The James Wright Festival :: essays research papers

The James Wright Festival Part One   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After reading the poem entitled â€Å"Youth†, I felt that James Wright was not only describing the life of his father but also the lives of the many other factory workers in the Ohio Valley. Many of these workers had either dropped out of school or went straight to the factories after high school, never really getting a chance to enjoy their lives as young `````adults. I think that has something to do with the title of this poem. It’s clear that Wright knew his father and the other men were not satisfied with their jobs and just chose not to speak about it. These factory workers slaved away and then came home â€Å"quiet as the evening† probably because they were content to just be relaxing at home with their families. They knew that this was their way of life and they had to do it, even if they had big dreams to someday get away. I think that Wright was also trying to make a point that these men who worked so hard every day were not valued as much as they should have been. These men did not have the education to get a higher paying job but they did have the proper skills and knowledge to work in the factories. I like that James Wright mentioned Sherwood Anderson in this poem as I enjoy his work. Anderson left his Ohio hometown for Chicago to pursuit bigger and better things because he knew if he stayed in the area, he would be unhappy. However, it is a little ironic that Anderson one day just got up and left in the middle of writing and was said to have a mental breakdown.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I can definitely see what Wright was communicating with this poem. I had a somewhat depressed feeling after reading it, but I don’t know how one could read this and NOT feel that way. I also felt a little sad because I have been around people like this all of my life. Family, friends, friends of the family- a large majority of these people worked in factories and in the steel mills. As a child, I did not realize just how hard working these people were but of course as I grew older I started to understand. No one really spoke of it, as Wright also expressed in the poem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As far as what was important to me in the experience of the poem, I felt that the fact that I could actually relate was important. The James Wright Festival :: essays research papers The James Wright Festival Part One   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After reading the poem entitled â€Å"Youth†, I felt that James Wright was not only describing the life of his father but also the lives of the many other factory workers in the Ohio Valley. Many of these workers had either dropped out of school or went straight to the factories after high school, never really getting a chance to enjoy their lives as young `````adults. I think that has something to do with the title of this poem. It’s clear that Wright knew his father and the other men were not satisfied with their jobs and just chose not to speak about it. These factory workers slaved away and then came home â€Å"quiet as the evening† probably because they were content to just be relaxing at home with their families. They knew that this was their way of life and they had to do it, even if they had big dreams to someday get away. I think that Wright was also trying to make a point that these men who worked so hard every day were not valued as much as they should have been. These men did not have the education to get a higher paying job but they did have the proper skills and knowledge to work in the factories. I like that James Wright mentioned Sherwood Anderson in this poem as I enjoy his work. Anderson left his Ohio hometown for Chicago to pursuit bigger and better things because he knew if he stayed in the area, he would be unhappy. However, it is a little ironic that Anderson one day just got up and left in the middle of writing and was said to have a mental breakdown.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I can definitely see what Wright was communicating with this poem. I had a somewhat depressed feeling after reading it, but I don’t know how one could read this and NOT feel that way. I also felt a little sad because I have been around people like this all of my life. Family, friends, friends of the family- a large majority of these people worked in factories and in the steel mills. As a child, I did not realize just how hard working these people were but of course as I grew older I started to understand. No one really spoke of it, as Wright also expressed in the poem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As far as what was important to me in the experience of the poem, I felt that the fact that I could actually relate was important.

Emilio Jacinto’s Trading Cooperative

A1457 Cooperatives: Principles and practices in the 21st century Kimberly A. Zeuli and Robert Cropp ABOUT THE COVER IMAGE: The â€Å"twin pines† is a familiar symbol for cooperatives in the United States. The Cooperative League of the USA, which eventually became the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA), adopted it as their logo in 1922. The pine tree is an ancient symbol of endurance and immortality. The two pines represent mutual cooperation—people helping people. COOPERATIVES: ii Chapter 1 An introduction to cooperatives 1 Chapter 2 Historical development of cooperatives throughout the world 5Chapter 3 Cooperative history, trends, and laws in the United States 59 Chapter 8 Procedures for organizing a cooperative 69 Chapter 9 A summary of cooperative benefits and limitations 77 Notes 81 Glossary 85 Cooperative resources IN 49 Chapter 7 Cooperative financial management PRACTICES 39 Chapter 6 Cooperative roles, responsibilities, and communication & 27 Chapte r 5 Alternative business models in the United States PRINCIPLES 15 Chapter 4 Cooperative classification Contents Publication notes ? 89 THE 21ST CENTURY i Publication notes This publication is the fourth and most extensive revision of the Marvin A.Schaars’ text, Cooperatives, Principles and Practices, University of Wisconsin Extension—Madison, Publication A1457, July 1980. What has come to be known simply as â€Å"the Schaars book,† was originally written in 1936 by Chris L. Christensen, Asher Hobson, Henry Bakken, R. K. Froker, and Marvin Schaars, all faculty in the Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Wisconsin—Madison. Since its first publication, the Schaars book has served as a basic reference for cooperative members and leaders, cooperative instructors and development specialists, and students of cooperatives throughout the UnitedStates and world. It has been translated into several languages. Although the Schaars book has been out of print for some time, the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives (UWCC) continues to receive regular requests for copies. Its straightforward, basic information on the organization, structure, financing, and management of cooperatives is as needed and relevant today as ever. The revisions in this version, which reflect over two decades of learning about cooperative development as well as new cooperative laws and ways of doing business, will hopefully make it even more useful.Although we focus on cooperative businesses in the United States, and draw most of our references from the agricultural sector, most of the book’s content is pertinent to cooperatives anywhere, in any sector. Readers are encouraged to seek out other publications that deal more extensively with cooperative laws in their own states and countries, and provide more detailed information on consumer, service and worker-owned cooperatives and credit unions. ii Kimberly Zeuli and Robert Cropp, Assistant Professor and Professor Emeritus in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Wisconsin—Madison, re responsible for all of the editing and most of the revised text. The following individuals also contributed to various chapters: David Erickson, Director of Member Relations, Wisconsin Federation of Cooperatives E. G. Nadeau, Director of Research, Planning and Development, Cooperative Development Services David Trechter, Professor, University of Wisconsin— River Falls Richard Vilstrup, Professor Emeritus, Department of Animal Science and Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Wisconsin—Madison This revision would not have been possible without generous funding from The CooperativeFoundation, Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota. COOPERATIVES: CHAPTER 1 ? An introduction to cooperatives According to the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA): a cooperative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their com mon economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise. Cooperative leaders around the world recognize the ICA, a non-governmental organization with over 230 member organAlthough the word â€Å"cooperaizations from over 100 countries, as a leading tive† can be applied to many uthority on cooperative definition and values. 2 different types of group activities, in this publication The ICA definition recognizes the essential the term is used to reference element of cooperatives: membership is voluntary. Coercion is the antithesis of cooperation. Persons a formal business model, compelled to act contrary to their wishes are not which has relatively recent origins. The earliest coopera- truly cooperating. True cooperation with others arises from a belief in mutual help; it can’t be tive associations were created in Europe and North dictated. In authentic cooperatives, persons join The first signs ofAmerica during the 17th and voluntarily and have the freedom to quit the cooporganized hunting 18th centuries. These associ- erative at any time. 3 The forced collectives prevaactivity based around lent in the former Soviet Union, for example, were ations were precursors to communities are associated with not true cooperatives. cooperatives. The pioneers Homo erectus, of the Rochdale Society in Another widely accepted cooperative definition is modern human 19th-century England are ancestors who lived the one adopted by the United States Department between 500,000 and celebrated for launching the f Agriculture (USDA) in 1987: A cooperative is a 1. 5 million years ago modern cooperative user-owned, user-controlled business that distributes in Africa. movement. The unique conbenefits on the basis of use. This definition captures tribution of early cooperative organizers in what are generally considered the three primary England was codifying a guiding set of principles cooperative principles: user ownership, user and instigating the creation of new laws that control, and proportional distribution of benefits. helped foster cooperative business development. The â€Å"user-owner† principle implies that the peopleToday, cooperatives are found in nearly all countries. Chapters 2 and 3 trace the remarkable history who use the co-op (members) help finance the coof cooperative development internationally and in op and therefore, own the co-op. Members are responsible for providing at least some of the the United States. cooperative’s capital. The equity capital contribution of each member should be in equal proportion to that member’s use (patronage) of the coop. This shared financing creates joint ownership The cooperative model has been adapted to (part of the ICA cooperative definition). numerous and varied businesses.In 1942 Ivan G roups of individuals around the world and throughout time have worked together in pursuit of common goals. Examples of coop eration, or collective action, can be traced back to our prehistoric predecessors who recognized the advantages of hunting, gathering, and living in groups rather than on their own. What is a cooperative? Emelianoff, a respected cooperative scholar, remarked that â€Å"the diversity of cooperatives is kaleidoscopic and their variability is literally infinite. †1 As a consequence of this diversity, no universally accepted definition of a cooperative exists.Two definitions, however, are commonly used. PRINCIPLES & PRACTICES IN The â€Å"user-control† concept means that members of the co-op govern the business directly by voting on significant and long-term business decisions and indirectly through their representatives on the board of directors. Cooperative statutes and bylaws usually dictate that only active co-op members (those who use the co-op) can become voting directors, although non-members sometimes serve on boards in a non-voting, advisory THE 21ST CENTURY 1 cap acity. Advisory directors are becoming more common in large agricultural cooperatives in theUnited States, where complex financial and business operations require the expertise of financial and industry experts. Only co-op members can vote to elect their board of directors and on other cooperative actions. Voting rights are generally tied to membership status—usually one-member, one-vote—and not to the level of investment in or patronage of the cooperative. Cooperative law in a number of states in the United States and in other countries, however, also permits proportional voting. Instead of one vote per member, voting rights are based on the volume of business the member transacted he previous year with the cooperative. Generally, however, there is also a maximum number of votes any member may cast to prevent control by a minority of members. For example, a grain cooperative might permit one vote to be cast for each 1,000 bushels of grain marketed the year before, but any single member would be limited to a maximum of ten votes. Democratic control is maintained by tying voting rights to patronage. Equitable voting rights, or democratic control (as written in the ICA definition), are a hallmark of cooperatives. â€Å"Distribution of benefits on the basis of use,† escribes the principle of proportionality, another key foundation for cooperatives. Members should share the benefits, costs, and risks of doing business in equal proportion to their patronage. The proportional basis is fair, easily explained (transparent), and entirely feasible from an operational standpoint. To do otherwise distorts the individual contributions of members and diminishes their incentives to join and patronize the cooperative. 2 Co-op benefits may include better prices for goods and services, improved services, and dependable sources of inputs and markets for outputs. Most ooperatives also realize annual net profits, all or part of which are returned to members in proportion to their patronage (thus, they are aptly called patronage refunds). Cooperatives can also return a portion of their profits as dividends on investment. In the United States, however, federal and most state statutes set an 8 percent maximum on annual dividend payments. The purpose of these limits is to assure that the benefits of a cooperative accrue to those who use it most rather than to those who may have the most invested; the importance of capital is subordinated. Today, some co-op leaders and scholars consider his dividend restriction arbitrary and harmful to cooperatives. From their perspective, the 8 percent maximum makes investing in cooperatives less attractive than investing in other forms of business. It makes cooperatives less competitive as well, especially in the agricultural processing sector, which requires a lot of capital for start-up and growth. An overview of the federal laws that govern cooperatives in the United States is included in chapter 3. Why cooperate? People who organize and belong to cooperatives do so for a variety of economic, social, and even political reasons.Cooperating with others has often proven to be a satisfactory way of achieving one’s own objectives while at the same time assisting others in achieving theirs. Farmers create farm supply and marketing cooperatives to help them maximize their net profits. This requires both effective marketing of their products for better prices as well as keeping input costs as low as possible. The farmers recognize that they are usually more efficient and knowledgeable as producers than as marketers or purchasers. By selling and buying in larger volumes they can also usually achieve better prices. COOPERATIVES: CHAPTEREmployees organize bargaining associations and labor unions to negotiate collectively with management and owners. In some cases, employees form worker-owned cooperatives. As the name suggests, a worker-owned cooperative is owned and controlled by its em ployees. 4 Employees establish bargaining units and cooperatives in the hopes of increasing their wages and fringe benefits, improving their general working conditions, and ensuring job security. Cooperatives do not, as is sometimes assumed, contradict the goals of capitalism. If that were the case, cooperatives would not play such an important role in the American economy.About 48,000 cooperatives, operating in nearly every business sector imaginable, serve 120 million members, or roughly 4 out of 10 Americans. 5 The top 100 cooperatives in the United States, ranked by revenue, individually generated at least $346 million in revenue during 2002 and in the aggregate, $119 billion. 6 They represent agriculture, finance, grocery, hardware, healthcare, recreation, and energy industries (figure 1. 1). An introduction to cooperatives Consumer cooperatives are established to sell the products a group of consumers want but cannot find elsewhere at affordable prices. The consumer embers are primarily interested in improving their purchasing power—the quantity of goods and services they can buy with their income. They naturally wish to get as much as possible for their money in terms of quantity and quality. As owners, the members have a say in what products their stores carry. 1 ? Cooperatives are especially important to agriculture. In 2002, 3,140 agricultural cooperatives provided roughly 3. 1 million farmers (many farmers are members of more than one cooperative) with agricultural marketing, farm supplies, and other farm-related services. They captured 28 percent of the market share. Figure 1. 1. Top 100 revenue generating cooperatives in the U. S. by sector, 2002 PRINCIPLES & PRACTICES IN THE 21ST CENTURY 3 In terms of non-agricultural cooperatives, 84 million Americans are members of 9,569 credit unions, 865 electric co-ops serve 37 million people in 47 states, over 1. 5 million families live in housing cooperatives, and over 3 million people are members o f 5,000 food cooperatives. 8 The involvement of so many people in cooperatives in such a highly competitive economy reflects the general satisfaction of members toward their companies and the apparent efficiency and solid inancial performance of these businesses. Chapter 4 provides a more comprehensive discussion of the various types of cooperatives and the extent of their economic success in the United States. In short, cooperatives are organized to serve member needs and are focused on generating member benefits rather than returns to investors. This member-driven orientation makes them fundamentally different from other corporations. Additional cooperative structural characteristics and guiding principles further distinguish them from other business models. In most countries, the cooperative model represents only one of several ifferent ways a business can choose to legally organize. Chapter 5 presents a comparison of the six major alternative business models in the United States . Cooperative management and development To prosper, cooperatives must be well organized, well financed, well managed, and governed well by a committed membership. They must be progressive, adapting to changing business climates, and responsive to their members’ changing needs. Members, the board of directors, and management each have responsibilities within the cooperative. Strong, viable cooperatives require all three groups to do their share.Chapter 6 describes each group’s unique and important role. 4 Although capital, employees, business volume, and good management practices are all very important for successful operations, a co-op’s members are its most important asset. Cooperative success also hinges on effective member education and communication. Indeed, providing education, training, and information to members is one of the seven cooperative principles adopted by the ICA. The unique education needs of cooperatives and the essential elements for a succe ssful education and communication program are also discussed in chapter 6.Cooperative financing is also critical and in today’s complex cooperative organizations it can be quite complicated. Adequate capital is one of the fundamental principles of sound business operation and at the same time one of the biggest challenges facing cooperatives today. Financing options must be consistent with principles of cooperation as well as with federal and state laws. Chapter 7 lays out the main concepts behind cooperative financing, including alternative sources of capital and equity redemption plans. As with other business forms, cooperatives should be established only to meet a well-defined need in he market. Before cooperatives are created, advance research should be done by a steering committee to ensure sufficient support by other potential members in the community. Chapter 8 discusses in greater detail the procedure for organizing cooperatives. A good feasibility study, strong membe rship drives, and a comprehensive business plan are essential ingredients. A final analysis of the cooperative model’s benefits and limitations, to members and the broader community, is presented in chapter 9. COOPERATIVES: CHAPTER Revolutionary roots in England The first cooperative businesses created in Europe rose during periods of great social upheaval and distress caused by dramatic shifts in agricultural and industrial production practices. Prior to the Industrial Revolution (about 1750-1850), most families in England and other parts of Europe were largely self-sufficient, creating enough food and goods for their subsistence and small amounts for trading. The Industrial Revolution introduced the factory system of production and was marked by a rapid succession of remarkable inventions that accelerated the industrialization of business. Examples of inventions during this period include smelting iron with coal instead of charcoal, the otton gin and power loom, and the ste am engine. The writings of Adam Smith at the time, especially his advocacy of the laissez faire principle (no government intervention in the economy), further spurred the revolution. The industrial system gradually replaced cottage industries and home-based production. Workers were required to move into cities to find work. Away from land, their families were increasingly integrated into a market economy; instead of pro- PRINCIPLES & PRACTICES IN ducing most of their household requirements, especially food, they had no other choice but to purchase them. Advances in production were not, nfortunately, accompanied by fair labor standards. Workers were typically paid very low wages and were subjected to harsh working conditions. 10 People remaining in rural areas were not much better off. An agricultural revolution was already well underway in the 18th century. The introduction of new cultivation methods and crop varieties supported a dramatic change in land tenure patterns. Scattered, small plots of farmland were aggregated into large, enclosed estates, primarily for the purpose of grazing sheep and other live- The historical development of cooperative businesses cannot be disconnected from the social and conomic forces that shaped them. Co-ops then, as now, were created in times and places of economic stress and social upheaval. 9 stock. Between 1760 and 1843, nearly seven million acres of agricultural land in England were enclosed in estates. As a result, large numbers of small farmers were driven from their land into neighboring towns and villages with few remaining jobs. A movement towards greater freedom of expression was another hallmark of this revolutionary period. The citizens of England began to publicly dissent with government policies, taking issue with the status quo and demanding more personal ights. Therefore, the widespread poverty, unemployment, and general social deterioration that were left in the wake of the industrial and agricultural revolut ions were met with a public outcry to the government for improved working and living conditions. THE 21ST CENTURY Historical development of cooperatives throughout the world T he historical development of cooperative businesses cannot be disconnected from the social and economic forces that shaped them. Co-ops then, as now, were created in times and places of economic stress and social upheaval. 9 Ancient records and archeological discoveries oint to the existence of cooperative organizations created by early civilizations in diverse parts of the world (China, Greece, Egypt, etc. ). But it is the founders of the Rochdale Society in 19th century England who are celebrated for launching the modern cooperative movement. The Rochdale pioneers, and the early European cooperative thinkers and organizers who laid the foundation for their success, are responsible for codifying a guiding set of principles that helped guide the development of cooperatives across the world. 2 ? 5 Early coopera tive societies Robert Owen and In the absence of public assistance, the people ofCharles Fourier— Europe established various types of self-help organizations. Mutual fire insurance companies Cooperative visionaries existed in London and Paris as early as 1530, although the first highly successful and wellknown example was organized in England in 1696, the Amicable Contributionship. 11 The people of England also created Mutual Aid Societies (they eventually became known as Friendly Societies) that offered financial payments and assistance to members in times of sickness, unemployment, or death. 12 By the mid-18th century many well-established societies were already in operation.They were legalized with the passing of the first Friendly Society Act (also called the Rose Act) in 1793. A number of bills were introduced in the 19th century to encourage Friendly Societies since they lessened the public burden. 13 Workers organized labor unions to bargain with employers for more fav orable working conditions and to lobby the government for improved labor legislation. Cooperative or quasi-cooperative industrial businesses were in operation in England by 1760. Most were consumer-controlled organizations focused on flour milling and baking industries. Cooperative orn mills for grinding flour appeared in a number of cities shortly after the turn of the 19th century to cut the cost of flour and prevent tampering by greedy millers. Purchasing cooperatives already existed in most Western European countries by the 18th century. The Weaver’s Society in Fenwick, Scotland (often referred to as â€Å"penny capitalists†) began to purchase supplies as a group in 1769. 14 The precursors to mutuals and unions were guilds, the associations of merchants, artisans, and craftsmen that date back to Medieval times. Guilds had binding rules for production and business practices.Although guilds were created partially in an attempt to establish local trade monopolies, the y incorporated socialist practices: member control, equitable treatment of all members, and financial support of members who were ill or faced family crises. 6 â€Å"Often men wish to escape the realities of life, and when they do, they dream of Utopias. † 15 The first cooperative movement, that is, the establishment of a coherent argument for the cooperative form of organization, gained momentum in the early 19th century with the writings and advocacy efforts of Robert Robert Owen (1771- Owen and William King in 858):â€Å"The Father England and Charles Fourier in of Cooperation. † France. Robert Owen and Charles Fourier were both well-known Utopian Socialists; not only did they envision ideal societies, they tried to create them in Europe and the United States. 16 Robert Owen (1771-1858) was a prominent industrialist who began to advocate the establishment of a new type of community to alleviate the poverty and suffering caused by the Industrial Revolution. Charles F ourier (1772-1837) was a bourgeois, famous French social philosopher whose plans for self-reliant communities were motivated by the French Revolution and his view hat the working class was being dehumanized and repressed. They both envisioned rural villages composed of farms and small-scale industry, all operated cooperatively by the citizens who would also live together communally. Owen originally conceived of these communities as a solution for unemployment, but later believed (like Fourier) that they were a better alternative to private capitalism and competition, providing self-employment opportunities and other conditions that would provide universal happiness. Fourier called his planned communal cities â€Å"phalanxes. † COOPERATIVES: CHAPTER Fourier never found philanthropists willing to fund he creation of a phalanx. After his death, several were attempted in France and more than thirty organized in the United States. 18 The most notable in the United States were Broo k Farm, near Cambridge, Massachusetts (1842-1846), and one in Fond du Lac County (now the city of Ripon), Wisconsin (1845-1850). The phalanxes suffered from a conflict between treating everyone equally and rewarding those who provided more capital and labor. The phalanx model, however, influenced the successful kibbutzim in Israel (discussed later). Owen was a visionary idealist, not a realistic cooperative developer.He was not at all interested, therefore, in helping the early consumer cooperatives in England:â€Å"Joint stock retailing is not the Social System which we contemplate†¦and will not form any part of the arrangements in the New Moral World. †19 In 1839 he did not even bother to respond to an urgent request by Charles Howarth to visit Rochdale, England to discuss organizational plans for a new retail cooperative. Owen’s attack upon individualism, the family, competition, private property, the market economy, and organized religion, alienated many peopl e from cooperation and provoked condemnation of cooperatives from various religious groups.Even so, Owen is often called the â€Å"father of cooperation. † Despite his failures, Owen continued preaching that cooperative production and living were the best medicines for the ills of society. His advocacy stimulated the creation of cooperative societies, labor exchanges (where handicrafts were traded based on the amount of labor involved in their making), and trade unions. Although most of the organizations he started lasted only a short time, PRINCIPLES & PRACTICES IN they provided the groundwork for another generation of cooperative development in Europe and North America. William King—A cooperative developer and pragmatist Dr. William King (1786-1865), another social reformer in England, was in many respects more responsible than Robert Owen for spreading the cooperative idea and for the actual organization of cooperatives. Although he accepted much of Owen’s so cial philosophy, he disagreed on how to reach those goals. King was more realistic about cooperatives, advocating and inspiring the development of consumer cooperatives across England. As a physician, King became interested in improving the welfare of the working people of Brighton, England. He was involved in organizing numerous ocial and educational institutions, including an infants’ school, a mechanics’ institute, and a library. Between 1828 and 1830, King published (at his own expense) a small magazine called â€Å"The Cooperator† that was widely distributed throughout England. Its 28 issues were a source of inspiration, information, and instruction on cooperation in theory as well as in practice. The magazine advocated a more realistic type of cooperation within reach of the working class. King believed that cooperatives should start small with the original capital supplied by members, a significant deviation from Owen and Fourier’s arge-scale opera tions funded by wealthy investors. King did not necessarily object to Owen’s self-sustaining cooperative communities, as long as they were funded with the members’ own capital and were restricted to Christians. King was a religious fundamentalist who believed that biblical scripture should guide the ethics and operations of cooperatives. He also taught that cooperatives should not pay patronage refunds, but instead reinvest all net profits to increase the scope of their activities and to employ as many members as possible. King also proposed the following guidelines for consumer cooperatives: THE 1ST CENTURY Historical development of cooperatives throughout the world Owen and Fourier were not abstract thinkers; they laid out very specific details for their communities. For instance, they believed that the communities should contain 1,000-1,800 people living on a relatively small tract of land. Fourier was more explicit: the area should be three square miles. 17 Wealthy supporters of Owen’s ideas were willing to finance the creation of such communities. Four were eventually created: New Harmony, Indiana (USA); Orbiston, Scotland; Ralahine, Ireland; and Queenswood, England. All ultimately failed. 2 ? 7 1) members should pay cash for all merchandise purchased at the cooperative; (2) the co-op should adopt democratic principles of governance; and (3) it should publicize the cooperative movement. In addition to the advocacy of Owen and King, the cooperative movement in England was supported by a number of short-lived cooperative journals, which were circulated between 1825 and 1830. Cooperative congresses also advocated and promoted cooperation; the first took place in 1830 in Manchester, the second in 1831 in Birmingham, and the third in 1832 in London. Owen’s influence and rhetoric were exhibited in these and later congresses.For instance, the Third Congress stated that â€Å"the grand ultimate object of all cooperative societies is c ommunity on land. † What began with a few cooperative societies in 1826 quickly grew to about 300 consumer cooperatives by 1830, many patterned after King’s Brighton Cooperative Trading Association. King’s ideas may have also influenced early American cooperatives. A treasurer of a cooperative in Brighton, England, William Bryan, helped organize a consumer cooperative in New York City in 1830. King was compelled to discontinue his active role in the cooperative movement in the late 1830s for wo reasons: his medical practice was suffering and poor management and internal discontent plagued individual co-op stores. By 1840, the cooperative movement in England was basically at a standstill and King’s ideas were forgotten, ignored in the cooperative literature for several decades. The Rochdale Pioneers In the first wave of consumer cooperatives, a shortlived society was created in Rochdale, England in 1833. James Smithies, one of the original organizers, was i nspired by King’s cooperative magazine and shared it with his co-founders. Their ultimate cooperative goals, however, echoed Owen’s teachings.Although their first co-op effort failed after only two years, a core group of 28 continued to work actively for social reform and eventually created the prototype cooperative model for a modest shop on Toad Lane in 1844. The so-called Rochdale Pioneers were ambitious and had lofty goals for their co-op: (1) to sell provisions at the store; (2) to purchase homes for their members; (3) to manufacture goods their members needed; and (4) to provide employment for their members who were either out of work or poorly paid. In sum, they wanted to â€Å"establish a self-supporting home colony of united interests† nd to â€Å"arrange the powers of production, distribution, education, and government† in the interests of its members. In addition, they hoped to open a â€Å"temperance hotel† in one of the cooperative hou ses to promote sobriety. The foundation for the Rochdale cooperative was built upon the intelligent combination of various ideas that had been tried by previous cooperatives. The Pioneers learned from the co-op failures of the past. For example, the business practices they adopted for their small store, later called the Rochdale Principles (sidebar), were novel primarily in their combination; many had been borrowed rom other cooperatives. The original Rochdale Cooperative shop on Toad Lane. It is now preserved as a museum. 8 COOPERATIVES: CHAPTER The Industrial and Provident Societies Act, authorized in England in 1852, was a major development in the cooperative movement. Prior to the enactment of this law, the Friendly Societies Acts of 1834 and 1846 regulated the registration of cooperatives, even though these acts were designed for mutual-aid groups and not for businesses engaged in trade. Therefore, the consumer cooperatives did not have the proper legal protection essential for their business operations.The acts further prevented them from selling to people other than their members. 1. Voting is by members on a democratic (one-member, one-vote) basis. 2. Membership is open. 3. Equity is provided by members. 4. Equity ownership share of individual members is limited. 5. Net income is distributed to members as patronage refunds on a cost basis. 6. Dividends on equity capital are limited. 7. Exchange of goods and services at market prices. 8. Duty to educate. 9. Cash trading only. 10. No unusual risk assumption. 11. Political and religious neutrality. 12. Equality in membership (no discrimination y gender). Adapted from David Barton,â€Å"Principles,† in David Cobia (ed. ), Cooperatives in Agriculture. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1989. Some of the Rochdale Principles, such as democratic control (one-member, one-vote) and limited dividends on equity capital, are still followed by most cooperatives around the world. Other principles, such as ca sh trading, are clearly outdated in most countries where credit cards and (in agricultural co-ops) seasonal loans are the norm. As a set of guiding principles, they are not necessarily appropriate for all types of cooperatives in all locations.They are after all a product of a historical period and economy and were meant to govern a small retail store (see chapter 4 for further discussion of cooperative principles). The phenomenal success of the Rochdale cooperative, which is still in operation today, was just the boost that the cooperative movement in England needed. Rochdale became the cooperative beacon for others to follow. It provided the organizational pattern that became the prototype for other cooperatives and spurred on the cooperative movement in Europe and North America. PRINCIPLES & PRACTICES IN The Industrial and Provident Societies Act rovided both important legal protections for the cooperatives while also imposing some operating restrictions. It protected the propert y of the societies, gave binding legal authority for their rules, safeguarded the savings of their investors, allowed them to sell to non-members, and provided legal status so that an association could sue fraudulent officials. It allowed cooperatives to pay patronage refunds on purchases but limited dividends on shares of stock to five percent. Although members still faced unlimited liability for cooperative debts, share limits of ? 100 per member were enforced.The passage of the Industrial and Provident Societies Act of 1862 loosened some of the restrictions and provided limited liability for members, meaning they would be liable only for co-op debts less than or equal to the value of their stock. Share limits were increased to ? 200 per member and cooperatives were permitted to invest in other cooperatives. As a result of these changes, the organization of the North of England Co-operative Society became possible. Established in 1863 to create cost savings for members by purchasi ng a variety of goods in bulk, today the Co-operative Group comprises a family of businesses employed n a wide range of activities (food, finance, farms, funerals, etc. ). It is a unique consumer-owned business that is the largest of its kind in the world. THE 21ST CENTURY Historical development of cooperatives throughout the world The first cooperative law Rochdale cooperative principles 2 ? 9 The beginnings of cooperative credit During the 1840s, later called â€Å"the Hungry Forties,† famine and extreme hardship spread throughout Europe. A blight ruined potato crops in many European countries, although Ireland was the most severely hit, during 1845-47. The shortage of potatoes drove up other food prices.Low fishing yields further exacerbated the food shortage, which caused millions of deaths and led to severe economic depression, high unemployment, and political unrest in the region. The Communist Manifesto was published in 1848. During this same year, F. W. Raiffeisen, a mayor of a group of villages in Northern Germany, created a cooperative society to alleviate some of the suffering in his community. The cooperative gave potatoes and bread to the poor. He soon realized, however, that charity alone could not solve the problems of poor farmers; they needed to become self-sufficient and earn more money. Raiffeisen hen started to organize loan societies, which embraced various cooperative features. Although Raiffeisen continued to advocate self-help, his first societies were mainly efforts to transfer money from the rich to the poor. In 1862, he helped the rural farmers of the little town of Anhausen organize a truly cooperative loan society. Early agricultural marketing and farm supply cooperatives in Europe Denmark is generally regarded as the most outstanding example of early and successful cooperative farm marketing and farm supply organizations. 20 The first cooperative creamery in Denmark was established in 1875 at Kaslunde. The early ooperative creameries incorporated some significant improvements in the butter-making process, including a standardized grading system. The high quality butter was marketed under a government brand to reflect their supervision of the grading. The first cooperative creameries were very successful. News of their success and popularity spread to other rural areas of Denmark; many others were soon organized throughout the country. These developments took place without government assistance or subsidies. The early and striking success of cooperatives in Denmark can be primarily attributed to the role of the Folk High School.An institution unique to the country, this school educated young adults in rural areas. The schools were inspired by the philosopher and clergyman, Bishop Nikolai (N. S. F. ) Grundtvig (1783-1873), and popularized by Kristen Meanwhile, Herman Schulze had created a somewhat similar credit institution among artisans Kold, an educator. Grundtvig established the first in Eilenburg i n 1850. He further refined this model Folk High School in 1844; the one created by Kold in 1851, however, was more successful and widely to fit the credit needs of artisans and other smallscale industries and developed other credit organi- replicated.The mission of the schools was to enlighten Danish citizens (beyond what they were zations. Raiffeisen may have been familiar with learning in primary schools) so they could particithese organizations and used them to inform his pate in the governance of the kingdom. They were own co-op development efforts. Both the not meant to be vocational or cooperative training Raiffeisen and Schulze cooperative bank models schools but rather designed to expose students to rapidly spread across Europe. Features of both new ideas and experiences. Today, we would call models were used to form credit unions in North them liberal arts schools.Numerous such schools America. Incidentally, the Credit Union National still thrive in Denmark. Although suppor ted finanAssociation’s headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin was called â€Å"Raiffeisen House† for a number of years. cially by the state, they are free to set their own curricula and are required to be nonvocational and without examinations. 10 COOPERATIVES: CHAPTER Cooperatives around the world The cooperative movement gradually spread around the world in the 19th century (table 2. 1). Another notable cooperative advocate is Sir Horace Plunkett (1854-1932), an Irishman (who spent 10 years as a cattle rancher in the UnitedStates in the 1800s) famous for advocating the benefits of agricultural cooperatives in Ireland and beyond. 21 He was instrumental in creating an international cooperative movement and promoting the cooperative principle of political neutrality. The Irish Cooperative Organization Society (formerly the Irish Agricultural Organization Society), originally founded by Plunkett in 1894, is located in The Plunkett House in Dublin. Today, cooperative business es are found in nearly all countries, from the developing nations of Africa, Asia, and South America to the industrial countries of Europe and North America.Northern Europe, where the cooperative movement took hold very early, still contains a strong cooperative presence, especially in agriculture. Many of the cooperatives in these countries have long histories and are extremely successful. However, as is the case in the United States (see chapter 3), economic pressures have been met with cooperative mergers and consolidations. As a result, cooperative numbers in these countries appear quite low (tables 2. 2 and 2. 3). Cooperative numbers in India, even on a per capita basis, are by comparison astounding. In the case of India and other countries with relatively high ooperative numbers, this situation typically reflects the existence of numerous, local cooperatives. More cooperatives do not imply necessarily that the cooperative sector as a whole is stronger or more competitive, howe ver. The spread of the cooperative business model from 18th century England to such diverse countries as India, Korea and Uganda, points to the universal adaptability and diversity of the cooperative model. Cooperative businesses are found in nearly all countries, from the developing nations of Africa, Asia, and South America to the industrial countries of Europe and North America. PRINCIPLES PRACTICES IN THE 21ST CENTURY Historical development of cooperatives throughout the world Folk High Schools created trained, rural leadership. They also established bonds of trust among those who came to live and study at the schools. The students developed a willingness to think together, work together, and play together—in short, to cooperate. Although not an intended outcome, the spirit of cooperation produced in these schools has been, without doubt, an important factor in the growth of Denmark’s cooperative movement. 2 ? 11 Table 2. 1. Historical cooperative statistics for se lected countries CountryFirst co-op First co-op law Membership (% of population) Albania 1946 NA NA Austria 1794 1873 47. 4 Belgium 1848 1873 35. 4 Czech Republic 1852 1873 13. 4 Denmark 1851 NA 34. 2 Finland 1870 1901 45. 8 France 1750 1887 30. 1 Germany 1845 1867 27. 9 Greece 1780 1914 9. 9 Iceland 1844 1937 20. 0 Ireland 1859 1893 59. 5 Italy 1806 1886 13. 3 Lithuania 1869 1917 6. 8 Luxembourg 1808 1884 4. 8 Netherlands 1860 1855 41. 1 Norway 1851 1935 36. 4 Poland 1816 1920 NA Portugal 1871 1867 21. 9 Romania 1852 1903 28. 5 Russia 1825 1907 9. 5 Spain 1838 1885 11. 1 Sweden 1850 1895 53. 7 Switzerland 1816 1881 50. 1 Turkey 1863 867 12. 9 United Kingdom 1750 1852 16. 6 United States 1752 1865 56. 7 Yugoslavia 1870 1925 6. 5 NA = not available Source: Adapted from Shaffer, J. (1999). Historical dictionary of the cooperative movement. London: Scarecrow Press, Inc. (pp. 437-39). 12 COOPERATIVES: CHAPTER Region Number of countries Organizations Individual members Societies Africa 1 2 19 27,214 9,561,443 Americas 18 61 43,945 182,486,437 Asia 28 64 480,648 414,383,079 Europe 35 88 197,293 118,473,862 Total 93 232 749,100 724,904,821 Source: International Co-operative Alliance, www. coop. org/statistics. html (July 1,1998). Table 2. 3.Agriculture cooperative statistics from select countries Number of co-ops Country Membership (millions) Brazil 4,744 3. 74 Canada 7,880 14. 52 Columbia 1,936 4. 82 Denmark 1,446 1. 39 Egypt 6,992 4. 28 46 1. 07 23,573 17. 49 Finland France Germany 9,112 21. 64 India 446,784 182. 92 Israel 256 0. 03 Japan 3,860 42. 84 NA 0. 63 Morocco 9,635 0. 68 Norway 4,259 1. 59 Repub. Korea 7,669 17. 07 15,106 Historical development of cooperatives throughout the world Table 2. 2. Cooperatives and membership by international region 2 ? 4. 78 Mexico Sweden Switzerland Uganda United Kingdom United States Zambia 16 1. 51 3,131 0. 4 42 9. 04 27,076 156. 19 2,174 0. 57 Source: International Co-operative Alliance, www. coop. org/statistics. html (Apri l 26, 2002). PRINCIPLES & PRACTICES IN THE 21ST CENTURY 13 14 COOPERATIVES: CHAPTER The driving forces behind cooperative development in the United States include the following five interrelated dynamics: 1. Market failure (monopoly power, excess supply, missing markets, etc. ). 2. Economic crises (depressions and recessions). 3. New technology. 4. Farm organizations and cooperative advocates. 5. Favorable public policy (presidential interest, legislative initiatives at both state and federal evels, and judicial interpretation). The relative importance of these forces at different periods will become apparent as we trace the path of cooperative development. Since some of the most significant contributions Americans have made to the cooperative model and movement have been in the agricultural sector, farm cooperatives will dominate this discussion. PRINCIPLES & PRACTICES IN The first American cooperatives The first recognized cooperative business in the United States (a mutual insura nce company) was founded in 1752, almost a quarter-century before the birth of the country (America achieved independence in 1776).Benjamin Franklin, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, worked with other members of fire fighting associations to create the first successful fire insurance company in the colonies: The Philadelphia Contributionship for the Insurance of Houses from Loss by Fire. 24 Franklin had already formed the Union Fire Company in 1736, which became the model for volunteer fire fighting companies. Franklin had witnessed the success and importance of mutual societies when he was living in England. The Philadelphia Contributionship was based on a similar London association created in 1696. 25 Although European models and European immigrant cultures remained influential, it was in agriculture that co-ops began to take root in new and distinctive North American forms. † 26 Cooperative history, trends, Cooperative history, trends, and laws in the United States and laws in the United States C ooperatives are neither indigenous to the United States, nor are they an American invention. As Fairbairn reminds us,â€Å"The idea of the co-op was both imported by the colonists from Europe and also independently developed and adapted by settlers of European origin under North American conditions. †22 Pilgrims coming to he new world on the Mayflower in 1620 signed the Mayflower Compact, which described the operations of an organization, or constitution, with cooperative characteristics. Once they arrived, the early settlers worked together collectively to clear the land, build homes and communities, start farming, and provide protection for their families. 23 The overview of cooperative development in the United States provided here supports the idea that cooperatives in the United States are both an artifact of early settlers’ European heritage and a collective response to harsh living conditions in rural areas. ? Americ an farmers first attempted to organize in 1785 with the establishment of the Philadelphia Society for Promotion of Agriculture. The first formal farmer cooperatives were created in 1810: a dairy cooperative in Goshen, Connecticut, and a cheese manufacturing cooperative in South Trenton, New Jersey. On the heels of these organizations, other cooperatives involving different commodities were formed in many parts of the country (table 3. 1). There was no identified coordinated leadership and most cooperatives restricted their operations to their local community. Most of he early agricultural cooperatives were ultimately unsuccessful. THE 21ST CENTURY 15 Table 3. 1. Selected early cooperatives and mutuals in the United States Year Cooperative 1752 Philadelphia Contributionship for the Insurance of Houses from Loss by Fire (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) 1810 Dairy cooperative (Goshen, Conneticut) and cheese cooperative (South Trenton, New Jersey) 1820 Hog marketing, slaughtering, and packi ng cooperative (Granville, Ohio) 1853 Irrigation cooperative (Tulare County, California) 1857 Grain elevator (Madison, Wisconsin) 1862 Tobacco marketing cooperative (Connecticut) 1863

Anion Chemistry Glossary Definition and Examples

An anion is an  ionic species having a negative charge. The chemical species may be a single atom or a group of atoms. An anion is attracted to the anode in electrolysis. Anions are typically larger than cations (positively charged ions) because they have extra electrons around them. The word anion [an-ahy-uh  n]  was proposed by English polymath  Rev.  William  Whewell in 1834, from Greek anion thing going up, referring to the movement of anions during electrolysis. Physicist Michael Faraday was the first person to use the term anion in a publication. Anion Examples Free chloride in an  aqueous  table salt (NaCl) solution:  Cl-Singlet oxygen:  O-Superoxide: O2-Hydroxide ion: OH-Sulfate: SO42-Al(OH)4- Anion Notation When naming a chemical compound, the cation is given first, followed by the anion. For example, the compound sodium chloride is written NaCl, where Na is the cation and Cl- is the anion. The net electrical charge of an anion is denoted using a superscript after the chemical species symbol. For example, the phosphate ion PO43- has a charge of 3-. Since many elements display a range of valences, determining the anion and cation in a chemical formula isnt always clearcut. In general, the difference in electronegativity may be used to identify the cation and anion in a formula. The more electronegative species in a chemical bond is the anion.​  Look here for a table of common Anions.

Literary Analysis of Fight Club - 1481 Words

Fight Club is a novel written by Chuck Palahniuk. This is a story about a protagonist who struggles with insomnia. An anonymous character suffering from recurring insomnia due to the stress brought about by his job is introduced to the reader. He visits a doctor who later sends him to visit a support group for testicular cancer victims, and this helps him in alleviating his insomnia. However, his insomnia returns after he meets Marla Singer. Later on, the narrator meets Tyler Durden, and they together establish a fight club. They continue fighting until they attract crowds of people interested in the fight club. Fight club is a story that shows the struggles between the upper class and lower class people. The upper class people here†¦show more content†¦This quote explains how both classes see each other, the working class consider themselves as guerilla terrorists who attack the upper class, while the upper class sees the working class as cockroaches that can do nothing an d can be eliminated any time. The upper class people despised the working class people as they considered them as servants to serve them at any time. Another example that highlights the conflict between the classes in the story is the scene where Tyler splices pornography into the films he airs. He uses his position as a projectionist in the movie theater to include split seconds of pornography into movies watched by the upper and middle class people. He enjoyed doing it because he had nothing to loose, he was the â€Å"the pawn of the world, everybody’s trash† (Palahniuk 106). He included pornography in the movies the upper class people watched just to get back at them by exposing them to pornography without their knowledge and consent. Exposing them to pornography without their knowledge was a way Tyler used to reverse the conventional roles of the society. The working class was proving to the upper class that they could oppress them if they want to and this was done through Tyler’s actions. Tyler used his position to do as he wished and the upper class people could do nothing about it rather, they watched the pornography in the movies. In addition to struggles between classes, Palahniuk explores the theme of destruction in his book. Creation throughShow MoreRelatedFreudian Criticism Of Oedipus Complex1130 Words   |  5 Pageson the anaclitic model; the boy deals with his father by identifying himself with him (The Ego and the Id 20). In Fight Club, we get a small glimpse into what the Narrators childhood was like, as well as what his relationship with his parents was like. At one point, Tyler says, Our fathers were our models for God. If our fathers bailed, what does that tell you about God? (Fight Club), which tells us that the Narrators father abandoned him at one point in his life (we know this because Tyler andRead MoreFight Club By Chuck Palahniuk1442 Words   |  6 PagesFight Club At first glance, Chuck Palahniuk’s award-winning novel Fight Club gives the impression that it is a simple story revolving around a man who struggles to manage his insomnia. However, a deeper literary analysis will show readers that the novel is much more than that. Fight Club is actually a cleverly written novel that contains many elements of Marxist and psychoanalytic theories throughout the storyline. Marxism is based on the concepts of Karl Marx’s theories that focuses on class relationsRead MoreSummary Of The House Of The Spirits 1651 Words   |  7 Pagesreact. During the patriarchal society, women were a man’s possession. They had few rights and were exploited and sometimes rejected by men (Metzger). Clara doesn’t put up with disrespect from any man and when her husband, Esteban, hits her during a fight, Clara never speak a word to him again (Allende 223). With this act of cruelty on his part it allowed Clara to escape to her own world of solitud e, a spiritual world where Esteban cannot follow her. This world is without rules, without structure, noRead MoreThe Doubles Creation as a Necessary Anti-Hero Essay2045 Words   |  9 Pagespurely literal light. A psychological viewpoint is appropriate to my research paper for the fact that each of the prime instances of doubling I aim to discuss occur unconsciously. The intentions of the originals, in my case Jack from Fight Club and Ivan from The Brothers Karamazov, that lead to the creation of their doubles lie deep within their psyches and are unacknowledged by the character. I aim to explain what occurs inside the depths of a characters mind leading up to the situationRead MoreThe Heart Is a Lonely Hunter Literary Analysis1787 Words   |  5 PagesAn Analysis of The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, by Carson McCullers, is written in third person point of view. However, the perspective switches between five characters. This novel is classified as a Southern Gothic novel. It explores isolation, religion, and race and racism. Throughout the novel, we see the characters’ isolation from society and the affects of isolation on these characters. The theme of religion is also portrayed, mainly in the character of John SingerRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of Jack Londons The Call Of The Wild707 Words   |  3 PagesThe Call of the Wild Literary Analysis Have Have you ever read The Call of the Wild? The Call of the Wild by Jack London it is a story about a dog name Buck that transformation from a pampered pet to a fierce,masterful wild,animal, and this transformation naturally means that the canine protagonist gradually separates himself from his human masters on his way to achieving a final independence. Nevertheless, The Call of the Wild ultimately offers an ambiguous,rather than negative, portrait of Buck’sRead More A Literary Analysis of Robert Cormiers The Chocolate War Essay870 Words   |  4 Pages A Literary Analysis of Robert Cormiers The Chocolate War nbsp; nbsp; The Chocolate War is a story which takes place in New England in the 1970s. Most of the events happen in a Catholic school. Since this school was exclusively for boys, they were constantly trying to prove their power over each other. The story is told in third person omniscient. The storys mood is suspenseful. With each page turn one wonders if Jerry will take or refuse his chocolates. The protagonist of thisRead MoreVersions of the Gangs of New York: A Comparative Analysis965 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ Whenever a work of literary nonfiction is adapted by filmmakers for the silver screen it is inevitable that certain truths will be stretched and liberties taken in the name of creative license. This is undoubtedly true in the case of journalist Herbert Asburys The Gangs of New York: An Informal History of the Underworld, a seminal piece of investigative reporting weaved with lyrically lurid prose describing the debauchery, squalor and institutionalized barbarism of the era. Pub lished in 1928,Read MoreHonors Literary Analysis : The Time Periods, Geographical Location, Historical / Social Context )1195 Words   |  5 PagesHonors Literary Analysis January 21, 2015 Name: ____Tucker Mason_______ Title: ___________Go set a watchman_____________ Author: __Harper Lee____________ Genre: __Fiction_______ Setting (ANALYZE the time period, geographical location, historical/social context) The setting can best be describe has a quiet rural town in alabama during the 1950s. From the time period we can tell there are still racial tensions. We learn that almost all the people in maycomb county are part of the KKK. CharacterRead MoreLord of The Flies Essay1673 Words   |  7 PagesLord of the Flies was published in 1954 by William Golding. Today Lord of the Flies is a well known literary criticism. Many schools require their students to read Lord of the Flies because of the literary criticisms in the book. In this paper three themes or literary criticisms are talked about: good vs. evil, symbolism of characters, and maturity of characters. Another topic in Goldings Lord of the Flies is the battle of good vs. evil. Everything seems to start out just fine on the island; the

The Issue Of Gun Control - 1420 Words

â€Å"Over the past decade in America, more than 100,000 people have been killed as a result of gun violence. Millions more have been the victim of assaults, robberies, and other crimes involving a gun† (â€Å"FACT SHEET: New Executive Actions to Reduce Gun Violence and Make Our Communities Safer†). Gun Control is one of the main political issues that has been debated for years now; Guns have led to the mass increase of fatalities and deaths in the U.S. today, being a controversial issue for the past decade. From assassinations, to mass shootings, and homicides, every time guns and violence interact with each other the issue reemerges. As of today, the nation stands separate from the issue, taking a firm position on both sides, debating on what†¦show more content†¦But those who do otherwise to stretch out their constitutional rights by constant mockery to policemen, going against the law using guns to create mass shootings, and mentally ill citizens that recei ve arms without background checks, don t respect the constitution and are going against the law. Gun Control or the regulation of firearms, refers to the laws or policies that regulate the sale, possession, or use of firearms in order to control crime and reduce violence, without taking away the rights of citizens. In this case, it will be against the constitution if people’s rights were taken from them. As of law, citizens are allowed to carry weapons with a permit all law-abiding citizens can receive. But state law also states that citizens are completely prohibited carrying firearms for personal protection outside the home or place of business. Advocates of gun control want to enforce a barrier on all gun corporations by stricter gun laws having people meet requirements to receive a gun. By letting citizens purchase guns before corporations instructed policies on firearms, many people got away without having to receive a background check. In the following six months of 2001, 470,000 more people bought handguns and in 2002, at least 130,00 more background checks were conducted for concealed handgun permits than during the same six-month period a year earlier† (Lott 2). This many people who were not checked, having the access to deadly weapons were

Global Operations Management Ppq Parts Pros and Cons Essay Example For Students

Global Operations Management Ppq Parts Pros and Cons Essay The applications provided are the most adaptable in a business proposal; most of the customers place their focus on the strategy Of the application Which also has the most complete business portfolio. The business areas of the Oracle include: * Financial Management * Customer Relationship Management * Procurement * Supply Chain Management * Product Lifestyle Management * Asset Lifestyle Management Manufacturing Oracle pros: Database and the application have an excellent integration Useful schedule information is provided ;k Sales forecasting is very strong * Under the Oracle there is an approach that provides different products Oracle Cons: * Oracle forms are incompatible with other databases ;k Online reports seem to not be very user friendly * Most normal activities that are industry specific are not offered SAP Systems, Applications, and Products in Data Processing, this is the meaning of SAP. SAP is an Enterprise resource planning (ERP) system that is brings together different applications. Each application may accommodate a different business type area but it still makes sure that the real time information is exchanged. SAP is complex and is a more complicated (ERR) system because it requires money Who is proficient With the knowledge to program it for its intended use throughout the business. SAP operates on the fourth generation programming language, this is referred to the Advance Business Application Programming (APP)_ SAP provides four basic business areas, these business areas include: Financial business * Logistics (planning, implementing, and coordination of detail) * Human Resources * Manufacturing SAP Pros: * It is flexible With integration and has a better range Of databases versus Oracle * SAP offers merged products * The ERP solution for SAP is flexible SAP cons: The appearance for business processes is complicated * It is very difficult to actually employ SAP Being as flexible as SAP is, it can be harmful and cause unneeded risks Peoples People soft is a great system that many companys use today. People soft is part of the Oracle enterprise application, This system was designed to handle requirements tort a company that may seem to be more compounded and may require an intelligent type of software to sift through it, gay providing an integrated business solut ion to meet the industry standard by enabling organizations to boost its productivity, move forward with the business reference, and lower the cost of ownership, this application has given the ability to provide proficient knowledge from an experts point of view. These areas include: Financial Management ;k Human Capital Management ;k Supplier Relationship Management Peoples Pros: * Peoples can grow along With the company * It is web based and combines the latest features * Simplified transaction approvals * Allows to save money by excluding the 3rd party APS Peoples Cons: * People soft only has one negative; it is hard to identify components with the long purchase orders Info BAN Previously BAN was a provider of enterprise resource planning software but currently is now under the ownership of a company called Information Global Systems. In my research there are is a good amount of companies that still use the software system BAA even though more advanced systems are available at the fingertips. The Bandanna and ERP LEN are versions of the BAN and are the most spread out and widely used programs, they are still determined the top of the class for ERP mainly for the manufacturing division. Information BAN provides a path for solutions that hav e been modified in a certain way that meets he needs of any business. The functions that Info BAN can provide are: Finance * Project ;k Manufacturing * Distribution ;k Transportation * Service ;k Control Planning * Utilities BAN Pros: * Microsoft is compatible With BAN * Best in the ERP class in the manufacturing division * user interface comes with graphics and point to click features B,MN Cons: * Compared to Oracle, BAN isnt as strong. BAN relies on its compatibility with other platforms * ERP areas are limited Microsoft Dynamics Microsoft has always had great reputation for software systems. Material Requirement Planning (MR..), Capacity Requirement Planning (CRAP), and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) all are offered in the Microsoft package. .u2c33147a4dfbd4d232cae74992ecdc20 , .u2c33147a4dfbd4d232cae74992ecdc20 .postImageUrl , .u2c33147a4dfbd4d232cae74992ecdc20 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u2c33147a4dfbd4d232cae74992ecdc20 , .u2c33147a4dfbd4d232cae74992ecdc20:hover , .u2c33147a4dfbd4d232cae74992ecdc20:visited , .u2c33147a4dfbd4d232cae74992ecdc20:active { border:0!important; } .u2c33147a4dfbd4d232cae74992ecdc20 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u2c33147a4dfbd4d232cae74992ecdc20 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u2c33147a4dfbd4d232cae74992ecdc20:active , .u2c33147a4dfbd4d232cae74992ecdc20:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u2c33147a4dfbd4d232cae74992ecdc20 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u2c33147a4dfbd4d232cae74992ecdc20 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u2c33147a4dfbd4d232cae74992ecdc20 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u2c33147a4dfbd4d232cae74992ecdc20 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u2c33147a4dfbd4d232cae74992ecdc20:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u2c33147a4dfbd4d232cae74992ecdc20 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u2c33147a4dfbd4d232cae74992ecdc20 .u2c33147a4dfbd4d232cae74992ecdc20-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u2c33147a4dfbd4d232cae74992ecdc20:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Arts and Culture Sector Report EssayMicrosoft uses technology like Microsoft Office Suites, Microsoft SQL Server (data management software), and Microsoft Sharpening Server. All of these are used daily by businesses. Think PC parts would benefit from using the Microsoft Partner Network Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) capability because PC would have an advantage of using the systems to demonstrate their proficiency in deploying Microsoft Dynamic financial and supplying chain solutions that elate to the product line functions. Also, by implementing the Microsoft package, PC would be able to increase its revenue and open up a lot more possibilities to deliver further capa bility. Microsoft Dynamic Pros: ;k Access to the real time data * Transmitting data is easy as well as safe ERP for Microsoft can be used globally * Microsoft ERP comes With high security and performance Microsoft Dynamic Cons: * Customizations that are far. Reaching may not be supported * Might not work with all industries * Not as many options offered for add-on support and features Sage 500 Sage is a great kind of software that brings together both management and financial accounting functions. They support and consolidate functions throughout the company and the software package has the intensity and span of being not only able to function with the flexibility in a way to be customized per any request but also set up to accommodate the needs of certain parts of the organization. Sage 500 is an enterprise resource planning (ERP). In a company, Sage 500 is a very helpful tool in certain areas.

Market Structures free essay sample

According to McConnell and Brue (2004), a monopoly occurs when a single firm is the sole producer of a product for which no close substitutes exist. Since the United States Postal Service (USPS, 2008) has no close substitutes, competition does not exist. The Postal Service’s universal service obligation (USO) is broadly outlined in multiple statutes and encompasses multiple dimensions: geographic scope, range of products, access to services and facilities, delivery frequency, affordable and uniform pricing, service quality, and security of the mail (USPS 2008). When monopolists are not protected by law from competition, the companies may have to keep their prices low in order to keep competition from entering the market. However, USPS is considered a pure monopoly and barriers of entry are in place. USPS is the only federal operating system that sends and delivers mail. USPS has competition in the market with services such as package delivery. Now, the agency has to compete with major companies such as UPS and FedEx. We will write a custom essay sample on Market Structures or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page United States Postal Services depends on operation funding from postage and fees. Comparatively, the Postal Service provides a higher level of service and does so at low, affordable prices (USPS, 2008). The University of Phoenix (UOP) is an institution for profit and it operates in a market structure with pure competition. According to McConnell and Brue (2004), â€Å"pure competition involves a very large number of firms producing a standardized product (that is, a product identical to that of other producers, such as corn or cucumbers). New firms can enter or exit the industry very easily,† (University of Phoenix, 2004). There are many universities, colleges, community colleges, and vocational schools for students to choose from. They offer education in the U. S. and overseas. Different educational institutions offer programs that are identical or similar to UOP. However, the tuition is not the same for all schools. UOP does not have a perfect substitute because of the many campus locations and varied degree programs. UOP does not have a significant control over the price of education. It can not change the market price; it can only adjust to it. University of Phoenix participates in Federal Student Aid grant and loan programs with attractive terms. All students seeking federal financial aid benefits must be admitted to a financial aid eligible degree or certificate program in order to determine financial aid eligibility. In order to be eligible for tuition deferment under the Financial Aid Plan, at least 50% of student’s annual tuition must be funded through the federal financial aid benefits and there are extremely strict policies that the UOP must adhere to in order to be eligible for Title IV. University of Phoenix observes the federal regulations regarding student loan requirements, including pricing and non-pricing strategies. The Arizona Student Loan Code of Conduct is designed to create and ensure uniform student loan practices that focus on the best interest of borrowers. In the Arizona Student Loan Code of Conduct, restrictions are defined to manage the relationships among school employees, learning institutions, lender advisory board members, and student loan organizations. In education, universities can freely enter and existing firms can freely leave purely competitive industries. According to McConnell and Brue (2004), â€Å"a few industries more closely approximate pure competition than any other market structure. In particular, we can learn much about markets for agricultural goods, fish products, foreign exchange, basic metals, and stock shares by studying the pure-competition model. Also, pure competition is a meaningful starting point for any discussion of price and output determination. Moreover, the operation of a purely competitive economy provides a standard, or norm, for evaluating the efficiency of the real-world economy,† (University of Phoenix, 2004). Nike is an example of a monopolistic competition. This type of market structure has many sellers. Each firm in this market sells only a small share of the industry’s output. The key to this is product differentiation. While there are many firms selling similar products, it’s the price and quality differentiation that makes the consumer choose one product over another. (Forgang Einolf, 2006) These markets are extremely competitive and each manufacturer tries to appeal to the consumer on a different level of expert service or material. (University of Phoenix, 2004). The Nike swoosh has certainly become a brand mark that consumers are willing to pay a higher price for, however, Nike must also consider the current economy and the value offered for that higher price. Their products must truly be manufactured with superior quality and materials. Nike must walk a fine line with their pricing strategy. Too high a price will cause the consumer to opt for a less expensive brand and too low a price will not offset the superior manufacturing or costs paid to athletes to endorse or assist with design on the product. Therefore, Nike continuously battles between a relative price for the average consumer and making an acceptable profit. Also, Nike must constantly put a new, trendy product on the market. Styles must change frequently and certain quantities of the product must be produced without saturating the market with similar products. The niche Nike has chosen is to eliminate certain styles within a time frame therefore, causing the consumer to upgrade to the newest, latest, styles. The J. C. Penny Company, commonly known as â€Å"Pennies,† is an American department store aligned with the practice of oligopoly. The characteristics of oligopoly have commercial groups entwined in price collusion while refusing to compete on the basis of price. It was noted by McConnell and Brue that commercial groups â€Å"share of the total market is typically determined through product development and advertisement,† (University of Phoenix, 2004). In short, oligopoly happens when a certain market is manipulated by small commercial groups. In most cases, there are two or more commercial groups controlling the market. Pennies is a retail store that carries a wide verity of health and beauty products, fine jewelry, electronics, clothing for infants, teenagers, men and women, and home decor. In most cases, oligopolies would avoid using price cutting methods. Oligopolistic commercial groups are highlighted by the existence of several commercial groups having significant portions of the market. Those commercial groups buy into calculated behavior and they have a hard time existing without each other. Consequently, the actions of one commercial group can be directly affected by the moves of rival groups and the products they produce may virtually be nearly uniform or meaningful. Another example of an oligopoly (overt) is the OPEC cartel. According to Kaplan (1999), an oligopoly is an industry that is dominated by a few firms that display highly coordinated behavior and examples of oligopoly include the auto and oil industries. Concerning the oil industry, the oil cartel OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) is a pure example of an oligopoly. OPEC is the alliance of thirteen countries that have significant influence on the price of international oil and â€Å"creating a balance between oil supply and demand† (Iran, 2008). Generally, oligopolies operate in collusion or employ price leadership. OPEC relies on these secret agreements (collusion) to govern oil in the international market. Additionally, these countries can unify and offer prices â€Å"in response to changes in costs or demands†, making other firms react quickly (Kaplan, 1999). â€Å"It is not uncommon to see several gas stations on the same block with identical prices even though they appear to be in a very competitive environment. If one stations cuts the price per gallon, the others must quickly follow of they will rapidly lose market share as consumers switch to the lower priced station† (Kaplan, 1999). This uniformity still does not have the power to ignore consumer taste. When examining the dynamic history between OPEC and consumers, it is clear that there is a cause-and-effect for OPEC’s decision. For example, OPEC has famously used oil as a leverage tool to importer nations. In 1973, OPEC and a supplementary organization decided to place an embargo on oil and subsequently raised the price of crude oil. However, Western nations transitioned creatively as they found new oil markets in other countries. Thus, the price hike did not have much bearing on the Western nations. The monopolist seeks maximum total profit, not maximum price. The monopolist shuns higher price because they yield a smaller-than-maximum total profit. Some high prices that could be charge would reduce total sales and total revenue too severely to offset any decrease in total cost† (McConnell Brue, 2004). Moreover, OPEC miscalculated production and consumer demand for oil, which resulted in too much oil production in the world market. Thus, prices began to decline due to surplus while OPEC lost much revenue and division because of competing opinions on oil prices and arguments about oil production. Recently, the 9/11 attacks and the Iraqi invasion prompted world oil prices to rise higher than OPEC quotas, which severely impacted the purchase price to Western consumers. Yet, automobile firms began vehicles with alternative fuel options, hybrid models, and decreasing the retail prices of vehicles during the economic recession. Additionally, many consumers have reacted to price hikes by using public transportation, carpooling, purchasing hybrid or alternative fuel vehicles, and/or moving closer to the city. Lastly, Western importer nations are discovering new oil markets separate from OPEC. Still, collusion allows OPEC to â€Å"reach agreements to fix prices, divide up the market, and otherwise restrict competition amongst themselves. By controlling price through collusion, oligopolists may be able to reduce uncertainty, increase profits, and perhaps even prohibit the entry of new rivals† (McConnell Brue, 2004). In respect to today’s global economic condition, a recession can severely disable a cartel’s ability to manipulate output and increase profits. â€Å"Long-lasting recession usually serves as an enemy of collusion because slumping markets increase average total cost. Firms find that they have substantial excess production capacity, sales are down, unit costs are up, and profits are being squeezed. Under such conditions, businesses may feel they can avoid serious profit reductions by cutting price and thus gaining sales at the expense of rivals† (McConnell Brue, 2004). As recently as November 2008, OPEC is considering reducing oil output. â€Å"But if crude prices continue to fall, then an additional OPEC cut may be needed. â€Å"The producer group agreed to cut output from November 1 by 1. million barrels per day (bpd) after oil prices dived from a July record of $147 a barrel to less than that. Venezuela said on Tuesday it will propose another cut of 1 million bpd at the cartel’s next meeting† (Iran, 2008). Thus, â€Å"investor concerns over further declines in crude oil demand under the impact of the global financial crisis have kept pressing recent oil prices lower† (Iran, 2008). With the drop in gas prices, consum ers are able to purchase more gas based on oil price reduction, income, and inelasticity of gas as a resource. In the Market Structures Simulation, Quasar starts as a leader in the industry with its technology. Quasar has the monopoly on the market at the start of the scenario. After the initial surge of manufacturing and selling the products, Quasar realizes it must invest in advertising and upgrades to production to keep the edge. Orion begins to produce a similar product at a lower price. Quasar must understand that stabilizing the price at this time will create an oligopoly market structure and stabilize the industry. As Quasar adjusts its price accordingly, profits stay steady and Quasar is able to invest in its own branding and innovation once again. As time goes on, we see Quasar move to a perfect competition where inventory is reduced, manufacturing processes are improved, and prices are stable. At this point, Quasar needs to maintain its market share by staying on top while continuing to increase the efficiency of its processes to maximize profits.