Poverty in Canada Essay Example for Free

Poverty in Canada Essay Poverty in Canada is a serious issue that needs to be effectively and efficiently addressed. Approximately one in six Canadians lives in poverty despite Canada being among the wealthiest developed countries. The poor live in poor housing conditions, earn minimal wages and overcrowded regions with some being forced into the streets, in cars or old vans. (www. kairoscanada. org). Poverty makes them live in fear, become malnourished, bad health conditions that make their lives a misery. Canada has a record of having the strongest economic growth especially from 1997-2003. What are the causes of poverty in Canada? Poverty rates for the minority groups’ for instance aboriginal people, new immigrants, single parents and one disabled are higher. These people lack secure employment from which they can earn a decent source of income. Without the finances they cannot cater for their basic needs like food, shelter and clothing. Lack of adequate and efficient government support also contributes to the higher rates of poverty. The poor get poorer when relevant authorities fail to provide or open channels through which they can access financial assistance. Poverty in Canada is highly correlated to gender, race and a citizen’s status in the society. (www. ccsd. ca). Those from families that are at a higher rank in terms of social power will be of better economic status compared to those from poor families. Poverty tends to be inherited as wealth and riches are. (www. kairoscanada. org). Education is a vital factor affecting or contributing to poverty. Parental education level affects how their children will be whereby those with tertiary education have the skills or knowledge to acquire decent employment that can enable them lead decent lives. The family size and structure also contributes to poverty. Single parents have higher chances of living in poverty as they have to single-handedly cater for their children. Large families also need more finances to cater for all their needs and small families generally tend to be better off. Cultural barriers and prejudice affects or influences government policies as well as social attitudes and economic structures. Distribution of wealth and not lack of it acts as a major cause of poverty in Canada. Poor pay act as a major determinant of poverty. The government allocates a minimal amount of resources for overall social transfers for instance on income assistance, child benefits, old age security, disability assistance, employment insurance and social assistance. New immigrants get poor wages and work under hostile conditions. Since they do not have permanent residency they are very susceptible to exploitation. They work for long hours, earn sub-standard wages, lack over time pay and are physically or verbally abused. (www. kairoscanada. org). Discrimination against women and people of colour hinders them from employment opportunities. Gender inequalities and domestic responsibilities, lack of appropriate childcare and language barriers hinder effective employment and consequently poverty levels rise. Family characteristics for instance the age of becoming a parent affects or rather influences family income levels and increases the chances of poverty. Research has shown that families of single mothers are generally poorer than families headed by men. In terms of wages paid women tend to earn less than males as they participate a lot in domestic chores and childcare (www. kairoscanada. org). They also tend to be more represented in the service and less paying employment opportunities as compared to men. What are the effects of poverty in Canada? Poverty in Canada has detrimental effects in economic, social as well as psychological aspects of those it involves. It deprives off the poor important things like food, shelter, clothing, education, health and employment. Inability to adequately provide for the poor is a cost to the government especially when cost of housing for example increases. Quality of healthcare provided is undermined as the demand for these services increases. Poverty is linked to poor health and since Canada provides universal health care it has increased expenses providing for more patients. Poverty and income inequalities have a major effect on health where health effects of poverty are felt more among the poor. The costs incurred on other services like education, recreation, transportation, security and pension also face a blow as the demand increases. (www. kairoscanada. org). Poverty affects people’s self esteem, dignity and belonging as it exposes them to hostile indecent living conditions. Those discriminated upon are emotionally affected by the way the society treats them. Poverty has a negative impact on social cohesion as well as economic prosperity. Poverty is also responsible for increased incidences of child labour and child abuse. Poor families can use their children to supplement their incomes. Criminal activities are aggravated by poverty since the poor may use illegitimate means to attain the basic necessities. How is poverty addressed or handled in Canada? Canadians fight or react to poverty in different perspectives. Direct donations and charity are offered to the poor and they include money, time, clothing and food. Economic based strategies are also developed for instance the creation of cooperatives and local businesses that are supported and run by the community in terms of funds or loans. This approach is beneficial to the community at large as what an individual could not have afforded is now affordable. Government protests and advocacy is another response to poverty. Churches and other non governmental organisations lobby to government to address vital issues like on income security where minimum wages can be set, employment insurance, childcare, social programs and fairness of taxation. Anti-poverty groups create or rather raise awareness of poverty and by so doing, keep the government in check. What are the strategies of fighting poverty in Canada? Government policies should be changed so as to increase more income supports for the Canadians. There should be increased security and remuneration in the labour markets whereby minimum wages as well as observance or adherence of human rights to part time and contract workers are considered. (www. socialjustice. org). There should also be increased accessibility to public facilities like housing, childcare as well as recreational programs. The children are a vulnerable population that ought to be adequately attended to. The Canadian government ought to be committed in setting targets of progress. Setting a parliamentary committee would also be appropriate especially in ensuring that there is transparency and effectiveness in the process of poverty eradication. It can establish fair tax systems for instance a low-income tax that can promote education to uplift the poor people’s living conditions. The government ought to assist single parents by increasing their benefits. Child benefits should also be increased so as to improve the living standards of children from poor families. Cultural transformation is also crucial if poverty is to be eliminated in Canada as cultural aspects influence poverty. (www. socialjustice. org). People can be encouraged to value and pursue academic goals so as to increase their chances of getting jobs that can enable them lead decent lives. An effective poverty eradication strategy is one that is made for the people and by the people. It is therefore very important to involve the minority groups like people of colour and women in the design and implementation of poverty eradication strategies. Families can be encouraged to raise small families so that their educational levels can be higher as their family incomes would be higher. Cooperative societies and other forms of community efforts to mobilize finances for the overall development should also be encouraged. They will be very important in ensuring that the status of the poor is uplifted. Education is very important in ensuring that people attain the necessary skills to fit in the job market. (www. conferenceboard. ca) Concerns of the poor should therefore be felt or reflected in the government policies as well as in its decision-making processes. Their human as well as economic rights should be fought for or respected. Reducing the gap between the rich and the poor would be an appropriate measure by the Canadian government. (english. napo-onap. ca). It only works to make the rich richer as the poor languish in poverty. Hiring processes should be fair and just so that the human rights are respected. Discrimination has negative effects, as it would result to under-utilisation of skills, capacities, talents and opportunities all of which are beneficial to the country as a whole.

Idealism in Let America Be America Again by Langston Hughes Essay

Idealism in Let America Be America Again by Langston Hughes      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the poem "Let America Be America Again," Langston Hughes paints a vivid word picture of a depressed America in the 1930's. To many living in America, the idealism presented as the American Dream had escaped their grasp. In this poetic expression, a speaker is allowed to voice the unsung Americans' concern of how America was intended to be, had become to them, and could aspire to be again.    Using a conversational style, the author allows the speaker and listener to interact with each other. The issue addressed is that America is not the democratic ideal of all of its people. The original speaker begins in a fairly common quatrain stanza; however, when the listener is allowed to respond, the stanzas become irregular indicating the passion felt as well as the urgency of the message. The listener's response contains the main idea of the piece, comparing the democratic ideal to the conditions of those who are victims because of race, age, or economic status. The author's careful use of alliteration in phrases such as "pushed apart" (19) and "slavery's scars" (20) emphasizes the struggles and alienation experienced by less fortunate Americans.    The speaker begins the narration by making a statement that America should return to the idealistic way it used to be: "Let it be the dream it used to be" (2). Then the narrator continues to relate nostalgically the longing for an America built on freedom and equality for all. This could be the dream of the author himself. Wagner states of the author, "Like his first masters Whitman and Sandburg, like his fellow black Toomer, and like so many other American poets of the period, Lan... ...tion in Depression" (Ramperstad 371). Commenting on this poem and its author, Langston Hughes, Ramperstad observes, "Perhaps his finest poem of the thirties combined his will to revolution with his Whitman-like nostalgia for a vanishing America." Hughes gives us a richer insight of American idealism, American realism, and what, "America will be!" (73).    Works Cited Hughes, Langston. "Let America Be America Again." _Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing_. 4th ed. Eds. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1995. 723-24. Rampersad, Arnold. "Langston Hughes." _Voices & Visions: the Poet in America_. Ed. Helen Vendler. New York: Random House, 1987. 352-93. Wagner, Jean. "Langston Hughes." _Black Poets of the United States_. Trans. Kenneth Douglas. Chicago: U of Illinois P, 1973, 385-474.   

Cosmetic Industry

Global Cosmetics Manufacturing Industry Over the past five years, the Global Cosmetics Manufacturing industry has experienced steady growth. According to IBISWorld industry analyst Nikoleta Panteva, â€Å"The past five years have been no exception, despite declining per capita disposable income in key markets. †Ã‚   Industry Analysis & Industry Trends: The global cosmetics industry is broken down into six main categories; skincare being the largest one out of them all, accounting for 31 percent of the global market. * Revenue: $243bn; Annual Growth 08-13: 3, 0 %. However, there are certain factors which affect the entry to the cosmetic industry by firms. These factors can be briefly analyzed using the Porter Five forces analysis. They include the threat of substitutes, threat of new entry, bargaining power of customers and suppliers as well as intensity of rivalry in the industry. Threat of new entry This factor analyzes the ease with which firms may enter into an industry. Th e cosmetic industry has a low threat of new entrants. The first is the huge costs of entry.Developing unique cosmetic products requires a lot of resources both in terms of research and development and the actual manufacturing process. Another factor which discourages entry into this industry is the huge competition present in the industry. In addition to the huge competitors such as Avon, Revlon, Clinique, Estee Lauder, LR, Mac and Unilever, who have a large market share, there are many other small scale competitors who also have a small market share and who reduce the overall profitability of firms in the industry. Bargaining power of customersThis factor analyzes the power which suppliers have regarding making price changes for their products. When consumers have a high bargaining power, the manufacturers and sellers may not adequately predict future demand by the market. The cosmetic has a high bargaining power of customers. This is due to the increase competition and availabilit y of cosmetic products from a variety of manufacturers. Bargaining power of suppliers This factor analyzes the power which suppliers have regarding making price changes for their products. The cosmetic industry has a low bargaining power of suppliers.This is due to the high number of market players and large supply of diverse products to the market. There are many cosmetic products which are developed by both large and small scale manufacturers. Threat of substitutes The threat of substitutes arises when there are similar products developed by competitors which satisfy the market needs. Consumers are able to purchase competitor's products if they are not satisfied with product price or quality. In the cosmetic industry, there are many competitors as has been discussed. There is therefore a high threat of substitute products.It is therefore essential for the market players in the cosmetic to be innovative if they are to tackle the challenge of the threat of substitute. Competitors Th ere are many competitors who reduce the overall profitability of the industry, which makes it a barrier for new companies to entry. Moreover, the many large scale cosmetic firms make it a barrier to entry especially for middle and small scale firms. Complementors: within the industry, outside the industry The high seller concentration in the developed countries leads to high competition and an overall reduction in profitability for cosmetic firms in this industry.The cosmetic industry is valued at $6 billion in France and $12 billion in Germany. In the US, it is valued at over $20 billion. Demand from emerging economies and aspirational shoppers has also kept the industry growing over the past five years, with revenue increases averaging 3. 2% per year to reach $233. 3 billion by the end of 2012. Merger and acquisition (M;A) deals of interest over the past decade that have served to change the face of the Global Cosmetics Manufacturing landscape include Procter ; Gamble's takeover o f Gillette, L'Oreal's acquisition of The Body Shop and Coty's acquisition of Unilever's fragrance division.Other key drivers underlying the ongoing spate of M&A activity include the expansion of geographic footprints, diversification into new product categories or market segments and the exploitation of new technologies, including greener processes. In the future there will be new players from growing markets, such as India, China, South Korea, Indonesia and Brazil. Aggressive marketing will ensure that firms entering the cosmetic industry have products which are known to the market.A combination of Internet, electronic and mass media advertising should be used in order to reach all the desired target market segments. So the industry has high competition, high entry barriers, low supplier power, high customer power and a large number of substitutes. In order for a firm to enter and be successful in the cosmetic industry, it has to apply various strategies. These include focus on eme rging markets and developing countries, implementing a cost leadership strategy, implementing research and development and applying aggressive marketing campaigns.These strategies will ensure that they capture a market share, develop customer loyalty and achieve long term profitability over the years. The example of co-opetition: One of Nestle’s most innovative and successful co ­branded products includes creating the new brand, Inneov with L’Oreal. In 2002, Nestle and L’Oreal formed a 50– 50 joint venture to begin to develop what they called a â€Å"functional food† (Charles 2002). Inneov is a nutritional supplement for cosmetic purposes taken orally, with the purpose of protecting, correcting and stimulating skin, nails and hair cellular processes.Inneov is one of the first major brand alliances between a food and a cosmetics company. The product benefits from the nutritional research of Nestle and the dermatological research from L’Orea l. Inneov is based in France and launched in pharmacies in November 2006. L’Oreal did the marketing due to its current expertise in promoting cosmetics. This new brand shows that Nestle selected the right product and the right partner to enter an industry that makes food for the skin rather than food for consumption.

Different Types Of Contracts And Contracts - 937 Words

There are many different types of contracts and many different parts to a contract. Contracts are formal agreements between people or businesses. There are seven elements to a contract. The first is the offer which is the purposed deal. Next is the acceptance of the offer than consideration or bargaining of the offer. Legality is the next which means is the contract for a lawful purpose. Next is capacity are the parties adults of sound mind then consent of the contract. Lastly, writing some types of contracts must be in writing to be enforceable. There are two contract rules for governing the sales of goods and the sale of services. The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) is the code used for the sales of goods. The sales of services uses common law to govern these contracts. UCC was first published in 1952, the drafters of this code wanted to facilitate the easy information and enforcement of contracts in a fast- paced world. There are nine articles to the uniform commercial co des. Article one deals with the law of contracts and article nine deals with payment in security interest agreements. The most important article is article two which deals with the sale of goods. Goods are anything movable, except for money, securities and certain legal rights. Article two also states the rules for contract formation such as the firm offers, shipments of goods and modification of terms. Article two states the rule for contract repudiation and breach listing severalShow MoreRelatedEvaluating Different Types of Contracts1326 Words   |  5 PagesEvaluating Contracts There are different types of contracts which are used by the Federal Government. The choice for a particular type of contract is guided by a number of factors which have to be put into a consideration before a decision is reached on the best or the most appropriate method of contracting to apply. 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