Role of Prosody in Language Acquisition

Role of Prosody in Language Acquisition Discuss the role of prosody (i.e. rhythm and intonation) in language acquisition, from early sound perception to sematic and syntactic development. From muffled sounds heard within the womb to singing our favorite songs by memory, we humans have the astounding ability to acquire language. The remarkable thing is that we are born without full-blown language comprehension and production. How is it then that we steadily progress into competent speakers of our mother tongue? A big part lies in the prosody of our native language. Although babies may not be able to speak, they begin to learn about language prenatally. Given that our auditory system is well developed in the womb, a fetus can process sounds as early as 28 weeks of gestation, according to Fernald in 2001 and Saffran and colleagues in 2006 (as cited in Brooks Kempe, 2012, pg.25). While speech sounds are muffled because the fetus is enclosed within the womb, preventing proper individual phoneme identification, there is still perception of rhythm and intonation (Brooks Kempe, 2012, pg.25). Rhythm and intonation are components of prosody, along with other sound features such as stress, pitch, loudness, and duration (Erekson, 2010, pg.80). Newborns are then able to gain prenatal language experience with sounds made by their mothers and other people close by (Brooks Kempe, 2012, pg.25). Babies even have a preference for sounds that became familiar when they were in the womb. In a study by Mehler and colleagues in 1988 it was found that prenatal expe rience allowed babies to distinguish their native language from a foreign language (Brooks Kempe, 2012, g.28). In their study, which utilized sucking rate, French newborns could tell French sentences apart from Russian sentences, even when the sentences were passed through a low-pass filter to make them sound like they would be heard from within the womb (Brooks Kempe, 2012, pg.28). This study showed that newborn infants are sensitive to prosodic characteristics of language (Brooks Kempe, 2012, pg.28). Prosody has important implications in language acquisition even before an infant is born but also continues to be an essential tool throughout their early years when they begin to engage with more experience speakers. Although infants pay attention to their surroundings and are taking in all the different sounds they hear, they are not the only active participants. When people interact with babies, they do not treat them in the same manner they would treat older children or adults. Instead, they expose them to a very distinct aspect of language known as infant-directed speech (IDS) or â€Å"motherese† (Goswami, 2008, pg.148). This special register helps facilitate language learning because of its exaggerated prosodic nature; this emphasizes the boundaries between words and phrases, thus making segmentation of the speech stream easier for babies (Goswami, 2008, pg.148). According to Karmiloff and Karmiloff-Smith in 2001 baby humans learn the rhythm of their native languages from birth to 2 months of age (as cited in Falk, 2004, pg.495). During this time infants pay special attention to their language input and are particularly interested in IDS, which is characterized by simplified vocabular y, repetition, exaggerated vowels, higher tone, wider range of tone, and a slower tempo (Falk, 2004, pg. 495). These are important differences infants seem particularly sensitive to at young ages when prosody plays such a key in language acquisition. Aside from having characteristics based on the prosody of speech to help infants learn their native languages, IDS seems to be universal; it is seen in all languages in cultures, implying that this prosodic way of speaking serves a developmental purpose (Goswami, 2008, pg. 154). Adults break down the language for babies to understand better, and doing so almost instinctively, showing the intuitiveness prosody has in language comprehension and production. Prosody also helps babies learn a thing or two about syntax early on. According to Levitt in 1993, at 10 months infants start to babble in rhythms that are similar to the prosody of their language structure (as cited in Falk, 2004, pg.496). Karmiloff and Karmiloff-Smith say this may be due to the vocal turn-taking that mothers and their babies engage in, helping the babies learn the â€Å"rule† that conversationalists take turns speaking, as seen in their research in 2001 (as cited in Falk, 2004, pg.496). Snowdon (1990) states that this â€Å"social syntax† may help babies learn other rules that are preliminary to learning syntax, the proper arrangement of elements within sentences (as cited in Falk, 2004, pg.496). IDS therefore helps teach babies syntax through phonological bootstrapping, which is fulfilled by paying attention to the correlations between the prosodic cues of IDS and linguistic categories, according to the works of Burnham et al. in 2002, Gleitman Warn er in 1982, Morgan in 1986 and Morgan Demuth in 1996 (as cited in Falk, 2004, pg.496). An infant’s perception of prosodic cues in relation with linguistic categories is essential to learn about phonology, the boundaries between words or phrases in their native tongue, and syntax (Falk, 2004, pg.496). Prosody not only matters when it comes to learning the music of the first language learned but also seems to help teach other components of the language as well. As infants grow older and gain more experience with language, they continue a path towards language mastery and more complicated language use. While young babies use prosody to help tell words apart, it isn’t until they get older that prosody is fully used to tell syntactic relationships (Speer Ito, 2009, pg.94). However, there is mixed research as to when exactly children begin to use prosody to understand ambiguous sentences (Speer Ito, 2009, pg.94). A study in 2008 by Snedeker and Yuan found that children used prosodic phrasings of sentences to the syntax ‘correctly’ and perform an instrumental action (as cited in Speer Ito, 2009, pg.97-98). In their study they did a toy-moving scenario using sentences, such as ‘You can tap the frog with the flower’, with two disambiguating phrasings (Speer Ito, 2009, pg.97). Regardless of the prosodic phrasing, such as [You can tap the frog] [with the flower] versus [You can tap] [the frog with the flower], re sults showed that the children used the location of prosodic boundaries to interpret the correct syntax of the sentences (Speer Ito, 2009, pg.97). Additionally, prosody seems to help syntactic acquisition early on. In a study in 2014 by Hawthorne and Gerken, it was found that 19 month old infants treated prosodically-grouped words as more cohesive and constituent-like than words that straddled a prosodic boundary (pg.420). Because syntactic constituency, groups of words that serve as cohesive units in sentences, is an important part in the early levels of syntax acquisition, prosody is seen as essential concept in language acquisition as a result (Hawthorne Gerken, 2014, pg.420). Although it may be debatable when syntax development exactly begins, a big puzzle piece to figure it out lies in prosody. Prosody continues to help humans from infancy to childhood not only in the syntax of their language but also the semantics. In a study by Nygaard et al in 2008 it was investigated whether speakers were able to successfully make prosodic correlates to meaning across semantic domains and if they used these cues to interpret meaning of novel words (pg.127). The study showed that listeners were able to match new words with their proper meaning significantly more if the prosody used matched the word correctly (Nygaard et al., 2009, pg.127). With their findings, Nygaard and colleagues were able to support that speech has reliable prosodic markers to word meaning and that listeners use the prosodic cues of words to differentiate their meanings (Nygaard et al., 2009, pg.127). New research is also finding prosody to be an essential component for semantic comprehension and development in children. It was previously suggested that children did not utilize prosody to figure out the meanings of n ew words. This was due to studies like Sasso’s 2003 investigation using children age 4 years old and adults, where she found that the children did not readily use prosodic cues to determine the meaning of a new word like the adults did, even when instructed to do so (Sasso, 2003). However, recently in 2011, Herold and colleagues investigated whether children utilized prosodic correlates to word meaning when interpreting new words (Herold et al., 2011, pg.229). They sought to examine if children would interpret a word spoken in a deep, loud, slow voice as referring to something larger than a word said in a high, quiet, and fast voice (Herold et al., 2011, pg.229). It was found that by 5 years old children were successfully utilizing prosody to interpret meaning (Herold et al., 2011, pg. 236). In addition, there were differences in performances between 4 year old and 5 year old participants, suggesting a developmental change in children’s ability to use prosodic cues to infer meaning (Herold et al., 2011, pg.236). Herold and colleagues believed this may do to 4 year olds not yet able to understand that prosody can be used as a tool for novel word interpretation due to insufficient experience with prosodic information and meaning relations (Herold et al., 2011, pg. 236-237). While semantic development in children does not seem to be fully and effectively utilized before age 5, it seems to be on meet a critical transition at this point after children have a certain amount of exposure to their native language. Many studies in linguistics and psychology demonstrate the multiple roles that prosody plays in the acquisition of language from prenatal infants to adults with fluency of their native language. What begins as sound that catches the interest of prenatal humans steadily becomes sound that serve a purpose in language comprehension. While research continues to explore the implications of prosody, there is no denying that it plays a vital and fundamental part in human language. References Brooks, P., Kempe, V. (2012). Language Development (pp. xv-383). Chichester: BPS Blackwell. Erekson, J. (2010). Prosody and Interpretation. Reading Horizons, 50(2), 80-98. Retrieved April 23, 2015, from http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/reading_horizons/vol50/iss2/3 Falk, D. (2004). Prelinguistic Evolution in Early Hominins: Whence Motherese? Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 27(4), 491-541. Retrieved April 23, 2015, from http://journals.cambridge.org.ezp.lib.rochester.edu/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=onlineaid=276842fileId=S0140525X04000111 Goswami, U. (2008). Cognitive Development: The Learning Brain (p. 457). Hove: Psychology Press. Hawthorne, K., Gerken, L. (2014). From pauses to clauses: Prosody facilitates learning of syntactic constituency. Cognition, 133(2), 420-428. doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2014.07.013 Herold, D., Nygaard, L., Chicos, K., Namy, L. (2011). The developing role of prosody in novel word interpretation. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 108(2), 229-241. doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2010.09.005 Nygaard, L., Herold, D., Namy, L. (2009). The Semantics of Prosody: Acoustic and Perceptual Evidence of Prosodic Correlates to Word Meaning. Cognitive Science, 33(1), 127-146. doi:10.1111/j.1551-6709.2008.01007.x Sasso, D. S. (2003). The developing role of prosody in novel word comprehension. (Order No. 1413020, Emory University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, 46-46 p. Retrieved April 24, 2015, from http://search.proquest.com/docview/250019098?accountid=13567 Speer, S., Ito, K. (2009). Prosody in First Language Acquisition Acquiring Intonation as a Tool to Organize Information in Conversation. Language and Linguistics Compass, 3(1), 90-110. Retrieved April 24, 2015, from http://linguistics.osu.edu/files/Publication-Prosody in First Language Acquisition.pdf

Principles of Business

The Development of Economic Activity Human Beings produce and consume goods and services from the resources in their environment. It is primarily for the reason that humans are called ECONOMIC ANIMAL, because he or she has the ability to use his or her hands and brain to satisfy his or her immediate personal needs. These are looked at as basic needs; these needs are food, shelter and clothing (Economic Activity). Economic Activity means activities which results in the satisfaction of needs.In order to satisfy these needs, man engaged in certain economic activity such as farming, fishing, hunting, trade form, women stay home. Direct Production/ Direct Satisfaction of Wants Direct Production really means that human beings provide all their needs for themselves and their family without the aid of others; in other words, they do not depend on others to provide. Indirect Production/ Indirect Satisfaction of Wants Indirect Production means that human beings exchange their surplus by barter with others; in other words, human beings depend on others to do things for them  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Subsistence EconomySubsistence Economy – An economy which provide just enough to survive, but not to improve their way of life. BARTER SYSTEM Barter System is the exchange of goods or services for other goods and services without the use of money. ADVANTAGE OF BARTER SYSTEM * It allowed people to dispose of any surplus, they had at the same time obtain a variety of things they needed. * It enables persons to enjoy goods and services they could not produce. * Countries with foreign currency problems can get goods and services that they require. Countries that engage in trade can strengthen their political and cultural ties. DISADVANTAGE OF BARTER SYSTEM * Double or co-incidence of wants – No trade can take place unless there is double or co-incidence of wants; that is your trading partner has wh at you want and wants what you have. * Time Consumption – It could be challenging to find willing partners. * Spoilage – If an individual failed to find a suitable partner within a reasonable time ones wealth in goods could be destroyed. Unequal Exchange – There is the difficulty or unequal exchange where the values of some goods far outweigh the value of other goods. MONEY Money is any commodity that is generally acceptable and is used as a medium of exchange and as a measure of value CHARACTERISTICS OF MONEY * Acceptability – It must be readily acceptable by everyone * Durability – It should not wear out easily * Homogeneity – it features should be identical * Divisibility – Money should be able to be broken down into smaller units. Portability – It should be easy to carry around. FUNCTIONS OF MONEY * Medium of Exchange – Money makes the exchange of goods easier * Measure of Value – Money can be used to state pr ices of goods * Store of Value –   Money can be saved * Deferred Payment – Money can be earned at one time and spent at another. DIVISION OF LABOUR OR SPECIALIZATION Division of labour is sharing the work. The work is divided among persons and they specialize in doing their part of the process, specialization comes as a part of this. DIVISION OF LABOUR BY PRODUCTDivision of labour by product means people can do what they can do best in exchange for money and then using the money earned to buy the goods and services of others. DIVISION OF LABOUR BY PROCESS Division of labour by process means by organizing production into many stages workers become more specialized in their work and consequently they produce more. ADVANTAGES OF DIVISION OF LABOUR OR SPECIALIZATION * Workers become more expert in their jobs * Jobs become simpler and easier to learn * Output per person increases * Machinery and automation can be used Workers can more easily change jobs * Unit cost are re duced DISADVANTAGES OF DIVISION OF LABOUR OR SPECIALIZATION * Work can be tedious and boring thus resulting in poor worker motivation and the likelihood of a higher rate of absentism * Workers creativity is limited * Greater use of machinery can cause unemployment * Production can easily be stopped by strikes ECONOMIC SYSTEM Economic System refers to the method by which a nation or country plan to utilize its resources in order to achieve economic growth and to benefit its citizens. MAJOR ECONOMIC SYSTEMEvery country is given by an economic system as each system has to decide how to allocate its resources to meet the needs of the citizens. This is a problem because the worlds resources are limited in supply and mans wants are unlimited. The economic is therefore deciding how to best to share these scarce resources. The decision of what to produce or what choices to make from the limited resources available is influenced by the political situation within which the decision is made. I n order to share resources all economic must answer to all these problems. PROBLEMS OF ECONOMIC SYSTEM FACE Limited Resources * Man wants are unlimited * Scarcity * How to share resources * Choice / decision No two countries are organized in the same way but they all have to solve three basic problems as follows * What should be produced? * How much to produce? * How is it to be produce? * Where is it to be produce? There are four different economic systems which answer the foregoing questions. * Subsistence Economy * Free Market Economy {Alternative name – Capitalists, Laissez-faire} * Controlled Economy {Alternative name – Collectivists, Communist, Command Control} * Mixed SUBSISTENCE ECONOMYA subsistence economy is one where there is little specialization and little trade. In such an economy people tend to live in family groups and grow most of their own food. Free Market Economy In a free market economy there is little or no government interference in the economy. It is based on the private ownership of the factors of production and the means of the distributing goods and services. Market forces are allowed to determine how resources are allocated. Examples of Free Market Economy is Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America and Hong Kong Advantages of Free market Economy Individuals are free to make choices as to what they want to produce, where they who they want to work for, what price they are going to charge for labour and also the price of their finished products * Customers can decide what to produce by influencing market prices * When consumers demands certain goods and services, they send messages to the producers who in turn will produce and meet the demands and thus satisfy the preference of consumers Disadvantages of Free market Economy * It encourages inequalities of wealth The more powerful businesses may buy out the smaller ones thus reducing competition * Wealthy people are more able to purchase and influence t he market than smaller ones * Companies may be tempted to restrict supplies to keep prices high Planned / Controlled / Collectivist Economy In a controlled economy all economic decisions are made by the government. The state decides what to produce, how it is to be produced and how it should be allocated to consumers; in other words, the state decides what the community needs and therefore demand is not influenced by the consumer.Examples of Controlled economies are Cuba and China. Advantages of Controlled Economy * State   control eliminates wasteful competition * The state will provide goods that private enterprise will be unwilling to provide * It is impossible for private monopolies to develop * The state ensures that the needs of the community are met Disadvantages of Controlled Economy * Free enterprise and competition are discouraged * Creativeness and efficiency are not encouraged MIXED ECONOMY Mixed economy is a combination of elements from free economy and a controlled e conomy.There is a public sector controlled by the government which provides goods and services that the state feels it can manage most efficiently and a private sector in which individuals risk capital in producing goods and services for profit. ADVANTAGES OF MIXED ECONOMY * Individuals have freedom of choice * Government can intervene to protect citizens from unfair monopoly * Both the private and public sector may unite in producing goods. DISADVANTAGES OF MIXED ECONOMY * It is possible for private monopolies to develop Too many government regulations may discourage persons from owning a business GLOBALIZATION Globalization can be seen as the intensification and spread of world wide social, economic, cultural and political relationships among countries. BENEFITS OF GLOBALIZATION * Provision of high quality goods and services at a cheaper rate which is achieved through economies of scale * In contributing to globalization firms not only provide goods and services economically but t hey also provide employment for people IMPACT OF GLOBALIZATIONThe impact of globalization has some adverse effect on small economies of the Caribbean. Large international firms that can produce high quality goods and services at a cheaper cost set challenges to small firms that are producing similar goods and services PRIMARY PRODUCTION Primary Production includes activity which takes the natural resources from the earth, that is the extraction of raw materials and the growing of food. Example Mining, fishing farming and forestry Secondary ProductionSecondary production involves manufacturing, processing and construction which transform raw materials into finish or semi-finished goods. Example baking, ship building and office construction. Tertiary Production Tertiary production includes the provision of serves example Hairdressing. PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTOR The private sector is that part of the economy that is owned and controlled by private individuals and firms. Funds for the es tablishment of private business operation are obtained through * Loans from Bank or Financial Institution * Personal Savings Financing from family and friends The public sector refers to business in the economy that are owned by government for the benefit of the public citizens. The main motive is to provide goods and services to benefit the country. Funds will mainly com from taxation. Private sector enterprise will involve in manufacturing, mining etc and they are able to produce or provide the services they wish but they must abide by rules and regulation establish by the government, on the other hand, the public sector relies on the private sector for taxation to maintain the operations of the country.In most Caribbean countries we say that there is a mixed economy because some businesses are privately owned and others are owned by the state ADVANTAGES OF PRIVATE SECTOR TO A SOCIETY * Public Sector protects citizens from exploitation by powerful monopolies * Public sector provid es employment for many persons * Public sector contributes to the economic lives of the country PUBLIC BUSINESS UNDERTAKINGS Public Corporations: These are government or state owned businesses that are primarily run by Central government.Municipal Undertakings: These are government owned businesses that are run primarily by the Local Government. These include market, parks and beaches Government Undertakings: These departments carry out special functions such as education, health and finance REASONS FOR ESTABLISHING A BUSINESS * To earn a income * To make a profit- which is the result when a firm’s sales revenue is greater than its total costs. Profit is important because it enables business to survive and grow, it also provides the owner with a return for taking the risk of losing money they have invested. To provide employment to persons in and around the community * To expand production and increase the yearly sales of the firm * To produce a product that is either a good or service to the community * To have the satisfaction of being one’s own boss SOLE TRADERSHIP OR SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP The sole tradership or sole proprietorship is defined as a one man business, this is so because he or she enters business on his or her own, therefore bearing the risk of the business and thus entitled to all the profits.Even when the sole trader invites someone else to assist in the running of the business, these individuals would be employees. They do not share in ownership of the business and the owner is responsible for decisions made concerning the business. * Sole tradership is very easy to setup and operate. * It does not require any legal paperwork or registration. * Sole Trader is an unincorporated business, which means that the owner and business are one and same in the eyes of the law. This means that he conducts in his own name, his business is not separate from him. Sole Trader has unlimited liability which means that their personal assets can be clamed to settle the debts of their business that is why in the case of bankruptcy the sole trader stands to lose his/ her personal belongings, if the business assets cannot cover his/her debts. In order to finance the business the sole trader may: *   Use his personal savings to start the business. * The sole trader may also borrow funds from family members or friends. * The sole trader may also get funds from financial institution such as credit unions, commercial banks or government sources as the business progresses. The sole trader may also reinvest or plough back some of the profits made in the business. The sole Trader may sell ownership of his business to someone else. If he/she dies then the business no longer exists. ADVANTAGES OF SOLE TRADER * The business is simple to start and usually requires only a small amount of capital * Profits are not shared * Decisions are made promptly and the new ideas put in place quickly * The owner retains personal control over the direct ion and growth of his/her business DISADVANTAGES OF SOLE TRADER It is difficult to access capital if the sole trader wants to expand his business * The sole trader bears all the losses * The sole trader may have to work long hours and may not be able to take vacation when he wants to do so * Unlimited Liability , therefore in the case of bankruptcy he may lose his personal belongings to claim its debts * There is lack of continuity if the owner dies PARTNERSHIP An ordinary partnership is an association of two to twenty persons who are in business together with a view to earning a profit.This type of partnership may have general or active partners who are involved in the day to day operations of the business. A Sleeping partner is a partner who may be willing to introduce capital into a business but may not wish to take an active part in the running of the business In an ordinary partnership all partners have unlimited liability which means that they stand to lose not only their inve stment capital but also their personal assets. It is possible to have a limited partnership bit at least one partner mush accept unlimited liability.Partnership is formed amongst partners, partners may share in the management of the business or may serve as the manager or they may employ someone to manage the business Partners are free to decide whatever arrangement they like amongst themselves as to what rules will govern their organization. Partners have a written arrangement or deed. A partnership deed sets out the rights of each partner as to the division of profits. The deed sets out: * The name of the business and the date the business started * The type of business and the location of the business Details of each partner * The amount of capital each partner invested * How profits to be shared * The responsibility of each partner in the business In financing a partnership business all partners pool their savings together, loans and retained. Profits are shared by the deed draw n up by the partners, the absence of the deed means that profits are shared equally. In a partnership all partners are held personally responsible for all debts of the business. If one partner cannot fulfill his obligations then the other partner will bear all the losses. A partnership may be terminated: When partner or partners decide to sell their share of the partnership to someone else. When this occurs a new partners are brought in. * If it becomes insolvent or bankrupt * When all parties agree to terminate the business ADVANTAGES OF PARTNERSHIP * It is easy to form as there are few legal formalities * More capital is available to foster growth and development. * Workload can be shared amongst partners DISADVANTAGES OF PARTNERSHIP * If a partner makes a mistake all partners stand to lose * Each partner is liable for the debts of the business * Possible disagreements between partners Membership limit of twenty which restricts resources of the business CO-OPERATIVES A cooperative is a form of business that is owned and controlled by a group of persons who have a common interest and who have an equal say in operation. Types of Cooperatives * Producer Cooperative: In this type of cooperative society members are in their business of producing example in a farming community * Buyers Cooperatives: This is a type of cooperative in which persons who use a particular good in their business operations come together to purchase that good in large quantities and gain benefits of discounts. Financial Cooperatives: This is a service oriented society. It brings together persons who have a common interest. The aim is for members to pool their resources in the provision of service * Workers Cooperative: Are businesses that are owned and run by their own workforces. Example the crews of a bus company Cooperative is governed by a general meeting. The meeting is held annually and it is at this meeting that a committee is appointed to handle the day to day affairs of the coope rative.The cooperative is controlled by its members. Each member contributes to share capital of the cooperative. Members finance the cooperative through the purchase of shares Shareholders receives dividends if the cooperative makes a profit from its operation. The amount of dividend is related to the number of shares held. Dividends are generally small, since the major goal is not to make a profit but to provide a service to its members. Earnings from a cooperative are not totally consumed in the payment of dividend.Most of these are ploughed back into the cooperatives to finance operational needs identified by the members. ADVANTAGES OF CO-OPERATIVES * Members benefit from the pooling of funds for the purpose of lending to other members * Members have equal say in the operation of business as well as in the decision making of the cooperatives * Members are the owners of the cooperative society * Employment is created within the organization DISADVANTAGES OF CO-OPERATIVES * Profit s may be small or non existent * Shortage or lack of capital may inhibit growth and cause problems Principles of Business The Development of Economic Activity Human Beings produce and consume goods and services from the resources in their environment. It is primarily for the reason that humans are called ECONOMIC ANIMAL, because he or she has the ability to use his or her hands and brain to satisfy his or her immediate personal needs. These are looked at as basic needs; these needs are food, shelter and clothing (Economic Activity). Economic Activity means activities which results in the satisfaction of needs.In order to satisfy these needs, man engaged in certain economic activity such as farming, fishing, hunting, trade form, women stay home. Direct Production/ Direct Satisfaction of Wants Direct Production really means that human beings provide all their needs for themselves and their family without the aid of others; in other words, they do not depend on others to provide. Indirect Production/ Indirect Satisfaction of Wants Indirect Production means that human beings exchange their surplus by barter with others; in other words, human beings depend on others to do things for them  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Subsistence EconomySubsistence Economy – An economy which provide just enough to survive, but not to improve their way of life. BARTER SYSTEM Barter System is the exchange of goods or services for other goods and services without the use of money. ADVANTAGE OF BARTER SYSTEM * It allowed people to dispose of any surplus, they had at the same time obtain a variety of things they needed. * It enables persons to enjoy goods and services they could not produce. * Countries with foreign currency problems can get goods and services that they require. Countries that engage in trade can strengthen their political and cultural ties. DISADVANTAGE OF BARTER SYSTEM * Double or co-incidence of wants – No trade can take place unless there is double or co-incidence of wants; that is your trading partner has wh at you want and wants what you have. * Time Consumption – It could be challenging to find willing partners. * Spoilage – If an individual failed to find a suitable partner within a reasonable time ones wealth in goods could be destroyed. Unequal Exchange – There is the difficulty or unequal exchange where the values of some goods far outweigh the value of other goods. MONEY Money is any commodity that is generally acceptable and is used as a medium of exchange and as a measure of value CHARACTERISTICS OF MONEY * Acceptability – It must be readily acceptable by everyone * Durability – It should not wear out easily * Homogeneity – it features should be identical * Divisibility – Money should be able to be broken down into smaller units. Portability – It should be easy to carry around. FUNCTIONS OF MONEY * Medium of Exchange – Money makes the exchange of goods easier * Measure of Value – Money can be used to state pr ices of goods * Store of Value –   Money can be saved * Deferred Payment – Money can be earned at one time and spent at another. DIVISION OF LABOUR OR SPECIALIZATION Division of labour is sharing the work. The work is divided among persons and they specialize in doing their part of the process, specialization comes as a part of this. DIVISION OF LABOUR BY PRODUCTDivision of labour by product means people can do what they can do best in exchange for money and then using the money earned to buy the goods and services of others. DIVISION OF LABOUR BY PROCESS Division of labour by process means by organizing production into many stages workers become more specialized in their work and consequently they produce more. ADVANTAGES OF DIVISION OF LABOUR OR SPECIALIZATION * Workers become more expert in their jobs * Jobs become simpler and easier to learn * Output per person increases * Machinery and automation can be used Workers can more easily change jobs * Unit cost are re duced DISADVANTAGES OF DIVISION OF LABOUR OR SPECIALIZATION * Work can be tedious and boring thus resulting in poor worker motivation and the likelihood of a higher rate of absentism * Workers creativity is limited * Greater use of machinery can cause unemployment * Production can easily be stopped by strikes ECONOMIC SYSTEM Economic System refers to the method by which a nation or country plan to utilize its resources in order to achieve economic growth and to benefit its citizens. MAJOR ECONOMIC SYSTEMEvery country is given by an economic system as each system has to decide how to allocate its resources to meet the needs of the citizens. This is a problem because the worlds resources are limited in supply and mans wants are unlimited. The economic is therefore deciding how to best to share these scarce resources. The decision of what to produce or what choices to make from the limited resources available is influenced by the political situation within which the decision is made. I n order to share resources all economic must answer to all these problems. PROBLEMS OF ECONOMIC SYSTEM FACE Limited Resources * Man wants are unlimited * Scarcity * How to share resources * Choice / decision No two countries are organized in the same way but they all have to solve three basic problems as follows * What should be produced? * How much to produce? * How is it to be produce? * Where is it to be produce? There are four different economic systems which answer the foregoing questions. * Subsistence Economy * Free Market Economy {Alternative name – Capitalists, Laissez-faire} * Controlled Economy {Alternative name – Collectivists, Communist, Command Control} * Mixed SUBSISTENCE ECONOMYA subsistence economy is one where there is little specialization and little trade. In such an economy people tend to live in family groups and grow most of their own food. Free Market Economy In a free market economy there is little or no government interference in the economy. It is based on the private ownership of the factors of production and the means of the distributing goods and services. Market forces are allowed to determine how resources are allocated. Examples of Free Market Economy is Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America and Hong Kong Advantages of Free market Economy Individuals are free to make choices as to what they want to produce, where they who they want to work for, what price they are going to charge for labour and also the price of their finished products * Customers can decide what to produce by influencing market prices * When consumers demands certain goods and services, they send messages to the producers who in turn will produce and meet the demands and thus satisfy the preference of consumers Disadvantages of Free market Economy * It encourages inequalities of wealth The more powerful businesses may buy out the smaller ones thus reducing competition * Wealthy people are more able to purchase and influence t he market than smaller ones * Companies may be tempted to restrict supplies to keep prices high Planned / Controlled / Collectivist Economy In a controlled economy all economic decisions are made by the government. The state decides what to produce, how it is to be produced and how it should be allocated to consumers; in other words, the state decides what the community needs and therefore demand is not influenced by the consumer.Examples of Controlled economies are Cuba and China. Advantages of Controlled Economy * State   control eliminates wasteful competition * The state will provide goods that private enterprise will be unwilling to provide * It is impossible for private monopolies to develop * The state ensures that the needs of the community are met Disadvantages of Controlled Economy * Free enterprise and competition are discouraged * Creativeness and efficiency are not encouraged MIXED ECONOMY Mixed economy is a combination of elements from free economy and a controlled e conomy.There is a public sector controlled by the government which provides goods and services that the state feels it can manage most efficiently and a private sector in which individuals risk capital in producing goods and services for profit. ADVANTAGES OF MIXED ECONOMY * Individuals have freedom of choice * Government can intervene to protect citizens from unfair monopoly * Both the private and public sector may unite in producing goods. DISADVANTAGES OF MIXED ECONOMY * It is possible for private monopolies to develop Too many government regulations may discourage persons from owning a business GLOBALIZATION Globalization can be seen as the intensification and spread of world wide social, economic, cultural and political relationships among countries. BENEFITS OF GLOBALIZATION * Provision of high quality goods and services at a cheaper rate which is achieved through economies of scale * In contributing to globalization firms not only provide goods and services economically but t hey also provide employment for people IMPACT OF GLOBALIZATIONThe impact of globalization has some adverse effect on small economies of the Caribbean. Large international firms that can produce high quality goods and services at a cheaper cost set challenges to small firms that are producing similar goods and services PRIMARY PRODUCTION Primary Production includes activity which takes the natural resources from the earth, that is the extraction of raw materials and the growing of food. Example Mining, fishing farming and forestry Secondary ProductionSecondary production involves manufacturing, processing and construction which transform raw materials into finish or semi-finished goods. Example baking, ship building and office construction. Tertiary Production Tertiary production includes the provision of serves example Hairdressing. PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTOR The private sector is that part of the economy that is owned and controlled by private individuals and firms. Funds for the es tablishment of private business operation are obtained through * Loans from Bank or Financial Institution * Personal Savings Financing from family and friends The public sector refers to business in the economy that are owned by government for the benefit of the public citizens. The main motive is to provide goods and services to benefit the country. Funds will mainly com from taxation. Private sector enterprise will involve in manufacturing, mining etc and they are able to produce or provide the services they wish but they must abide by rules and regulation establish by the government, on the other hand, the public sector relies on the private sector for taxation to maintain the operations of the country.In most Caribbean countries we say that there is a mixed economy because some businesses are privately owned and others are owned by the state ADVANTAGES OF PRIVATE SECTOR TO A SOCIETY * Public Sector protects citizens from exploitation by powerful monopolies * Public sector provid es employment for many persons * Public sector contributes to the economic lives of the country PUBLIC BUSINESS UNDERTAKINGS Public Corporations: These are government or state owned businesses that are primarily run by Central government.Municipal Undertakings: These are government owned businesses that are run primarily by the Local Government. These include market, parks and beaches Government Undertakings: These departments carry out special functions such as education, health and finance REASONS FOR ESTABLISHING A BUSINESS * To earn a income * To make a profit- which is the result when a firm’s sales revenue is greater than its total costs. Profit is important because it enables business to survive and grow, it also provides the owner with a return for taking the risk of losing money they have invested. To provide employment to persons in and around the community * To expand production and increase the yearly sales of the firm * To produce a product that is either a good or service to the community * To have the satisfaction of being one’s own boss SOLE TRADERSHIP OR SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP The sole tradership or sole proprietorship is defined as a one man business, this is so because he or she enters business on his or her own, therefore bearing the risk of the business and thus entitled to all the profits.Even when the sole trader invites someone else to assist in the running of the business, these individuals would be employees. They do not share in ownership of the business and the owner is responsible for decisions made concerning the business. * Sole tradership is very easy to setup and operate. * It does not require any legal paperwork or registration. * Sole Trader is an unincorporated business, which means that the owner and business are one and same in the eyes of the law. This means that he conducts in his own name, his business is not separate from him. Sole Trader has unlimited liability which means that their personal assets can be clamed to settle the debts of their business that is why in the case of bankruptcy the sole trader stands to lose his/ her personal belongings, if the business assets cannot cover his/her debts. In order to finance the business the sole trader may: *   Use his personal savings to start the business. * The sole trader may also borrow funds from family members or friends. * The sole trader may also get funds from financial institution such as credit unions, commercial banks or government sources as the business progresses. The sole trader may also reinvest or plough back some of the profits made in the business. The sole Trader may sell ownership of his business to someone else. If he/she dies then the business no longer exists. ADVANTAGES OF SOLE TRADER * The business is simple to start and usually requires only a small amount of capital * Profits are not shared * Decisions are made promptly and the new ideas put in place quickly * The owner retains personal control over the direct ion and growth of his/her business DISADVANTAGES OF SOLE TRADER It is difficult to access capital if the sole trader wants to expand his business * The sole trader bears all the losses * The sole trader may have to work long hours and may not be able to take vacation when he wants to do so * Unlimited Liability , therefore in the case of bankruptcy he may lose his personal belongings to claim its debts * There is lack of continuity if the owner dies PARTNERSHIP An ordinary partnership is an association of two to twenty persons who are in business together with a view to earning a profit.This type of partnership may have general or active partners who are involved in the day to day operations of the business. A Sleeping partner is a partner who may be willing to introduce capital into a business but may not wish to take an active part in the running of the business In an ordinary partnership all partners have unlimited liability which means that they stand to lose not only their inve stment capital but also their personal assets. It is possible to have a limited partnership bit at least one partner mush accept unlimited liability.Partnership is formed amongst partners, partners may share in the management of the business or may serve as the manager or they may employ someone to manage the business Partners are free to decide whatever arrangement they like amongst themselves as to what rules will govern their organization. Partners have a written arrangement or deed. A partnership deed sets out the rights of each partner as to the division of profits. The deed sets out: * The name of the business and the date the business started * The type of business and the location of the business Details of each partner * The amount of capital each partner invested * How profits to be shared * The responsibility of each partner in the business In financing a partnership business all partners pool their savings together, loans and retained. Profits are shared by the deed draw n up by the partners, the absence of the deed means that profits are shared equally. In a partnership all partners are held personally responsible for all debts of the business. If one partner cannot fulfill his obligations then the other partner will bear all the losses. A partnership may be terminated: When partner or partners decide to sell their share of the partnership to someone else. When this occurs a new partners are brought in. * If it becomes insolvent or bankrupt * When all parties agree to terminate the business ADVANTAGES OF PARTNERSHIP * It is easy to form as there are few legal formalities * More capital is available to foster growth and development. * Workload can be shared amongst partners DISADVANTAGES OF PARTNERSHIP * If a partner makes a mistake all partners stand to lose * Each partner is liable for the debts of the business * Possible disagreements between partners Membership limit of twenty which restricts resources of the business CO-OPERATIVES A cooperative is a form of business that is owned and controlled by a group of persons who have a common interest and who have an equal say in operation. Types of Cooperatives * Producer Cooperative: In this type of cooperative society members are in their business of producing example in a farming community * Buyers Cooperatives: This is a type of cooperative in which persons who use a particular good in their business operations come together to purchase that good in large quantities and gain benefits of discounts. Financial Cooperatives: This is a service oriented society. It brings together persons who have a common interest. The aim is for members to pool their resources in the provision of service * Workers Cooperative: Are businesses that are owned and run by their own workforces. Example the crews of a bus company Cooperative is governed by a general meeting. The meeting is held annually and it is at this meeting that a committee is appointed to handle the day to day affairs of the coope rative.The cooperative is controlled by its members. Each member contributes to share capital of the cooperative. Members finance the cooperative through the purchase of shares Shareholders receives dividends if the cooperative makes a profit from its operation. The amount of dividend is related to the number of shares held. Dividends are generally small, since the major goal is not to make a profit but to provide a service to its members. Earnings from a cooperative are not totally consumed in the payment of dividend.Most of these are ploughed back into the cooperatives to finance operational needs identified by the members. ADVANTAGES OF CO-OPERATIVES * Members benefit from the pooling of funds for the purpose of lending to other members * Members have equal say in the operation of business as well as in the decision making of the cooperatives * Members are the owners of the cooperative society * Employment is created within the organization DISADVANTAGES OF CO-OPERATIVES * Profit s may be small or non existent * Shortage or lack of capital may inhibit growth and cause problems

Critical analysis of page 41-42 of the Great Gatsby

Fitzgerald describes the ‘music’ coming from Gatsby’s house which is effectively used to foreshadow the images of music in the party later in the passage. He also uses the term ‘summer nights’ which presents the reader with the impression of a continuous party and demonstrates more clearly the hedonistic world that the rich inhabited in 1920s America which is further confirmed when Fitzgerald refers to the ‘champagne’ in the next sentence suggesting this expensive delicacy was the normality at these lavish parties. The ‘blue gardens’ in the following sentence gives the reader a vivid picture of the evening light whilst also using the metaphor to evoke a feeling of beauty regarding Gatsby’s party within the readers mind. The image of the comings and goings being ‘like moths’ gives the idea of the fleetingness of the upper class guests that have no real purpose or aims but to drift at these parties. Fitzgerald uses the term ‘men and girls’ as opposed to referring to the ‘girls’ as women, perhaps suggesting at the immaturity of these women, so much so that they appeared to be like little girls. The use of the word ‘whisperings’ creates a sensual feeling in the reader as it appears romantic and furtive but also could refer to the gossiping ways of the wealthy party guests. The image of ‘the stars’ induces both a vision of peaceful night sky, which contrasts the lively atmosphere of the party and therefore highlighting this further to the reader, but also presents an image of the affluent party guests as stars, some in their own rights, and some whom only saw themselves this way. Fitzgerald describes ‘his [Gatsby’s] raft’, ‘his beach’ and ‘his two-motor boats’ in the following sentence to portray the sense of wealth and affluence of Gatsby and this detailed visual imagery enables the reader to relate with the narrator as they share in his feeling of awe at Gatsby’s affluence. The warm light imagery of the ‘sun on the hot sand’ adds to the ongoing sense of romance in the passage, which reflects the numerous romances and affairs within the book, primarily that of Gatsby and Daisy. Fitzgerald effectively uses a metaphor to describe the Rolls-Royce, a relatively small car, becoming an ‘omnibus’ to further emphasize to the reader the massiveness of these parties and the copious people that attended. The simile of the station wagon scampering ‘like a brisk yellow bug’ not only makes the inanimate object more realistic to the reader but reflects the urgency of the guests to attend these magnificent parties. The immensity of Gatsby’s parties is further shown through the statement that ‘eight servants, including an extra gardener’ had to work all of Monday to restore the mansion to its former grandeur and to get rid of the after effects of the party. The image of ‘several hundred feet of canvas’ being used just for Gatsby’s party once again indicates his enormous wealth and success and makes it more realistic to the reader by using measurements. Fitzgerald uses colour imagery to describe the party food such as ‘glistening hors-d’oeuvre’, ‘salads of harlequin designs’ and ‘turkeys bewitched to a dark gold’. This creates a more realistic and physical aspect to the food that makes it more vivid for the reader. The use of the ‘dark gold’ image also symbolises Gatsby’s wealth and the grandeur of the party. Fitzgerald combines the visual images of the ‘gin’, ‘liquors’ and other drinks with the sound imagery of the ‘oboes’, ‘trombones’ and other orchestra instruments in the following paragraph in order to appeal to more of the readers senses. By using sound imagery alongside visual imagery, the party appears more realistic to the reader and they instantly become more involved. The listed instruments depict to the reader the vastness of the orchestra, suggesting it was in competition with the ‘chatter’ and the vast amounts of party guests. During this paragraph, Nick also changes tense from past to present, as he describes that ‘the bar is in full swing’. This also makes the passage more realistic to the reader as it is more inclusive and engages the reader to feel like they are also attending this party. The use of the image of ‘Castile’ a wealthy Spanish town, indicates the affluence of the people at the party as their fashion was ‘beyond the dreams’ of even the most wealthy towns. Fitzgerald describes the cocktails as ‘floating rounds’ indicating how insignificant the party guests thought of the servants, so much so that they appeared to be invisible. This shows the shallow, snobbish nature of the wealthy Americans of the time. Personification is used effective to describe the air as ‘alive with chatter’ highlighting to the reader the enormity of the noise of the party that must have been audible for miles around. The idea of the ‘enthusiastic meetings’ of women who ‘never knew each other’s names’ compels the reader to consider how genuine this enthusiasm was in someone they did not know or whether it was fake interest from possibly fake and shallow women of the time. There is further light imagery as it grows ‘brighter’ mentions of the ‘sun’ which evoke images of wealth and beauty. Fitzgerald creates both visual and sound imagery when he describes the ‘yellow cocktail music’ in which the light imagery again indicated wealth to the reader and also creates a soft, sensual feel. The ‘opera of voices’ further highlights the noise of the party and connects both the orchestra noise and that of the guests conversations. The groups changing ‘swiftly’ gives the impression of elegance and restlessness, as people are reluctant to stay in the same place as groups ‘dissolve and form in the same breath’. Fitzgerald stresses the self obsessed, egotistical nature of the party guests when he reveals their aim; to become centre of attention which, when fulfilled, makes them ‘excited with triumph’. The passage comes to a close with the ever recurring light imagery of the ‘constantly changing light’ perhaps symbolising not only the beauty of the scene but also the fleetingness of the people that inhabit it.

Essay about Gender Based Stereotype in the Media - 1723 Words

Introduction The media plays an extremely important and arguably the most powerful role in shaping the perception individuals and members of the public holds towards themselves and their surroundings. This therefore makes it extremely difficult for one to maintain his/her unique self identity or perception of others without the influence of the media. People will define themselves and others based on the messages insinuated by the media. The problem hence emerges when the media insinuate the wrong and negative messages, consequently leading to unwarranted stereotypes. Particularly, the media can lead to gender based stereotypes when to communicate the wrong type of messages (Wood 31). On the contrary, there are certain scholars who†¦show more content†¦Doing so is a great disservice to member of the society since it is highly likely to create an environment that is conducive to one gender and deeming to the other; in most cases, men as oppose to women are usually favored by gender based stereotypes in the media (Tozer at al., 420). Feminism Stereotypes The reason why gender based media stereotype appears to favor one gender is because the media tend to be biased against the group that society considers to be the minority. Of course it might be representing what is happening in the society, whereby the majority group is viewed positively as opposed to the minority one. However, as earlier hinted, this is irresponsible of the media since it should be using its powers to promote positive behavior in society. All in all, it doesn’t do so. When it portrays the ‘minority’, in this case women, in a negative stereotypical manner, both men and women begin to consider this distortion as the truth. Men will judge women based on this representation and will expect them to act precisely as per the expectation. On the other hand, women will hold the same expectation on themselves and will act as expected thus normalizing the stereotype. Any woman who tries to act outside the stereotype will be considered to breaking norm and/ or society’s value and therefore is likely to face resistance and criticism from both men and women (Feminish 177). For instance, Feminists have been victims of gender stereotype in the media precisely becauseShow MoreRelatedMedia And Its Effects On Society976 Words   |  4 Pagesaddicted to media. Used as a powerful source of knowledge and entertainment, media plays an enormous role in the development of human life and gender distinction. 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