mean that the state represents another form of political organization. This state will still noticeably differ from its predecessors (feudal and absolutist states) particularly such aspects as the degree of bureaucratization and the reliance on nationalism as a principle of legitimation (Jackson & Rosberg 1982).Formation and Attributes of the Modern StateThe basic attributes of the modern state developed over centuries. Emergence of the modern state in its current form was preceded by a series of gradual political, economic, cultural and social developments which began in Europe around the 15th century. At that time the largest European states such as England, France and Spain ruled by powerful dynasties underwent the process of centralisation of political and economic levers of control. The centralization involved the delineation of political boundaries when the increasingly powerful dynasties gradually eliminated other sources of power that might threaten their controls. Eventually once-almighty Catholic Church as well as the lesser nobility lost much of their power.... or addressing the legitimacy of such monopoly as rational-legal does not necessarily mean that the state represents another form of political organization. This state will still noticeably differ from its predecessors (feudal and absolutist states) particularly such aspects as the degree of bureaucratization and the reliance on nationalism as a principle of legitimation (Jackson & Rosberg 1982). Formation and Attributes of the Modern State The basic attributes of the modern state developed over centuries. Emergence of the modern state in its current form was preceded by a series of gradual political, economic, cultural and social developments which began in Europe around the 15th century. At that time the largest European states such as England, France and Spain ruled by powerful dynasties underwent the process of centralisation of political and economic levers of control. The centralization involved the delineation of political boundaries when the increasingly powerful dynasties gradually eliminated other sources of power that might threaten their controls. Eventually once-almighty Catholic Church as well as the lesser nobility lost much of their power, and the fragmented system of feudal states was replaced by another system characterised by full control over a definite geographical region and unitarism (Llewellen 1983). The political and religious conflicts that occurred within the course of the centralisation process culminated in the Peace of Westphalia (1648). This treaty is considered one of the important milestones in history of the contemporary system of nation-states: the Peace recognised fixed national boundaries and the sovereignty of states within their territories. Eventually, the system of centralized and increasingly bureaucratic rule known as

Benefits of Family Counseling Essay Example for Free

Benefits of Family Counseling Essay This is a very arguable statement, and there are many reasons for it to be. I believe that the reasons for family counseling completely out weight the reasons why some families shouldnt participate in it. Family counseling is often looked at as a tool to help families with problems, but counseling can be helpful to everyone. Counselors try to help with all scenarios of life, work, school, friends, etc. Even if you are a pretty balanced person you can still get tips from a professional, whether your family has been through a major turmoil, or could simply gain from refining their communication skills with each other. Counseling can be a way to help everyone in a family. Therapy for children as well as parents can help reduce all types of stresses for everyone involved. Major abuses, little arguments, as well as general venting can all be addressed in a calmer, quieter atmosphere. These are just a few reasons why every family should attend counseling. By attending counseling it can help children learn how to deal with tough situations, strengthen communication, and overcome differences. We all have to face obstacles in our lives and some of them can be pretty tough. To teach children, through adolescence to adulthood, skills to deal with tough situations could mean the difference and difficulties in how many college graduates there are, how many overcome poverty, and how families are in a secure loving environment. Teaching youth to face their difficulties instead of running or quitting is highly important, and should be one of the emphasized parts of school. In our society many people think that if things are hard for them, obviously it is not something that they should be doing. I think that with the guidance and some positive reinforcement that people can learn to overcome their difficulties. Being in a new situation or learning new skills is hard and everyone struggles. Because we allow teens to quit, many young adults decide not to attend college. They often feel that since they didn’t do well in high school college would be too difficult. With parents and a professional both helping kids to overcome difficulties at an early age it will instill within them that obstacles are just a part of life that they have to overcome; quitting is not an option. Many times kids learn how to deal with differences from their parents or other people around them. A lot of parents yell and show anger when they are mad at their spouse or their boss, or even their children. Cartoons normally deal with problems through violence and teachers even yell at kids. All of this teaches children that it is okay to act with anger and violence, and that these are solutions to their problems. Then parents get mad at them for mimicking them and their environment, and then what happens? Most of the time parents show more anger, yelling, and sometimes use violence to correct them. With all of this, I believe that it’d be nice to have a professional help parents in order to teach them the proper way of disciplining without aggression, and to help children learn the right way of solving their everyday problems. Communication and discipline problems between parents and children are very common and can lead to marital problems as well. Divorce and the creation of stepfamilies also create difficulties. Often, the partners themselves are the problem because of poor communication, continuous conflict, sexual problems or even in-law problems. If a low income mother and child had counseling how do you think it would affect them? I think that not only would the child benefit from it, but it may even teach the mother what is possible for her: a better job, how to find a stronger more secure relationship, and how to teach her child. The child would learn skills, and by doing so, set goals for future achievements. With the help of a counselor and a well taught mother, the probability of the child may doing crime, selling or using drugs, participating in a gang, or living in prison, is significantly lower. Strengthening communication skills is also important, often time teens can be to out spoken and not think before they say something that can hurt someone feelings. Other times teens can be really shy and not open up to anyone. Communication skills are fundamental, and should be worked on. Communication is a skill that will have to be worked on throughout life because in different environments different communication skills will be needed. The biggest negative about family counseling is the cost. There would probably be families or certain people in the family that did not contribute in the experience, which means that the counseling would have little or no effect on their lives. Another downside is that it is possible in the environment to focus on one person and blame them for certain family problems. I am sure that there are other negatives about family counseling but in my opinion nothing really significant. I think that the government can use add to schooling tax dollars and use some of it for this program. Regardless if all families and all family members use the program to benefit, I think many people Family counseling relates to the narratives in many ways. Some of the families experience a death, others have parents get divorced, or teens getting pregnant and having a baby. I think counseling could help with these major emotional distresses, and also help with the everyday problems that some of the other narratives experience as well. The narrative represent just a few people in our society, but I believe that they, like most people, could use a little more guidance to stay on a stable, successful path with strong relationships and a positive knowing belief in themselves. I think this program should be financially supported from the government. It should become a law in which I think will ultimately preserve our rights and freewill. Laws are being passed all the time that conflict with our constitution and with crime and fear spreading epidemically it’s just a matter of time before most citizens will give the government complete control in order to stop the chaos. The foundation of this country is crumbling and I think it is time to reinforce it, so that we can continue to follow the path of our dreams, and not fall like every great kingdom in the past. I believe to stay as a free country, and a prosperous nation thing have to change, in fact many things will probably have to change. I think my idea of a professional guiding both, parents to raise their kids and to help lead kids to overcome difficulties is a good starting place for a significant change in this country. I think that counseling could help with every family, even if it is just to bring them closer together. Whether it is a stable family, or a family with stepparents and stepsiblings, that need to learn that these people are now someone that is going to always be around, and are in the same situation. They can learn from one another and become close like real family. From family counseling our society maybe better educated, more responsible, less violent, more dependable, and have a stronger sense of belonging.

Black Americans Essay -- American History

Black Americans Black Americans are those persons in the United States who trace their ancestry to members of the Negroid race in Africa. They have at various times in United States history been referred to as African, coloured, Negro, Afro-American, and African-American, as well as black. The black population of the United States has grown from three-quarters of a million in 1790 to nearly 30 million in 1990. As a percentage of the total population, blacks declined from 19.3 in 1790 to 9.7 in 1930. A modest percentage increase has occurred since that time. Over the past 300 and more years in the United States, considerable racial mixture has taken place between persons of African descent and those with other racial backgrounds, mainly of white European or American Indian ancestry. Shades of skin colour range from dark brown to ivory. In body type black Americans range from short and stocky to tall and lean. Nose shapes vary from aquiline to extremely broad and flat; hair colour from medium brown to brown black; and hair texture from tightly curled to limp and straight. Historically, the predominant attitude toward racial group membership in the United States has been that persons having any black African ancestry are considered to be black. In some parts of the United States, especially in the antebellum South, laws were written to define racial group membership in this way, generally to the detriment of those who were not Caucasian. It is important to note, however, that ancestry and physical characteristics are only part of what has set black Americans apart as a distinct group. The concept of race, as it applies to the black minority in the United States, is as much a social and political concept as a biological one. Blacks Under Slavery: 1600-1865 The first Africans in the New World arrived with Spanish and Portuguese explorers and settlers. By 1600 an estimated 275,000 Africans, both free and slave, were in Central and South America and the Caribbean area. Africans first arrived in the area that became the United States in 1619, when a handful of captives were sold by the captain of a Dutch man-of-war to settlers at JAMESTOWN. Others were brought in increasing numbers to fill the desire for labour in a country where land was plentiful and labour scarce. By the end of the 17th century, approximately 1,300,000 Africans had landed in the New World... ...r education for blacks, and for the first time black students began to appear in colleges that had previously been all white. In the 1970s the percentage of blacks attending college increased markedly, but in the 1980s blacks lost ground. Although desegregation of the public schools in the South proceeded slowly for the first decade after the Brown v. Board of Education decision, by 1969 school districts in every state were at least in token compliance with the 1954 ruling. By that time all forms of de jure segregation had been struck down by the courts. De facto school segregation continued, however, in large part because the communities the schools served were segregated in their residential patterns. This was particularly true in large urban areas and more prevalent in the North than in the South. One method adopted to overcome such segregation was to bus children across school district lines in order to achieve racial balance in the schools. This caused major controversy and led to instances of violent opposition . The overwhelming majority of black children now attend formally integrated schools, although they may have little contact with white pupils even within the schools.

Eagle Machine Company Essay

EAGLE MACHINE COMPANY The Eagle Machine Company has fallen on bad times. Eagle, a maker of specialty restaurant equipment, has sales totaling $72 million, but sales are declining while costs continue to increase. If things continue in this direction, Eagle soon may have to close its doors. At a special management meeting, the president lays it on the line! He demands that the firm break even in the remaining quarter of the year. For next year, he calls for profits of 5 percent, a 20 percent increase in sales, and deeper cuts in labor, material, and overhead. Later in the day, the president calls Sally Stone, director of supply management, in for a discussion. â€Å"Sally, I want your supply management people to carry the ball at the start of the game. We can’t get sales moving for six months. But you can improve your housekeeping—and Eagle’s profits—right away. Just think what you can do to that chart! Every penny you save is profit! So take a close look at what you buy. I don’t care how you make your savings—by negotiations, inventories, imports, anything. But put the screws on tight—right away! â€Å"Start with inventories, they’re sky-high. So get together with manufacturing on a 10 percent cut! We’ve got $12 million worth of materials stashed away around here, and a 10 percent cut would save at least $300,000 a year in carrying charges. At the same time, get your payroll and operating expenses down 10 percent. That is in line with our companywide cutback. I know this hurts, Sally, because you’ve got some mighty fine people here in supply management, but we can’t be sentimental these days. Our overhead has got to come down—or we’re dead! â€Å"I’m having an executive committee meeting in one week. Have your plans ready by that time! We’re betting on you, Sally. Sally reports to the president, as do other department heads. Sally learns from inventory control that raw stock inventory is $12. 2 million. The marketing manager controls finished goods stocks. Sally wonders how she can deliver the cost reduction and still keep her department and supplier relations in shape for the long pull. 1. What actions should Sally take to reduce inventories by 10 percent? 2. What dangers, if any, are there in reducing inventories? 3. In what ways could the cost of goods purchased be reduced? 4. What position should Sally take on the president’s plan to reduce the supply management payroll by 10 percent?

IKEA †Case Study Essay

Synopsis of the situation IKEA (Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd) is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture, appliances and home accessories. The company is now the world’s largest furniture retailer. IKEA was founded in 1943 by 17-year-old Ingvar Kamprad in Sweden, named as an acronym comprising the initials of the founder’s name (Ingvar Kamprad), the farm where he grew up (Elmtaryd), and his home parish. Kamprad started the company at his home as a mail order company. He sold goods which he purchased from low priced sources and then advertized in a newsletter to local shopkeepers. In 1948 he added in his catalogue furniture. Furniture was a success so he gave up the small items and focused only on furniture. In 1951 he opened the first display store in nearby Almhult where the customers could preview and inspect products and then order from the catalogue. This was also an immediate success as people travelled even from Stockholm to visit the store. This led IKEA to stop accepting mail orders. Now, the IKEA strategy is to publish a yearly catalogue, distribute it to the clients and encourage them to visit the store name (Barlett, Ghoshal, & Beamish, 2008). The sales take off in the late 50s led IKEA to look abroad for new sources of supply as the local industry could not respond to the demand. In 1961, IKEA outsourced production to furniture factories in Poland. Poland became IKEAs largest source and lowered significantly the production costs. This allowed IKEA to reduce its prices even more. The success in Poland led IKEA to adopt a general principle that it should mot own its means of production but should look for suppliers with whom it should develop close long term relationships. Building on the first store’s success, the first store in Stockholm opened in 1965. Even before that, in 1963, IKEA operated a store in Oslo. Other  countries followed and today IKEA operates 313 stores in 38 countries, most of them in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia (IKEA, 2010). Some of IKEAs competitive advantages are that the brand is associated with simple, low cost,  stylish products. The concept was furnishing products and house-wares that had wide appeal to a variety of markets and segments, both consumer and the business market exclusively. Both markets were looking for well styled, high quality furniture that reasonably priced and readily available. Also, IKEA developed a model for the business, where it was able to keep costs low. From the customer point of view, they were able to buy low cost furniture, even though they had to assemble and collect the flat-packed furniture from stores. IKEA to was able to reduce costs, as this costly part of the value chain was carried out by the customer. Adding to that, IKEA promoted the Swedish lifestyle. Many people associate Sweden with a fresh, healthy way of life. This Swedish lifestyle is reflected in the IKEA product range. The freshness of the open air is reflected in the colors and materials used and the sense of space they create: blond woods, natural textiles and untreated surfaces. Also IKEA stores promote Swedish food and products. IKEAs low-priced restaurant and grocery shop have made IKEA Sweden’s leading food exporter. However, global expansion was not without problems for IKEA. During the 1980’s environmental problems arose with some of IKEAs products and during the 1990’s IKEA was accused that its suppliers were using child labor. In the 1980’s the formaldehyde regulations passed in Denmark caused problems to IKEA. After the discovery that some of its products emitted more formaldehyde than the legislation allowed the company was fined. The company responded and established stringent requirements regarding formaldehyde emissions. Even though, the problem did not vanish as in 1992 a German investigation team found that an IKEA bookcase had higher emissions that the ones allowed by the German law. Since then, IKEA has improved its procedures to evaluate the environmental impact of its products. Currently, IKEA uses a tool called the ‘e-Wheel’ to evaluate the environmental impact of its products. The e-Wheel  helps IKEA to analyze the four stages within the life of a product. This also helps suppliers improve their understanding of the environmental impact of the products they are supplying (The Times 100). Next, the issue with child labor arose in 1994 when a Swedish television documentary showed children in Pakistan working at weaving looms. IKEA was one of the several Swedish companies that were mentioned as importers of carpets from Pakistan. IKEA was unaware of the problem and tried to respond by sending a legal team to Geneva  for input and advice from the International Labor. Association(ILO). IKEA discovered that child labor was not illegal in these countries so the only way to handle the problem was by adding a clause for child labor in their contracts and outsource the monitoring of this clause to a third party company. But it seems that this measure was not effective enough, as in 2007, Anders Dahlvig, the multi-national’s Chief Executive Officer, admitted that some of the company’s products were still produced using child labor (Wadsworth, 2007). Key Issues and Players The key players in this case are the IKEA company and its suppliers. In order to keep its competitive advantage IKEA outsources its product manufacturing to third party suppliers throughout the world. But, this practice is often the source of many issues. Many times the legislation in these countries does not match the standards and the ethical values of the western developed countries which are the main customer base of the company. This fact can cause issues like weak environmental policies or child labor that hurt the public image of the company. This has direct effect on the company’s sales. Problem The main problem that IKEA faces nowadays is the uncontrolled child labor in countries which supply the company with carpets. Child labor in countries like India and Pakistan is a common phenomenon. The company lacks effective ways to control its suppliers in these countries. At the same time, child  labor is socially acceptable in these places as poverty pushes people to find ways to survive. So the company cannot rely on the local authorities for help. Also, any attempts on behalf of IKEA to control this issue didn’t seem to succeed. Alternative Solutions A possible solution for controlling the child labor for IKEA is to cancel any contracts with suppliers in countries that do not adopt the convention 138 of ILO, that deals with the child labor issues. This way IKEA will be able to get assistance for child labor issues from local authorities since it will be prohibited by local laws. Another solution would be to come to more strict agreements with the suppliers and launch intensive controls for the effectuation of the agreement. Selected Solution The selected solution is IKEA to enhance its agreements with the suppliers and intensify its controls against child labor. The company should appoint inspectors in these countries that would inspect the suppliers and report the situation on frequent basis Results and Rationale of the Solution The cancelation of the contracts does not seem a rational choice at the moment because it will have a big cost for the company. The company will need to find new suppliers in other countries with higher labor cost and doubtable product quality. This is a move with higher risk and cost that the selected solution. Positive and Negative Results The positive results of the selected solution are that the child labor issues will decrease and the company’s profile will be protected. The negative results are that the company’s cost will increase as inspection staff will be hired to perform the inspections and some contracts will need to be canceled due to failure to adhere to the conditions of the contract by the suppliers References Barlett, C., Ghoshal, S., & Beamish, P. (2008). Transnational Management. Singapore: McGraw-Hill. Building a sustainable supply chain. (n.d.). Retrieved November 27, 2010, from The Times 100: http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/case-study–building-a-sustainable-supply-chain–110-279-3.php IKEA. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2010, from IKEA: http://www.ikea.com/ms/sv_SE/about_ikea/facts_and_figures/ikea_group_stores/index.html Wadsworth, M. (2007, May 22). IKEA exposed over ‘child Labour’ and green issues. Retrieved November 27, 2010, from The Latest: http://www.the-latest.com/ikea-slammed-over-child-labour-andgreen-issues