Assignment #1:  Entrepreneurial Leadership

Assignment #1:   Entrepreneurial  Leadership A Company cannot be innovative and competitive without understanding the importance of leadership. There are three main points to identify leadership which are, having people to lead, having certain skills to reach company's objectives, being focused on and accomplishing goals. In being a leader one possess quality and empowerment. In relation to leadership in a company, three outstanding renowned leaders are, Victor Kiam, Sergey Brin and Larry Page Victor, Kiam, has been known around the world for his vastly flourishing advertising campaign as the man â€Å"who liked the Remington Shaver so much, he bought the company. † But Victor Kiam is much more than a TV spokesperson-he is the man who took a money-losing corporation and quadrupled its sales and turned it around. He is a classic example of a successful leader and entrepreneur. Kiam demonstrates the democratic leadership style, by not only creating a great company all by himself but allowing others input, in helping make decisions for the corporation. The approach to the major business principles of a profit-oriented entrepreneurial in relation to Kiam gives way to the role of entrepreneur being crucial and critical in the context of building the enterprise. He plays many roles linking human resources, finance, production, marketing, operations, research and development and overseeing the same with a broad and big picture. He networks with bankers, major clients, suppliers and others thereby ensuring smooth functioning of the enterprise. Kiam identifies the opportunity, builds the base and leads the organization by attracting and retaining the precious human resources. He usually looks at the niche areas and goes by the road less traveled. In the sense, in order to have the goal of providing a great product and to make a profit he looks for novel and innovative methods so as to try and work out his idea. Kiam is an innovator, creator, risk taker and leader. A successful entrepreneur is one who senses the opportunities constantly, manages the risk, collaborates effectively for building strong teams, raises the bar, learns from mistakes and failures and constantly innovates and pursues the project with passion till the end. Sergy Brin and Larry Page are known for co-founding Google in 1998, and redefined the way people use the web. Now two of the world's richest people, they still play an active role in the company, encouraging resh approaches to Google's unique culture and its expanding suite of services. One would say Brin and Page’s leadership style is characterized from the participative style known as democratic because both individuals are involved in the decision making process as well as working together to solve situations within the company. Many of the same principles that intuitively guide the collective innovation of the Renaissance are now being deliberately and sy stematically applied within the world’s fastest growing companies. Google as a company still aims to continuously innovate to find new ways to organize and present the information that its users say they need and want. New products like GoogleMaps, GoogleEarth, GoogleNews, GMail, and GoogleDocs continue to keep the company at the forefront of the field. Social Responsibility plays a main part in keeping a business running smoothly The founders of Google, Larry Page and Sergey Brin believe that it is incredibly important for people to have access to information around the world and that this is something that Google can deliver. They have run into issues with foreign governments over censorship, but recently it has not been a major problem. CEO Eric Schmidt predicts that Google will become an unintended central focus around global copyright and ownership legal issues. It is essential for the entrepreneurial leader that people is the most important resource to manage and the most effective to use. Focusing on people, knowing the ways to motivate, inspires, and enabling people to act is what brings the leader to a new dynamic market level. The entrepreneurial leader is to be passionate about what he/she is doing. Every process has to be challenging with a devotion of time and effort. All researches in entrepreneurship view entrepreneurs as innovators. And this is the only way to face increased competitiveness. Innovation today aims at obtaining dominance in a market. When it comes to Victor Kiam who is the most innovative of all US business leaders and who possess, salesman in his bones, he went beyond social responsibility within his company. When Kiam bought the company from Sperry Corporation, Remington it was a loss-making company it was America's dominant electric razor manufacturer. Every salesman knows, a pitch above all has to have the ring of truth. In its first incarnation, the Remington ad featured Kiam in a suit. He notice the unrealistic, he performed the commercial in a bathrobe, only to discover that most American men did not wear a bathrobe when they shaved so he decided to use a towel. As Kiam related in a speech accepting the 1988 Outstanding Business Leader award, â€Å"I draped a towel over my shoulder and covered one breast, as two breasts would have been too much for the American public. † A part of the leadership style of a person is something the person was born with and the other part is formed by multiple factors, such as, society, experience, working environment, and cultural differences. Taking all of these factors in consideration, my leadership style can be described as a combination of democratic leadership and transformational leadership. I believe I posses some of the democratic leadership style characteristics because I make sure my group members are encouraged to share their thoughts, I can lead people around me to better ideas and more creative solutions to problems. Group members also feel more involved and committed to projects, making them more likely to care about the end results. I know I can bring the best out of an experienced and professional team. With being a democratic leader I know it capitalizes on skills and talents by others letting them share their views, rather than simply expecting them to conform. If a decision is very complex and broad, it is important to have the different areas of expertise represented and contributing input this is where democratic leader shines. Research on leadership styles have also shown that democratic leadership leads to higher productivity among group members. Transformational leadership style is also a character I possess. I can create a clear structure of a task that needs to be done always tied together with rewards or punishments. In its ideal form, it creates valuable and positive change in the followers with the end goal of developing followers into leaders. I know that within myself I set the bar and others follow just like, transformational leadership which enhances the motivation, morale and performance of followers through a variety of mechanisms. These include connecting the follower's sense of identity and self to the mission and the collective identity of the organization; being a role model for followers that inspires them, challenging followers to take greater ownership for their work, and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of followers, so the leader can align followers with tasks that optimize their performance. I believe it is critical to use leadership power in a way that makes people depend less on the leader. Arising motivation and a sense of importance in followers plays an important role in leadership. Besides, the high competition and market perspective this makes me aspire after entrepreneurial leadership. The Small Business Administration (SBA) and SCORE are both useful resources for entrepreneurs. The SBA is set in place to provide funding and to provide entrepreneurs with information to assist in business operations. SCORE is a non-profit organization with chapters across the United States which has volunteers that either have been or are presently successful entrepreneurs and executives who give back by sharing their expert business advice. They provide an entrepreneur with a big range of priceless and unique to small business information, basic and general information, laws and regulations, statistics and researches are available to use in order to learn more and be a successful entrepreneur. Information presented and topics discussed make a process of opportunity searching much easier and less time and cost consuming. Furthermore, it has a live chat, blogs, and online advising system that help to find an answer or solve a problem. I will utilize the SBA to secure funding for my business. While the SBA does not make direct loans to businesses, it sets the guidelines for loans, which are then made by lenders, community development organizations, and other lending institutions. SBA guarantees that these loans will be repaid, thus eliminating some of the risk to the lending partners. The SBA also has a variety of training material on topics such as creating business plans, marketing and outreach, laws and regulations, and many other areas. The Small Business Administration will be instrumental in laying the foundation and funding for my business. SCORE will also be utilized to provide guidance and mentorship. I will utilize the expertise of SCORE’s volunteers to give me valuable input on best business practices, effective strategies for success, enthusiasm and support. SCORE also has an assortment of training material ineffective strategies to manage, grow, and finance, business. The Small Business Administration and SCORE both will provide assistance on the keys to creating an appropriate business infrastructure, keys to sustainability, and strategies for growth. If you were to create your personal principles of leadership, what would they be and explain why you would chose them. My personal principles of leadership consist of three elements, lead by example, have a sense of accountability, and inspire a shared vision. These principles are the most important components of leadership and are the essence of effective leadership. Reference page * ^ Victor Kiam Going for it! How to succeed as an entrepreneur, ISBN 0688060609 * ;http://investing. businessweek. com/research/stocks/private/person. asp? personId=376317;privcapId=26851117;previousCapId=26851117;previousTitle=Lia%20Sophia; * ;http://www. google. com/about/corporate/company/business. html; * ;http://www. sba. gov/; * ;http://www. score. org/;

Basic Company

Mr. James Pierce had recently received word of his appointment as general manager of the Jackson Plant, one of the older established units of The Rose Company. As such, Mr. Pierce was to be responsible for the management and administration at the Jackson Plant of all functions and personnel except sales. Both top management and Mr. Pierce realized that there were several unique features about his new assignment. Mr. Pierce decided to assess his new situation and relationships before undertaking his assignment.He was personally acquainted with the home office executives, but had met few of the Jackson personnel. This case contains some of his reflections regarding the new assignment. The Rose Company conducted marketing activities throughout the United States and in certain foreign countries. These activities were directed form the home office by a vice president in charge of sales. Manufacturing operations and certain other departments were under the supervision and control of a seni or vice president.These are shown in Exhibit A. For many years the company had operated a highly centralized-functional type of manufacturing organization. There was no general manager at any plant; each of the departments in a plant reported on a line basis to its functional counterpart at the home office. For instance, the industrial relations manager of a particular plant reported to the vice president in charge of industrial relations at the home office, and the plant controller to the vice president-controller, and so on.Mr. Pierce stated that in the opinion of the top management the record of the Jackson Plant had not been satisfactory for several years. The Rose board had recently approved the erection of a new plant in a different part of the city and the use of new methods of production. Lower costs of processing and a reduced manpower requirement at the new plant were†¦

Do you agree with this interpretation of Dunkirk?

This painting is a representation of the evacuation of Dunkirk. It shows the losses of ships, the troops living upon the beaches, and how the water was too shallow for the boats, so little boats had to go to the shore. A man made harbour that was made by the Royal Engineers is also shown in the picture. Also there was the big cloud of smoke from the blown oil refinery, the cover above from the spitfires and hurricane's shotting down the german air force(luftwaffe), the shells exploding randomly on the beaches that were being launched by the Germans from out side the town of Dunkirk. The knowlage that i have to back up the evedence from the paint in souce A is that we know from the video of war walks with Richard Holmes, that the big cloud off smoke is true, also the Video also mentions the shallow seas. There is not many inaccuries in this painting ecxept the fact of the British and French troops round the city fighting off the Germans that were trying to get to the beaches. I think this picture, although showing many of the facets of the evacuation, is not strictly accurate. For example the men wouldn't be lining up in straight lines.Even so I think this is a fair interpretation of the evacuation of Dunkirk.

Has Realism got the big things right Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Has Realism got the big things right - Essay Example In relation to international politics or international relations (IR), realists are of views that states are the main actors reflecting the actions of the world. The states are meant to be sovereign actors thus meaning that there would be no other actor or regulator above the decisions of the states. All other organizations are hence supposed to follow the rules and regulations set by the individual states. The activities of different states lead to inter-state relations. According to realism, the nature of humans tends to be selfish and thus when the concept of international politics is concerned, it represents a struggle between the different states, each trying to make the most of their own interests Realism in relation to politics reflects the study and practice of international politics. Generally it discusses on the roles of the different states in a nation. It also assumes and makes statements on the states being concerned with their national interests and hence are carried away by these interests towards their individual actions. Thus according to realism, all states are concerned about their individual status in the world politics as well as their territorial reliability. Besides these, according to realists, the interests of the states may vary depending on their needs and circumstances. As far as neorealism and classical realism is concerned, there are certain differences between the two concepts. While classical realists are of the view that the reasons for international conflicts and wars are the imperfect behaviors and nature of the societies or the individual states, on the other hand, the neorealists have their belief in the anarchic system of international relations. According to the belief of classical realists, the state is considered to be more advanced against the entire system, while the neorealists believe that agencies hold greater space in the system than the states. Neorealists are of the view that the individual states act as unitary actors, on the other hand, classical realists make a distinction between powers of the status-quo and revisionist powers. Another difference between the neorealists and classical realists is that neo-realists make efforts to put up a more thorough and methodical advancement to the study of international relations, profou ndly predisposed by the â€Å"behaviourist revolution of the 1960’s while classical realism confine its analyses to subjective valuations of international relations† (Pashakhanlou, 2009). Realism and International Relations: Considering the relation of realism and international relations, there are four fundamental assumptions that realists have made for the international relations. Firstly, they assume that â€Å"the state is the most important actor in international relations† (Realism, n.d.). This reflects that the most important role in these states is that of the individual governments,

Warehouse Performance Measurement Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Warehouse Performance Measurement - Case Study Example Understanding the importance of technology is crucial in value addition. Primarily, much value is lost from damaged goods or expired goods. With scanning technology, it is very easy for an organization to maintain a record of all products, those damaged and those that came in first, ensuring that they are sold earlier than those that come in later. Secondly, another approach that is heavily relied upon conventional warehouses to add value to goods in stock is to increase efficiency. Although technology is mainly centered on improving the value of goods in warehouses, several other strategies are in use by warehouses to add value to their goods. Maintaining efficiency in the storage and withdrawal of goods from the warehouse could help add value of the goods. Primarily, by recurrently monitoring the stock and assessing its safety is vital to adding value to goods. Broken products, for instance, cannot be identified unless there are constant routine checks. Monitoring stock can be done orally and damaged goods can be eliminated from the warehouse, returned to seller or back the manufacturing unit for servicing or to aid in the creation of other products. Recycling damaged goods is a sure way to save on manufacturing and warehousing costs as otherwise, the damaged goods would be disposed. There are several measures of warehouse performance have been established. Primarily, the main measure is efficiency. Efficiently managed warehouses perform well. As such, efficiency in the inventory taking process, space allocation and use, and quality and cost control. Successful warehouses not only have good organization, but also save on costs (Richards, 2011). Efficiency helps reduce on costs of managing a warehouse and hence improves the performance of a warehouse. In addition to the proposed strategies pertaining to the performance of warehouses, several measures are used to evaluate warehouse

Voting Systems in the United Kingdom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Voting Systems in the United Kingdom - Essay Example According to this kind of voting system, the candidate who will gather either the majority or plurality of voters will ultimately win the election. The main object of this voting system is to represent the majority or plurality of voters in a particular district, locality or state.  This system can be further divided into four different types which separate the plurality and majority system of voting. The first two are commonly used plurality system of voting, while the other two are majority systems.1. Single-member district plurality voting.2. At-large voting.3. Two-round runoff voting.4. Instant runoff voting.Proportional Representation SystemAfter plurality/majority system proportional representation system is the most used voting system. This voting system seems to be the competitor of plurality/majority voting system as this system is receiving popularity and persistently being used in most of the European countries.Proportional representation system provides more accurate re presentation of parties. The basic approach of proportional representation system is to represent or show multimember district instead of a single-member district. The number of seats declared to be won by a particular party in an election is proportional to a number of votes given to that party by the voters.  Ã‚  Electoral system designers divided the proportional representation system into three basic kinds in order to achieve more accurate proportionate results of the voting.

Organized Crime Gangs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Organized Crime Gangs - Essay Example It is termed as outlaw because such organizations are not registered with the AMA or the American Motorcyclist Association and hence do not adhere to AMA rules and regulations. A new member is admitted after being properly vetted and must swear loyalty to the club. The OMG chosen for this paper is the Bandidos Motorcycle Club that is one percenter- type of club, meaning it essentially considers itself an outlaw organization. It was started by Mr. Don Chambers in San Leon, Texas of the United States of America back in 1966 and has now expanded to several countries worldwide (www.bandidosmc.com, 2014). It is considered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as an outlawed motorcycle gang as it engages in organized crime activities such as dealing in illegal drugs to raise additional funds in additional to members contributions, fees, and dues. It has 90 chapters in the U.S.A., another 90 in Europe, and still 17 chapters in Australia; in total, its members reach an estimated 2,400 people in 210 chapters in 22 countries. The distinguishing patch consists of a cartoon character (side view) wearing the large iconic Mexican hat and carrying both a gun and a sword. They moved later to Corpus Christi, Texas and then still later to Houston, Texas. There is a gang problem in the United States but not of motorcycle gangs; rather problem gangs are real criminals engaged mostly in illegal

Near Earth Objects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Near Earth Objects - Essay Example However, some asteroids which orbit near the sun can intersect with the earth’s path, and the results could vary from no-effect to catastrophic. Asteroids are floating masses of rocks which can also have a mix of iron and nickel. These irregularly-shaped chunks which can range from boulder-size to that of our very own moon are, thanks to Jupiter’s massive size and pull of gravity, held near the huge planet and Mars. There are different classes or types of NEAs depending on their aphelion distance, perihelion distance, and semi-major axes, namely, Aten, Apollo, and Amor. To show their differences, here is a table from the Near Earth Object Programpage of the NASA portal (â€Å"Neo Groups,† NASA Portal): Chunks of ice, dust, and rocky rubble that travel though space are called comets. Comets go much farther than asteroids do, reaching as far as the orbit of Neptune or even way beyond to a cloud surrounding the outer solar system known as the Oort cloud. Comet size usually ranges from half a mile to six miles across. A comet’s travel around the sun can take from a few years to thousands. Comets sometimes get â€Å"dislodged from their orbits by gravity and flung toward the sun, gases vaporizing off the surface create the familiar ‘tail’† (Wyckoff, â€Å"Asteroids and Comets†) that people see. Although this trail of gas and debris is considered a thing of beauty to behold, we must take note that this is due to a dislodgement in the comet’s orbit and things could certainly turn very ugly once size, speed, and direction come into play. One good example of that is the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9. In July of 1994, this catastrophic comet collided with Jupiter—the first collision of two heavenly bodies in the solar system to be observed. The comet was broken into fragments and left huge marks on the planet. Fragment A, for example, â€Å"struck

It depends on which topic you choose Research Paper

It depends on which topic you choose - Research Paper Example This paper evaluates knowledge intensive firms and workers in the Southern Company (SO) which is a public utility company focusing on production, wholesaling, and retailing electricity in the Southeastern area of the United States (Ruiz, Benefield, Horton, Nielens, & Akins, 2012). For more than a century, the Southern Company employees have been learning from their predecessors resulting in a workforce characterized by the accumulation of relevant knowledge for use in facilitating a long lasting commitment to the communities and customers they serve. With its investment in Knowledge base management, Southern Co used an IT Aids Post-Katrina Recovery system that enabled to prepare for hurricane Katrina even before the 2005 storm struck. With this knowledge, the recovery from Hurricane Katrina was possible within 12 days unlike 28 days (McKeller, 2013). According to McKellar (2013), Southern Company is one of the companies with notable modification of groundbreaking solutions characterized by innovation and agility to serve the company’s customers and their communities.Today, Southern Company deploys unparalleled and comprehensive program in Asset Lifecycle Information Management (ALIM) that includes Engineering Information management (EIM) and a smooth asset document and data handover to promote maintenance and operations (Weitzman, 2015). In addition, SO has a great program through which it manages documents such a program to store drawing content and updating it with present conditions. In order to improve its document ma nagement, SO has invested in including asset references to drawings through investment in strong and productive relationships among people, technology, and process. This way, it will become possible for technology to support documented processes through clear standards and procedures that can be executed by actual persons (Kavas,

Responsibilities of Public Administrators Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Responsibilities of Public Administrators - Essay Example The excerpt outlines that the federal court judge ruled in favor of the authorities but not because of a clear verdict justified by law. McKelvey (2011) notes that administrators should show concern for the public good by executing actions that are justifiable to the citizens. The administrative duties need verification by the public as acts of common good prior to their implementation in a manner that does not threaten civil liberties. According to McKelvey (2011), public administrators should ensure the due process in the execution of their duties. That serves to prevent the infringement into individual citizens’ rights and avoids threat to civil liberties. Commands to terminate suspects’ lives should be backed by evidence. In this case, questioning the suspect and investigating into the matter would have been appropriate in substitution for the spray of missiles from the drone (McKelvey, 2011). Procedural respect towards citizens can help to avoid the execution of ci tizens based on null and non-existent hypotheses. Public administrators should abide by the law as well as show honesty and truthfulness while executing their tasks. As outlined in the law, the executive authority in question needed to have an arrest warrant before executing their duties. Contrary to that, the administrators never had an arrest warrant. Failure to justify the reason for the killing constitutes threat to civil liberties. It would have been proper to provide concrete justification for their actions while executing duty.

Second-Impact Syndrome In High-School Athletics Research Paper

Second-Impact Syndrome In High-School Athletics - Research Paper Example Many studies focusing on organ damage during competition focus on short-term, immediate damage due to blunt-force trauma with a limited time window, and minimal long-term followup to control for the possibility of lasting symptoms or lingering health problems as a result. (Cantu, 2003) Thus, there is still considerable need to examine and quantify a risk of death that would otherwise be dismissed; and to characterize this threat through a variety of statistics. Second-impact syndrome (SIS), a term originating in 1984, is described by a Dr. David Cifu and other colleagues as a "situation in which an individual sustains a second head injury before the symptoms from the first head injury have resolved." (Cifu, 2010) The second trauma for an athlete is likely to occur days to weeks following the first, in high risk sports. Loss of consciousness (syncope) is not necessary for dangerous complications to set in. (Bey, 2009) an impact which may seem of little consequence at first, wherein the athlete may seem to be only momentarily dazed can have a profound effect. But the effects of this second impact may result in cerebral edema/swelling and herniation, creating a slow bleed within the skull. This hidden crisis can trigger a seemingly healthy athlete to suffer fainting and fatality within minutes. (Bey, 2009) Dr. Cifu reports a mere 17 cases of confirmed SIS (Secondary Injury System) that have been dignified with descriptions in the medical liter ature. Much work still remains to describe the true pathophysiology and medical risks of SIS. (Cifu, 2010) Although Bey and colleagues have identified 35 apparent cases of the condition over a course of 13 years of examinations of football players. (American) Although similar corroborating injuries are not universally reported, even among higher-risk sports; such as Australian football which claims eight times the frequency of concussions as the American game. (Bey, 2009) Â   Certain young athletes may not comprehend or recognize the warning signs of concussions or may believe that minor injuries do not constitute a risk sufficient to stop them from playing. A medically-reviewed guide in the New York Times as well as Mayo Clinic sources have compiled a list of early warning signs to assist with recognition of the dangers and symptoms, which can range from mild to severe. (New York Times, 2011) They can include: 1. Altered consciousness, feelings of drowsiness, difficulty in awakeni ng, or similar deficits. 2. Confusion, ‘spaced-out' feeling, clouded thinking. 3. Headache. 4. Loss of consciousness 5. Amnesia, either retrograde or anterograde concerning of events before the injury or immediately after it. 6. Nausea and/or vomiting. 7. Visual hallucinations; such as flashing lights. 8. Fugue states or "lost time". (New York Times, 2011) 9. Ringing in the ears is another possibility according to Mayo Clinic sources. (Mayoclinic.com 2011) In many cases, minor concussions - while dangerous will still allow time for the patient to receive medical attention. But secondary insults are still a risk. Before SIS becomes a factor medical intervention should be a possibility. (Mutlu et al. 2003) Worth noting are certain warning signs that indicate immediate danger in regards of emergency symptoms of a concussive injury. Young athletes or indeed anyone suffering head injuries should seek immediate medical assistance at the onset of: 1.) Changes in level of alertness an d

Poetry of Nature Essay Example for Free

Poetry of Nature Essay Many poets are inspired by the impressive persona that exists in nature to influence their style of poetry. The awesome power of nature can bring about thought and provoke certain feelings the poet has towards the natural surroundings. If you bear in mind the disposition of some of the things in life that move us like human beauty, love or the beauty of nature you will understand that they have one thing in common. They do not last forever, as sad as it seems, Ladies and Gentleman. Yes they too will eventually die out. Why? Who knows? However it is a fact that when poets write a poem they wish to make their words appealing, as to impress the reader with the intensity of their own experience so they immortalize that sense of feeling that makes their poems last. Wordsworths poem, Nutting is a classic portrayal of a man finding time to escape the harsh bitterness of life and escaping to a world of isolation, solitude and loneliness that exists in nature. Id particularly like to focus on the second part, which has a greater significance in regard to nature, then the other part, which might appear irrelevant. In demonstrating the use of descriptive features Wordsworth has created the perfect sanctuary that one can only ever dream about. The wording used in this section is uncomplicated and evocative. Common language served Wordsworths purpose well, for the simple words were direct in their purpose. They expressed feelings that had been known and repeated many times before, and therefore contained a certain durability in his speech. And I saw the sparkling foam, And-with my cheek on one of those green stones that fleeced with moss, under the shady trees, lay round me, scattered like a flock of sheep. In this poem there is much evidence that expresses his loneliness, solitude, and isolation to the rest of the world at that moment in his life. And fade, unseen by any human eye; where fairy water-breaks do murmur on forever; It is obvious that through this perception Wordsworth is generally speaking of past experiences. Wordsworth believed that nature played a key role in spiritual understanding and stressed the role of memory in capturing the experiences of childhood. His poetry just like his beliefs relays a sense of feeling towards aspects of spiritual understanding. I felt a sense of pain when I beheld the silent trees, and saw the intruding sky. Then dearest Maiden, move along these shades in gentleness of heart; with gentle hand Touch-for there is a spirit in the wood. I believe Wordsworths motivation in this poem is to let us know that the powers of nature is magical and extremely great. The gracefulness of nature does contribute to the inner feelings of someone who appreciates it (mostly those who want time out for themselves). I believe we need to be with nature, feel it, and take advantage of one of lifes many gifts. PAUSE Lets not forget the main characteristics that nature offers like its visual and harmonious features as well as its auditory features. I believe sound has a very important part to play in nature. This is reflected in John Clares poem Pleasant Sounds In this poem you will notice that it is composed in a tactical verse form that allows the use of onomatopoeia to give the poem a visual imagery. The crumbling of cat-ice The rustle of birds The whizzing of larger birds The trample of robins The fall of an acorn The flirt of the ground-lark. The use of Onomatopoeia throughout the poem allocates descriptive words through each sentence that elaborately enhances the effect of poem. The poets appeal to our imagination may be his ability to execute certain emphasis that makes the words stand out from everyday speech. Clares interpretation of the poem is not just about sound but is also about his love for nature and the love that he has for the animals. PAUSE Like Pleasant Sounds Clares poem Autumn also gives way to visual imagery in light of the poems descriptive attitude. The way in which Clare has introduced rhyme into this poem enhances the visual imagery making it stand out. However it is seen that the sentences tend to drag on too long *There is a dryness in this particular type of poetry. *Religious sentiment, consecrating the affections and natural *And these moods always brought with them faultless expression In comparison to Pleasant sounds there is no sense of sounding, theres more a sense of the parch dryness of the earth. There is almost an uncomfortable feeling that doesnt let you feel that sense of soothingness like you did with Pleasant Sounds. In Autumn one is more intuned with the earth in its stage of dryness and shallowness. The words are entwined to give the feeling of parchness and dryness. Clares usage of the term over baked bread to describe the ground What essence is there in nature that moves us? Is it the fact that our lives are so fast forward that we tend to overlook what it has to offer? Wordsworth makes this poetic message immortal with his powerful and emotional words. Like Wordsworth, Clare utilizes more emphasis upon nature and the natural world. To study the deeper meaning of poetry through great poets like William Wordsworth and John Clare is always a challenge and an adventure. It brings the mind to contemplate things to which you dont often think about, such as your personal connection with nature.

Tourism Revenue Sharing (TRS) Benefits

Tourism Revenue Sharing (TRS) Benefits 1.1 Background Tourism Revenue Sharing (TRS) has been identified by various environmentalists and conservationists as the best way to offset human-wildlife conflict which impedes local support for national parks (Hulme Murphree 2002). By channeling tourism revenue to local residents, conservationists hope to offset wildlife costs and improve local attitudes toward conservation. To date tourism revenue-sharing programs have met mixed success (Western 2001).This study looked at the extent to which revenue sharing policies are put into practice and look at what projects funds are distributed across, beneficiaries of revenue sharing and the criteria used to determine them and look at implications for inequality, the livelihood impacts of revenue sharing and determine whether policy makers meet their commitments and the constraints to revenue sharing around Bwindi impenetrable National Park in Uganda. The growth in tourism industry has been one of the most profitable in national and communal economies in the Africa that were recently recognised by international and other global activists of development and environment concern. This has resulted in the need for several governments to transform from their earlier practices of managing tourist areas in conformity with the need to protect the environment and improve peoples livelihoods. As one of the ways to protect the environment and promote tourism, several national parks officials in Uganda like in many other parts of Africa have barred people from using them freely and tourism is now regarded as a tool to promote conservation and provide people with opportunities to improve their economic situations. Tourism in Uganda has been transformed from the traditional trend of activities based only on viewing animals to one that is ecologically oriented and at the same time benefiting the local communities around them. So-called eco-tourism therefore is an environmentally responsible form of tourism to relatively undisturbed natural areas in order to enjoy and appreciate nature, promote conservation, encourage low visitor impact and provide for beneficially active socio-economic involvement of the local population (IUCN 1992). Eco-tourism aids conservation of the natural environmental heritage through sustaining the well-being of the local people through provision of revenue for planning, management, and evaluation, stimulation of economic tourism through tourist expenditures and even creation of markets for local peoples products (Hulme and Murphree 2001). Local communities here, refers to the group of people living in or near the protected area and usually have to gain or lose something as a result of the distant management and access to resources in this area (FAO 1992). Living adjacent to the Park, these people often pay the highest costs in terms of the park existence or pose the greatest threat to them and receive the least benefits compared to other beneficiaries (Adams and Infield 2003) and yet, it is local communities regarded as holding values and preferences compared to state interests embedded in protected areas. The development and success of eco-tourism put much emphasis towards winning local peoples support and even maintaining positive attitude towards ecotourism and conservation. For eco-tourism to succeed there is need for collaboration and full participation of the local communities in both conservation and management of natural resources, upon which eco-tourism is based (Obua 1996). This helps to create good relationship and a sense of ownership on the side of local people. Failure to do this can be a cause for conflict and resentment between the park management and local people (Mutebi 2003). According to Groove (1993), eco-tourism came up as a result of three basic reasons; First, dissatisfaction among tourists with the standard of mass tourism; second, the increased awareness amongst tourists of their potential impact on the host environments and the indigenous societies; and third, the love for adventure and nature by tourists. The origin and development of ecotourism in Uganda was based on the growing awareness that protected areas were alienated from local people and had many chances to fail without local peoples support (UWA 1996). As a result of this, there has been development of eco-tourism as a variant of conservation and revenue generation because it is believed that eco-tourism can generate revenues that may be re-invested in protected areas to facilitate conservation and improve peoples livelihoods. It is argued that ecotourism helps to provide a sustainable tourism option. This is achieved through its emphasis of the areas carrying capacity concept and the possibility of increasing the well being of people residing around these areas through sharing with them receipts from tourism, as is being done at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP) In 1991 BINP was upgraded to National Park status. The shift from Forest Reserve to National Park had more implications than just a change in management. It also had a major impact on the surrounding communities; they were no longer allowed to enter the area. This implied that they no longer were able to utilize resources, as they had done traditionally. People who traditionally depended on forest resources for their survival in terms of energy, building materials and non-timber products for their livelihoods were denied access. The Forest Department used to allow free extraction of the non-timber products of the forest (Namara 2006). In addition to loss of access and control over park resources, people residing adjacent to the national parks bear costs related to wildlife conservation in terms of crop and livestock raids. However, despite the losses and costs suffered by local communities to wildlife conservation, tourism revenues were being collected both at national level and on park gates without necessarily scaling down to local people (Hulme and Murphree 1999). In an effort to manage and distribute diverse natural resources, the government of Uganda embarked on policies, regulations and acts through the parliament to ensure adequate implementation and protection of natural resource use (UWA 2001). A revenue sharing scheme was introduced in Uganda to enable local people benefit from forest resources and improve on their livelihoods. The success or failure of this policy is the core concern of this research. This study sought to investigate if the Uganda Wildlife statute of the 1996 policy implementation that requires 20% of park entry revenue to be allocated to the people residing around the park for their development benefits was achieved. According to the literature available, revenue sharing is under pressure and subject to claims from the Uganda Wildlife Authority to meet management costs in several other National Parks that earn little revenue on their own. These claims constrain adequate distribution and use of revenues to compensate for the real and perceived economic costs foregone for Park conservation among local people. This rise the concern for accountability and transparency in setting up sustainable programs needed to improve peoples livelihoods. These research ob jectives set grounds for finding solutions to such problems. 1.2 Problem statement Despite the growing body of literature on revenue sharing, there are still conflicting debates about the success and failures of community conservation in Uganda (Hulme and Murphree 2001). There is however, a paucity of studies on revenue sharing in Bwindi National Park, a situation that warranted research. It is equally perplexing that studies conducted about revenue sharing in various National Parks, have shown that their benefits are far less than the cost and prospective of resource use within the Parks (Hulme and Murphree 2001). This has been attributed to the fact that revenues obtained from tourism are distributed without frequent planning and understanding of social, cultural and economic contexts of areas surrounding the park. Bwindi National Park has a protection status but local people continue to invade the park and carry out illegal activities like pit sawing and snaring to supplement their subsistence activities (Madden 1999). To solve the tension and conflicts around the Park, UWA, CARE and IGCP embarked on programs like revenue sharing, sustainable use of non-timber resources and conservation education. Hulme and Murphree (2001) reported in chapter to that funds obtained from revenue sharing were used in constructing schools, health clinics and road construction. However, it was not known whether and how revenues intended for community development through revenue sharing benefited local people. This was owed to the fact that there was uncertainty of the revenue sharing policy and practice, community and individual level of access to revenues obtained from the park, and how tourist revenues compensate and support the livelihoods and development of local people. There was thus a need to undertake this study to understand how best conservation could meet local community needs and benefit people residing along the Park in line with national policies, while protecting the environment. 1.3 Research Objectives 1.3.1Goal The goal of this study was to examine park revenue sharing and its livelihood impacts to residents around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, western Uganda. 1.3.2 Specific objectives -To examine the extent to which revenue sharing policies are put into practice and look at what projects funds are distributed across. -To identify beneficiaries of revenue sharing and the criteria used to determine them and look at implications for inequality. -To assess the livelihood impacts of revenue sharing and determine whether policy makers meet their commitments. -To identify the constraints to revenue sharing around BINP 1.4 Justification It is believed and evidenced those good relationships between people and parks are a major element of ensuring sustainable conservation. Due to some benefits associated with people residing adjacent to national parks, community attitudes towards national parks have improved over time. According to UWA, the revenue sharing scheme aims at empowering local communities in local resource management and tends to ensure sustainability and improved rural livelihoods. As a development study student, I thoroughly scrutinised how policy impacts implemented from top government levels without the consent of local people can be a big setback in determining peoples development at the local level. The main intention was to look at which extent revenue sharing policies were put into practice. The concern was whether local people benefited from resources available in their localities; and whether these benefits related to revenue sharing. By evaluating the level of benefits obtained as a result of revenue sharing, recommendations on policies suitable for the local community were made. This research is important for both governments and non-government agencies that are involved in implementing conservation policies. This work intends to identify and look at the gaps between policy and practice, and formulated possible recommendations to ensure better sustainable livelihoods of people living around Bwindi National Park. CHAPTER TWO:LITERATURE REVIEW ECOTOURISM, ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION AND PEOPLES LIVEHOODS The chapter provides a documented review of the general concept of ecotourism as a part of environmental conservation and likens it to the livelihoods of local people. The chapter begins with the history of environmental conservation in Uganda and then links it to natural based tourism as a way of combining tourism and protecting the nature, while developing communities residing around such areas. 2.1 Background of environmental conservation and tourism revenue sharing in Uganda In Uganda like in any other tropical areas, people residing adjacent to forested areas normally depend on forest resources for survival. Before changes restricting peoples access and control over these resources were made, they solely depended on such for income, food, energy, medicine and hunting (FAO 1992). Hulme and Murphree (2001) reported that the international and national conservationists claim that forested areas are vulnerable to human activity and a threat to biodiversity. To counter this, new management policies that restrict peoples access and control over these areas are thus normally established. To ensure protection and control over forest losses, major forest reserves including Bwindi were turned into National Parks and put under a single management unit Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) (Archabald and Naughton 2001), Tourism revenue sharing is not a new idea in Uganda. As early as 1950s, the Chief Game Warden declared: African Local Governments should receive a portion of the revenue accruing from game license fees to increase their interest in faunal matters, and thus encourage them to render greater assistance in the preservation of game and the enforcing of game laws (Archabald and Naughton 2002), This encouraged more reserach in revenue sharing Studies in revenue-sharing started early in 1952 and sustained until Independence in 1962. In general, a part of revenue from tourism fees was given to districts. No attempt was made to channel revenue directly to residents neighboring the park. However the Game Department shot wildlife caught raiding farms and offered local citizens the game meat (Naughton-Treves 1999). They further argued that no official facts that linked revenue sharing payment agreements to local communities with conservation policies While there are reports of local chiefs apprehending poachers, other chiefs and kings continued to hunt wildlife illegally despite revenue-sharing programs. One warden concluded that ‘A far greater awareness of the value of game animals has been shown by the Kingdom Governments and District Administrations, but on the whole they have not made any significant effort to stamp out poaching (Tennant 1963, p.33). Revenue-sharing projects continued after Ugandas independence, but in 1971 the country plunged into a 15-year civil war and the government lost control of wildlife and parks entirely (Hamilton 1984). With peace in 1987, Ugandan civil society began to be rebuilt. Eventually the national government endorsed biodiversity conservation and began shoring up the national park system and ‘upgrading several forest reserves to national parks (Sebukeera 1996). Due to the increased pressure by International donors and other non government organizations the government of Uganda recognized the importance of community-based approaches to national tourism revenue-sharing and adopted a new park policy in 1994. To check the viability of the new policy, a pilot project was established in Bwndi Impenetrable and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, in which 20% of revenue/income from gorilla tracking permits would be distributed to local communities residing near the park. Local communities welcomed the pilot project optimistically and it ran efficiently. Uganda National Parks (UNP) regulated that all the parks in the country set aside 12% of their total income for revenue sharing (Uganda National Parks 1994) Two-thirds of tourism revenue was to be shared with local communities neighboring the park, while the remaining third was to be divided between the parks home district government and a central pool at national park headquarters designated for communities surrounding those parks that generated very little income. The 1994 national mandate to share park revenue offered only a vague definition of the target beneficiaries as those people living adjacent the parks that are affected by, and affect the park (Uganda National Parks, 1994). Park level managers defined the target community as all parishes neighboring the park, a definition that emphasizes proximity to the park and pre-existing administrative units. In Uganda, parishes are subdivisions of districts governed by local elected leaders. They border three parks involved in the study extending up to 3 km from the park border in Mgahinga, 7 km in Bwindi, and 8 km in Kibale (UWA 2001). According to Archabald and Naughton (2001), the 1994 revenue sharing policy mandated Park Management Advisory committee (PMAC) with the responsibility to administer tourism revenue-sharing funds for each specific park. Although it was not specified in the national policy mandate, the park management committee decided to elect Parish Park Committee (PPC) representing to represent each parish in all the three study sites, to work as a link between local communities and Park Management advisory committee (PMAC). The 1994 tourism revenue sharing policy required that collected funds be used to benefit projects that would serve to improve high number of peoples livelihoods. However, this policy had to change prematurely after the Ugandan legislation merged Uganda National Parks and the Game Department into the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) in 1996 (Archabald and Naughton 2001). The newly amended legislation set a change in revenue sharing policy from that of 1994, which included 12% share of all income obtained from the park, to 20% of fees obtained at each park (UWA 1996). Policy makers hoped the increase in tourism revenue-sharing would result into improved livelihoods and park popularity to local communities (Baliikowa 2008, Archabald and Naughton 2001). The change in TRS policy theoretically intended to increase the amount of money distributed to local communities as an alternative forgone for their free interaction with the park. The policy change and change in management from Park Management Authority Committee to a local parish level committee weakened institutional sustainability for TRS and made the 1996 tourism revenue-sharing policy given less priority and the policy saw a decrease in funds due to the exclusion of fees for viewing gorillas and chimpanzee (UWA 2001). According to Archabald and Naughton (2001) TRS scheme process was still bared with irregularities. Revenues generated under the 1994 mandate were later redistributed to local communities in 1998, four years after policy implementation. This slip in redistributing tourism revenue share continued until 2002 when UWA passed out another policy that started to be implemented in 2001 (UWA 2001). 2.2 Ecotourism Tourism is an ancient activity that has become so diverse in its objectives and setting that it is now broken into a variety of sectors of which one of the most and rapidly growing sectors is that of nature based tourism. Obua (1996) referred nature-based tourism to that is directly dependent on the use of natural resources in a relatively undisturbed state. This is contrary to mass tourism whose development in natural areas has often led to the degradation of the very features that first attracted the tourists to the area. Owing to the above, a new concept was developed with an environmentally responsible approach called sustainable tourism. WTO (1993) defined sustainable tourism as any activity managed in a way that enables it to continue indefinitely. As a sustainable program, ecotourism is the fastest growing segment of the nature based tourism sector. 2.2.1 Ecotourism and the local people To be sustainable, ecotourism must involve local people in its planning, development and management (Obua, 1996). Cater (1994) highlighted that tourism can encourage better basic services such as water and electricity; and also create jobs for local people, increase their income levels and support other social and environmental benefits. Cater further stresses that to link sustainable tourism to economic development, its benefits must have an impact on the livelihoods of indigenous communities to warrant improved management of their environment. Cater further notes that, not only should the local, people receive tangible benefits from ecotourism development but their education and, sensitisation on the importance of conservation is of paramount importance. Dueto the fact that most of the remaining natural forests are under the control of the government in Uganda, ecotourism offers local communities opportunities to become more involved in the management of their village forests and see material benefits coming from them. Rea1isation of the benefits from the parks by local people is often accompanied by a decline in deforestation and poaching (Obua, 1996). This has made ecotourism show potential to provide a practical and effective means of providing social and economic benefits to the local people. Obua (1996) notes that, education levels and income influence local peoples attitudes towards ecotourism. This is because education increases ones awareness of the importance of protection and conservation of the environment and natural resources and determine the extent to which the local people depend on protected area for their livelihood. If provision of such services is not properly implemented however, the local people may harm the con servation goals. This therefore stresses a need for continual monitoring of development programs targeting people surrounding the park. 2.2.2 The success of ecotourism The success of the management of protected areas greatly depends on the degree of support and respect accorded the neighbouring communities. Where protected areas are looked at as a burden, local people can make protection and conservation completely impossible. However, when tourism is seen as a positive development, local communities would combine their efforts together with park management in providing protection to the area from external forces and destruction mostly by the locals. Involving local people is a vital factor in reducing infringements of conservation regulations such as poaching and indiscriminate tree felling. Due to corruption however, conflicts develop owing to non-equitable sharing of benefits offered by conservation bodies and the conservation area itself. This physical exclusion from the very resources upon which they depend for their basic needs threatens to ecotourism development (Laudati 2007). It is important to note that there have to be economic incentives for conservation. A major incentive is to secure, restore, and develop the capacity of ecosystems to generate ecosystem services (including food, timber, pollination, seed dispersal) because this capacity constitutes the very foundation for social and economic development (Daily 1997). Conservation science has a major role to play in identifying the role of functional groups of organisms, their redundancy, and their response diversity in relation to ecosystem services and in recommending ways to sustain diversity in this context. 2.2.3 Impacts associated with ecotourism development The viability of ecotourism has received substantial attention among conservationists as a potential tool for sustainable development Debates about Uncontrolled and controlled or restricted tourism has raised a lot of controversy among scholars. The majority of the literature supports the concept behind ecotourism; however, even the supporters like Cater (1994) express caution over the hidden risks inherent to any nature based tourism activity. The potentially negative impacts from tourism have a number of faces. Uncontrolled tourism may lead to ecological disturbances and environmental degradation; create unwanted social and drastic economic impacts as well. The restrictions meant loss of forest resources and land which was once used by locals for agriculture to maintain their livelihoods. Crop raiding is another problem faced by people living around parks. Despite restrictions and damages done on their crops, efforts to compensate local people who depended on forest resources especially land were insufficient (Balikoowa 2007). This has resulted into increased poverty among local people and there is an urgent need among stakeholders and the Uganda Wild life authority to solve this problem. Alternatively, ecotourism has the potential to positively contribute to the development of an area. However, in order for this potential to be realised, a number of conditions must be fulfilled. These include; the regional market, management capacity, ecological and cultural attractions development, adequate infrastructure, access and security, and well-defined linkages between the local residents and conservation activities (Cater, 1994). Whereas some of the conditions are out of control of most tourism stakeholders, certain conditions can be achieved through active management. In the absence of active management, the true ecotourism potential in any given area will not be realised, and it is highly probable that negative impacts will occur. The concept of ecotourism in conservation helps to ensure deliberate and planned policies geared towards reducing the negative impacts of tourism activities on the environment. This is done by minimising impacts in one place by developing new attractions or activities for tourism in different places. Ecotourism here therefore encourages diversification necessary for development. As a form of integrated tourism where all stakeholders are involved (operators in the industry, conservationists, lawmakers, and local people), it encourages cooperation, planning and support for sustainable development. Ecotourism offers the local people the opportunity to improve their livelihood through the various economic activities that are developed and to participate in nature conservation or environmental management. The need for ecotourism development in Uganda has resulted into the initiation of the revenue sharing program. This implies that 20 percent of the profits from park entry fees are given to the communities. Each parish adjacent to the park boundaries is given a share of the money. The money used to be invested in infrastructure benefiting the whole parish, such as schools and feeder roads. It appeared that this strategy did not have the impact UWA was looking for, a big part of the communities did not link these improvements with the National Park. The strategy of UWA therefore changed, they start focusing on directly improving the situation on household level, for instance by buying goats for the villagers (UWA, 2002). In relation to the above, in order to improve the relation between the local communities and the Park Authorities, people are allowed to gather products from the forest in some areas of the park; this can be done in the so called Multiple Use Zones (MUZ). The products that can be extracted in these zones are medicinal plants, craft materials and seed collection for on-farm planting outside the park. The products that can be extracted are all listed, at this moment 36 species of medical plants and 21 species for basketry purposes are listed. In addition, some farmers are allowed to use the park for placement of beehives for honey collection (Plumptre, Kayitare et al. 2004). These MUZ are not accessible for all surrounding communities, only those communities who have signed a MoU can access the park, these are at the moment the communities in fifteen out of twenty parishes bordering the Bwindi. 2.2.4 Community participation and ecotourism development Cater (1994) defined community participation as a situation where people act in groups to influence the direction and outcome of development programs that will affect them. Agencies promoting any community participation program need to deal with organised entities with conventional procedures for making and implementing group decisions. Cater (1994) further notes that much as generating such an entity is hard, working with existing authorities may not be reaching all of the target beneficiaries or all those whose cooperation is essential to the project. Kiss (1991) stressed that local participation towards the development of an ecotourism project involves all people who are directly affected by wildlife from the protected area or have an effect on it. According to Ziffer (1989), increased local peoples involvement in conservation results into low negative impacts on the environment where as low involvement yields high negative impacts by the local people. 2.3 The UWA Revenue Sharing Scheme In an effort to compensate and sustain people residing in areas adjacent to the parks, conservationists and Uganda Wildlife Authority recognize the need for programs that would benefit local communities who affect and are affected by protection policy of the forested areas. Uganda national parks adopted a revenue sharing policy in November 1995 and the government of Uganda passed a legislation under Uganda Wildlife Statute of 1996, which under section 70 (4) stated that the board shall subject to subsection 3 of section 23 pay 20% of the park entry fee collected from a wildlife protected area to the local governments in the area surrounding the wildlife protected area (UWA 1996). From the collections, revenue sharing was one of the means of improving community park relations soliciting support from local communities around protected areas in order to ensure sustainability (Archabald and Naughton-Treves 2001), and indeed the report continued to emphasise that revenue sharing provided a mechanism of attempting to address fair and just distribution of benefits from protected areas to local communities who bear the biggest cost of protected areas (Hulme Murphree, 2001). My research therefore aimed at identifying whether this policy had been put into practice. Its level of success and peoples perception on revenue sharing among communities residing around Bwindi National Park were looked into. 2.4 Attitudes of the local people towards conservation Allport (1935) referred attitudes to a mental and neutral state of readiness, organised through experience, exerting a directive or dynamic influence upon the individuals responses to all objects or situations with which it is related. Attitudes are thus not born with but learned and have objective reference, differ in valence and like most psychological concepts; can be deduced from the observed antecedent stimulus and the consequent behaviour pattern. According to Lindberg (1991), local peoples attitudes towards conservation are mostly induced by ecotourisms contribution to the local economy. This can be in form of increased incomes by the local people, increased employment opportunities and even general infrastructure without forgetting participation of all stakeholders at all stages (government officials, protected area personnel and the local people). Contrarily, negative attitudes result from the negative impacts that local people acquire from ecotourism development. These may be in form of inflationary pressure on local economies and exclusion of the local people from management and use of resources on which they depended on for their basic needs (Cater, 1992). The involvement of several stakeholders makes it difficult for policy makers and beneficiaries of tourism revenue share fail to meet their intended objectives which justifies Laudats statement that â€Å" Individuals for whom the projects are intended are minimally consulted, and policies are not negotiated with the input of local residents but are determined and evaluated based on institutional core values and foreign parameters of success† (Laudati, 2007), increasing vulnerability of local communities as a result of poor coordination and management between Uganda Wildlife Authority and National policy makers. 2.5 Constraints to revenue sharing Constraints to revenue sharing stats with the vague manner in away which benefactors are defined by some scholars For instance, according to Uganda National Parks (1994) beneficiaries are defined as people living adjoining the parks that are affected by, and affect the park. Thus, Agrawal (1997) arg

Effects of globalization in singapore

Effects of globalization in singapore For more than 40 years, Singapore has enjoyed economic success, allowing Singaporeans to have a raised quality of life and standard of living. However, due to this increase in standard of living, this has caused income disparity (Yeoh, 2007/2008) among Singaporeans, between the low income families and the high income families. This widening income gap was due to the side effects of the Singapore governments pro growth policies (Yeoh, 2007/2008). However, the income gap was pushed even more by globalisation and the recessions from December 2007 until now, 2011. This caused the depression the unskilled workers salaries while inflating the skilled workers salaries. Thus, this caused the widening income gap in Singapore. Due to the widening income gap, Singaporeans have become more aware of the differences in income among Singaporeans, which causes them to be more â€Å"class-conscious†. If the widening income gap continues to widen would cause unthinkable economic, social and political impacts in Singapore. The main challenge policy makers face today is to seek a balance between income disparity reduction, economic growth and budget feasibility (Yeoh, 2007/2008). The policies are mainly to help the lower income families with the proper opportunities in order for them to move up the social and financial ladder. Policy makers should be aware that an overly egalitarian approach towards reducing income inequality is suboptimal. On the whole, the government needs to face the issue of widening income gap with an emphatic heart and mind, thinking for the needs of the people. BACKGROUND Singapore, which used to be a small fishing village, has done well in the last decades of the twentieth century to rise from an entreport centre to be a global city and a developed nation. It had resolved most issues pertaining to underdevelopment and had developed the needed institutions to prepare its survival in the twenty-first century. From 2000-2008, these years mark the period in which globalization as a process affected all parts of the world. These years were significant politically, socially and economically for Singapore. (Amaldas, 2009) One part in this paper that we would like to focus on is the issue of the widening income gap in Singapore. In this paper, we would be discussing about how the widening income gap is linked to globalisation and what measures are used to solve it, as well as the impacts and reasons for the manifestation of widening income gap. Globalization is defined as the free movements of goods, services and capital across borders. It is a contentious process by which the western market economies have effectively spread across the globe. Although it does not constitute a new phenomenon, it is viewed as an inexorable integration of markets, nations and technologies to a degree never witnessed before in a way that is enabling individuals, and corporations to reach around the world further, faster, deeper and more economically than ever before (Heshmati, 2003). Globalization causes rapid changes in trade relations, financial flows, and mobility of labour across the world. The development has brought the economies of developed countries closer together and more strongly interrelated. However, there is a large heterogeneity in the degree of globalization process over time and across countries and regions. This heterogeneity causes disparity in development and urges the need for research to find sources of disparity and quantification of its magnitude and impacts (Heshmati, 2003). Many scholars regard globalization as a force which will inevitably bring about the decline (Held, 1995), erosion (Hall, 1991) or the end (Ohmae, 1995) of the nation-state. As the argument goes, the process of globalization in its various manifestations is increasingly undermining the territorial boundedness, sovereignty and traditional role of the existing system of the modern nation-state. With other major countries such as America and India facing the problem of the widening income gap as their countries continue to evolve, one major aim of this paper is to understand the risks of the widening income gap if Singapore ever falls into the trap with the advancement of our country. WIDENING INCOME GAP Economic inequality (or wealth and income differences) comprises all disparities in the distribution of economic assets and income. Widening income gap refers to the differences of income received by the employees and is a global phenomenon caused by globalisation. Due to globalisation, the elite and higher-educated are coveted for their expertise, hence the demand for these professionals causes their salary to be raised higher. Those at the lower-income group however suffer from globalisation as the jobs available are scarce; hence, their salaries are pushed lower because many people are fighting for the same job. This is called widening income gap. The Gini coefficient is a standard measure of income inequality. It is given as a means of multiple observations for a given country in a given year. The multiplicity of observations is due to the different definitions of income, area coverage and units of measurement (Heshmati, 2003). The Gini Coefficient ranges between 0, where there is no concentration which is perfect equality, and 1 where there is total concentration which is perfect inequality (Slack and Rodrigue, 1998). Absolute poverty is where people do not have sufficient access to food, shelter, and clothing to provide a basic level of physical and mental development (Duncan, 2000). National Household Income In Singapore, the household income from work in 2010 increased due to strong economic growth. Median monthly household income from work in 2010 recovered to above the level before the economic downturn in 2009. Among resident households, median monthly income from work increased by 3.1 per cent from $4,850 in 2009 to $5,000 in 2010 (Table 1); in real terms, the increase was 0.3 per cent (Department of Statistics Singapore, 2010). Table 1 Monthly Household Income from Work Among Resident Households Year Median Household Income Average Household Income Dollar Nominal Change (%) Real Change (%) Dollar Nominal Change (%) Real Change (%) 2000 3,638 3.9 2.6 4,988 5.7 4.2 2001 3,860 6.1 5.0 5,338 7.0 5.9 2002 3,628 -6.0 -5.6 5,069 -5.0 -4.7 2003 3,601 -0.7 -1.2 5,075 0.1 -0.4 2004 3,689 2.4 0.8 5,194 2.3 0.7 2005 3,860 4.6 4.1 5,447 4.9 4.4 2006 4,000 3.6 2.6 5,715 4.9 3.9 2007 4,375 9.4 7.1 6,295 10.1 7.9 2008 4,946 13.1 6.0 7,086 12.6 5.6 2009 4,850 -1.9 -2.5 6,826 -3.7 -4.2 2010 5,000 3.1 0.3 7,214 5.7 2.8 Source: Department of Statistics Singapore (2011) â€Å"Key Household Income Trends, 2010† Among employedhousehold, with at least one working person, median monthly income from work increased by 5.7 per cent in nominal terms (from $5,400 in 2009 to $5,700 in 2010) and 2.8 per cent in real terms (Table 2). Table 2 Monthly Household Income from Work Among Employed Households Year Median Household Income Average Household Income Dollar Nominal Change (%) Real Change (%) Dollar Nominal Change (%) Real Change (%) 2000 4,000 5.3 3.9 5,456 7.0 5.6 2001 4,141 3.5 2.5 5,736 5.1 4.1 2002 4,038 -2.5 -2.1 5,572 -2.9 -2.5 2003 4,050 0.3 -0.2 5,618 0.8 0.3 2004 4,106 1.4 -0.3 5,761 2.5 0.9 2005 4,345 5.8 5.3 6,052 5.1 4.6 2006 4,495 3.5 2.5 6,280 3.8 2.8 2007 4,883 8.6 6.4 6,889 9.7 7.4 2008 5,475 12.1 5.2 7,752 12.5 5.5 2009 5,398 -1.4 -2.0 7,549 -2.6 -3.2 2010 5,704 5.7 2.8 8,058 6.7 3.8 Source: Department of Statistics Singapore (2011) â€Å"Key Household Income Trends, 2010† Overall, the monthly household income has increased in Singapore in the year 2010. However, there are differences in the increase between the lower-income families and the higher-income families which cause the widening income gap in Singapore. Gini Coefficient The income gap between household incomes from work per household member among employed households increased marginally in 2010. The Gini coefficient, increased slightly in 2010. In particular, including employer CPF contributions5, the Gini coefficient was 0.472 in 2010, compared to 0.471 in 2009 (Figure 1). Adjusting in addition for government benefits and taxes, the Gini coefficient was 0.452 in 2010 (Yeoh, 2007/2008). Source: Department of Statistics Singapore (2011) â€Å"Key Household Income Trends, 2010† Figure 2 below shows the Gini coefficient5 trend for Singapore from 1974 to 2006. Figure 2. Singapore Gini Coefficient from 1974 2007 Data from 2000 2007:Department of Statistics Singapore (2008)Source: Data from 1975 1999: Mukhopadhaya, Pundarik (2001) LINK BETWEEN GLOBALISATION AND WIDENING INCOME GAP What role has globalisation played in changes in income inequality? Most research on this issue has been concentrated in recent years on the changes in income inequality in the high-income countries. Discussion has mainly focussed on whether the widening wage gap is due to increased imports of labour intensive goods from developing countries (pushing down demand for low-wage labour) or technological change—in particular, improvements in information technology (increasing demand for high-skilled labour relative to demand for low-skilled labour). But besides these two factors, other factors thought to contribute are: slower growth in the supply of skilled workers (pushing up their wages relative to the wages of less-skilled workers); increased workforce participation of women and increased immigration of low skilled workers (pushing down wages of less-skilled labour); and the waning powers of trade unions (for a survey of the literature, see Tyers, Duncan and Martin 1999). Economics research generally gives more support to improvements in technology as being most important, and much more important than increased trade with developing countries (see Tyers, Duncan, and Martin 1999). Low and middle income countries account for about 80 per cent of the worlds industrial workforce and manufactures comprise about 60 per cent of their exports (up from 20 per cent in the 1960s). In line with predictions from economic theory, Williamson (1997) argues that the increased flow of labour-intensive goods and unskilled labour from developing countries to high-income countries in the latter half of the 20th Century reduced demand for lowskilled labour in the high-income countries, increasing income inequality in these countries. He argues that this is consistent with the Heckscher-Ohlin trade model that says that trade will tend to equalise factor payments, leading to greater cross-country income equality for low-skilled labour, increasing income inequality in the high-income countries, and increasing income equality in the lower-income countries. More importantly, he notes that in the earlier golden period of globalisation (1870 to 1913), the growing income inequality in the then higher income countries led to the reversal of globalisation (including restrictions on immigration) and the devastating 1921-38 period. REASONS FOR WIDENING INCOME GAP The underlying characteristic for the recent growing disparity is the difference in income growth for the bottom 20% and top 20% households (Yeoh, 2007/2008). Table 3 illustrates the different income growth rates for each income group since 2000. Table 3. Annual Income Growth for Various Income Groups Income Groups Real Annual Change in Average Monthly Household Income per Household Member (%) 2000 2005 2005 2006 2006 2007 Bottom 10% 2.4 6.6 3.3 Bottom 11 20% 0.5 5.2 3.6 Top 11 20% 3.7 5.7 6.0 Top 10% 4.3 8.0 11.1 Source: Department of Statistics Singapore (2008). Key Household Income Trends 2007. Generally, the bottom 20% experienced slower growth rates than the top 20% of income earners during 2000 to 2007. Moreover, the ratio of average income of the top 20% to lowest 20%8 worsened from 9.99 in 2000 to 12.90 in 2007. Hence, these ratios show a widening income disparity between top and bottom income earners. Economists have also noted an understated stagnation of income amongst the middle class households that form the middle 60% of the income ladder. However, more employed households have moved up the social and financial ladder in 2007 as compared to 2006 (Yeoh, 2007/2008). There are differences between the different racial groups in Singapore as well. Table 4 below shows the income changes for each racial group in 2000 and 2005. Table 4. Income of the Major Racial Groups in Singapore Chinese Malays Indians Others 2000 2005 2000 2005 2000 2005 2000 2005 Average Monthly Household Income from Work ($) 5220 5630 3150 3440 4560 5170 7250 7250 Change (%) 7.9% 9.2% 13.4% 17.2% Source: Department of Statistics Singapore (2006) â€Å"General Household Survey 2005 Statistical Release 2: Transport,Overseas Travel, Housing and Household Characteristics†. As depicted in Table 4, the wage difference between the Malays and other races remain very alarming. From 2000 to 2005, among all the racial groups in Singapore, Malays had the lowest increase in income as compared to other races. With regard to income disparity between occupations, skilled professionals continue to earn more than unskilled workers, and have extended their lead further since 1996. Figure 3 below shows the ratio of the respective occupations wages to the unskilled occupations wages. Hence, this relative stagnation of wage growth amongst the unskilled would certainly have an effect on the widening income disparity between the two ends of the occupational spectrum as shown in Figure 3. IMPACTS OF WIDENING INCOME GAP Singaporeans are mainly concerned about the inflation which has raised about 3%-4% this year (Channelnews 17 February 2011) and skyrocketed housing prices in Singapore. Thus, many Singaporeans are unable to retire as they do not have the financial stability to sustain the high cost of living without being employed. According to the survey carried out by The Straits Times, this is the income gap situation: The average incomes of the top 20 per cent of households rose by 53 per cent from $12,091 to $18,472 from 1997/98 to 2007/08. By comparison, the average incomes of the poorest 20 per cent of households were kept down as a result of globalization, competition from emerging economies and new technology. They fell by 2.7 per cent over the same period from $1,309 to $1,274. The living conditions of the lower income households in Singapore will cause them to lose enthusiasm and motivation for work, thus the productivity will decrease and in turn lead to stagnation of the economy. In the short run, the large proportion of the poor and their lower marginal propensity to consume will lead to a lower injection multiplier and possible slower growth. In the long run, if the widening income gap in Singapore is done put to a stop, many people will fall into the poverty trap. As George Orwell laments, â€Å"Being poor isnt about not having anything today, it is about knowing youll have nothing tomorrow.† Inequality and injustice in the society will also make people gradually lose national cohesion, and hence menace to act as a centrifugal force that tears the social fabric of our nation apart. The long-term stability of Singapores society will be severely disturbed. The widening income gap is inclined to inflict social cohesion and undermine trust in the society. At the same time, it will impair social capital thus compromise the stability of the society. Uslaner Brown found a correlation between the amount of trust and the amount of income equality. It can be explained that people can gain sense of security from high income equality therefore they are expected to trust each other. A related study by Putnam also demonstrated that economic equality tends to lead to a high level of social capital (or â€Å"connections among individuals†). People will show a tendency of engaging others and hence strong social connectedness and civic engagement can be forged. (Uslaner and Brown, 2002). In view of the squeeze on income of middle class, the incessant wide income gap will also produce more ‘quitters which is a term popularized by Singapores then Prime Minister Mr. Goh Chok Tong. This word indicates that the rich nowadays are more globally-connected but less locally-disengaged (Goodman, 2003).The well-heeled are more likely to show off their conspicuous wealth and this pushes the government to loosen its tightfisted stance on welfare in the national budget as it tries to defuse criticism of its policies which burdened the plight of the common people. On the other hand, the enduring income disparity will impel the middle class to seek greener pastures overseas thus choose to emigrate. In the long run, the economic development and competitiveness of Singapore will be suppressed due to the resultant brain-drain. According to Yeoh â€Å"A new social compact for Singapore†, rising income equality will impair the governments credibility in imposing policies as well such as raising income tax rates. It is significant that we have already seen public outcry and debate on such policies. The implicit social contract between the people and the government supports Singapores remarkable economic success. The widening income gap and the perception that a large proportion of the population has little access to the growth process and no share in the prosperity despite their ability and willingness to work has slowly but surely eroded this social contract. The ramifications of such a perception is indeed as the policymakers noted: â€Å"society would learn that economic growth would not always be the answer, and would begin to question and debate priorities and trade-offs†¦the policy issues that need to be re-examined are largely social and political.† This in turn translates into the shattering of the implicit social contract the ruling party has with its electorate, making it increasingly hard for the government to execute unpopular policies. Already we are hearing a chorus of dissent over recent policy decisions such as the ministerial wage hikes or the Goods and Service Tax increase, as well as the inextinguishable calls for increasing political openness, freedom to stage outdoor protests, among others. The present-day influence of rising income inequality will create a class-conscious Singapore. The widening income gap and the wage stagnation threaten to destabilize the society as well as weaken the economy. Rising income disparity is also likely to arouse the social discontentment, reduce the credibility of the government as well as increase emigration of middle class. POLICIES IMPLEMENTED Growing the Economy and Maximising Opportunities GPC Chair for Community Development, Youth and Sports Seah Kian Peng said: One part is to keep the economy running and booming like what it is now, just like what we have experienced last year. What it means is that unemployment is very low and we know that the majority of people are earning a salary and as the economy booms, the government will be in a position to also, in any budget, consider how it could possibly distribute and share the growth with as many Singaporeans as possible. We have to focus on growth and embrace globalisation, but manage its downsides and make it work for everyone. We will do this by maximising opportunities for all Singaporeans — the opportunities to get a good education, to work or grow a business, to retrain yourself and upgrade, and to own your own home. We must maximise opportunities for all, but we must also accept that doing so does not result in equal rewards for all. We should never reduce the incentive for Singaporeans to work and to make the most of their skills and talents, so as to get higher reward for themselves. That has to be the basis for our society, for how we keep our economy growing, and for how living standards of Singaporeans can rise over time.† In conclusion, our first priority to help the low-income group is to grow the economy. It is essential to attract new investments, grow new businesses, and create new and better paying jobs to replace old ones. As we grow the economy, it is important to ensure that no one is left behind and that all Singaporeans have the opportunity to succeed. Over the years, the Government has been helping the lower-income groups through various assistance measures. Since 2001, the Government has distributed more than $7.5 billion through the Progress Package, U-Save and SCC rebates, CPF top-ups and New Singapore Shares, to share budget surpluses with Singaporeans. In all these distributions, deliberate efforts were made to ensure that the lower-income groups get the greatest benefits. But going forward, we have to do more to help needy Singaporeans, and to do it more systematically. This is one of the challenges that the government faces and have to solve. Government Schemes Over the years, Singapore has introduced various schemes such as GST Credits, Senior Citizen Bonus and rebates on utilities, rental and service and conservancy charges. The GST (Goods Service Tax) is one of the ways to help the lower-income families affected by the widening age gap. A zero-rate Goods and Services Tax (GST) policy on household essentials is an effective measure to help lower-income families. Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, said: The bulk of the GST is collected from the top 40 per cent of the population and foreigners †¦ and we use the benefit to help those at the lower end. So if you talk about exempting food or any other essentials from GST, youre really taking away a source of revenue were getting mainly from those at the upper end and foreigners and reducing our ability to help those at the lower end. He added that lower-income Singaporeans get more Government benefits each year than the amount they pay in GST. The government has also revamped their policies and more citizens are now able to receive payouts and rebates according to their income. On average, the various government schemes added $1,110 per household member to resident households in 2010. The various government schemes gave a larger boost to those staying in smaller housing types. Resident households in HDB 1- and 2-room flats received an average of $2,650 per household member while resident households in HDB 3-room flats received an average of $1,480 per household member. This was higher than the $530 per household member for households in private properties. With the subsidies, it ensures that the lower-income group will be less burdened with debts for housing and other utilities. POLICIES THAT SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED Singapore needs policies which can help the needy, disadvantaged and poor, in order to increase their income and reduce the widening income gap in Singapore. However, at the same time the government must not compromise economic growth and funding sustainability. Basically, Singapore has to find a perfect balance between income equality, strong economic growth and prudence in finances, where income disparity can be reduced without affecting growth prospects and budget discipline (Yeoh, 2007/2008). Expanding the Work fare of Older Workers The Workfare Income Supplement scheme (WIS) seems to be the policy that is able to have the balance and is able to cover the middle ground. The scheme is laudable even though a large amount of money is involved, in the form of quantum of pay. This policy reduces the income disparity by raising income levels of the lower income workers, and encourages long term employment (Yeoh, 2007/2008). It is argued that the current net payout of around $80 to $100 per month is insufficient for workers to accumulate surplus for further training and education (Yeoh Kam Leong, 2007). To address this problem, the WIS scheme also provides opportunities for worker

Individuality in Whitmans Song of Myself Essay -- Song of Myself Essa

Individuality in Whitman's Song of Myself During a lecture in 1907, William James said "the philosophy which is so important in each of us is not a technical matter; it is our more or less dumb sense of what life honestly means. It is only partly got from books; it is our individual way of just seeing and feeling the total push and pressure of the cosmos" (Bartlett 546) Individuality has been a prevalent theme in every type of literature for quite some time. Whether it is a character discovering his/her individuality or the author expressing his, literature is full of distinctness. The term individuality changes meaning with each person it meets. That is what makes the dynamic word so great. Throughout particular works read this semester, individuality has been the foundation for several of them. Walt Whitman takes his newfound ideas and Quaker background and introduces American Literature to a totally different meaning of individuality in "Song of Myself." Whitman's radical ideas of individualism have a great deal to do with his Quaker background. The Quaker religion is one in which the authority was Inner Light. "Whitman himself was not only personally familiar with, but deeply impressed by, a religion whose only authority was the Inner Light" (Canoy 481). The Inner Light is a special influence, which made Whitman's poetry unique. This certain influence did such things as guide Whitman down his soul searching path as well as help him define within himself the characteristics of an individual. In section fifteen of "Song of Myself," Whitman discusses people from every class and every profession. He goes on to say "the young fellow drives the express-wagon... love him though I do not know him;" (2753). ... ...either hasten their own delivery, not resist it" (2767). Would it really be that bad to be an individualist instead of conforming to the crowd? I do not think so. Works Cited *Bartlett, John. Bartlett's Familiar Quotations. Boston: Little,Brown and Company,1992. *Canby,Henry Seidel, Johnson, Thomas H., Ludwig,Richard M., Spiller, Robert E., Thorp, Willard. Literary History of the United States. New York: The MacMillian Company, 1963. *Franklin, Benjamin. Autobiography and Poor Richards almanacks. The Heath Anthology of American Literature. 3rd ed. Ed. Paul Lauter.Boston, NewYork: Houghton Mifflin,1998. *Renyolds, David S., Walt Whitman's America-A Cultural Biography. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1995. *Whitman, Walt. Song of Myself. The Heath Anthology of American Literature. 3rd ed. Ed, Paul Lauter. Boston,NewYork: Houghton Mifflin, 1998. Individuality in Whitman's Song of Myself Essay -- Song of Myself Essa Individuality in Whitman's Song of Myself During a lecture in 1907, William James said "the philosophy which is so important in each of us is not a technical matter; it is our more or less dumb sense of what life honestly means. It is only partly got from books; it is our individual way of just seeing and feeling the total push and pressure of the cosmos" (Bartlett 546) Individuality has been a prevalent theme in every type of literature for quite some time. Whether it is a character discovering his/her individuality or the author expressing his, literature is full of distinctness. The term individuality changes meaning with each person it meets. That is what makes the dynamic word so great. Throughout particular works read this semester, individuality has been the foundation for several of them. Walt Whitman takes his newfound ideas and Quaker background and introduces American Literature to a totally different meaning of individuality in "Song of Myself." Whitman's radical ideas of individualism have a great deal to do with his Quaker background. The Quaker religion is one in which the authority was Inner Light. "Whitman himself was not only personally familiar with, but deeply impressed by, a religion whose only authority was the Inner Light" (Canoy 481). The Inner Light is a special influence, which made Whitman's poetry unique. This certain influence did such things as guide Whitman down his soul searching path as well as help him define within himself the characteristics of an individual. In section fifteen of "Song of Myself," Whitman discusses people from every class and every profession. He goes on to say "the young fellow drives the express-wagon... love him though I do not know him;" (2753). ... ...either hasten their own delivery, not resist it" (2767). Would it really be that bad to be an individualist instead of conforming to the crowd? I do not think so. Works Cited *Bartlett, John. Bartlett's Familiar Quotations. Boston: Little,Brown and Company,1992. *Canby,Henry Seidel, Johnson, Thomas H., Ludwig,Richard M., Spiller, Robert E., Thorp, Willard. Literary History of the United States. New York: The MacMillian Company, 1963. *Franklin, Benjamin. Autobiography and Poor Richards almanacks. The Heath Anthology of American Literature. 3rd ed. Ed. Paul Lauter.Boston, NewYork: Houghton Mifflin,1998. *Renyolds, David S., Walt Whitman's America-A Cultural Biography. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1995. *Whitman, Walt. Song of Myself. The Heath Anthology of American Literature. 3rd ed. Ed, Paul Lauter. Boston,NewYork: Houghton Mifflin, 1998.

Emerson Defines Beauty in The Poet Essay -- Emerson Poet Essays

Emerson Defines Beauty in The Poet Just what is beauty? We all have our own definition of beauty because everyone has there own distinctive style and attractiveness. Therefore, we must respect why some people find beauty in things while others would not simply because beauty is truly in the eyes of the beholder. Now we all are attracted to all sorts of things, but have you ever asked yourself why? Is it simply because it is beautiful or does the meaning go beyond that? I tend to believe the latter is true so lets take love for example. It is the most beautiful thing in the world because you get a sense of being, are likely attracted to the person you are in love with, it stimulates you and you probably feel complete. However, beauty does not always have to be attractive or unique it is what taps into your emotions and causes you to want more and more. Emerson defines beauty in a totally different light. He believes that only a poet can truly capture beauty because only a poet has the vision, words and intelligence to interpret events and put them into a form that is so appealing to the eyes of readers. Emerson does have a point that poets do have a way with words, but what about the average individual? Everyone has their own way of expressing feelings, needs and emotion, and that is the beauty of it all. On the other hand Emerson argues that poets can only truly define beauty and express it with elegant wording. In addition, he believes that everyday events of life are beautiful when he says, "And this hidden truth, that the fountains whence all this river of Time, and its creatures floweth, are intrinsically ideal and beautiful, draws us to the consideration of the nature and functions of the Poet, or the man of Beau... ...eauty because he sees it, understands it and thoughts of it roll off his head and never stop coming. Beauty is and will always stimulate the mind. Ultimately the burden lies in the poets hands to paint a picture which in turn will stimulate the readers imagination, and the reader may even find a deeper meaning if the poet writes a poem so effectively that the reader is left wondering and questioning themselves. Everyone has a different definition of beauty and that is perfectly fine because no two people are the same. Beauty may not always be appealing at first but since a poet has a way with words and thoughts he could probably turn just about anything into a new light and thus seen as beautiful. WORKS CITED Emerson, Ralph Waldo. The Poet. The Heath Anthology of American Literature. 3rd ed. Ed. Paul Lauter. Boston, New york: houghton mifflin, 1998. Emerson Defines Beauty in The Poet Essay -- Emerson Poet Essays Emerson Defines Beauty in The Poet Just what is beauty? We all have our own definition of beauty because everyone has there own distinctive style and attractiveness. Therefore, we must respect why some people find beauty in things while others would not simply because beauty is truly in the eyes of the beholder. Now we all are attracted to all sorts of things, but have you ever asked yourself why? Is it simply because it is beautiful or does the meaning go beyond that? I tend to believe the latter is true so lets take love for example. It is the most beautiful thing in the world because you get a sense of being, are likely attracted to the person you are in love with, it stimulates you and you probably feel complete. However, beauty does not always have to be attractive or unique it is what taps into your emotions and causes you to want more and more. Emerson defines beauty in a totally different light. He believes that only a poet can truly capture beauty because only a poet has the vision, words and intelligence to interpret events and put them into a form that is so appealing to the eyes of readers. Emerson does have a point that poets do have a way with words, but what about the average individual? Everyone has their own way of expressing feelings, needs and emotion, and that is the beauty of it all. On the other hand Emerson argues that poets can only truly define beauty and express it with elegant wording. In addition, he believes that everyday events of life are beautiful when he says, "And this hidden truth, that the fountains whence all this river of Time, and its creatures floweth, are intrinsically ideal and beautiful, draws us to the consideration of the nature and functions of the Poet, or the man of Beau... ...eauty because he sees it, understands it and thoughts of it roll off his head and never stop coming. Beauty is and will always stimulate the mind. Ultimately the burden lies in the poets hands to paint a picture which in turn will stimulate the readers imagination, and the reader may even find a deeper meaning if the poet writes a poem so effectively that the reader is left wondering and questioning themselves. Everyone has a different definition of beauty and that is perfectly fine because no two people are the same. Beauty may not always be appealing at first but since a poet has a way with words and thoughts he could probably turn just about anything into a new light and thus seen as beautiful. WORKS CITED Emerson, Ralph Waldo. The Poet. The Heath Anthology of American Literature. 3rd ed. Ed. Paul Lauter. Boston, New york: houghton mifflin, 1998.