Information and Communication Technologies in Education - Sample

Question: Discuss about the Information and Communication Technologies in Education. Answer: Introduction Technology advancement and a decrease in the technology cost have resulted the school classrooms having the access to the internet and other technology resources. It has increased the educational programs, which include technology in syllabus. The major purpose of this literature is to understand attitude of people towards the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in classroom education. It reviews the studies, which have found use of these technologies in teaching, way of using these technologies in the classroom, examples of ICT and difficulties and challenges, which the teacher faces in using the ICT technologies. It includes the various aspects, which are related to the implementation of information and communication technologies in education. Literature Review According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, technology has become an important part of our lives and the people cannot complete their daily tasks without using cellphones, laptops, computer and GPS. ICT includes computers, internet and other online delivery systems. Lowther, Inan, Strahl Ross, 2008 stated that many previous studies have demonstrated that Information and communication technologies are helpful in teaching (Lowther, Inan, Strahl Ross, 2008). It is considered as a major tool for the educational reform. If there will be appropriate use of ICT, then it can increase the quality of education and teaching and it will link the learning process with the real life examples. Brush, Hew and Glazewski (2008) stated that ICT is used as a technique for the student to find the learning topics and solutions for the problems in learning. It provides the solutions to the problem in teaching process (Brush, Glazewski Hew, 2008). ICT is helpful in teaching as it makes knowledge gaining m ore accessible and theories in learning process are understood by engaging the students in implementation of Information and Communication Technologies. According to Lowther, Inan, Strahl Ross (2008), there are three major features, which are required to improve quality of learning and teaching with ICT. These are capability, autonomy and creativity. Autonomy indicates that students take the control of learning via use of ICT. Thus, they can be more able by themselves and with other people. Implementing group learning with ICT, the students may possess more opportunities to update their knowledge and they may become more confident to have risks and learn from their faults. In the sense of capability, when the students become more confident in the processes of teaching, then they can develop the ability to implement and transmit the knowledge by using the technology with more effectiveness and efficiency (Fu, 2013). ICTs can be used in the learning process by incorporating the systems in the course content. The teachers can use these technologies in promoting both education and computer literacy as well. In the classroom, computers a nd internet can be used in increasing the computer literacy. ICTs can improve the quality of education in different ways, like; by assisting in acquiring fundamental skills, by increasing the motivation and engagement of students and by facilitating the teacher training (Lowther, Inan, Strahl Ross, 2008). These tools should be used appropriately, so that they can promote the change to learner-centered atmosphere. It can be developed by installing various new technologies in the school or classrooms. The classrooms can use different types of technologies for improving the education like; laptops, computers, TV broadcasting, projector, teleconferencing, internet and other electronic systems. ICTs like television, videos and multimedia computer software, which combine the sound, text and colored and moving pictures, can be utilized to provide an understandable and authentic content, which will engage the students in learning and education process (Farrell Isaacs, 2007). Although, using ICT is helpful for the education, but it is more helpful, when it is developed appropriately. Reid (2002) stated that with the benefits of the ICTs in education, there are some concerns and problems, which the teachers face in using these technologies. The major problem, faced by the teachers is the maintenance of the tools and equipment, which are required to operate the technologically improved classrooms. The second difficulty is inequalities among students, who are using computers at their home and those who are not using. In the schools, there may be chances that the teachers are not familiar with the technology and equipment, so it can pose a challenge for the teachers. In this situation, there will be need of teacher training. Teachers have faced the hard time keeping up with the fast growing change in the school (Das Kumar, 2010). In a research, one of the teachers said that students are stressed, their families are stressed and this level of stress is harmful for the young students. Some teachers stated that ICTs are demanding their more time. They noted that they h ave to give more time to learn about new software and to create new and innovative things for teaching as more expectations are placed on the teachers. In Australia, the most important barriers, which are faced by the high school teachers, are inadequate number of computers, lack of time for teaching and lack of time in the classroom for students to operate the computers or other electronic devices in the classrooms (Reid, 2002). According to Farrell Isaacs (2007), teacher training may play an important role in implementing the ICTs in the classrooms, because many teachers are reluctant to use the ICTs. It requires different skills, which are not included in the formal teacher training. So, ICT training should be used as compulsory element of teacher training. In-service training should be provided to the teachers to provide technical support and gain the knowledge about the use of ICTs in the education (Chen, 2008). The training program should include a specific subject on how the computers and internet can be used to teach the curriculum. From all the tools, computer is considered as an effective learning tool. It is useful as the students can find various information and resources to solve their problems. Use of computer enhances the overall technology literacy of students and it helps in understanding, how they can integrate their technological skills with their curriculum (Chai, Koh Tsai, 2010). Comput er with internet can be used for different kind of research. It is true that students can score good marks by using ICT in education, because the students find it more interesting to study with the computers and other electronic devices, so they keep themselves more motivated and engaged in the study. It helps them in scoring good grades in classroom. Thus, the literature reviews that implementation of ICTs in education is beneficial for the students in learning and teaching process. References Brush, T., Glazewski, K. D. Hew, K. F., (2008). Development of an instrument to measure preservice teachers technology skills, technology beliefs, and technology barriers. Computers in the Schools, vol. 25, pp.112-125. Chai, C. S., Koh, J. H. L. Tsai, C.-C., (2010). Facilitating preservice teachers development of technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK). Educational Technology and Society, vol. 13, pp.63-73. Chen, C. H., (2008). Why do teachers not practice what they believe regarding technology integration? Journal of Educational Research, vol. 102, pp.65-75. Das, V.V. Kumar, R.V. (2010). Information and Communication Technologies:International Conference, ICT 2010, Kochi, Kerala, India, September 7-9, 2010, Proceedings. Springer Science Business Media. Farrell, G., Isaacs, S. (2007). Survey of ICT and Education in Africa. A Summary Report, Based on 53 Country Surveys. Washington, DC: infoDev/ World Bank. Fu, J.S. (2013). ICT in Education: A Critical Literature Review and Its Implications. International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology, vol. 9, Issue 1, pp. 112-125. Lowther, D. L., Inan, F. A., Strahl, J. D. Ross, S. M., (2008). Does technology integration work when key barriers are removed?. Educational Media International, vol. 45, pp.195-213. Reid, S. (2002).The Integration of ICT into Classroom Teaching. Retrieved from https://legacy.oise.utoronto.ca/research/field-centres/TVC/RossReports/vol7no1.htm.

The Darkness Out There Character Analysis free essay sample

‘The Darkness Out There’ being 20th century. Thomas Hardy writes ‘The Withered Arm’ as a 3rd person narrative whereas Penelope Lively uses a mixture between 3rd and 1st person. The Darkness Out There’ combines the author’s narration with the thoughts and feelings of Sandra, a girl belonging to the Good Neighbors club. She goes to help out an old lady, Mrs. Rutter, with the help of a boy called Kerry. Mrs. Rutter lives in the countryside; next to a wood called Packers End, feared by Sandra. Mrs. Rutter has a secret, that when told, horrifies the children. This sub story is of the German she found and left to die back when she was a girl in the war. Penelope Lively develops Mrs. Rutters character in many ways, with clues early on to her true self. Sandra’s views on the characters change by the end, as well as her whole out look of  life  as a result. One of the ways Mrs. Rutter’s character is portrayed by Penelope Lively is through her environment, both historically and geographically. The house is introduced sending out two different messages. One is that of a quaint homely place. This can be recognized through the descriptions of the china ornaments, â€Å"big-eyed flop-eared rabbits and beribboned kittens and flowery milkmaids and a pair of naked chubby children wearing daisy chains†. Firstly, this gives the impression of a cuddly ‘grandmother’ figure, but then the picture is broken with the mention of the â€Å"smell of cabbage†. This comment conflicts with the otherwise friendly scene to suggest something is not rite. The house reflects Mrs. Rutter’s character. An example of this is â€Å"her eyes investigated, quick as mice†. Later, the house mirrors this comment by the author describing that it â€Å"smelt of damp and mouse†. Animals and flowers are frequently mentioned in the description of the ornaments and her love of plants, â€Å"You should see the wood in spring, with all the bluebells†. This constant reference to nature implies there is a link with Mrs. Rutter, for nature is changeable and not always as it seems. There is also evidence to suggest she is an old lady whose mind is still stuck in the past, such as her collection of â€Å"old calendars and pictures torn from magazines†. This could later explain why her memory of the German plane and dying soldier is still vivid as ever. The affect of what Mrs. Rutter says and does also reveals sides of her character. She welcomes Kerry and Sandra into her house. But rite at the beginning there is a contrast in description, â€Å"a creamy smiling pool of a face in which her eyes snapped and darted† sounds friendly and comforting but subliminally uneasy and then later sinister. She’s a very judgmental woman. She sends the boy straight away outside to do the manual work and leaves Sandra the light chores indoors. She makes conversation with the girl, but not with Kerry, thinking he’ll have nothing interesting to say. This is because she doesn’t think much of his ambitions, smiling falsely while he tells her that he wants to work as a car mechanic. She insults him, â€Å"well, I expect that’s good steady money if you’d nothing special in mind. Sugar? † then moves on quickly to a gesture of  hospitality, trying to conceal the jibe aimed at Kerry. She’s patronizing too, with comments like â€Å"You’re a little dress maker, too,† and â€Å"Chocky? † She asks Sandra to offer Kerry a chocolate too, but has already forgotten his name â€Å"Take them out and see if what’s-‘s-name would like one? † showing his insignificance in her mind. One reason why she does this may be because she has no children of her own, so she goes on stereotypical ideas. She also makes the reader feel uneasy, â€Å"Mind your pretty skirt, pull it up a bit, there’s only me to see if you’re showing a bit of bum. † This provokes the thought that she has a slightly warped mind. She starts to tell Sandra about her husband who was killed in the war. He died rite at the beginning, and she hasn’t formed any relationships since. This can make the reader feel a little bit sympathetic towards her. Penelope Lively lets us know what others think of Mrs. Rutter as Kerry builds a profile on her character when he talks with Sandra. He shows his dislike of the woman, â€Å"I don’t go much on her† and â€Å"I dunno. The way she talks and that. † Sandra encourages him to feel sorry for her by telling him of her tragedy, but he explains that â€Å"There’s lots of people done that† dismissing the excuse for her peculiar and disturbing behavior by implying that she wasn’t the only one to loose somebody in the war. The way Mrs. Rutter always watches Sandra and â€Å"glinting from the cushions† gives an uneasy feel towards her. When Kerry returns inside Mrs. Rutter begins her anecdote. He asks if she saw the plane come down and she chuckles, seeming to delight in the idea. She explains how her and her sister went to investigate the scene and was only going to get help if it was an allied plane. This alarms Kerry. Her twisted side becomes more apparent when she says, â€Å"We cheered, I can tell you† as they realized it was German. Sandra is alarmed and quips how awful it was, but Mrs. Rutter, who disregards her discomfort, abruptly interrupts her she is so involved in telling the story. She tries to soften what she is saying by ‘sugaring the pill’, for example friendly additives such as â€Å"my duck† to unsettling sentences. She refers to the injured man in the broken plane as â€Å"that site†. She mentions nothing about the man himself but just remarks how â€Å"it wasn’t a pretty site†. She is unmoved when the German was crying â€Å"mutter, mutter†. This shows she is a cold, heartless woman. She recollects easily how she left the man in pain because it was raining. This shows she has no feeling of mutual human kindness and doesn’t feel obliged to help. Again, she is not bothered with the fact he is in his late teens. Mrs. Rutter is bitter and resentful because of the death of her husband. She delights in the Germans death, â€Å"I thought, oh no, you had this coming to you, mate, there’s a war on. She seems surprised when Kerry and Sandra suddenly get up to leave, disgusted with her tale. She has no remorse and doesn’t realize there was anything wrong with what she did, her conscience still not activated all these years later. Rite from the beginning there had been implicit clues to her nasty inner character, not just from the s tory she told which revealed it explicitly towards the end. Penelope Lively through other means, like metaphors reveals the character. Like her body, her personality is not clear-cut. The author suggests this when she explains â€Å"she seemed composed of circles†. Introduced as â€Å"a cottage loaf of a woman†, gives the misleading impression of a warm, traditional, safe, chunky, old woman. But following this, is another metaphor, â€Å"with a face below which chins collapsed one into another,† implicitly meaning she had different guises, was false and two- faced. Someone not to be trusted. On  balance, it seems that Mrs. Rutter was a twisted old lady, unable to let go of the bitterness she acquired from her husbands killing and sick because of the fact she relished in the idea of the young German soldier left to die. Her historical background, the fact she lived through the horrors of war is no excuse. She believes herself to be an innocent old lady; blind to her own faults and separated from the outside world. Penelope Lively used various characterization techniques to skillfully convey the character of Mrs. Rutter well. ‘The Withered Arm’ is another story in which people can be falsely judged. As with ‘The Darkness Out There’ Thomas Hardy uses environment very effectively to reveal sides of Farmer Lodge’s character. Farmer Lodge is the squire of his backward Wessex village. His geographical, historical and mainly social environments influence his character unlike in ‘The Darkness Out There’ where Mrs. Rutters social environment has little effect on her. In the 1800’s, there were strong social class divisions. Farmer Lodge personified the segregation. Other people from this time may have been distant from different classes but Gertrude (his pretty young wife) crossed the boundary, therefore couldn’t he? Years ago he had used Rhoda, but was reluctant to have any responsibility for his actions, in this case Jamie, the product of their affair. He refused to let Gertrude go and see Rhoda Brooke, as he was scared that she would find out his secret. He told her repeatedly in the video, not to mix with the villagers. He feared public opinion and loss of respect if the secret became formally open. His up bringing had molded him irreversibly into someone who thought he was above those who were poorer than he was. As with all stories, a lot is revealed by what a character says and does. Farmer Lodge remains aloof to most of the other characters, not getting emotionally involved. This is a shield to protect his superiority. Near the beginning of the story, Farmer Lodge is being driven along by the horse and cart, next to Gertrude. She is unnerved at the sight of Jamie, staring at her constantly. When she mentions this worriedly and Farmer Lodge dismisses him as â€Å"One of the neighborhood. I think he lives with his mother a mile or two off. † This is a lie to cover himself, as he knows full well who he is and where he lives. He warns Gertrude to stay away from the superstition of the village people and doesn’t allow her to use alternative methods for a cure to her arm. He only advises learned solutions such as the doctors and medicine. This shows he is a firmly grounded man, who is smart/ enlightened. He doesn’t like her dabbling in the village ‘quackery’. He shows little sympathy for Gertrude, and comes to despise her for her disfigured left limb. This is a man for whom appearances are very important. He stopped loving his wife when she showed an imperfection, when she needed him most. How Farmer Lodge treats others is another key way of showing his character. The only simile used is, â€Å"The driver was a yeoman in the prime of life, cleanly shaven like an actor†. This gives the reader the chance of implicit interpretation. It means Farmer Lodge is false, that he is pretending to be something he is not, like his treatment of Gertrude. She is only really a showpiece, he couldn’t have really loved her. For him, Gertrude is too independent. She takes boots to Jamie and Rhoda’s cottage, for the boy. This was an act of pity, highlighting her kindness. This is a visible contrast to Farmer Lodge who is angered by her visit. One day, he catches Jamie poaching on his land. Instead of charging him for the offence, he lets him go. This shows that he does have some morals, as the punishment would be hanging for the boy. However, he only shows consideration for Jamie when he doesn’t actively or publicly have to show responsibility. Another example of this is when they are on the road and he â€Å"seemed annoyed at the boys persistent presence, but did not order him to get out of the way†. He is also characterized by how people react to him, both to him as a person and to his position as squire. The villagers respect his position of authority, for example his reserved place in church, the front row. Unlike Jamie, he needn’t arrive early to get a place in the front, but comes almost last. He grabs the opportunity to arrogantly parade down the aisle, showing off his new wife. Gertrude feels uncomfortable and shy, when he makes the obvious point of superiority â€Å"The well-to-do Farmer Lodge came nearly last; and his young wife, who accompanied him, walked up the aisle with the shyness natural to a modest woman who had appeared thus for the first time. † When Jamie is caught with the hare on Farmer Lodge’s land, he is scared of the man as the yeoman Farmer, whose land he has been poaching on and not of him as a person because he doesn’t have any personal and emotional attachment to him. Rhoda’s experience of the Farmer has left her bitter. He used her and left her completely to provide for Jamie and herself on her own. When Gertrude visits, she says, â€Å"Men think so much of personal appearances†. Rhoda answers, â€Å"Some do – he for one. † This is an explicit insight into Farmer Lodge’s character from the point of view of the women affected by him. The village people arent so respectful behind the Farmer’s back, about him personally. The milkmaids right at the beginning gossip about his new wife, â€Å"He do bring home bride to-morrow, I hear. Only the dairyman, who employed the milkmaids and a closer connection to the squire, hushes them, â€Å"now then, what the Turk do it matter to us about Farmer Lodge’s new mis’ess? † At the end of the story, there is a twist surprise to the plot, which is that Jamie is hanged. This has a profound affect on Farmer Lodge and is there for Rhoda at the trials and execution, the first public display of responsibility. He becomes a recluse and out of his guilt tries to make amends by offering â€Å"a small annuity to Rhoda Brooke† although Rhoda refuses this. Thomas Hardy shows that his character changed by explicitly stating in narrator form, â€Å"he eventually changed for the better, and appeared as a chastened and thoughtful man†. He tries to repent by giving up his lands to a â€Å"reformatory for boys†. As an overview, Farmer Lodge is very much motivated by his environment. He had changed his attitude to responsibility by the end but it was too late. Two people had died and one mentally scared by the time he had converted from his old ways. In conclusion, the social environments were different for the characters in ‘The Darkness Out There’ and ‘The Withered Arm’. Due to the time periods in which the stories were set, the hierarchical society that motivated Farmer Lodge into the person he was, in contrast, didn’t have an effect on Mrs. Rutter, who lived in an egalitarian society. They did however; both have prejudices against different groups of people, for example Mrs. Rutter and the Germans, and Farmer Lodge with the poor. There is a big difference in the revealing of characters between Mrs. Rutter and Farmer Lodge. In ‘The Withered Arm’ Mrs. Rutter was misleadingly portrayed as a nice, homely old lady. Her dark side was made explicitly apparent until her anecdote. There were little implicit hints previously, but were hard to pick up on yet the evidence was there. So the end surprise was only a revelation, not a change to her character as it had always been there. In ‘The Withered Arm’ Farmer Lodge’s dark side had always been present, and his reform at the end was a genuine change of character. A reason why the original thoughts of Mrs. Rutter were so misleading was because Sandra didn’t realize her disguise. ‘The Darkness Out There’ was a collaboration of 1st and 3rd person text. Unless the audience was very analytical and close readers, they would generally go along with what Sandra was thinking, they wouldn’t know any better. When Mrs. Rutter is exposed by her evil characteristics the audience learns and was guilty with Sandra. They make the same mistakes of stereotyping as her. As a result, they are more emotionally involved and effected by the moral ending message. Unlike in ‘The Withered Arm’, the authorial voice distances the reader from the action. They don’t get an insight into what the characters are actually thinking, just from what they say and do. It is hard to identify with the characters as much in a 3rd person narrative like ‘The Withered Arm’. Penelope lively is more implicit in her way of characterization. She gives the translation more to the reader than Hardy, who tells the reader exactly what’s happening. Such as the lists of lovely trinkets owned by Mrs. Rutter, mixed in with the strange smell of cabbage. Thomas Hardy doesn’t leave much to the reader’s imagination, preferring to use more explicit uses of language to detail what is going on. Thus, the reader is more engaged in ‘The Darkness Out There’ and its characters.

Les Quatre Voyages de Juan Buscamares (travel Four John Seeker) Review Essay Example

Les Quatre Voyages de Juan Buscamares (travel Four John Seeker) Review Paper Essay on Les Quatre Voyages de Juan Buscamares (travel Four John Seeker) So great beginning for the classics a submarine in the steppes of Ukraine was killed in an unequal air battle to the third volume tetralogy Chilean artist Felix Vega turns into no less than the classic, Akira. What, however, is even in the subject. The first volume of the Four trips was released in 1997, by 2003, passing Water, Air and Earth, John completed his journey in the Fire. Very nice comic happily exploiting the grotesque, of interest primarily in visual terms. If you are close to the theme of post-apocalypse, cyber-punk, steam-punk and a punk approach to literature and cinema, I think you will like it. Without any preamble, the reader immediately thrown into the thick of things, and only in the third volume we have at least something to learn about the past of the protagonist, we find allusions to the nature of his mysterious figures. John travels the world, survived an environmental catastrophe. His adventure begins in the dried up sea the valley through which it travels many years, hoping to find a new sea. We will write a custom essay sample on Les Quatre Voyages de Juan Buscamares (travel Four John Seeker) Review specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Les Quatre Voyages de Juan Buscamares (travel Four John Seeker) Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Les Quatre Voyages de Juan Buscamares (travel Four John Seeker) Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer When I saw the sea in my dreams, I always stood on the shore I felt something or the insignificant speck that stared at a sleeping titan, whose breath raises the storm. Look at him now it seems that it is looking at us from the depths of waiting until we fall to devour us . In the first volume, on which pages and feel the dust and sand, contains many references to biblical subjects. In fact, John archetypal elect, whose adventure is glued together as a collage of fragments of the history of Jesus Christ. Just crucifixion and ends pery that. However, in the continuation of Vega rejects biblical themes, more care in the jungle of esoteric mysticism per se, but on the form uses many of the myths:. For example, the Flood, Icarus and Daedalus In his wanderings, John meets a beautiful prostitute Hallelujah, which relatives are selling for water. Love this girl, show him an angel makes him indulge in the most desperate skirmish Just John haunt (in addition to the various thugs and fanatics who think the hero elected) toddler vision jacket -. Little Prince Exupery. The third volume is trivial at first explained that, literally, immediately reborn in even more grotesque. Although, in fact, after all, The Little Prince -. Was a traveler Finder As you might guess from the volume name each dedicated to a specific element Volume One -. Water, about the search for the sea and how water is returned to a dying world. The Earth can not die, and someday be reborn. and as it turned grandiose flood. volume two Air of the miraculous rescue on a volatile ark and acquiring new Earth The third volume -. The Earth, I think, about how after the flood before the heroes of the task of creating a new world, a new story . There is a choice return to earth a sinner, or to plant beautiful gardens. But, despite the pessimistic nature of man, the author, unfortunately, does not promise Eden. Though the company had escaped crept good 🙂 Though, perhaps a final answer that will give the fourth? Learn how to read. Of course, the Four Travel John Seeker Yet most dynamic fighter in which philosophical component is nice seasoning. And, first of all, it is wonderful drawn comic book with interesting characters and cheerful, martial narrative, playing on the well-known stories. Postmodernism is it? Rather, just a beautiful game as proof ad absurdum. Download the first three volumes in the Russian translation here

British Capitalism Develpment

British Capitalism Develpment Introduction/Thesis statement In order for us to be able to define and to explain the most distinctive features of British capitalism, ever since the time of Industrial Revolution until comparatively times, we will need to refer to the discussed subject matter from not solely economic but also geopolitical and socio-cultural perspective.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on British Capitalism Develpment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More If put in a nutshell, the history of British capitalism can be outlined as follows: After Industrial Revolution made it possible to invest in such newly emerged industries as textile producing, railway building and steam-engine engineering, through years 1760-1860 British economy experienced an unprecedented boom. Nevertheless, from 1860 onwards, the vitality of British economy started to become progressively undermined. This process continued throughout the course of 20th century and had r esulted in creation of a situation when, as of today, British financial system is essentially the only self-sustainable sector of country’s economy. And, there are good reasons to believe that the closer analysis of British capitalism’s evolution, will provide us with the insight on what represented its foremost features, throughout the course of an affiliated historical era. In this paper, we will aim to do just that. Main part/Conclusion The origins of British capitalism are rooted in the workings of Puritan/Protestant mentality. As it was pointed out by Max Weber, the very essence of Protestantism, as essentially secular religion, created objective preconditions for Industrial Revolution to begin in Britain, as the country that featured a stable government, on one hand, and idealistically minded but utterly industrious population, on another – it is namely the combination these two socio-political factors that drives forward scientific progress.[1] Thus, it w as due to objectively existing laws of historical dialectics that, from 1760 onwards, the value of labor in British economy started to attain independent subtleties – hence, facilitating the process of country’s industrialization. By the end of 19th century, Britain became the first fully industrialized nation. Nevertheless, what differed Britain from other countries that had undergone industrialization later in history, is that it possessed a vast colonial Empire. This was exactly the reason why in Britain, instead of being invested into developing of new technologies, the bulk of ‘surplus value’, created by an ongoing process of industrialization, was invested into the maintenance of an Empire and into developing the resource-based sectors of economy.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In his book, Rubinstein (1993) states: â€Å"British investment increasingly went overseas, especially into developing the primary industries minerals, rubber, jute, gold and diamonds of the tropical Empire, or the infrastructure railways, docks, public works, construction in the temperate regions of the Empire settled by emigre Britons† (p. 4). Nevertheless, as we are well aware of, the pace of scientific progress renders the functioning of resource-based commercial enterprises increasingly unfeasible. For example, after the end of WW2, the cost value of a copper in telephone cables accounted for 80%. The telephone cable at the bottom of Atlantic Ocean, which during the course of forties and fifties was connecting America and Europe, was utterly expensive and yet – it allowed making only 138 parallel telephone calls. Nowadays, despite the fact that the cost value of raw materials in optical fiber cables accounts for only 10%, they can sustain 750.000 parallel telephone conversations, at the time.[2] In other words, t he initial vigor of British capitalism was lost, because Britons’ capitalistic industriousness was channeled into improving the living standards for local populations in colonies. To put it allegorically – the kinetic power of British capitalism was transformed into the heat, which later simply dispersed into the thin air, on the account of colonies having succeeded in liberating themselves from ‘white oppression’. Thus, one of the most distinctive traits of British capitalism was its affiliation with ‘white man’s burden’ of spreading the light of civilization, which sets it apart of from capitalisms of Germany or U.S., for example, strictly concerned with generating a commercial profit. As it was rightly pointed out by Rubinstein in the same book: â€Å"Gentlemanly capitalism, based on land, finance, and commercial services, is the key to understanding the growth of the British Empire† (p. 40). Apparently, British capitalists ne ver ceased being little more than just profit-driven individuals, as it used to be the case with their counterparts from the rest of the world. Thus, British capitalistic ‘gentriness’ can be partially blamed for the fact that, by 20th century’s twenties and thirties, there were millions of highly skilled but unemployed industrial workers in Britain. And, as time went by, it was becoming increasingly harder for them to find a job, as commercial feasibility of Britain’s industries, associated with extraction and utilization of natural resources (especially of those overseas), started to become progressively undermined. For example, in 1925, when prices for natural rubber were at all times high, this product accounted for 15% of all British exports. However, since Germans discovered a technology for producing synthetic rubber in 1935, within a matter of two years, the share of natural rubber from colonies in British exports fell down to 3% selling this produ ct simply ceased being quite as profitable.[3]Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on British Capitalism Develpment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, it is not by a pure accident that it was namely during the course of twenties and thirties, that British trade-unionist movement started to gain a momentum, which in its turn, established socio-political preconditions for the concept of so-called ‘welfare state’ to grow increasingly popular with more and more Britons. Very rapidly, the functioning of British free-market economy was attaining a number of clearly defined Socialist subtleties. This brings us to discuss another distinctive feature of British capitalism – the fact that it had undergone a rapid transformation being ‘wild’ to becoming essentially ‘semi-socialist’. Despite the fact that, throughout the course of second half of 19th century, British capitalism wa s strongly associated with merciless exploitation of child labor and with virtual absence of trade-unionist movement, in the first decade of 20th century a number of legislations have been passed by the Parliament, in order to protect workers’ social and economic rights. For example, Britain was the first country in the world that in 1911 made workers eligible for unemployment insurance. Moreover, as time went by, the government continued to bestow a variety of social benefits upon workers. In his article, Fulcher (1997) states: â€Å"The 1920 National Insurance Act greatly extended the coverage of unemployment benefit and the 1921 Act first provided allowances for the dependants of the unemployed†¦ The 1925 Act established the modern pension system of non-means-tested pensions for those over 65† (p. 515). In its turn, this explains why, unlike what it used to be the case in other major capitalist countries, such as France, Italy, U.S., Spain and China (with excep tion of Nazi Germany, of course), British Communists were never popular with British ‘proletarians’, on behalf of which they spoke. According to Wood (1959): â€Å"The C.P.G.B. (Communist Party of Great Britan) has always been smaller than any Communist party of a major industrial nation. Although membership of 10,000 was officially claimed at the time of its foundation, the actual figure seems to have been nearer 2.500† (p. 259). The reason for this is simple – due to Labor Party’s political activities, during the course of thirties, British society was growing increasingly Socialist. And, socialist-minded citizens are much more likely to affiliate themselves with the concept of a ‘welfare state’, as opposed to affiliating themselves with the concept of ‘class struggle’. Nevertheless, as we know from the lessons of history, while providing various benefits to unprivileged members of society, the implementation of the conce pt of ‘welfare state’ undermines the effectiveness of economy’s functioning. The economies of ‘welfare states’ are necessarily stagnant, which explains such economies’ insensitivity to free-market challenges.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This was the reason why, unlike what it was the case with America’s capitalism, British capitalism remained largely unaffected by the Great Depression of 1929 – Britain’s depression began in 1921 and it subtly continues until today. As Booth (1982) had put it in his article: â€Å"At some time in early 1921 it became clear that the period of prosperity was over. To all sections of the community, therefore, the outlook was one of unaccustomed bleakness† (p. 208). The fact that this depression was being extended over such long period of time, simply made it less acutely felt. Unlike what it was the case with American depression, British depression was not predetermined by free-market economy’s fluctuations, but by government’s attempts to keep these fluctuations under control. Despite the fact that Britain came as a winner out of WW2, country’s economic might was greatly diminished by this war and by India’s proclamation of indep endence in 1947, which initiated the process of Empire’s dismantling. Britain’s financial system, represented by London’s City; nevertheless, remained comparatively strong. However, despite being semi-independent and privately own financial institution, much like America’s Federal Reserve, the Bank of England had chosen in favor of qualitatively different approach towards increasing the effectiveness of economy’s functioning, as compared to what it was the case with Federal Reserve. Instead of striving to provide a boost to the economy by increasing the amount of money in domestic circulation – hence, increasing citizens’ buying power, which in its turn, would result in increasing the competitiveness of nation’s industries, it simply embarked upon lending money to foreign governments and financial institutions and also upon ensuing a variety of internationally traded bonds.[4] In the book from which we have already quoted, Rubi nstein states: â€Å"The Citys traditional role re-emerged strongly in the late 1950s and early 1960s, with the rise of the Eurocurrency and Eurobond markets†¦ and the beginnings of large-scale investment and borrowings by Third World and Arab countries† (p.73). Such City’s strategy; however, should not be referred to as conceptually fallacious. After all, country’s peasantry has been ‘burned off’ is the chimney of industrialization in 19th century, which is why, after having been deprived of its colonies, Britain simply could not begin expanding industries on its own soil by the mean of increasing citizens’ buying power – there was simply no ‘human fuel’ left to sustain the process of industrialization once again. On the other hand, since the era of post-industrialism has not began yet, City also could not invest into developing of informational technologies and into setting up industrial production lines in the coun tries of Third World, which would have turned Britain into ‘manufacturer of intellect’, as it is the case with today’s Germany, Japan and U.S. This was one of the reasons why the capitalist realities in Britain, through 1945-1955, closely reminded the Communist realities in Soviet Union, around the same time – people standing in lineups to buy basic food, the system of products’ rationing, and the high extent of governmental corruption. Such was the unsightly face of British capitalism in post-war years. Throughout the course of sixties and seventies, the essence of British capitalism’s functioning can be outlined within the following framework: every time, citizens felt that their economic well-being was starting to improve, they would vote for Labor, and after that, their standards of living would take a steep dive again. And, so it went on and on, until Margaret Thatcher was appointed a Prime Minister in 1979. After that, British capitalis m started to remind capitalism proper, for a change – the government allowed the privatization of many state-owned companies, it cut back on investing into public sector and reformed country’s taxation policies. Within a matter of few years, British economy began to regain its former vitality. Unfortunately, British capitalistic revival did not last for too long. After winning the elections of 2001, New Labor proceeded with its old agenda of building a ‘welfare state’.[5] As a result, up until most recent elections, Britain was nothing short of a classical Socialist state the whole armies of uneducated immigrants from Third World were instantly made eligible for generous welfare payments, on the account of their ‘cultural uniqueness’, the quality standards in country’s health care and educational systems were drastically lowered, the medium-sized commercial enterprises were heavily taxed, which had brought many of them on the threshold of bankruptcy, the proper functioning of Britain’s energy sector was brought to a halt, etc. Nevertheless, as it was shown by the outcome of political elections of 2010, it is much too early to bury British capitalism, as the concept synonymous to the concept of properly functioning free-market economy. References Booth, A 1982, ‘Corporatism, capitalism and depression in twentieth-century Britain’, The British Journal of Sociology, vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 200-223. Feenberg, A 1990, ‘Post-industrial discourses’, Theory and Society, vol. 19, no. 6, pp. 709-737. Fulcher, J 1997, ‘Did British society change character in the 1920s or the 1980s’,  The British Journal of Sociology, vol. 48, no. 3, pp. 514-521. Lisle-Williams, M 1984, ‘Beyond the market: The survival of family capitalism in the English merchant banks’, The British Journal of Sociology, vol. 35, no. 2, pp. 241-271. Martin, C 2004, ‘Reinventing welfare regimes: E mployers and the implementation of active social policy’, World Politics, vol. 57, no. 1, pp. 39-69. Rubinstein, WD 1993, Capitalism, culture, and decline in Britain, 1750-1990, Taylor Francis Routledge, London/New York. Solo, R 1954, ‘Research and development in the synthetic rubber industry’, The  Quarterly Journal of Economics, vol. 68, no. 1, pp. 61-82. Weber, M 2001, The protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism. New Translation and Introduction by Stephen Kalberg, Roxbury Publishing, Los Angeles. Wood, N 1959, ‘The empirical proletarians: A note on British Communism’,  Political Science Quarterly, vol. 74, no. 2, pp. 256-272. Footnotes M. Weber 2001, The protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism, Roxbury Publishing, Los Angeles, p. 15. A. Feenberg 1990, ‘Post-industrial discourses’, Theory and Society, vol. 19, no. 6, p. 720. R. Solo 1954, ‘Research and development in the synthetic rubber industry’, The Q uarterly Journal of Economics, vol. 68, no. 1, p. 63. M. Lisle-Williams 1984, ‘Beyond the market: The survival of family capitalism in the English merchant banks’, The British Journal of Sociology, vol. 35, no. 2, p. 250. C. Martin 2004, ‘Reinventing welfare regimes: Employers and the implementation of active social policy’, World Politics, vol. 57, no. 1, p. 45.

Describe and Evaluate the main Macro Economic Policies used by the Essay

Describe and Evaluate the main Macro Economic Policies used by the Australian Government and Reserve Bank over the last two year - Essay Example In the last two years, the government’s goal has achieved economic growth, internal and external balance within an economy thereby maintaining economic growth and low inflation as well as ensuring low foreign debt and liabilities. Although economic growth has not been constant for the last two years due to international business cycles, the government has reduced the fluctuations via influencing demand. In as much as the economy has had several ups and downs, her improved international demands and rich natural resources such as iron ore and coal. According to â€Å"International Monetary Fund,† Reserve Bank of Australia has strengthened financial system in such a way that the macroeconomic policy is devised to curb recession instead of controlling inflation (Web). Macroeconomic aggregates which include rate of inflation, GDP growth and unemployment rate can possibly reflect the performance of a country’s economy. ... even as other countries such as U.S are struggling to recover from recession, the Australian government has boosted the economy by encouraging export to Asia (125-128). The government’s move to incorporate interest rate is aimed at promoting non-mining and housing investments which play integral role in spurring economic growth. Reserve Bank of Australia further made some great efforts in controlling money supply through the open market operations which involves purchasing or selling of financial instruments (Web). This has stabilized the Australian economy for the last two years because of their eventual effect on consumption and investment. According to Soliman RBA’s monetary policy for the last two years has been directed to achieve 2-3% inflation rate on the average over the cycle and this has really stimulated economic activities without interfering with economic decisions in the economy (98-100). It is apparent that both the government and the RBA have instituted strong fiscal and monetary policies that have successfully countered the economic recession. Theoretically, reduction of interest rate would enhance aggregate demand by influencing the aggregate components such as stimulation of investments projects as borrowing would be less expensive. The attraction or creation of a good investment environment has been one of the core activities that the government has dealt with in the previous years as this will deal with unemployment issues. Soliman explains that low interest rate has enabled Australia to increase her export while reducing their imports thus enhancing net export (101-102). The monetary policy decision process in Australia which includes the RBA board has been frequently meeting to discuss new developments in both Australia and international

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