Thursday, October 31, 2019
What is meant by 'money' in a modern economy Essay
What is meant by 'money' in a modern economy - Essay Example Alla Stephun, while writing on the philosophy of money says "Money is a reality, a permanent feature of our everyday lives. It gives our lives a particular rhythm, a particular charm, a particular perception of the world and our place in it." This buttresses the point that money has really affected and effected humanity. There are situations where we think of what money is in modern society. In attempt to answer some of these pertinent questions, a number of topics will have to be discussed. These essay therefore examines the issue that has to do with money in the modern economy, explaining what credit creation is. Particular attention will be devoted to the role of the Bank of England as a full controller of the quantity of money in circulation in the UK economy. Money can be defined in a number of different ways - from the simple manner to the complex .The way it is defined ,depends to an extent on the situation and circumstances surrounding the situation. But whatever way money is to be defined, it all points to one direction - it is a medium of exchange. Money does not necessary need to be in cash - which is money is form of bills(notes) or coins, it can also be form of assets - items that have economic value. So to this effect, we can also refer to money as being any items that carries out the function of money. CHARATERISTICS OF MONEY: Money, just as any other entity has certain characteristics that are associated with it. Some of the very obvious characteristics of money will be briefly talked about here. These are: 1. Durability: This refers to money being able to maintain its shape or form over a period of time. For money to be able to perform certain of its functions- like being a medium of exchange or a store of value, it has to posses the characteristics of durability. 2. Portability: This has to do with the easy movement between different locations that money has to undergo when there is the need, particular for exchange purposes. 3. Divisibility: Money has to be capable of being easily divided into smaller fractions, when exchange for good s or services of varying values are to be made. For any medium of exchange to be efficient, it has to have that capacity of serving in that capacity at varying values. FUNCTION OF MONEY: The single reason that money serves as a medium of exchange, makes us all to know that it has some usefulness. Money is desirable, though there are some individuals that are of the view that the possession of too much of money by a single entity is bad. Some of the characteristics of money are: 1. Medium of Exchange: Money serves as a medium of exchange, good and services are exchanged for money. An older manner where trading was done was by barter. Money has made transactions in modern times to be easier. 2. Unit of Account: This means that money serves as the benchmark for determining the worth of good s and services in a modern economy. It functions as the measuring unit of value or prices. 3. Store of Value:
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Short article prom promises by amy L. best Essay - 1
Short article prom promises by amy L. best - Essay Example The article very well establishes that ââ¬Å"the relative local success of the Prom Promise often depends on the support of individual communities and schools, and of course, the students.â⬠(p 78, ââ¬Å"Prom Promises - Rules and Ruling: Proms as Sites of Social Controlâ⬠by Amy L Best) It maintains that the success depends on the studentsââ¬â¢ consent to their own regulations. The article is very effective, with personally observed examples and conversations with the students, in expressing the actual reasons of the failure of many prom promises. For example, it states and illustrates that ââ¬Å"students sign this contract with every intention of violating it. Consider a conversation I had with Scott, a White student from Woodrow, about the Promise, which his school had once tried to implement, successfully...â⬠(Bests). The article goes on to analyze the various levels of the imposed rules in a prom promise and expatiate the view that the forced strategies of the school authorities to check the uncontrolled behavior of students are ineffective to draw any good results. The author is successful in expressing how the students respond to the rules that aim at the modification of their behavior supplementing it with the real life examples of the students of Rudolph and the like. Trickery of the different schools that aim at the effective implementation of prom promise is analyzed objectively and criticized firmly. The strategies of Stylone with table cards, of Woodrow and Hudson with signing of the names in a guest book and the formalized strategy of Rudolph ââ¬Å"checking kids inâ⬠are found, for example, ineffective. The article is also very successful in pointing out the exact reasons for the failure of the program. ââ¬Å"That the teacher received the kids contributed to the sense that the pr om belonged to the teachers and not to the kids. It seemed emblematic that of the direct control the school itself exercised
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Comparison of different leadership strategies
Comparison of different leadership strategies Anita Roddick is the creator of Body Shop whose controversial leadership style was contrasted with Jack Welch the acknowledged leader in corporate management. The comparison shows that whilst some traits such as passion for success are common to both leaders there is significant difference in other areas such as the leadership style applied. In some instances though the final outcome is the same, the two leaders were motivated by different ideals. Whilst Anita brings her personal ideas of environmental activism into her business, Jack Welch approves the green approach where it makes sense from a profit making angle. However, taking into account the challenges faced and the leaving behind of a legacy, this study concludes that the Jack Welch approach demonstrates a stronger leadership model that is also replicable rather than the activist approach of Anita. INTRODUCTION The following is a comparison of the leadership strategies of two leaders; both successful in their own way, though with markedly different leadership approaches. Both are business leaders and are compared and contrasted by reviewing traits, values, behavior and leadership styles. Anita Roddick Born in 1942, Anita Roddick was the founder of Body Shop cosmetics. Her first shop was opened when she was 34 with the sole object of survival for the family. However, in to the highly competitive world of cosmetics where promises are easily made and difficult if not impossible to be validated in marched Anita with her own definition of what beauty meant and more importantly with a mission to set the record straight. Controversy which soon followed her became an opportunity for publicity for the business as well as a platform to air he views. Some claim that Anita is a model for a responsible leadership style whilst others remain more skeptical (Franklin Researchs Insight 1994). In he autobiography, Anita proclaimed that it is immoral to trade on fear. à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦ It is immoral to deceive a customer by making miracle claims for a product. It is immoral to use a photograph of a glowing sixteen-year-old to sell a cream aimed at preventing wrinkles in a forty-year old. (Roddick, 199 1 Pg. 15) Anita sums up her leadership strategy in her own direct, no-nonsense style Being good is good business. (Hospitality Leadership, 2009) In 2006, Body Shop was the subject of a take over by the cosmetic giant LOreal and Anita passed away in 2007. Jack Welch Dr. John Francis Jack Welch was born in 1935. With a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Jack Welch became the General Manager of General Electric (GE) when he was 33. Ambitious from a young age, Jack Welch started with the ambition of making $ 30,000 by the time he was 30 years of age. Unlike Body Shop which was established by Anita Roddick, GE had a successful, long standing heritage. Established in 1892, the history of GE can be traced back to the famous inventor Thomas Edison. As Jeff Immelt, the present CEO who replaced Jack Welch, reminded Fortune magazine in 2004, Theres going to be someone after me, just as there was someone before me (Time Mastery 2005 Pg. 29). Jack Welch took the rains of an already successful organization in 1981 but took it from triumph to triumph as the CEO till 2001. He is still a well sought after speaker as well as consultant. Unlike Anitas green approach, Jack Welch is not convinced with global warming (The Washington Post 3 July, 2008) though one year later he sees going green as presenting an enormous opportunity, whether one believes in global warming or not (Welch, 12 May, 2009). Jack Welchs leadership approach was that Effective Leadership involves the acceptance and management of paradox. For example we must function collectively as one company and individually as many businesses at the same time. (Crainer, 1999, p.49). Leadership Traits A trait is a character that can be observed over and over in ones personality. Leadership traits can identify a good leader and assist in emulating them. Such traits include, integrity, competency, forward looking approach, fair mindedness, broad mindedness, courage and ability to take risks, intelligence, imagination, inspiring personality and directness of approach. Integrity has been defined as the quality of a persons character. (SEP, 2008) Thus integrity may also be seen as the ability to walk the talk. Anitas leadership style has been portrayed as a model for responsible leadership acting with great honesty and integrity, especially in the cosmetic industry and she was in the forefront of environmental activism. This of course may also have made good business sense as acknowledged by Jack Welch too in the 2009 interview. Jack Welch considers integrity to be such a fundamental requirement that he refuses to even list it amongst a list of virtues. If you dont have integrity you should not be allowed on the field at all. (Welch 2007 Pg. 14) Of course both Anita and Jack Welch display clear forward looking planning. Anita created a company that went where no other cosmetic company of that magnitude had gone before. Jack Welchs problems were even more complicated requiring him to acknowledge the illustrious history of GE and then to steer in a direction more suited to the future. In doing so Anita and Jack Welch demonstrated immense courage and conviction taking risks that were perhaps make or break decisions. Of course in taking their respective companies to places where they had not been before, both leaders showed clear well developed imaginativeness and superior intelligence. Anitas primary motivational factor apart from her charismatic personality was to make the Body Shop employees feel that they were a part of a large family. (Roddick, 1991 Pg. 7) Jack Welch on the other hand used different approaches to motivate employees including money, recognition and training. (Welch, 2007 Pg. 106) Dark side traits Dark-side personality traits are those which are counter productive to a leaders success and may lead to their failure. Whilst everyone has some dark side traits, they may be visible only when the leader is under stress. In the case of Anita Roddick, whilst she was at the front in requiring better corporate governance and ethical corporate response, when Body Shop was put under pressure by criticism that it was not following its talk instead of relying on a transparent approach it appears to have used combative response and the threat to use legal action to silence its critics. (Franklin Researchs Insight 1994) Anita in her autobiography however states that As for Jack Welch, his approach to corporate restructuring has been criticized by persons such as O,boyle. Down sizing, lay offs and closure of plants was a key part of this strategy which focused mostly on keeping the shareholders happy (Jakubowicz, 1999). GE which had 440,000 employees world wide when Jack Welch started as CEO in 1981 was by 1997 operating with only 260,000 employees but making much greater profits. (Crainer 1999) This closing of plants and large scale dismissal of employees left many small towns which relied on GE plants for jobs in great difficulty. His pressure on the managers to keep a regular flow of profits may have led to them taking shortcuts to profit making. Requirements for success Anita though not initially a technical person, continued to be in touch with the technical aspects of her business. She was always travelling around, meeting indigenous people and finding new product ideas. John Davies (2007) who was a consultant to Body Shop at one time talks of how Anita walked into a meeting announcing that she had invented a new lip balm. Therefore, Anita seemed to have actually enjoyed being involved in the technical and development aspects of the business too. Jack Welch was an engineer but came to be recognized as a manager and a CEO rather than an inventor. Milestones For Anita the first milestone in her business was to feed her kids whilst her husband was on an extended tour in South America. Perhaps a turning point in the Body Shop image was when Anita partnered with Greenpeace in protecting whales by marketing products made with jojoba oil as a substitute for whale spermaceti. This was a pioneering venture where business partnered with a charity. (Alcraft, 1998) Though Jack Welch encouraged financial goals to be celebrated, he had little use for milestones as such since, once achieved, they represented the past whilst he preferred to focus on the future. (Hartman, 2003) Leadership Values and Ethics If we make an effort to understand our values, it makes it easier to keep our priorities in the right order and our actions in line with our beliefs (Anzary, 2009). The most important qualities and values of a good leader are vision, empathy, consistency, integrity. Anita as well as Jack Welch both had a clear vision as well as displayed passion in their approach. Anitas vision included a larger global vision which went beyond the corporate goals (Roddick, 2000) whilst Jack Welch focused on improving the shareholders value at any cost. Jack Welch on vision states that good business leaders create a vision. They articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion. (Crainer 1999 Pg. 77) Anitas manner of expressing empathy with her staff included that of making them feel that they were part of a large family. Although Jack Welch too recognized the need to invest in people and put this into practice by spending time with them, devising methods to motivate people etc., (Crainer 1999 Pg. 23) it is clear that his approach was to come own heavy on people and he had no regrets about dismissing employees when required. However, his understanding of the followers reality is demonstrated by his approach to budgeting for example where he recognized the reason for the divide between the upper management and field staff and suggests strategies for remedying same. (Welch Welch 2005 Pg. 189). From the point of corporate integrity Anitas propaganda spoke of this as a key factor pushing the idea that the customer needs to be told the truth about what can and cannot be achieved with the products. She was also opposed to animal testing and promoted the green approach and a more socially responsible approach with concepts such as Trade not Aid for the developing world. GE under Jack Welch on the other hand appears to have used an approach that focused on maximizing profits. In this regard, is appears that GE had even pleaded guilty to charges on criminal fraud relating to matters linked to defense. (New York Times 23 July, 1992). Leadership Grid Model is taken from stewart associates website [Online], Available: http://www.stewart-associates.co.uk/leadership-models.aspx The Leadership Grid shows the emphasis a leader places on people as opposed to production. Anitas approach appears to be more towards Middle-of-the-Road; balancing the two concerns. In this she may be seen as being closer to the ideal of Team Management. Jack Welchs approach has been criticized for being Authority-Compliance Management oriented. He is known to have fired low producing managers and to pressurize the employees to achieve. This approach did bring him greater profits at a human cost. Conclusion In this study we looked at two leaders with interesting and successful leadership styles. They are both leaders in the corporate sector and have adopted radical approaches to leadership. Anita Roddick is a strong entrepreneur who started her own business brought it to a very important position in the cosmetic industry but finally sold it to LOreal. Therefore, all though she created an ethically conscious brand which not only brought commercial success but also succeeded in associating itself with eco friendly concepts, her final transferring of the business to LOreal means that she did not leave behind a vehicle by which her vision could be carried though. Thus it remains to be seen whether her vision has died with her. On the other hand Jack Welchs approach is one that can be captured within modern management thinking and provides better tools for replication. Also from a leadership point of view, although Jack Welchs approach has been criticized as profit at any cost and the heavy emphasis on the Authority-Compliance-Management style, his task was perhaps more difficult than that of Anita Roddick. The very fact that he became the CEO of a company that was almost 100 years old and had a huge infrastructure meant that he would have had to face greater challenges to bring about change. Therefore, although it may be more difficult to love Jack Welch as a person when compare to Anita as a leader and also he may be further from the ideal of Team-Management style leadership, looking at the challenges that have been over come Jack Welch comes though as a stronger leader. Anita on the other hand may demonstrate greater entrepreneurial skills.
Friday, October 25, 2019
Using the Internet as a Medium for Art Essay -- Computers Technology W
Using the Internet as a Medium for Art ââ¬Å" This is my space, this is my world. I can express how I feel and what I believe, itââ¬â¢s a different type of freedom.â⬠(1) This quote could speak of so many places in a creative world; a university, a gallery, a bedroom, a studio, and so many others that people commonly associate with artistic space however it refers to none of these and all of these at once. I am talking about the web. The web is a new space and like all technology pushed to its limits by artists. This essay will discuss the impact that new technologies have had on the young and emerging visual artist. In particular this essay will focus on the advantages that the internet as a medium has had over a new generation of artists that are coming into being. Starting with the tools that have been developed to create works and early examples of ââ¬Ënet art.ââ¬â¢ The essay shall also move on to websites being a new genre of art onto themselves. I shall show examples of websites that explore the many possibilities and capabilities that this new ââ¬Ëweb artââ¬â¢ genre has created and how people have exploited them to great advantage. Looking at browser based art that has been created for and only exists within the confines of a browser window. The essay shall end exploring how websites are also a medium for artists young and old, new media and traditional to deliver their work to a new audience not accessible to them before internet technology became a household standard. As stated in the introduction, many, if not all technologies are used by artists and pushed to its limits. The internet is no exception. Originally developed for and by the US Department of Defense in 1969 it quickly grew from 3 computers to hundreds and then thousand... ...ntâ⬠http://www.ihasz.com 8. Unknown Author (2000-current) ââ¬Å"Deviant Artâ⬠http://www.deviantart.com 9. Thorson, Joshua (2003) ââ¬Å"Clock Work Crowâ⬠http://www.clockworkcrow.com/ 10. Gilligan, Amanda (2002- current) ââ¬Å"Shutterfly, Amanda Gilligan Photographyâ⬠http://www.lyptonvillage.org/shutterfly/ 11. Cameron,Katsuki (2003-current) ââ¬Å"TEAM k!itten.comâ⬠http://www.teamkitten.com/site/index02.html 12. Unknown, (2004) ââ¬Å"escape|routeâ⬠ACMI ââ¬â Australian Centre for the Moving Image http://www.acmi.net.au/ Arts Hub- For Australian Arts Workers http://www.artshub.com.au Australia Council ââ¬â New Media Arts http://www.ozco.gov.au/boards/new_media_arts/ Free Dictionary.com ââ¬â Generation Y http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Generation%20Y History of the Internet- Where did the Internet come from http://net.gurus.com/history/?FRAME=no Using the Internet as a Medium for Art Essay -- Computers Technology W Using the Internet as a Medium for Art ââ¬Å" This is my space, this is my world. I can express how I feel and what I believe, itââ¬â¢s a different type of freedom.â⬠(1) This quote could speak of so many places in a creative world; a university, a gallery, a bedroom, a studio, and so many others that people commonly associate with artistic space however it refers to none of these and all of these at once. I am talking about the web. The web is a new space and like all technology pushed to its limits by artists. This essay will discuss the impact that new technologies have had on the young and emerging visual artist. In particular this essay will focus on the advantages that the internet as a medium has had over a new generation of artists that are coming into being. Starting with the tools that have been developed to create works and early examples of ââ¬Ënet art.ââ¬â¢ The essay shall also move on to websites being a new genre of art onto themselves. I shall show examples of websites that explore the many possibilities and capabilities that this new ââ¬Ëweb artââ¬â¢ genre has created and how people have exploited them to great advantage. Looking at browser based art that has been created for and only exists within the confines of a browser window. The essay shall end exploring how websites are also a medium for artists young and old, new media and traditional to deliver their work to a new audience not accessible to them before internet technology became a household standard. As stated in the introduction, many, if not all technologies are used by artists and pushed to its limits. The internet is no exception. Originally developed for and by the US Department of Defense in 1969 it quickly grew from 3 computers to hundreds and then thousand... ...ntâ⬠http://www.ihasz.com 8. Unknown Author (2000-current) ââ¬Å"Deviant Artâ⬠http://www.deviantart.com 9. Thorson, Joshua (2003) ââ¬Å"Clock Work Crowâ⬠http://www.clockworkcrow.com/ 10. Gilligan, Amanda (2002- current) ââ¬Å"Shutterfly, Amanda Gilligan Photographyâ⬠http://www.lyptonvillage.org/shutterfly/ 11. Cameron,Katsuki (2003-current) ââ¬Å"TEAM k!itten.comâ⬠http://www.teamkitten.com/site/index02.html 12. Unknown, (2004) ââ¬Å"escape|routeâ⬠ACMI ââ¬â Australian Centre for the Moving Image http://www.acmi.net.au/ Arts Hub- For Australian Arts Workers http://www.artshub.com.au Australia Council ââ¬â New Media Arts http://www.ozco.gov.au/boards/new_media_arts/ Free Dictionary.com ââ¬â Generation Y http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Generation%20Y History of the Internet- Where did the Internet come from http://net.gurus.com/history/?FRAME=no
Thursday, October 24, 2019
A Nuclear Family Vacation
Putinââ¬â¢s Russia is, and may never be ready to open its doors completely to the rest of the world, just yet.à When the hand of welcome is that of the United Statesââ¬â¢, Russia is wary.à While both countries have pledged cooperation to promote mutual interests, the two have remained passive and obviously lacked sincerity.Take the case of the US-funded Sarov Technopark, where the Russian nuclear scientists and their western partners will do their research and conduct their tests.à The joint project was to ensure that the scientists would not work for the terrorists.à Five years after groundbreaking in 2000, US representatives have not gained access to the facility, which was supposed to be an open zone.à The Russians gave the Americans a runaround, before finally turning down the request for a visit.The Russians are highly security-conscious and infinitely protective of their talents, skills, and expertise.à They cordoned off sensitive sites or closed sites a nd never allowed anyone through.à Analysts understood the attitude.Russia would not want their experts on weapons of mass destruction to gain outside contact.à While this may not have been acceptable to the US-Russian partnership, the Russians appeared to have a point as far sparing nothing for reason of security.à The Russians would rather err on the side of caution.The US foreign policy had not been encouraging either.à They showed no visible signs that the US pursued these initiatives with the same enthusiasm as before.à The US led allied forces in the Gulf, Afghanistan, and in Iraq.à It will stop at nothing to oppose the use of weapons of mass destruction.What seemed to be a strong alliance between the US and Russia against the proliferation of nuclear technology had not progressed beyond take off.à Where has it gone wrong?à We will never know, as Russia would not provide the answer and the US would not even ask the question.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
What extent is it accurate to claim that Australians
Australians are committed to a ;fair go' and that they belong to a classless society? Since Australia opened its doors to the rest of the world it has been widely regarded as a land of ââ¬Ëgolden opportunity well endowed in resources with a small population; it appeared to be an escape from the rigid aristocratic ruling of European nations (Furze, 2008: 349). For such a long time many Australians have been reluctant to recognize that social classes do in fact exist within our society and that these classes perpetuate inequality.To claim that all Australians are committed to a fair go' would be ignorant, and I will explore in this discussion the barriers that prohibit Australians from being equal. I will begin by providing an understanding of class constructs and stratification, I will then go on to highlight the Inequalities Inherent in different spheres of Australian society and how these Inequalities are products of a class hierarchy. I have chosen to concentrate on healthcare; education and the legal system for these are resources that all citizens should have equal access to.Class is a significant force in all societies, understanding class is crucial if we are to see how groups of people within our society have different experiences. Social stratification refers to the way society is organized within hierarchical layers (Furze, 2008:320). It is impossible to live in Australia without coming to realize that these different social classes are employed in deferent types of Jobs, live in different suburbs, attend different schools, receive different incomes and experience crucial differences in privilege and inequality (McGregor, 1997: 2).As we begin to investigate how social, lattice and economic resources are distributed the disparities between groups becomes apparent- the nature of stratification creates a systematic and enduring pattern of Inequality. (Habits & Walter, 2009:2) The Inequalities that arise from class differences are largely based on const raints to access of resources; one of these resources is healthcare. It is evident that health disparities within Australia are linked to different income groups.Lifestyle factors attributed to ill health such as poor diets, drugs and alcohol are most prominent in low income groups and minorities such as the Indigenous. These groups are socially disadvantaged and therefore have limited access to resources such as housing, health information and education. For these reasons, studies have found that pregnant aboriginal women are at a high risk of birthing underweight babies- contributing to a higher infant mortality rate, high rates of morbidity with 20 years less life expectancy than non Indigenous Australians and higher rates of alcohol abuse and self harm (Furze, 2008: 314).Health risks are not just limited to minority groups however, blue collar workers also experience significant occupation related Issues; mining and Intensive Barbour as well as exposure to toxic substances Is li kely to cause subsequent Illness. Contested due to its inaccessibility. The Federal, State and Territory governments share the responsibility of publicly funded healthcare and also provide Medicare- a healthcare system that all wage earners pay a levy toward. Recently however, there has been a growth in private health care investment illustrated by a rise in private hospital beds from 24439 in 2003 to 26988 in 2006 (Furze, 2008:317).Citizens are being encouraged to take out private health care for better and quicker treatment, forever, this causes an ethical debate as public waiting lists are profoundly long and yet private health care is unaffordable by many. It is evident then, that class placement determines opportunity and creates barriers to achieving equal access to healthcare. Another sphere of Australian society divided by class stratification is education and schooling. In many ways education and knowledge are the keys to a prosperous and successful life; however it is not possible for everyone to access this valuable resource (Habit's and Walter, 2009:149).The shift of government funding room public schools to private schools means that a child's class background easily distorts their educational path. As private schools began to emerge, upper class parents would send their children to private school due to the preferred prestige and elite status they were associated with. More recently however, the decision to enroll children in private educational institutions reflects the decline the educational quality provided by public schools.The government have turned to ââ¬Ëeconomic rationalism' where their focus is no longer on committing to maximizing general elf through the development of public resources but by operating on economic efficiency (Furze,2008:255). For this reason, private schools have been advantaged and public schools left behind. What is most significant about this change is that it generates socioeconomic inequality; parents with lowe r incomes cannot afford to send their children to private school and this subsequently reproduces the stratification system.Socioeconomic status has further implications within the education system; this is particularly evident within the low socioeconomic groups and indigenous community. Education attrition rates for these groups are as low as 14. 5%; this is significantly low compared to a 76. 4% obtained by higher socioeconomic groups (Furze, 2008:252). Students are sorted by ability and performance indicators through standardized testing; these tests routinely consign Aboriginals to a hard competition for Jobs, income and social mobility (Furze, 2008:261).Aboriginal children concentrated in rural areas suffer inequitable access to education, particularly as schools in remote areas have low achievement levels and staffing problems. In 2004 only 39. 5% of Aboriginals progressed to year 12 whilst 6. 8% of non indigenous students did (Furze, 2008: 263). Social inequalities and class implications are reproduced academically as wealthy schools continue to be subsidized and children of lower socioeconomic status remain disadvantaged.Substantial evidence of class related inequality also exists within the political sphere, lower socioeconomic groups and minorities possess limitations to accessing and actively participating in this sphere in comparison to upper class citizens who are able to actively participate. Great controversy surrounds the overrepresented of Indigenous and lower class citizens in Australia; discriminatory attitudes are prevalent toward these groups due to their higher rates of unemployment.Low levels disenfranchisement and a lack of knowledge (McGregor, 1997; 76) Relative poverty, poor health standards and a lack of educational and social opportunities have underpinned greater Aboriginal representation amongst criminal offenders. ââ¬Å"Aborigines, it is said, make up one per cent of the general population, but nearly 30 per cent of prison in m ates,â⬠(Wolcott & Dowse, 2004: 253). This statement is echoed by statements of the Australian Law Reform Commission which claims the Aborigines re 29 times more likely to be imprisoned that non Aborigines. Wolcott & Dowse, 2004: 256) As laws of a society are connected with the dominant cultural attitudes of society, it seems the inherent bias of Australian Judicial system is ethnocentric. The ALARM have also alluded to the, ââ¬Ëmany instances [that] exist when Aboriginals have been imprisoned, fined or otherwise sentenced without having understood their rights,' (Wolcott & Dowse, 2004: 259). This can be attributed again to the lack of education available to this community and the lack of access to legal aid due to financial constraints.For Australia to be committed to a fair go' all citizens should possess the same standard of access and equity in the legal system, however, the implications of class inequality prevent this from occurring. We can be certain that class divisi ons do exist in Australian society, and that these divisions limit one's entitlement to a fair go. ââ¬Ë Myths of equality aside, the evidence is quite clear that in Australia, as in every other capitalist system, success depends very strongly on one's socioeconomic status (Hillier, 1981 :214); it plays a pivotal role in determining access to political, social and economic resources .
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