An Evaluation of Globalisation from Two Perspectives

An Evaluation of Globalisation from Two Perspectives Evaluation of Globalisation from Two Perspectives. As an Emotive Force, in Being Beneficial and a Key to  Future World Economic Development as well as  Being Inevitable and Irreversible. And as a Force that Increases Inequality Within and  Between Nations, Threatens Employment and  Living Standards and Thwarts Social Progress Introduction Globalisation as a word is that utilized in differing contexts within the public lexicon. It is one of â€Å"†¦ the most widely used- and misused – keyword †¦ in recent years, as well as being â€Å", one of the most rarely defined, the most nebulous and misunderstood, as well as the most politically effective †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Beck and Camiller, 2000, p. 19). We tend to think of globalisation is as a modern term, first defined in the Merriam Webster Dictionary in 1944 (University of Pennsylvania, 2005) its historical roots in terms of it being a part of human history can be traced back â€Å"†¦ at least 5,000 years† (Wallerstein et al, 1980, p. 15). Said beginnings, â€Å"†¦ In the fifteenth and early sixteenth century †¦Ã¢â‚¬  is when the â€Å"†¦ European world-economy †¦Ã¢â‚¬  came into existence as â€Å"†¦ a kind of social system the world †¦(had) †¦ really known before and which is the distinctive feature of the modern world-system† (Wallerstein et al, 1980, p. 15). The underpinnings of why Wallerstein et al (1980, p. 15) take this view is that is represented an economic rather than political entity that differed from the â€Å"†¦ empires, city-states and nation-states †¦Ã¢â‚¬  that preceded it. Eisnstadt (1968, P. 41) helps to clarify the preceding by defining empire as a term utilized â€Å"†¦ to designate a political system encompassing wide, relatively high centralized territories †¦Ã¢â‚¬  which consisted of an emperor and â€Å"†¦ central political institutions †¦Ã¢â‚¬  And while empires were a primitive means by which economic domination was conducted, they laid the foundations for globalization through economic flows as represented by trade (Eisenstadt, 1961, pp. 82-107). The preceding has been utilized as an historical guide to the roots of globalisation, which is generally credited as being the individual credited with using it in an economic sense (Tedlow and Abdelal, 2005). Levitt’s definition of globalisation is based upon its applicability to corporations and products and what he termed as ‘homogenized demand’ (Tedlow and Abdelal, 2005). That view, while revolutionary at the time, in hindsight is a narrow conception of the broader concept that we understand globalisation to be in today’s terms. Shariff (2003, pp. 163-178) states that globalisation is the global process representing the homogenising of prices, wages, products, interest rates and profits that relies upon three forces, 1. human migration, 2. international trade, and 3. the swift movement of capital along with the integration of financial markets. Bhaqwati (2005, p. 3) advises that globalisation â€Å"†¦ can mean many things†. He focuses on glo balisation as being economic, constituting the â€Å"†¦ integration of national economies into the international economy through trade, direct foreign investment (by corporations and multinationals), short term capital flows, international flows of workers and †¦. flows of technology †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Bhaqwati, 2005, p. 3). The World Bank, which agrees with Beck and Camiller (2000, p. 19) and states that there is no precise and universally agreed upon definition and, adds that over time it, globalisation, has come to encompass â€Å"†¦ cultural, political and other connotations in addition to the economic† (PREM Economic Policy Group and Development Economics Group, 2005). Their explanation of globalisation tends to focus on the economic side of the ledger, but adds that it, globalisation, is not uniform stating that in the poorer lesser developed countries it is more a case of being excluded from it rather than being impoverished by it (PREM Economic Policy Group and Development Economics Group, 2005). Hirst and Thompson (2001. p. 3) agree with the fact that there are broadly differing contexts attached to globalisation and that in today’s terms it largely means placing economic aspects in the forefront, keeping in mind the cultural, political, and social variables that are intertwin ed. The International Monetary Fund (2000) combines pieces of definitions from the preceding in stating that globalisation represents â€Å"†¦ a historical process †¦Ã¢â‚¬  which is attributable to â€Å"†¦ human innovation and technological progress†, and â€Å"†¦ refers to the increasing integration of economies †¦Ã¢â‚¬  on a global basis â€Å"†¦ particularly through trade and financial flows†. Stiglitz (2003, p. 4) asks the question as to â€Å"Why has globalization – a force that has brought so much good – become so controversial?† Bhaqwati (2005, p. 4) also asks this question as to â€Å"Why are the critics of globalization so agitated?† Hist and Thompson (2001. p. 2) also are quizzical as to this phenomenon. What is it about globalisation that has proponents lined up on one side, and antagonists on the other? This examination shall seek to equate both sides of this highly charged arena, looking at the views that see globalisation as an emotive force, where some see it as a process that is beneficial, representing a key to future global economic development that is not only inevitable, but irreversible as well. And on the other side of the fence there are those that view globalisation with hostility, and believe that is increases inequality between nations as well as within them, threatens employment along with living standards and thwarts soc ial progress. According to Giddens (2006), we are in the second phase of the debate on globalisation. His perspective is that there were discussions regarding the phase and attempting to determine what is was and is while it was unfolding. Giddens (2006) views us as being in the second phase of the debate as globalisation is firmly entrenched in economics, politics, cultural and social areas, as we again attempt to determine what it is, along with its consequences and how it can be properly accommodated. Whether one subscribes to this view is a matter of opinion, but the point is there is a debate on globalisation with one side seeing it as representing benefits to society, and the other as promoting inequalities and other negative connotations. Or, is that actually the case? Could it be that it is parts of globalisation that opponents are against? Could it be that the problem with globalisation is its inequality in that there are the nations gaining from it and distancing themselves from those la gging or being left behind? The questions are almost endless. In seeking to reach a determination, this examination will look at both side of the globalisation issue, offering those facets for and those against it. Ohmae (Ray, 2005) sees globalisation as the liberalisation of individuals, consumers, business corporations as well as regions from the confines of the nation state. He sees the world as representing a global village â€Å"†¦ because wealth will migrate across national borders†. He sees, in commercial terms, as well as in consumer terms that the world is â€Å"†¦ an increasingly borderless economy, a true global marketplace† with political influences seeking to control the process (Ohmae, 1996, p. 8). Yip (1989, p. 29) sees the process of globalisation as a ‘must’ facet that major business corporations have to participate in as a result of almost all products having foreign competitors. This preceding view not only means that a company needs to look at this from its own domestic market and staving off competition, but also from the viewpoint of growth and profits as there are customers to be won in foreign markets as well (Yip, 1989, p. 29). Yip’s corporate focus on globalisation looks at falling trade barriers as governments and regions understand the importance of opening their markets to enable them to enter others in a quid pro quo. The corporate process of globalisation results in increased competition, jobs, better products, innovation and lower prices as the lines between products, goods and services have become increasingly transparent, with consumers as the beneficiaries in the process. The opening up of markets, and the loosening of trade restrictions and borders is a positive contribution of globalisation as it makes the new battlefield one of profits, markets and expansion as opposed to conquest, war and destruction (Held et al, 1999. pp. 32-35). Globalisation’s main engine has been a result of economics, it is money that has underpinned the flow of products, printed materials, the Internet, documentaries and other informational exchanges, along with products, goods and services. The elements of increased trade have brought the need to stabilize currencies in order to permit the corporations within countries to effectively compete on the global stage and is an important underpinning resulting in the formation of the euro in the European Union. The foregoing has brought about a â€Å"†¦ high degree of economic interdependence among today’s economies †¦Ã¢â‚¬  and the preceding reflects â€Å"†¦ the historical evolution of the world’s economic and political order† (Carbaugh, 2006, p. 3). Evidence of the equalization process of globalisation can be found in the example of the United States which was the most dominate economic and political nation after the end of World War II (Carbaugh, 2006, p. 3). This has been referred to as neocolonialism, which represents Imperial powers controlling other societies through economic means on the international stage, which resurfaced after WW II, having similarities to the colonialism periods of the sixteenth through twentieth centuries (Selfa, 2002). The foregoing is driven by economic means as capitalism represents â€Å"†¦ an economic mode †¦ that †¦ operate within an arena larger than †¦ any political entity can totally control †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Wallerstein, 1976, pp. 230). The preceding has provided capitalists, and thus globalisation, with the foundation to pursue consistent â€Å"†¦ economic expansion of the world-system †¦Ã¢â‚¬  which Wallerstein (1976, pp. 230) argues is skewed in its distrib ution of rewards. Globalisation is thus a combination of political aims to strengthen national economies through â€Å"†¦ political power, authority and forms of rule †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Held et al, 1999, p. 32) that aids capitalism, commerce and companies. Globalisation has since evened the playing field as nations, regions and countries have devoted their efforts into strengthening their competitive positions in the commerce arena through regional trading blocks such as the European Union, ASEAN, SAARC, Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and other organizations evolved â€Å"†¦ the world community into a complicated system based on a growing interdependence among nations† (Carbaugh, 2006, p. 3). China has risen from a developing nation into a world power through its march into capitalism via the innovation of socialist economics, which retains the centralized Party control. Globalisation has aided in the preceding as well as the development of the Chinese military into a sophisticated technologically equipped force (Wortzel, 1994, pp. 168-170). The market reforms of 1978 has enabled the country to harness the commercial potential of its market of 1.3 billion citizens under ‘socialism with Chinese character istics’ which has transformed China from the 32nd largest trading nation in 1978 to second in terms of GDP purchasing power behind the United States (Dellios, 2004). The power of participation in the international flows of globalisation has proven its ability and potential to transform economies and nations as well as the economic balances of power. Globalisation is for most intents and purposes a Western dominated process that is influenced and guided by corporations. In pursuing international markets multinational corporations have opted on a course of standardising their product lines to permit them to make adaptations to reach foreign consumers in the quest for increased market share (Hayler, 2006). Localisation represents the adaptation of products, goods and or services to address the tastes, preferences, cultural â€Å"†¦ and other requirements of a specific target market† (W3C, 2007). A key example of standardisation combined with localisation can be found in portable telephones. Companies need a standardised approach to the production of basic components in a globalised economy for framing, wiring and related components to permit a universal platform of manufacture. With facilities in 15 countries and sales in over 130, Nokia is a prime example of a globalised company (Nokia, 2001). However, individual marke ts require localisation to appeal to consumers in the face of competition, as well as the recognition of preferences, tastes and needs. Nokia innovated the first mobile phone that was designed to provide â€Å"†¦ commands in English, Chinese, Thai, Bahasa for Indonesia and Malaysia, and Spanish for the Philippine market (Hoberg-Petersen et al, 1999). The preceding is an example of the combined utilization of standardisation and localisation required to capture consumers in the competitive globalised marketplace. Nokia’s deft understanding of the variables of the international marketplace represent the application of Porter’s (1998, pp. 59-61) value chain organization, which represents the various activities inside as well as outside a company, equating logistics, operations, marketing and sales, support activities, procurement, technology development, company infrastructure and utilizing the inputs and results from these activities to improve operations by adapti ng and changing where needed to meet the demands of the marketplace. The importance of an international stance in the today’s global economy enables corporations to cope with international competition by leveraging their domestic operations overseas and learns lessons from the unique characteristics of foreign markets to bring back to its own domestic market. The preceding expands the company’s innovation by coming to grips with specialized needs that can translate into new features and approaches that boost sales. Accepting the principle of globalisation is not a luxury that companies can afford to ignore in the face of foreign competition. It is an undeniable facet of competition as any product, goods or services that has a representative market domestically, will be under attack sooner or later by some company or companies seeking to expand. Evidence of the impact of globalisation is shown by the fact that the ratio of exports plus imports as calculated against the global gross domestic product has increased from 16% in 1960 to 40% in 2001 (World Bank, 2002). The forgoing seemingly suggests that localizing products, goods and services from a standardised format to meet the needs of individual markets has proven successful. But, in the larger scheme of things, is globalisation actually helping to increase inequalities between nations and threatening living standards, social progress and employment? As in all questions, there are two sides to every story. The preceding is a highly complex principle to equate as well as measure, as such is dependent upon the relative sophistication of a country’s ability to meet the varied demands of globalisation called for through institutions, infrastructure development, educational systems, professional and skilled worker training and development, access to raw materials, governmental practices and internal policies. It is simple enough to look at examples of inequality, and related factors, however, in the case of Africa and Latin America, they have only recently opened their markets, beginning in the 1980s, as opposed to the United States, Europe and Japan, which were all engaged in the process shortly after World War II (Bardhan, 2006). China adopted market reforms and changed the precepts of socialism to accommodate a process that enabled them to harness their educational, industrial and internal systems and infrastructure to utilize globalisation to reinforce the power of the state. The ir example points to the internal resourcefulness of government to utilize means to transform the way things were done, into what they viewed as needing to be done (Bardhan, 2006). In a free market system inequalities mark the underpinnings of the business process as companies seek lowered costs via which to produce what they are in business for. Such means moving facilities and or processes to those locales that will enable them to maintain quality, but cut costs, and labor, represents the largest cost item. In a report titled â€Å"A Compendium of Inequality† (Martens, 2005) which refers to a United Nations Development Report published in 2005, found that approximately fifty countries, of the total one hundred and seventy-five countries studied, lost ground in terms of their economic standing, GDP and other areas. In order to achieve economic progress, reduce poverty and improve their quality of life, developing countries need increased employment opportunities, improved labor productivity and governmental incentives to attract industry and business as well as to develop them internally. Achievement of the foregoing requires a sustained productivity growth along with increased capacity of the country’s populace in skills and development that will foster the conditions for the attraction of multinational companies and permit the country to compete on the international stage (Little, 2005). Multinational companies bring with them advanced production and management techniques as well as offer increased wages in terms of relative practices thus increasing the standards, thereby attracting the better labor from the available employment pool. The process is slow, yet effective, and the foregoing represent facets used by China, India, Brazil, and the Asian Tigers, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore, that aided these countries in making progress in global commerce. Conclusion Globalisation can trace its roots back over 5,000 years, with the modern application of the term credited to Levitt (Tedlow and Abdelal, 2005). The consistent evolution of globalisation has caused theorists and scholars to define and redefine the term with the understanding that in its present complexities that there is no universally agreed upon definition to adequately describe the process that includes economics, social processes, cultural facets, political considerations and the complex entangled web of interdependent relationships these areas have. In this examination, the term globalisation has been narrowed to focus on its economic and business ramifications in examining whether the process is beneficial, and a key to future world economic development that is inevitable and irreversible, or is it a process that promotes inequality within as well as between nations that threatens employment along with living standards and thwarts social progress. And while globalisation does ha ve its less than desirable effects, it has proven its worth in lowering international borders to increase trade, migration and stabilize currency and capital flows in an era that has seen unprecedented growth in innovation, communications and the seeking of a better understanding of humanity’s needs. The process is not going to disappear or reverse itself as whether we like it or not, the world is driven by economics and the interests of corporations to generate profits on behalf of stockholders, and stakeholders in addition to the vested self interests of governments to protect and foster favorable business conditions for corporations that generate employment and pay taxes to support the political structure. The preceding has been and will continue to be an interdependent relationship that has existed since the Chinese dynasties, through the Egyptian era, as well as the Greek and Roman empires. It is not a question of what direction the world is going in, but one of the direction the world has always been going. Corporations are not going to disappear and our way of life that has been evolving change. Commerce, trade and the migration of people has always been with us, globalisation is just the present form that has manifested itself as have as conquests, exploration and wars in addition to trade and commerce been the former means that mankind has utilized from the beginnings of civilisation. As history has taught us, the more advanced nations use the less advanced to further their ends, with the offshoot of the process that the weaker nations through this association, become stronger and sooner or later establish their own independence and dominance in a never ending cycle of ebbs and flows that has seen shifts in political and economic power. Such was the case with the British empire, the rise of the United States, the emergence of the European Union, the development of regional trading blocks and the ascension of China. This examination has shown that while globalisation does have its inequalities and less than desirable points, it, as in all human endeavours, is an evolutionary process that is still learning from itself. As we progress as a race of peoples, so to does our understanding of our mistakes and the drive to correct them. Institutions such as the United Nations are proof of this evolutionary process. Thus, the faults in globalisation do not lie in its proces s, but in our application of them, which those whom opposed to it aiding in pointing out its shortcomings. As we learn, we listen and reshape ourselves to devise ways to better serve ourselves as well as humankind. The examples presented herein point to the foregoing. Bibliography Bardham, P. (2006) Does Globalization Help or Hurt the World’s Poor. 26 March 2006. Scientific American Beck, U., Camiller, P. (2000) What is Globalization. Polity Press Bhaqwati, J. (2005) In defense of Globalization. Oxford University Press Carbaugh, R. (2006) International Economics. Academic Internet Publishers, Inc. Dellios, R. (2004) The Rise of China as a Global Power. Retrieved on 29 January 2007 from http://www.international-relations.com/CM6-2WB/GlobalChinaWB.htm Eisenstadt, S. (1968) Empires. International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences Eisenstadt, S. (1961) The Causes of Disintegration and Fall of Empires: Sociological and Historical Analysis. Vol. 34. Diogenes Giddens, A. (2006) The Second Globalization Debate. Retrieved on 27 January 2007 from http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/giddens/giddens_index.html Hayler, A. (2006) Standardization is not the answer to the challenge of globalization. Retrieved on 28 January 2007 from http://www.businessintelligence.com/ex/asp/code.145/xe/article.htm Held, D., McGrew, A., Goldblatt, D., Perraton, J. (1999) Global Transformations: Politics, Economics and Culture. Stanford University Press Hirst, P., Thompson, G. (2001) Globalization in Question: The International Economy and the Possibilities of Governance. Polity Press Hoberg-Petersen, T., Stuart, C., Wetstone, R. (1999) Nokia Mobile Phones: A Lesson in International Strategy. Yale School of Management International Monetary Fund (2000) Globalization: Threat or Opportunity. Retrieved on 28 January 2007 from http://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/ib/2000/041200.htm#I Nokia (2001) Nokia Helps Lead IT Industry to Customers with Disabilities. Retrieved on 29 January 2007 from http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/projserv_ps/projects/case_studies/nokia.htm Ohmae, K. (1996) End of the Nation State: The Rise of Regional Economies. Touchstone Porter, M. (1998) Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. Free Press PREM Economic Policy Group and Development Economics Group (2005) Assessing Globalization. Retrieved on 28 January 2007 from http://www1.worldbank.org/economicpolicy/globalization/documents/AssessingGlobalizationP1.pdf Ray, J (2005) Ohmae’s Subversive Definition of Globalization. Retrieved on 18 January 2007 from http://www.heritagetidbits.com/archives/2005/08/ohmaeas_subvers.htm Selfa, L. (2002) A New Colonial Age of Empires? May-June 2002. International Socialist Review Shariff, I. (2003) Global Economic Integration: Prospects and Problems. Vol. 1, Issue 2. International Journal of Development Economics Stigliz, J. (2003) Globalization and its Discontents. W.W. Norton Company Tedlow, R., Addelal, R. (2005) Theodore Levitt’s â€Å"The Globalization of Markets†: An Evaluation After Two Decades. Retrieved on 28 January 2007 from http://media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/79/07879685/0787968579.pdf University of Pennsylvania (2005) A Very Long-Term View: Globalization Since the Fourteenth Century. Retrieved on 27 January 2007 from http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~dludden/global1.htm W3C (2007) Localizations vs. Internationalization. Retrieved on 28 January 2007 from http://www.w3.org/International/questions/qa-i18n Wallerstein, I. (1976) The Modern World-System: Capitalist Agriculture and the Origins of the European World Economy in the Sixteenth Century. New York Academic Press Wallerstein, I, Tilly, C., Shorter, E. (1980) The Modern World-System I: Capitalist Agriculture and the Origins of the European World-Economy in the Sixteenth Century. Academic Press World Bank (2002) Financing the Poorest Countries. Retrieved on 28 January 2007 from http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2002/09/06/000094946_02082404015853/Rendered/INDEX/multi0page.txt Wortzel, L. (1994) China Pursues Great Power Status. Vol. 38, Issue 2. Orbis Yip, G. (1989) Global strategy in a world of nations. Vol. 30. Sloan Management Review

Joshua (the Novel) :: essays research papers

Herm’s question, “Josh, what do you think of Religion?'; becomes the beginning of a period of both joy and conflict for Joshua as he is then often encountered with many related questions and, later, contradiction from the Church. These questions all lead to similar answers, in which Joshua expands on his ideas. And because of this further discussion, it’s important to read all of his responses throughout the book in order to understand his reply and to intelligently decide to agree or disagree. Therefore, my reaction to Joshua’s reply is based on everything he said concerning religion. The question arises from a discussion between Pat, Herm, and Joshua concerning his lifestyle. They are walking home from breakfast at the diner and the other two are interested in why Joshua doesn’t mind living alone. “Don’t you get lonesome living by yourself?'; Herm asks (72). But Joshua explains to them that he values the serenity of living alone. He tells them that he can peacefully enjoy the beauty of nature outside and the animals also keep him company at times. But the main reason why Joshua never feels alone is that God is always with him, loving him always, and will never abandon him: “No. I like being by myself… God is with us all the time'; (72). Pat and Herm agree but still can not imagine living alone without any feeling of loneliness and this discussion of God leads to Herm’s question. Joshua’s response is similar to a sermon or speech, and is over a page in length; he is firm in these beliefs and reiterates them several times throughout the book. He is very prepared for the question; before saying a word he asks, “the way it [religion] is or the way God intended it to be?'; (73). And when he is sure of the latter, releases everything inside him, as if he was just waiting to explain what people had been doing wrong. His main point is that Jesus wanted to free those under the pressure of rules in their religions and offered a comforting God who loved them, asking only for honor and worship in return. Joshua is also disappointed in the way the clergy preside over their congregations: “Jesus did not envision bosses… He wanted his apostles to guide and serve, not to dictate and legislate'; (74). Joshua feels that rules and traditions are blocking people from growing in love of God, that the people become unable to think for themselves and panic when changes are made.

African Americans and Politics Essay

For decades African Americans have faced struggles throughout history. Most notably, African Americans were involved in slavery, suffrage, and the civil rights movement. These struggles were very visible and everyone was aware of what was going on. However, now African Americans are involved in a struggle that it not visible and recognizable. This is a struggle that is used to capitalize on wealth and prevent African American families and individuals from living normal lives. They are involved in environmental racism. Environmental racism â€Å"refers to intentional or unintentional racial discrimination in the enforcement of environmental rules and regulations, the intentional or unintentional targeting of minority communities for the siting of polluting industries, or the exclusion of minority groups from public and private boards, commissions, and regulatory bodies. †[1] This form of racism has been plaguing African American communities for years and most people have not taken notice. There are many form of environmental racism; however, this paper will specifically address redlining, blockbusting, racial profiling, and housing segregation and how each has impacted the African American community. Redlining is the act of refusing or increasing the cost of services such as loans, insurance, banking, and access to healthcare to citizens based upon race. The practice involves taking a map and drawing a red line through neighborhoods where banks would not invest money. Redlining was used to segregate African Americans in the housing, workforce, and school market. Parents had to find work in other areas of the city because there were not any resources available in the community. Because of redlining, schools became over crowded with 50 students crammed into one classroom. With the schools overcrowded, teachers were not able to provide special attention to the needy students and other students became uncontrollable. Cathy Cohen would argue that African Americans were being marginalized in the school system. To be considered marginalized means, to have continuously been denied access to dominant resources, barred from full participation in dominant institutions, and defined as â€Å"others, â€Å" living outside the norm and values agreed upon by society (Cohen 1999). African American students were all forced to go to one school in the community to keep them out of the White schools. Along with marginalization, Blacks were, and still are, a part of a power struggle. Blacks were seen, and will always be seen, as an inferior race. Also, Blacks have been disempowered knowingly and unknowingly. African-Americans have been taken advantage of and used to make other races feel superior. Blockbusting was a practice used by real estate agents and developers in the United States to encourage white property owners to sell their homes by giving the impression that minority groups (such as African Americans) were moving into their previously racially segregated neighborhood. [2] When African Americans began to move into the inner city, fear arose that they were an economic threat. Blockbusting was also the cause of many White Americans moving into the suburbs. The practice of blockbusting involved an African American purchasing a home for very cheap in a predominately White neighborhood. The real estate broker would contact the White residents and offer to buy their houses for quick cash and resell the house to an African American family for much higher. Real estate agents claimed that African Americans moving into a predominately White neighborhood would cause property values to go down and urged White homeowners to sell as soon as possible. Real estate agents indicated that the property values would go down because African Americans would not keep up their property, avoid lawn care, and if would affect the entire neighborhood. This practice has caused major shifts in urban neighborhoods, especially Chicago, in recent decades. The Blockbusting methods were profitable and became common across the nation. For example, by 1962, when blockbusting had been in practice for fifteen years, Chicago had over 100 operators and the city had been changing an average of two to three blocks a week for several years. Blockbusting is the reason why cities such as Chicago are now predominately African American and the surrounding suburbs are predominately White. Blockbusting caused African Americans to be marginalized as well. They were denied fair participation in the housing market. Real estate agents inflated housing prices for African Americans to gain commission. White homeowners already had prejudices about African Americans and the real estate agents only made the situation worse. The stereotypes that Black families do not take care of their property was the main reason White homeowners sold their homes. Racial profiling is â€Å"the inclusion of racial or ethnic characteristics in determining whether a person is considered likely to commit a particular type of crime or an illegal act or to behave in a â€Å"predictable† manner. †[3] The practice of racial profiling is a huge problem in the United States. African Americans are usually the targeted victims in the act of racial profiling. It is believed that an African American driver will be more likely stopped than a White driver. Some police officers share the belief that Black drivers will most likely possess an illegal substance of committing an illegal act. However, policemen argue that they do not base their arrests on race but are greatening their probability of a successful search. Some policemen also argue that the probability of catching a Black offender is greater than catching a White offender. Whether the statement is true or not, it places a bias on African Americans and White Americans. The belief that African Americans men are more likely to commit crimes is unfair and not true. One cannot base the behavior of all African American men on the ones that have done wrong and been imprisoned. Another belief of racial profiling is it is the cause of the racial disparities in the American prison system. There are many more African American men in the jail system than there are White men. The previous statement is mostly likely to be true. Because some policemen hold biases and have prejudices against African Americans, it will cause more African Americans to be placed in the jail system. Another instance of racial profiling involved African Americans owning nice material possessions such as a car or a house and African Americans being in a predominately White neighborhood. For example, in an episode of Family Matters, Eddie was in his car travelling through a predominately White neighborhood and was pulled over by the police for â€Å"failure to signal. † However, the routine traffic stop turned into nothing more than a beating for young Eddie. The significance of the episode shows that racial profiling does exist in the United States and it takes place every day. The practice has impacted African Americans because hundreds of innocent people have been harassed and humiliated by police officers simply because of their race. The most recent national example of environmental racism occurred when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005. When New Orleans was flooded with tons of water, there were no relief efforts for days and almost a week. Many believed this was due to the fact that majority of the New Orleans population was African American. The population was basically ignored for days until the help decided to come. Citizens of New Orleans were faced with intentional racism and were denied help for several days. This has impacted African Americans because many people died because of the heat, starvation, and disease from the water. African-Americans have been marginalized for centuries. To be considered marginalized means, to have continuously been denied access to dominant resources, barred from full participation in dominant institutions, and defined as â€Å"others, â€Å" living outside the norm and values agreed upon by society (Cohen 1999). Most recently, African-Americans were marginalized in regards to the outbreak of HIV/AIDS. While HIV/AIDS was once considered to be the disease of white gay men, Blacks are now the center of the epidemic. With the turn of the new millennium, the outbreak of AIDS in the Black community has soared. Black men who consider themselves to be â€Å"down low† are the center of the rising epidemic. The men have intercourse with other men while continuing to have intercourse with their female partners thus spreading the AIDS virus. Even though the soaring rate is shocking, there has been limited response from the African-American community. One can argue that Blacks have been marginalized from the resources to treat the epidemic. However, the Black community seems to be ignoring the spreading AIDS virus and focusing more on electing a Black president and high blood pressure. While both electing a Black president and lowering high blood pressure are important issues, similar emphasis should be put on the rising AIDS epidemic. In a sense, African-Americans have marginalized themselves from dealing with AIDS. Continuing to turn a cold shoulder to the issue will not fix the problem. Although Blacks are being marginalized when it comes to AIDS, they are also marginalized when it comes to property and social relationships. For example, when it comes to receiving bank loans, African-Americans is marginalized heavily. Some bank loan officers practice redlining which causes Black residents, whether qualified or not, to be denied loans for property. By using the redlining technique, bank loan officers are marginalizing Blacks from being able to own their own property. Relating back to the AIDS epidemic, Black men were marginalized for having the virus. For instance, if a Black man was open about his homosexuality would be marginalized heavily. Homophobia could be a valid reason for the marginalization of Black men. With open homosexuality, an African-American could be left out from participating in activities and denied being recognized as a normal individual. Homophobia could damage an individual’s social life and leave him feeling disempowered. [4] Along with marginalization, Blacks were, and still are, a part of a power struggle. Blacks were seen, and will always be seen, as lower than Whites. Also, Blacks have been disempowered knowingly and unknowingly, which is the center of environmental racism. African-Americans have been taken advantage of and used to gain wealth and keep at the bottom of the ladder. In short, there are many types of power struggles. One does not have to see power to know that it is taking place. [5] For instance, being called an inferior race is a power struggle within itself. African-Americans that believe that they are actually inferior will begin to act that way. They will begin to doubt themselves and their abilities in life. Once they have it in their mindset that they are inferior, it will cause them to act that way. Housing Segregation is â€Å"the practice of denying African American or other minority groups equal access to housing through the process of misinformation, denial of realty and financing services, and racial steering. †[6] The act of housing discrimination involves real estate agents and landlords not providing African American families with an accurate account of available housing. Housing segregation happens when landlords and real estate agents lure White Americans to available housing only in white communities, and African Americans to Black or diverse and mixed communities. The realtor and landlord usually work together in the process and will agree not to tell the African Americans about the available units in the European American communities. This process goes back to the assumption that African Americans residents will bring down the property value of homes in the neighborhood because they will not take care of their own property. Housing segregation is intentional racism that excludes African Americans from participating fairly in the housing market. Black families should be able to live wherever they please without regardless of the demographics of the neighborhood. With all that African Americans have been through, environmental racism should not be ignored or taken lightly. People should take heed to the practice and fight for what is right. All of the above forms of environmental racism have plagued the African American community. It has caused a major shift in the urban cities such as Chicago. Real estate agents have inflated the costs of housing for Black families moving into predominantly White areas. African American families can fight the issues by becoming more aware of their surroundings and becoming familiar with the practices. They can hire good lawyers to defend them and fight for justice. With regards to the AIDS epidemic, African Americans have been marginalized when it comes to resources and thus leads to environmental racism. African American of the new generation, as a whole, should stand together and fight the justice that was promised to them in the United States Constitution. ———————– [1] Dictionary. com [2] Dictionary. com [3] Dictionary. com [4] Cathy J. Cohen, The Boundaries of Blackness (The University of Chicago Press) 47-48. [5] John Gaventa, Power and Powerlessness (The University of Illinois Press) 1-32. [6] Dictionary. com.

JavaFX GridPane Overview

TheGridPane class creates a JavaFX layout pane which places controls based on a column and row position. The grid contained in this layout is not predefined. It creates columns and rows as each control is added. This allows the grid to be completely flexible in its design. Nodes can be placed in each cell of the grid and can span multiple cells either vertically or horizontally. By default the rows and columns will be sized to fit their content - that is the widest child node defines the column width and the tallest child node the row height.   Import Statement import javafx.scene.layout.GridPane; Constructors TheGridPane class has one constructor which does not accept any arguments: GridPane playerGrid new GridPane(); Useful Methods Child nodes are added to theGridPane using the add method specifying the node to be added with the column and row index: //Place the Text control in column 1, row 8 Text rank4 new Text(4); playerGrid.add(rank4, 0,7); Note: The column and row index starts at 0. So the first cell positioned at column 1, row 1 has an index of 0, 0. Child nodes can also span multiple columns or rows. This can be specified in theadd method by adding the number of columns and rows to span to the end of the arguments passed: //Here the Text control is spanning 4 columns and 1 row Text title new Text(Top Scorers in English Premier League); playerGrid.add(title, 0,0,4,1); Child nodes contained within theGridPane can have their alignment along the horizontal or vertical axis by using the setHalignment and setValignment methods: GridPane.setHalignment(goals4, HPos.CENTER); Note: TheVPos enum contains four constant values to define the vertical position: BASELINE, BOTTOM, CENTER and TOP. The HPos enum only contains three values for the horizontal position: CENTER, LEFT and RIGHT.   The padding of child nodes can also be set by using thesetPadding method. This method takes the child node being set and Insets object defining the padding: //set the padding for all the cells in the GridPane playerGrid.setPadding(new Insets(0, 10, 0, 10)); The spacing between the columns and rows can be defined by using thesetHgap and setVgap methods: playerGrid.setHgap(10);playerGrid.setVgap(10); ThesetGridLinesVisible method can be very useful in seeing where the grid lines are being drawn: playerGrid.setGridLinesVisible(true); Usage Tips If two nodes are set to be displayed in the same cell then they will overlap in the JavaFX scene.   Columns and rows can be set to a preferred width and height through the use ofRowConstraints and ColumnConstraints. These are separate classes that can be used to control the size. Once defined they are added to the GridPane by using the getRowConstraints().addAll and getColumnConstraints().addAll methods. GridPane objects can be styled using JavaFX CSS. All the CSS properties defined under Region can be used. To see theGridPane layout in action have a look at the GridPane Example Program. It shows how to place Text controls in a table format by defining uniform rows and columns.

JavaFX GridPane Overview

TheGridPane class creates a JavaFX layout pane which places controls based on a column and row position. The grid contained in this layout is not predefined. It creates columns and rows as each control is added. This allows the grid to be completely flexible in its design. Nodes can be placed in each cell of the grid and can span multiple cells either vertically or horizontally. By default the rows and columns will be sized to fit their content - that is the widest child node defines the column width and the tallest child node the row height.   Import Statement import javafx.scene.layout.GridPane; Constructors TheGridPane class has one constructor which does not accept any arguments: GridPane playerGrid new GridPane(); Useful Methods Child nodes are added to theGridPane using the add method specifying the node to be added with the column and row index: //Place the Text control in column 1, row 8 Text rank4 new Text(4); playerGrid.add(rank4, 0,7); Note: The column and row index starts at 0. So the first cell positioned at column 1, row 1 has an index of 0, 0. Child nodes can also span multiple columns or rows. This can be specified in theadd method by adding the number of columns and rows to span to the end of the arguments passed: //Here the Text control is spanning 4 columns and 1 row Text title new Text(Top Scorers in English Premier League); playerGrid.add(title, 0,0,4,1); Child nodes contained within theGridPane can have their alignment along the horizontal or vertical axis by using the setHalignment and setValignment methods: GridPane.setHalignment(goals4, HPos.CENTER); Note: TheVPos enum contains four constant values to define the vertical position: BASELINE, BOTTOM, CENTER and TOP. The HPos enum only contains three values for the horizontal position: CENTER, LEFT and RIGHT.   The padding of child nodes can also be set by using thesetPadding method. This method takes the child node being set and Insets object defining the padding: //set the padding for all the cells in the GridPane playerGrid.setPadding(new Insets(0, 10, 0, 10)); The spacing between the columns and rows can be defined by using thesetHgap and setVgap methods: playerGrid.setHgap(10);playerGrid.setVgap(10); ThesetGridLinesVisible method can be very useful in seeing where the grid lines are being drawn: playerGrid.setGridLinesVisible(true); Usage Tips If two nodes are set to be displayed in the same cell then they will overlap in the JavaFX scene.   Columns and rows can be set to a preferred width and height through the use ofRowConstraints and ColumnConstraints. These are separate classes that can be used to control the size. Once defined they are added to the GridPane by using the getRowConstraints().addAll and getColumnConstraints().addAll methods. GridPane objects can be styled using JavaFX CSS. All the CSS properties defined under Region can be used. To see theGridPane layout in action have a look at the GridPane Example Program. It shows how to place Text controls in a table format by defining uniform rows and columns.

JavaFX GridPane Overview

TheGridPane class creates a JavaFX layout pane which places controls based on a column and row position. The grid contained in this layout is not predefined. It creates columns and rows as each control is added. This allows the grid to be completely flexible in its design. Nodes can be placed in each cell of the grid and can span multiple cells either vertically or horizontally. By default the rows and columns will be sized to fit their content - that is the widest child node defines the column width and the tallest child node the row height.   Import Statement import javafx.scene.layout.GridPane; Constructors TheGridPane class has one constructor which does not accept any arguments: GridPane playerGrid new GridPane(); Useful Methods Child nodes are added to theGridPane using the add method specifying the node to be added with the column and row index: //Place the Text control in column 1, row 8 Text rank4 new Text(4); playerGrid.add(rank4, 0,7); Note: The column and row index starts at 0. So the first cell positioned at column 1, row 1 has an index of 0, 0. Child nodes can also span multiple columns or rows. This can be specified in theadd method by adding the number of columns and rows to span to the end of the arguments passed: //Here the Text control is spanning 4 columns and 1 row Text title new Text(Top Scorers in English Premier League); playerGrid.add(title, 0,0,4,1); Child nodes contained within theGridPane can have their alignment along the horizontal or vertical axis by using the setHalignment and setValignment methods: GridPane.setHalignment(goals4, HPos.CENTER); Note: TheVPos enum contains four constant values to define the vertical position: BASELINE, BOTTOM, CENTER and TOP. The HPos enum only contains three values for the horizontal position: CENTER, LEFT and RIGHT.   The padding of child nodes can also be set by using thesetPadding method. This method takes the child node being set and Insets object defining the padding: //set the padding for all the cells in the GridPane playerGrid.setPadding(new Insets(0, 10, 0, 10)); The spacing between the columns and rows can be defined by using thesetHgap and setVgap methods: playerGrid.setHgap(10);playerGrid.setVgap(10); ThesetGridLinesVisible method can be very useful in seeing where the grid lines are being drawn: playerGrid.setGridLinesVisible(true); Usage Tips If two nodes are set to be displayed in the same cell then they will overlap in the JavaFX scene.   Columns and rows can be set to a preferred width and height through the use ofRowConstraints and ColumnConstraints. These are separate classes that can be used to control the size. Once defined they are added to the GridPane by using the getRowConstraints().addAll and getColumnConstraints().addAll methods. GridPane objects can be styled using JavaFX CSS. All the CSS properties defined under Region can be used. To see theGridPane layout in action have a look at the GridPane Example Program. It shows how to place Text controls in a table format by defining uniform rows and columns.