20 Finance Research Project Topics on Real Estate

20 Finance Research Project Topics on Real Estate If a Google search brings you to the page which you are currently reading - this page - then it means you are either having some difficulties coming up with finance research topics in the real estate industry for your academic or corporate project. And if that is definitely the case, then you have just found a gold mine for this was written just for you. Today’s article is the second part in the series of articles discussing finance in the real estate sector and the important role having some financial backing plays for both parties who take part in making the sector grow. In the article preceding this, some important facts covering the subject of finance and real estate were outlined to help project writers discuss intelligently on the topic. This follow-up will not only provide 20 topics but will also include a sample research project that expatriates on one of the provided topics to serve as a sample for anyone confused on how to proceed with his or her project. Lastly, a set of guidelines on understanding time management and its importance when writing or handling a research project will be provided to help you efficiently create something brilliant that will guarantee you earn top marks. So shall we begin? The Importance of Finance to the Real Estate Industry The Impact of a Fluctuating Economy on the Real Estate Industry The 2007 Economic Recession and Its Effect on Real Estate Sources of Real Estate Finance and Their Impact on Society Real Estate Investment and the Role of Commercial Banks Real Estate Investment and the Impact of Credit Unions Problems of Financing Real Estate in the United States Corporate Loans and Commercial Real Estate Financing Analysing the Challenges and Prospects in Real Estate Investing Fundamentals of Real Estate Financing Models Disentangling the Geography of Finance and Real Estate Real Estate Finance and Investment Fundamentals How the Mortgage Constant Works in Real Estate Finance Real Estate Finance Investments Risks and Opportunities Real Estate Equity and Debt Financing The Role of Banks, Equity Markets, and Institutional Investors in Developing Real Estate Policy Framework for Building Sustainable Real Estate Markets Real Estate Market Developments the Financial Sector Protecting Value in Real Estate: Managing Investment Risks The Language of Commercial Real Estate Finance Choosing a finance research project topic in real estate has never been made easier than this for here are 20 excellent topics you can consider using or modifying for your own project. These topics are quite easy to work on due to the large amount of research materials out there covering each and every outlined topic. As stated earlier, more help is on the way in getting you started on writing your own project and this will be in the form of a sample research project which takes its direction from one of the topics provided on the list. Sample Essay: The Impact of a Fluctuating Economy on the Real Estate Industry The real estate sector is one that plays an important role in the quality of life experienced in a country and this is why governments all around the world ensure that policies are put in place to help its citizens secure real estate for both commercial and residential buildings within legal frameworks. My research paper will focus on exploring the impact of a nation’s economy on its real estate sector, using facts and figures to show that fluctuations in any economy will affect the pricing and cost of owning a home in the affected society. The real estate sector has always been responsible for a considerable amount of a nation’s GDP and in China, statistics show that an increase in the pricing of real estate structures and lands led to an increase in the reported GDP in that time period. These studies which were conducted in 2009, showed that due to a growth in China’s economy, expenditure from its real estate sector accounted for 7.5% of its GDP- up from 3.5% in 1997- which inevitably led to an increase in the pricing of its real estate assets by approximately 16% between the years 1997 to 2009. Also, in the United States, the great recession which occurred between the year 2007 to 2009 saw a 5% drop of the US GDP and this led to a corresponding loss in the value of real estate assets in the US by approximately 20 to 50% across board. The great recession not only led to a loss of real estate value but massive foreclosures due to inability to re-pay loans occurred across the country. And by 2009, the foreclosure problem was so bad that the US witnessed more foreclosures than marriages through the year. The banking sector- which is the financial backbone of the real estate sector- also follows the fluctuation trend outlined above. Studies show that during a time of economic growth, commercial banks look favourably on extending loan facilities to aid real estate purchases while in times of recession, the opposite occurs. An apt example was the availability of 100% loan facilities made available for buyers during the economic boom of the 90’s and the gloom that followed after during the 2007 recession. This trend is the one that continued for generations and does not look like it’s going to stop anytime soon. Thereby proving that the status of a nation’s economy influences its real estate industry in direct proportion and a strong economy will give birth to a solid real estate sector just as a weak economy will negatively affect the value of real estate assets during the same duration. Due to the fact that the primary lenders - banks - of money to the real estate industry as well as unemployment rates and job cuts reflect negatively on a nation’s GDP and this trickles down across all industries including the real estate sector. Here we come to the end of the 2nd article in our series on research project topics on the subject of finance in real estate. We hope this article provided some answers to your questions and for more clarification on writing a project, do not hesitate to read the third article in the proposed series as well as our initial piece 10 facts on finance research. References: Baker, H Peter, C. (2012). Public Real Estate Markets and Investments, 170-175. https://books.google.com.ng/books?id=ltf1AwAAQBAJpg=PA175lpg=PA175dq=real+estate+finance+and+investments+pdfsource=blots=K_z9ncTJersig=WeBvUdBfGLnKwi2rvVwRrX3ILxohl=ensa=Xved=0ahUKEwi0jdq405nOAhVpCsAKHTaXCho4ChDoAQhIMAY#v=onepageq=real%20estate%20finance%20and%20investments%20pdff=false Tracey, S. (2007). Introduction to Real Estate Finance and Investment. http://classic.marshall.usc.edu/assets/031/8122.pdf Wang, K. (2007). The Interaction between Real Estate and National Economy. Coulson, E. Kim, S. (2000). Residential investment, non-residential investment and GDP. Real Estate Economics, 28(2). Geng, X. Xie, C. (2006). Research of relationship between Chinas real estate investment and the national economy. National Bureau of Statistics. (2006). Chinas fixed asset investment statistics Code. Beijing: China Statistics Press. Emoh, I. Nwachukwu, C.   (2011). Critical Issues In Real Estate Finance as an Index in Building Construction Project Management Success in Nigeria

Free Essays on Homeless

In the article, â€Å"Are the Homeless Crazy,† from the book, Rachel and Her Children, which was published in 1988, Jonathan Kozol challenges the widely accepted claim that homelessness is a result of deinstitutionalization that took place in the 1970s. Jonathan states that â€Å"those who work among the homeless† believe the principal cause of homelessness is economic, due to the shortage of low income housing, and wages to lease them. They cite decreasing welfare benefits to families with children, and the lack of entry-level jobs to justify their claim. Jonathan further explains that every year low income housing units are being converted to condominiums and office buildings, an effect of the â€Å"accelerated gentrification of our major cities,† while the families in the remaining units are being charged more rent, forcing many into the streets. He indicates the results of a study published by the Massachusetts Medical Society, that mental illness only ac counts for 12% of the illnesses among the homeless, excluding alcohol and drug abuse. He believes that mental illness in the United States bears a â€Å"stigma,† that society assumes the homeless are mentally ill because it is easier for us to blame the problem on an uncontrollable mental illness then to accept responsibility and try to help, and we do not want to feel guilty for renting or purchasing those newly renovated condominiums. Jonathan argues that mental illness does not make people homeless that being homeless make people mentally ill. He gives an example of a woman protesting the eviction from her home, on a Manhattan traffic island who was ridiculed as a â€Å"paranoid in the street,† by a reporter, who lacked any psychiatric training, and yet no one offered to help her. Jonathan thinks that we are too hesitant to judge, he points out that some psychiatrists believe that not showing anger, after being evicted, would be a greater illness. He concludes t hat politicians... Free Essays on Homeless Free Essays on Homeless In the article, â€Å"Are the Homeless Crazy,† from the book, Rachel and Her Children, which was published in 1988, Jonathan Kozol challenges the widely accepted claim that homelessness is a result of deinstitutionalization that took place in the 1970s. Jonathan states that â€Å"those who work among the homeless† believe the principal cause of homelessness is economic, due to the shortage of low income housing, and wages to lease them. They cite decreasing welfare benefits to families with children, and the lack of entry-level jobs to justify their claim. Jonathan further explains that every year low income housing units are being converted to condominiums and office buildings, an effect of the â€Å"accelerated gentrification of our major cities,† while the families in the remaining units are being charged more rent, forcing many into the streets. He indicates the results of a study published by the Massachusetts Medical Society, that mental illness only ac counts for 12% of the illnesses among the homeless, excluding alcohol and drug abuse. He believes that mental illness in the United States bears a â€Å"stigma,† that society assumes the homeless are mentally ill because it is easier for us to blame the problem on an uncontrollable mental illness then to accept responsibility and try to help, and we do not want to feel guilty for renting or purchasing those newly renovated condominiums. Jonathan argues that mental illness does not make people homeless that being homeless make people mentally ill. He gives an example of a woman protesting the eviction from her home, on a Manhattan traffic island who was ridiculed as a â€Å"paranoid in the street,† by a reporter, who lacked any psychiatric training, and yet no one offered to help her. Jonathan thinks that we are too hesitant to judge, he points out that some psychiatrists believe that not showing anger, after being evicted, would be a greater illness. He concludes t hat politicians...

Legal Brief Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Legal Brief - Case Study Example The verdict in this case, is to determine whether it is illegal to advertise through commercial emails using multiple domain names to avoid spam filter (Supreme Court of California). Internet is global networkings in computers, which enable millions of world populace to communicate and access information. Referring to a case on Reno v. civil liberties union (1997) 521 U.S. 844 for internet to operate, each connected entity must have a unique identity called IPA. However, because it is a bit difficult to recall IP addresses, internet community came up with domain names system to serve the same purpose. The domain names directly identify the individual or the organization (Supreme Court of California). In 2007, Craig E. kleffman filed a suit against Vonage holdings corp. in the District Court under section 17529.5 of Professions Code only to loss to Vonage (Supreme Court of California). Kleffman claimed that Vonage holdings had sent him eleven emails on the same subject from different domain names tracing back to Vonage marketing agent. By doing this, Vonage managed to trick the spam filter and internet service provider that was responsible for monitoring the number of sent emails from individual domain name. He concluded that Vonage deliberately created multiple domain names to reduce the number of emails from each domain name and at the same time tricked the internet service providers that the emails originated from different senders. Vonage use of several domain names is misleading and untrue because it does not identify the right sender. However, the case was dismissed because kleffman did not give any occurrence of misleading or false information in the content of any of the emails. Kleffman however, appealed to the court of apples, which under the California rule of court 8.548 the ninth Circuit, asked them to decide. â€Å"In accordance to section 17529.5(A)

Family Food Menu Simulation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Family Food Menu Simulation - Assignment Example It is therefore important to note that this is a better that can help in the making of the life better by reducing the individual’s spending habits in a family and thereby making life to seem less costly (Hatmut, 2007). Another important point that cannot go without highlighting is that this paper delves on the people or families that are living in the poverty threshold. Family threshold can be defined as the minimum and the lowest level of income that is considered in a given economy. This is the lowest wage rate that is paid in a given economy and so the paper discusses how these families that are falling in this category can manage to survive and make ends meet in their normal life situation and also how they can eat healthy meals that are also nutritious for the better of their health. This paper has therefore provided reliable information concerning this and has even provided a menu that such families can use for the whole week to eat healthy meals (Hatmut, 2007). In the selection of the family profile, the profile that will be appropriate for the discussion in the paper is a profile that has four people. In this profile, it is important to highlight that the make up for the family is that there is one male, one female and two children. It is also important to highlight that the ages are that the adults, that is the male and the female are at the ages of 20 to 50 years and that the children are at the ages of 8 years and 15 years of ages. It is quite important to note that in nutrition concept, there is need for the consumers to determine their meals of consumption based on the age. This is so because of the differences in the rates of the body metabolism that they undergo in the living (Hatmut, 2007). Age is a vital factor that should always be put into consideration before the preparation of any menu for the family. It is also important to note that besides the age factor, it is also important to note that

Distributive Justice Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Distributive Justice - Term Paper Example The benefits are obvious in that everyone potentially has the same chance and ability as a result of the use of distributive justice. The drawbacks are also clear however, in that this approach means that the individual’s property may not in fact be theirs, which can lead one to potentially question the idea of the individual’s right to own property in the United States today. Robert Nozick would argue that while there is a place for government that place should not extend to property. He promoted the idea that the majority cannot take from the minority unless they agree to it. Justice was outlined with three principles by Nozick, the principle of justice in acquisition, principle of justice in transfer and principle of the rectification of injustice. These principles were all sound, and when presented with a set amount of property and an increasing population the principle of transfer becomes important. Each individual may share what they have however; none of the indi viduals can be forced by the governing body to do so. Each individual can purchase property or trade for property from another but no individual can be forced to do so. Nozick stated, â€Å"The principle of distribution in accordance with moral merit is a patterned historical principle, which specifies a patterned distribution† (156). With less government intervention as he sees it is possible to see some parts of society have more property than another, however, if everyone is working to provide for and purchase property with the intent of generating either personal gain or simply a stable life for one’s family unit than these patterns as Nozick says would adjust themselves based on need and the natural tendency of society as an entity’s to grow and change. The principle of justice in acquisition was directly connected to the principle of justice in transfer for Nozick. He saw that some people steal, defraud, enslave, seize and utilize force to exclude others f rom competing. It was his idea that none of these were beneficial or right. However, contrary to his approach and views regarding the right or wrongness of these others actions he still supported the use of state based decision making with regards to what is fair or not. He wrote, "Social and economic inequalities are to be arranged so that they are to be of greatest benefit to the least-advantaged members of society." And yet he also believed that stealing, defrauding, enslaving and more were wrong. If we use a distributive approach as he would have us do we are in fact ensuring that the less fortunate will gain much needed items, however, we are also ensuring that the state is made to forcibly or through the threat of force take from others to supply this. While the idea of distributive justice is a fair minded one it is a difficult approach to rectify when attempting to prevent civil crimes or crimes against the individual. We see by looking at Nozicks approach that it is impossi ble to promote absolute equality without taking from someone which in turn immediately discards the idea of equality. While the balance has been accomplished with product and property there will now be impropriety within the system of law which translates to inequality within the law. This approach would in effect cause the state to be a criminal simply by its

Low employee satisfaction in Air Arabia

Low employee satisfaction in Air Arabia Air Arabia was launched in 2005 as one of the initiatives in low cost carriers segment in Middle East. Over the period of time it was able to build up a remarkable company name in the market along with a firm financial record of its own. After introducing problems related to Political, Social, Environmental and Technological (PEST) aspects of Air Arabia, this part concentrates on analyzing these problems with the help of basic organizational behavior theories. The report is divided in four sections, each one for Political, Social, Environmental and Technological aspects. In each section, OB concern of the problem followed by the problem from the case and the explanation is mentioned. People: Problem Statement: In previous section we discovered a problem that employees in Air Arabia were not satisfied with the low financial benefits provided against their high performance. Problem Highlight: Performance based Incentives Performance based incentives: This is a problem of pay for performance scheme. In pay for performance or say performance based incentive system, employees are rewarded in accordance to their performance. Now the problem is that employees can never be satisfied with the outcome of this particular form of reward system. This can be understood by Equity theory. Equity theory states that employees use to compare their position (here rewards) with those of other employees. So even an organization remain transparent in distributing incentives, until unless the employees themselves become satisfied in light of equity theory, the problem like the incentive problem in pay for performance scheme in Air Arabia remain standing.  [1]   Problem Statement: One of the major problems associated with employees is that company is not able to provide them with long term commitment regarding their performance appraisal and work effectiveness bonus. Problem Highlight: Performance Appraisal Performance appraisal: Performance appraisal is the measure of evaluating the performance of the employees. In air Arabia, the performance appraisal system presently in use incorporates the number of task and time limit of those task accomplished by the employees are recorded  [2]  . This forms the basis of the performance appraisal scheme in the company. (Performance-related pay, 2005) Now the problem in this scheme is that this does not count the quality and situation under which work is carried out. For example, in Air Arabia, the performance scheme is same for sales and administrative staff. Now administrative staff has clear work functions to follow whereas sales staff has to undergo filed work which is more challenging. The targets for sales staff are tougher to achieve than those of administrative staff. Thus the performance appraisal scheme in Air Arabia is not satisfactory and requires other schemes like 360 degree scheme etc  [3]  . Problem Statement: The case shows that Air Arabia exhibits problem of workforce management due to workforce diversity. Problem Highlight: Diversity Diversity: Leaders and managers in Air Arabia do not handle the workforce diversity effectively. In their effort to manage the diversity, they go with equal treatment strategy. In this strategy, each of the employees is treated equally irrespective of its cast, color, race and language they speak. This looks quite fair in first look but the approach is not helpful in country like Dubai. The country has people of different religion and cast, speaking different languages and has different educational schemes and mental aptitude  [4]  . Now the problem is some particular type of employees are always advantageous of this equality approach. For example, the work force of India is more fluent in English than the natives of UAE. UAE culture gives emphasis on Urdu and not English. Now because of low proficiency in English and the equality approach in diversity management, UAE natives are mostly under-rated than few foreign classes of employee. This introduces a sense of dissatisfaction and un-happi ness towards the job. Problem Statement: employees of Lufthansa Air went on strike to improve their working conditions. Problem Highlight: Work Environment Work environment: Work environment is a major constituent of an effective organizational culture. The work environment not only constitutes the physical constituents of the location but also the culture of the work like senior-subordinate relations, type of communication etc  [5]  . The situation here shows that the employees of Lufthansa Air are not satisfied with the work environment and went on strike. The actual reason for the dissatisfaction was companyà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s pressure to work more than the required 8 hours to answer the increasing competition in aviation industry. This decision was not welcomed by the staff as it resulted in more hastiness in job and thus resulted in improper work conditions in the company. (Listening, the Doorway to Employee Commitment, 2005) Environment: Problem statement: Air Arabia had to reduce some of its other expenses like HR expenditure and to make it possible it has reduced intake of employees that had increased work pressure over presently working employees tremendously. Problem Highlight: Work Environment and Employee Shortage Work environment and employee shortage: The problem here is of bad work environment due to excessive work load because of lesser number of employees. The problem was resulted due to high oil prices which forced the company to shrink the workforce. This shrinkage resulted in high pressure on present work culture and thus decreased efficiency of work environment. Problem Statement: High operational cost which is internal factor of employee malfunctioning causing external effect over organization. Problem Highlight: Employee Inefficiency and Lack of Motivation Employee inefficiency: Lack of motivation The employees in Air Arabia were found to be less efficient and thus the company was compiled to increase its fare to sustain pressure of increasing oil prices  [6]  . The main cause of this problem can be lack of motivation in the employees towards the companyà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s growth. If the employees would have been more motivated, they could have been more efficient and thus the problem of price hike because of high operational cost could have been prevented. This is a clear case of less motivated work force. (Listening, the Doorway to Employee Commitment, 2005) Problem Statement: Most of its employees have to work under pressure basically for the sustainability of the organization which has raised the level of employee dissatisfaction in the company Problem Highlight: Employee Dissatisfaction Employee dissatisfaction: There are a number of competitors of Air Arabia in low cost aviation industry which forces employees to work harder with limited resources. This results in greater employee dissatisfaction towards the workplace and more employee turnover rate. Technology: Problem statement: But all these technical advancements have an upper limit beyond which it cannot be stretched, and at that point employee performance comes into picture and has to be taken to its best possible level. Problem Highlight: Employee Training Employee training: The problem here is that when new technology is introduced in the company to cut operational expenses, the work and expectation from the employees also changes a lot. So there is a clear need to employee training. Employees are needed to be trained at new technology so that they are able to be a part of companyà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s cost cutting scheme. Employee training is a necessary part of any organization which needs to be happen periodically  [7]  . Structure: Problem Statement: as employee commitment is an important issue and it cannot be handled by the organization without proper structuring and it is also one of the important issues faced by Air Arabia Problem Highlight: Leadership Leadership: In the case, we found that employees are not committed to the organization. This is the responsibility of the leader to keep the faith of the employees in the organization. Thus the company needs its leaders to take more active role. The leaders in the company need to motivate the employees and to maintain the commitment of the employees in the company. The structuring component in this problem is more of a requirement of a leader  [8]  . Problem Statement: Upper management is facing a problem to retain its entire structure which is similar to the case of Lufthansa Airways. There may be a need for an improved format of organizational behavior needed in this regard that can be provided with the help of proper training Problem Highlight: Training Training: The problem here is that due to the high instability of labor market in airline industry, the company is unable to maintain its talent pool which again is introducing instability in its organizational structure. This instability is supposed to be handled by reducing job turnover rate by more motivational training to its employees  [9]  .

Mythical American Dream Challenged in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesm

Mythical American Dream Challenged in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman      Ã‚   Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman challenges the American dream. Before the Depression, an optimistic America offered the alluring promise of success and riches. Willy Loman suffers from his disenchantment with the American dream, for it fails him and his son. In some ways, Willy and Biff seem trapped in a transitional period of American history. Willy, now sixty-three, carried out a large part of his career during the Depression and World War II. The promise of success that entranced him in the optimistic 1920's was broken by the harsh economic realities of the 1930's. The unprecedented prosperity of the 1950's remained far in the future. Willy Loman represents a uniquely American figure: the traveling salesman. Every week, he takes a journey to stake his bid for success. It would be difficult to miss the survival of the American frontier mentality in the figure of the traveling salesman. The idea of the American dream was heavily influenced by the rush for gold and land in the nineteenth-century American West. It is no coincidence that in the 1950's, the decade most preoccupied with the mythical American dream, America experienced an unprecedented love affair with Westerns. Willy and Linda try to build their own version of the American dream with their family. In high school, Biff was the all-American boy as the captain of the football team. True to the myth of the all-American boy, girls and admiring friends surrounded him. Willy and Linda's lives are full of monthly payments on possessions that symbolize that dream: a car, a home, and household appliances. The proliferation of monthly payments allowed families with modest incomes to h... ...une promised by the American dream. He cannot admit doubt or insecurity because a good salesman always remains confident, and the American dream promises success to the confident, eager individual. Death of a Salesman addresses Willy's struggle to maintain his identity in the face of narrowing hopes that he or his sons will ever fulfill his dreams. Works Cited Baym, Franklin, Gottesman, Holland, et al., eds.   The Norton Anthology of American Literature.   4th ed.   New York: Norton, 1994. Corrigan, Robert W., ed. Arthur Miller.   Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1969. Florio, Thomas A., ed. â€Å"Miller’s Tales.† The New Yorker.   70 (1994): 35-36. Miller, Arthur.   The Archbishop’s Ceiling/The American Clock. New York: Grove Press, 1989. ---.   Death of a Salesman.   New York: Viking, 1965. ---.   Eight Plays.   New York:   Nelson Doubleday, 1981.

Critical Analysis of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of Nigeria 2007

CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT OF NIGERIA 2007: AN OVERVIEW BEING ASSIGNMENT SUBMITTED ON PUBLIC FINANCE (BKF 624) (FIRST SEMESTER COURSE WORK) BY ALAJEKWU UDOKA BERNARD 2008 162 001 MSc PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF BANKING AND FINANCE FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES ANAMBRA STATE UNIVERSITY LECTURER: DR. EZEABASILI V. N. OCTOBER, 2009 Page 1 of 19 ABSTRACT Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 was designed to regulate and supervise the fiscal activities of public office holders in the country.This paper critically analyses the effectiveness and efficiency of the implementation of the Act; the machinery for implementation; the powers and tenor of the members of the Fiscal Responsibility Board; the appointment of members of the Board; Fiscal policy/activity uniformity in/among the various tiers of government; the fiscal control on borrowing; the key features of the Fiscal Responsibility Act; the consequences of the Fiscal Responsibility Act; the pr otection of officeholders, among others.The paper hoped that Nigeria’s Fiscal Responsibility Act will strengthen the nation’s financial reporting and ensue better management of its resources. The paper then concluded that the FRA provided the much needed deterrent to stop public officers dipping their hands in the states till and then made some recommendations for improvement. Page 2 of 19 Introduction Following the incessant misappropriation, mismanagement, and lack of stewardship and accountability in the nation’s public sector, the Fiscal Responsibility Bill was proposed for consideration by the President Obasanjo administration through the then Minister of Finance – Prof.Okonjo-Iwuala N. The Bill was passed into law in 2007 as the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007. The Fiscal Responsibility Act provides for a body known as the Fiscal Management Council that comprises the Fiscal Responsibility Council and the Governing Board. The Council is charged with the responsibility of monitoring and enforcing the provisions of the Act to ensure accountability, transparency and prudence in the management of the nation’s resources by all tiers of government, government corporations or companies and agencies. Therefore, the Fiscal Responsibility Council is the regulatory and supervisory body in the public sector.By this Act, it is expected that the Public Sector would have a definite regulatory structure to act as watch dog on the activities of the public office holders and as checks on financial encroachment between/among tiers of government. This is expected to bring sanity and responsiveness into the public sector and among the various tiers of government in Nigeria. The Fiscal Responsibility Act (2007) is a law to â€Å"redirect government at all levels to imbibe a fiscal behaviour that will promote prudence and sound financial management in the system† (http://www. udgetmonitoring. org/ Page 3 of 19 Spotlights/2007/02/26/News 11618/). The Fiscal Responsibility Act seeks to ensure that the Federal Government will never commit itself to spending money without ensuring that it has the necessary funds in place to begin with (Nwanma, Vincent, 2007). Afemikhe, (2005:6), fingered the poor performance of the public sector despite abundance of mineral resources in the country and blamed all on corruption and mismanagement.Posited thus: â€Å"how is it that a country with abundant human and natural resources, that held so much promise at independence and was trumpeted with significant economic achievements in the decade following the oil boom has so rapidly fallen from grace to grass and indeed appears to have completely lost its way and its focus? The answer lies in the twin evils of corruption and poor public expenditure management†. Afemikhe was not alone in accusing Nigeria of poor management, Africafront. om/news also decried our polity thus: â€Å"our fiscal policies have been largely characterised b y poor planning, massive waste and wrong priorities. We have rarely failed to match our fiscal responsibility acts with the right policies thereby making effective and efficient service delivery impossible†. The site maintained that the FRA is a fundamental action to attack fiscal inconsistency and indiscipline from the head to the root. It is noted that the Fiscal Responsibility Act (2007) â€Å"†¦ aims to ensure fiscal accountability, check corruption, monitor the budget processes and call Page 4 of 19 ublic officials to order†¦ ; it does not appear that there is one final act that should hopefully put the final nail on financial rascality in government (http://www. budgetmonitoring. org/Spotlights/2007/02/26/ News11618/). Nwanma, Vincent, (2007) was of similar view when he asserted that â€Å"no-one expects that it (FRA) will end high-level corruption at a stroke†. According to then Anambra State Commissioner for Finance (2007), Eze Echesie, â€Å"I donâ €™t think any single law can stem or stop fiscal rascality but we have tried to ensure the elements of consensus building in this bill†.Nath Nwabueze, a lecturer in finance at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri warned that the Fiscal Responsibility Act would not cure Nigeria’s problems of high-level corruption and poor budget planning unless it was properly enforced (Nwanma, Vincent, 2007). At worst, the Act will â€Å"commit chief executives at all tiers of government to a set of efficient rules for economic management by providing set standards for the planning and control of public expenditure instead of leaving it to the whim of either the president or state governors.The Act will also facilitate parliamentary and public scrutiny of economic and monetary information and plans; bring a long-term focus to budgeting and thereby minimise risk and fluctuations in government monetary operations and policy (www. africafront. com/news). Page 5 of 19 Statement s of the Problem Nigerian fiscal policies have been largely characterised by poor planning, massive waste and wrong priorities. This they claim spring from corruption and poor financial management.The Fiscal Responsibility Act was enacted with the aim of checking these anomalies in the system. The extent to which the law can do this is not known, therefore, it becomes imperative to analyse the content of the law to ascertain its workability within the Nigerian context. Objectives of the Study The paper aimed critically analyse the contents of the Act in order the pinpoints its possible strongpoint and defects. It will also identify and appraise the basic features of the Act to ascertain its workability in the country.Machinery for Implementation The Fiscal Responsibility Act (2007) has its focal point as the prudent management of the nations resources anchored in accountability and transparency with the establishment of a Fiscal Responsibility Commission to ensure the promotion, imp lementation and enforcement of the Act. One good feature of the Act is that it â€Å"†¦ also have a mechanism through which it can be adequately enforced because our greatest problem in this country is not making laws but enforcing them† (www. budgetmonitoring. org/Spotlights). Page 6 of 19The Fiscal Responsibility Act (2007) they said is â€Å"the first time in the history of Nigeria where an enactment is accompanied with a body to enforce/implement such policy†¦ † (www. africafront. com/news). Therefore, the problem of constitutional battle as to who is responsible for enforcement as may be witnessed in some aspects of financial corruption cases where the EFCC and ICPC may have to be involved in one and/or similar cases. This clash may mar efficiency and at worst, the purpose of such law. This problem was avoided in the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007.Powers and Tenor of the Members of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission A body corporate with perpetual succ ession was established and known as the Fiscal Responsibility Council. This body can sue and be sued in its name and is responsible for monitoring and enforcing the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act as well as promote the economic objectives contained in S. 16 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; see S. 1(1-3). The Fiscal Responsibility Act gives the Council independence and immunity in the performance of its functions; see S. (2 & 3). The immunity might cause the members to indulge in ultravires acts and make them â€Å"untouchable† and â€Å"small gods† during their stay in office. Some officeholders may use them to witchhunt their enemies. Therefore, they will be more effective and fair in their judgements if they are answerable to their actions during their stay in office. Page 7 of 19 The Fiscal Responsibility Act gives the Council powers to establish and maintain a fund for the purpose of defraying its expenditures including amount pa yable to the members of the Board of the Council.The major sources of fund for the council include budgetary allocation from the Federal Government, grants from others sources. The funding of the council is a mandatory obligation of the Federal Government; see S. 4(2) . Being that the Commission gets its funds from mandatory Federation Account Allocation; the presidency will have minimal influence on their actions; though the presidency appoints the Chairman (see S. 5) The Act states that the Chairman and members of the Board shall hold office for a single term of four (4) years; see S. 5(5).This may mar continuity since all the board members have to vacate office at the same time. S. 10 of the Act mandate the Board to prepare and submit an annual report containing its activities including all cases of contravention investigated during the preceding financial year, and shall include in the report a copy of its audited report and account for the preceding financial year. This section of the Act makes the body to be â€Å"forcefully† accountable and transparent to the public. This implies that any corrupt fiscal activity not uncovered before the end of a certain financial year under which such ncidence occur might make the public to view the body as corrupt in themselves and be probed. Therefore, for the sake Page 8 of 19 of personal reputation, the members of the board might want to be transparent in their dealings. Also, the Act requires the Board to submit an audited annual financial report to the National Assembly. This checks the Board’s financial excesses and may put them on track of financial transparency. This Act builds up a regulatory framework for the fiscal affairs of public office holder with the Fiscal Responsibility Council (FRC) as the regulator; see S. 7(5). But the Act did not give express powers the FRC to demand financial returns and to do onsite financial supervision on the financial affairs of the Federal, State and Local Gove rnments and their agencies and corporations. The body will be more effective and efficient if they could check financial affairs of public office holders in the manner the CBN, the NDIC and the SEC do to banks and other financial institutions and firms whose securities are traded on the floor of the .Stock Exchange Market. Appointment of Members of the Council The Act states the each zone of the federation shall produce one representative for the Board of the Commission. It gives the State Governors of each zone the prerogative of nominating the representative; see S. 5(2e). This Act did not state the quantification and social standing of this member. This may cause the nomination to be based on political rather than academic and Page 9 of 19 social factors.This is capable bringing in politicking into the nomination as some political office holders may want to use the position as a spy and protection against his/her anomalies in office during his/her tenor. Fiscal Uniformity The Act states that the States and Local Governments shall plan the management of their fiscal affairs within the medium-term framework as prepare by the Commission for the Federal Government; see S. 17 (1). They may modify the provisions of sections 11,12,13, 14, 15 and 16 as appropriate for them. Virginia Major in www. budgetmonitoring. rg/Spotlights posited that it is important that the Act apply to all levels of government equitably. The Act sets out a general framework for budgetary planning, execution and reporting that is applicable to all levels of government. It was expected that through consultation with states and councils, the Act will set general targets and limits for selected fiscal indicators for the country with specific sanctions for non-compliance. Also it aims at high transparency and reporting standards for all the levels of government (www. budgetmonitoring. org/Spotlights).In view of that the President – Umaru Musa Yar Adua immediate after singing the bill int o law commented thus: Page 10 of 19 †¦ â€Å"I have assented to the Fiscal Responsibility Bill after due consultation with the State Governments whose support and concurrence is critical to the successful nationwide implementation of the provisions of the law (Nwanma, Vincent, 2007). The President – Umaru Musa Yar Adua further said that if the states governments in the federation pass equivalent laws it will tighten up their budgeting procedures at the state level.Therefore, for the Fiscal Responsibility Act to be effective, the reforms it introduces must also be adopted at state level. The Act religiously set out rules with the core objective of committing all tiers of government to a well-defined and structured economic regime which would ensure economic growth and maintain economic stability. Daily Independent (Lagos), (2009) reported that the apathy being displayed by many state government with respect to passing the Fiscal Responsibility and Public Procurement (FRP P) laws in their domains is both inexplicable and disgraceful.It said that for more than two years later – and despite the repeated urging of the Federal Government, civil society groups and well-meaning Nigerians – response by many states remains tepid and perfunctory. A report recently released by the Secretariat of the Governors’ Forum in Abuja indicates that only 11 states have so far passed the Fiscal Responsibility Page 11 of 19 Bill into law, while 12 have enacted the Public Procurement Law (Daily Independent, 2009).Both laws are designed to ensure prudent management of public resources and enthrone accountability and transparency in the conduct of government business by curbing corrupt behaviour. The states reported to have passed and signed both bills into law are Abia, Bauchi, Cross Rivers, Delta, Ebonyi, Gombe, Kaduna, Kogi, Ondo and Osun. Three states governors have not forwarded any of both bills to their houses of assembly for legislative work to c ommence on them. They are Akwa Ibom, Edo and Enugu states (Daily Independent, 2009).It may be noteworthy to state here that the Act will be more effective and efficient if all the tiers of governments could adopt and practice the contents of this Act. Fiscal Control on Borrowing S. 49 (1) states that any government in the Federation or its agencies and corporations desirous of borrowing shall, specify the purpose for which the borrowing is intended and present a cost-benefit analysis, detailing the economic and social benefits of the purpose to which the intended borrowing is to be applied.Nwanma, Vincent (2007) described this as â€Å"strict controls on government borrowing†. He said that this will make it more difficult for the Federal Government and the state government to borrow money at random in Page 12 of 19 order to plug unexpected gaps in funding. And it specifically bars government from borrowing money to fund routine items of recurrent expenditure such as staff sal aries. Henceforth, the federal and state governments will only be allowed to borrow money to fund new capital expenditure projects such as power stations and oil refineries and new human development projects.Furthermore, they will only be allowed to borrow on approved terms, laid down by the Fiscal Responsibility Act. These are designed to guarantee that all new government loans are contracted on competitive terms – at reasonable rates of interest and with excessive fees and commissions. The new law imposes conditions on new borrowing which are designed to ensure that any government agency contracting a loan will have the means to repay it. If all borrowings are tied to cost-benefit analysis, government projects will tend to be selected based on their contribution to economic development.This will aid the achievement of the (Vision 2020) of the President Yar Adua administration. Protection of Office Holders According to one time Anambra State Commissioner for Finance (in 2007 ), Eze Echesie, the Anambra state government opposes the bill (when it was proposed) on the grounds that it is against the principle of fiscal federalism Page 13 of 19 practiced in Nigeria. According to him, â€Å"the bill should be restricted to the national level, which is, planning and budgeting as they relate to the Federal Government. It should not cover the state†.He further added that the Association of Commissioners of Finance in Nigeria are opposed to the bill saying that: â€Å"We will end up sending commissioners of finance to jail – and we have said that we do not want to go to jail. He pointed out that a state governor makes all the financial decisions †¦ but while the governors enjoy immunity, the commissioners – who are the accounting officers and execute government policies – do not. † www. budgetmonitoring. org/Spotlights The Act gives the President, State Governors, Local Government Council Chairman and the Members of the Boa rd immunity during their stay in office.But, the Minister of Finance and Commissioners of Finance at the state level are (and the treasurer at the Council level) not given immunity during their tenor. This they see as a flaw since the Minister, Commissioners of Finance and treasurer of the Local Government are responsibility and accountable for public revenues and spending. The Nigerian fiscal policy allows the presidency and state Governors to most times, spend monies without the approval of the Minister or Commissioner of Finance. Www. budgetmonitoring. rg/Spotlights noted that correcting the fiscal responsibility of the commissioners of finance will affect the efficacy of the laws at the state level. Page 14 of 19 Consequences of the FRA 1. Firstly, it should avoid a fresh build up of external and internal debt to the point where the Nigeria government can no longer meet its repayment obligations. The president (or through the Minister of Finance) on the advice of the Debt Manage ment Office is expected by the Act to set limits on borrowings for Federal, State and Local Governments with three months to the commencement of this Act; see S. 7 (1). This set limit forms the basis for external and/or internal borrowing by all tiers of government. Any government that does not meet this requirement cannot borrow more fund internally or externally; see S. 47 (7). 2. Secondly, it should improve the chances of government projects being funded and completed on schedule. The Act makes case for planned projects. It requires that projects be properly planned and budgeted for. This includes the cost-benefit analysis and time frame for completion of the project, which have to incorporate due process.This means that the office holder who initiates a project must state in objective term its success before ever embarking in it. (All men are answerable to projects they started whether still in the office or not). Key Features of the Fiscal Responsibility Act The Act provides fo r a comprehensive budgetary planning process derived from Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF). This is a tool for Page 15 of 19 linking policy, planning and budgeting over the medium-term – usually three years – at a government wide level.An MTEF takes account of government’s long and medium term strategies and the resources available to meet objectives over a three year time span. It also allocates resources to strategic priorities among and within sectors and it commences with the preparation of a macroeconomic framework and guidelines. It equally ensures that annual revenues and expenditures estimates are consistent with its provisions, which requires that rules on cost, cost control and evaluation of results of programmes financed are observed.The MTEF will be updated annually to reflect policy and macroeconomic changes. The principal components of the MTEF are as follows: medium-term revenue framework; medium-term expenditure framework; fiscal strategy paper spelling out the fiscal strategy for the planning term; medium term sector strategies with projects and programmes linked to long and medium term plans, which will, in turn, feed into the annual budget ad submission of a comprehensive Appropriation Bill ensuring all parameters are abided by.Already the MTEF is being implemented at the federal level. The Act seeks to codify this comprehensive planning framework (Minister of Finance – Nenadi Usman). Page 16 of 19 Conclusion The Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 has provided a yardstick for financial prudence, accountability and transparency that might engender continued economic growth and development. It is the first law in the country to be backed up with a body for implementation. It is also designed to harmonise and encouraged economic planning and control mechanism.Planning we know is sine qua non to success, therefore, we may say that the beginning of constitutional, conscious, objective and harmonised economic planni ng through the Medium Term Expenditure Framework is a step toward sustainable economic development for the nation. The Act has put a strategized stop to excessive, unarticulated and uneconomical borrowing that most times ends in accumulated debts that drag the nation backward. The Act touches crucial areas in our political and economic life that incite and nurture corrupt practices. We can say that the Act is capable of abating corruption in the country.All in all, it is hoped that Nigeria’s Fiscal Responsibility Act will strengthen the nation’s financial reporting and ensue better management of its resources. As such, it will provide the much needed deterrent to stop public officers dipping their hands in the states till. Page 17 of 19 Recommendations 1. The immunity given to the members of the Fiscal Responsibility Council should be removed. As a regulatory and supervisory body to the fiscal activities of public officeholders, they should operate as the CBN, NDIC and SEC who monitors the activities of banks and security markets respectively with office immunity. . There should be a permanent secretary for the Board who shall also be an employee of the Council. Since all the members of the Board are made to vacate office at the same time (capable of marring continuity), the secretary will act as a returning office as well as secretary of the Board. 3. The Act should make provision for express powers for offsite and onsite supervision of public officeholders. Page 18 of 19 References Afemikhe, S. O. (2005). Budget Implementation and Value for Money: The Due Process Experience. Ibadan: Spectrum Books Ltd.Daily Independent(Lagos), (2009). Nigeria: The Fiscal Responsibility Disgrace. 15 September. http://allafrica. com/comments/list/aans/post/id/20090915 0578. html. FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY BILL: RISING HOPES IN THE HORIZON http://www. budgetmonitoring. org/Spotlights/2007/02/26/News11618/ http://www. africafront. com/news/136/group_urges_nigerain_gove rnment_to_en force_the_fra. html Nwanma, Vincent (2007). Fiscal Responsibility – Don’t Spend Money Unless You Have It. http://www. budgetmonitoring. org/Spotlights/2007/12/13/ News12271/ Page 19 of 19

Essay on sociologyEssay Writing Service

Essay on sociologyEssay Writing Service Essay on sociology Essay on sociologyPart A. Family types in the U.S.: univariate analysisThis research is devoted to studying race and ethnic differences in family types and the role played by race-ethnic group poverty status in relation to these differences. One of important family characteristics is family type. In this research, three family types are considered: married couple family household, female headed family household with no husband/father present and male headed family household with no wife/mother   present.The total number of families in the census are 72,229,668. Table 1 contains the descriptive univariate statistics for family type variable. 76.8% of families belong to the type married couple family household and the remaining 23.2% of families are either male-headed or female-headed household. In general, it can be concluded that a predominant number of families (more than 3/4) are married couples.Part B. Race-ethnic differences in family type in the U.S.: bivariate analysisAnother important variable in this study is race-ethnic group, which is determined according to the self-identification of an individual, and can have the following values: Non-Latino White, Black, Latino, Asian and American Indian. Table 2 contains bivariate analysis of family type distribution by race-ethnic groups. The statistics for race-ethnic group is the following: there are 71,178,610 families total, 74.10% of them are identified as non-Latino Whites, 11.54% of them are Black, 3.41% are Asian, 10.17% are Latino and 0.79% are American Indian.Family type distribution notably varies across race-ethnic groups. The largest rates of married couples (as opposed to families headed by single parents) are among non-Latino Whites 82.6% and Asian 81.5%. The rate of married couples for Latino and American Indian families is significantly lower and constitutes 68.4% and 63.1% accordingly. The lowest percentage of married couples is among Black families only 47.1%.The statistics for race-ethni c groups pertaining to the rate of families headed by a single parent is inverse to that describing married couples: the rate of single-parent families is the highest for Black families 52.9%, is moderate for American Indian and Latino 36.9% and 31.5% accordingly, and is the lowest for Asian 18.5% and non-Latino Whites 17.4%.Part C. Family type and poverty status: bivariate analysesThird variable in this research is poverty status, which is identified by the family income and is classified into four categories: poor income below poverty threshold, near-poor family income within the boundaries of poverty threshold and 1.5*poverty threshold, middle family income between 1.5*poverty threshold and 5*poverty threshold, and comfortable family income above 5*poverty threshold.Table 3 illustrates bivariate analyses of the relationship between family type and poverty status. This table bases on the analysis of 72,229,689 households; 9.11% of them are classified as poor according to i ncome level, 7.05% have near poor income, 51.78% have middle income and 32.06% have comfortable level of income.The percent of married couples notably increases along with family income category: the highest rate of married couples is among families with comfortable income level 90.7% and the lowest is among poor families 41.0%. The rate of families headed by single parents has a strictly inverse relationship: the largest proportion of such families is among poor families 59% and the smallest rate of single parent families is among families with comfortable level of income only 9.3%.The pattern observed in table 3 is absolutely consistent with Zinns claim that proportion of married couple families increases among high socioeconomic status groups. There are significant differences in the rate of married couples among different socioeconomic status groups, and the highest the status of the group is, the higher the rate of married couples in this group is. The rates of married coup les for socioeconomic groups aligned by the increase of income level (poor, near poor, middle and comfortable) are 41.0%, 57.2%, 77.1% and 90.7% consequently; this sequence illustrates a distinct upward trend.One way in which socioeconomic status of a family can affect its likelihood of having a married couple is the lower probability of divorce among higher socioeconomic groups: financial stress and pressure belongs to one of the most significant stressors, and couples unaffected by this stress are likely to stay together for longer.Part D. Race-ethnicity and poverty status: bivariate analysesBesides considering the relation between socioeconomic status of families and the rate of married couples, it is important to analyze the distribution of poverty status for different race-ethnic groups. Table 4 contains bivariate analysis showing the distribution of poverty status across different race-ethnicity groups.The number of poor families is the smallest among non-Latino Whites (5.4%). One more race-ethnic group which has low number of poor families are Asian families (9.7% of poor families). The highest number of poor families is among American Indian families (21.8%) and Black families (21.5%). The rate of poor families among Latino families is also high 19.9%. Non-Latino Whites and Asian families also have the lowest rates of near poor families 5.2% and 7.2% accordingly, while the highest rate of near poor families is among Latino families 14.9%.The number of middle income families is comparable in all race-ethnic groups; it is slightly higher for non-Latino Whites and Latino families (52.1% and 52.8% accordingly) and is the lowest for Asian families 47.5%. As for families with comfortable income level, their rate is notably higher for non-Latino Whites (37.4%) and Asians (35.7%), and is the lowest among Latino families 12.5%.In general, it is possible to distinguish between non-Latino White and Asian race-ethnic groups which tend to have higher incomes a nd higher rates of married couples, and Black/Latino/American Indian race-ethnic groups which tend to have lower incomes and lower proportions of married couples (as it was shown in Table 3). Latino families are slightly better off, while Black and Indian American families are more vulnerable to poverty more than other race-ethnic groups. The patterns in Table 4 are similar to the relationship between the rate of married couples and race-ethnic group. Hence, hhe results shown in Table 4 support the claim that race-ethnic differences in socio-economic status might account for race-ethnic diversity in the proportion of married couples families.Part E. Married couple families in each race-ethnic group at different levels of poverty status: multivariate analysisIn order to assess whether the impact of poverty status is the only factor shaping race-ethnic differences in the proportion of married couples families, it is necessary to perform multivariate analysis of married couples rate an d race-ethnic group controlling for family status. Table 5 shows the results of this analysis.The data indicate that race-ethnic socioeconomic status is not the only factor affecting race-ethnic differences in family types. Indeed, if socioeconomic status was the sole factor determining race-ethnic differences in family types, there would be no significant differences among married couples rates for different race-ethnic groups with the same poverty level. However, there are very notable differences among the rates of married couples in different race-ethnic groups controlled by poverty. Among poor families, the highest percent of married couples is among Asian families (66.8%) and the lowest is among Black families (17.8%). A similar trend can be witnessed for other socioeconomic groups: among families with near poor income level, the highest rate of married couples is among Asian (75.3%) and the lowest is among Black families (36.9%). Among middle-income families, the highest rate of married couples belongs to non-Latino Whites (81.3%), closely followed by Asian (80.0%). The lowest rate of middle-income married couples is among Black families (53.9%). Among families with comfortable level of income, the rates are high for all race-ethnic groups, with the highest rate being among non-Latino Whites (92.1%), followed by Asians (88.7%), while the Black families still have the lowest rate of married couples (76.4%).The data clearly indicate that family income does influence the number of married couples, as the rate of married couples notably increases with the increase of socioeconomic status for all race-ethnic groups. At the same time, there are other social factors influencing the rate of married couples since there are significant differences between race-ethnic groups for the same family income level. In particular, it is possible to state that Asians are likely to have one of the highest rates of married couples regardless of their income level, while non- Latino White families are highly likely to live as married couples only for middle and comfortable income levels.Black families have considerably lower rates of married couples compared to other race-ethnic groups at all levels of family income. There might be multiple social causes of this alarming phenomenon. One of such causes might be the level of education among the members of Black families which might be lower compared to other groups. At the same time, education level is often related to income so it might be the consequence of the relationship between the rate of married couples and family income level. Another plausible cause of low rates of married couples among Black families might be the combination of two factors: high prison rates among Black men (which reduce the pool of potential partners for Black women) and the increasing percentage of interracial marriages between Black males and non-Black females (this trend also reduces the pool of potential husbands for Black women).Part F. Discussion and conclusionAccording to Maxine Baca Zinn, there exists such phenomenon as racial stratification. The differences in the patterns of reproductive and productive labor which have emerged historically have led to the differences in the social position and access to social resources between the representatives of different race-ethnic groups. These differences which are not directly attributable to race but largely to the functioning of social institutions and their historical legacy are referred to by Maxine Baca Zinn as racial stratification.Furthermore, the author states that racial stratification has a notable impact on families, and there emerges a significant link between race and family in the United States. Indeed, the author emphasizes that racial stratification leads to different social positioning of families, creates distinctive patterns in the locations of families. In addition to this, the structure of social opportunities and their accessibili ty vary for different race-ethnic groups, and therefore influence development and social integration of families.Maxine Baca Zinn also points out that the changes in racial composition of the society have a strong influence on family structure and on the development of family as a social institution. In particular, the author emphasizes Black families as an important social indicator of the general social processes, and states that many family behaviors which have emerged among middle-income families of non-Latino Whites were actually common for Black families for a long time, but were considered as deviant or improper earlier. Maxine Baca Zinn argues that family is changing as a social institution and shows that there is an important relationship between race and family in the United States. As racial composition of the society is changing, family institution will also respond with changes and transformations.The results of data analysis exercise are mostly consistent with Baca Zin ns argument about the relationship between racial stratification and family. In the short-term perspective, the assumptions of Maxine Baca Zinn are likely to be correct: there are notable differences in the rate of married couples among race-ethnic groups, and some of these differences are clearly related to socioeconomic position (which is, according to Baca Zinn, associated with race and ethnicity). Indeed, the patterns common for Black families seem to be significantly different from non-Latino Whites and Asian, with the patterns for American Indians and Latinos being in between the two extremes.At the same time, in order to assess whether the data support or refute Baca Zinns claims, it is necessary to explore the dynamics of changes in the rate of married families by race-ethnic group during a long-term period of time. Baca Zinn emphasizes that the changes of racial composition of the society lead to the changes in family status, and the most appropriate way to assess this woul d be to collected data for 10- or 20-year period. However, in the short-term perspective the findings of the data analysis largely support Baca Zinns claims.

great gatsby essays

great gatsby essays The characters in The Great Gatsby illustrate that, by the 1920s, the American Dream is deteriorating. Through symbolism, F. Scott Fitzgerald shows that the lost generation brought with it the deterioration of the American Dream. Immigrants from all over the world, at the beginning of the twentieth century, came to America with the hopes of establishing new lives different from the way they lived in Europe and other parts of the world. America was that land where anything was possible. People who lived in poverty, without any way of making their lives better, could come to America and start over. Dreams could come true in America. Well-paying jobs and nice houses, complete with white picket fences, were ideals that exemplified the American Dream. Gatsbys vision is like the American Dream itself, the illusion that youth and beauty can be forever recaptured if only one can make enough money. He is the symbol for the whole American experience. Gatsby, who is in love with Daisy thinks that by turning materialistic, he can win her over. He thinks that money alone will be enough to fulfill an ideal, which shows what the American Dream had come to mean to people in the 1920s. Daisy is a depiction of the American woman of her class. She is beautiful and charming but yet very hollow. Her apparent emotion is only the illusion of love, just as her voice gives only the fallacy of sincerity; behind it is a self-satisfied smirk. Jay Gatsby never really accepted or was content with his parents who were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people(Fitzgerald 104). At seventeen years old, Gatsby changed his name from James Gatz to Jay Gatsby, and to this conception he was faithful to the end(104). In this way, Gatsby erases his past and his parentage in a very superficial manner. The name change serves as a transition for Gatsby in the same way immigrants had naive innocence and idealistic ho...

Team paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Team - Research Paper Example One of the technological risks associated with Coca-Cola Company (which is a global business) is in terms of the cost. This is the cost of installing the new technology like internet cables. This is a concern especially in most third world countries where internet connectivity has not reached or people there do not know how to use it. This therefore means that the company has to incur extra cost in training the local staff (who are usually the majority) and also costs of installing the internet connectivity cables. The costs may be too high and this poses a risk to the company of having less than expected profits or taking too long to reach the targeted profit and meet the goals (Bouchet et al. 2003). The other technological risk is job displacement. This is common nowadays with the increase in technological inventions that employ the use of machines and not human beings. The machines like for cleaning bottles and packaging carry out the work that previously was being carried out by hundreds of workers. This therefore means that the workers will have to let off and only few to operate the machines will be required. The risks is in terms of the company being sued for terminating people’s contracts which may cause the company millions in damages hence the company ends up running a losing business or has to shift to another country which is still expensive (Bouchet et al. 2003). The introduction of internet in the company has exposed the country to risks of hacking of their systems. Technology has seen the rise in hackers who target the finance and management sectors and hence expose the company’s management and financials. The hackers may be employed by rival competitors or may just want to expose the company’s dealings. Some of these hackers steal money from the company and hence poses a risk to the business. All these risks that are brought about by technology make it hard for it to enforce some new

Job Analysis and Job Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Job Analysis and Job Design - Essay Example It states the duties and responsibilities of various people in a particular job. The statement of work is a document that defines and captures the work activities, timelines, and deliverables that vendors must execute in their performance of a particular job. In the HR management, job analysis is valuable since it aids in the preparation of sound human resource policies and practices. That is because job analysis provides a deeper comprehension of the behavioral requirements of a particular job thus playing a significant role in the defense of HR employment practices. Besides, job analysis improves the management of a company since it helps in human resource planning. The process also provides information on methods of recruiting and selecting employees who can best fit the job requirements. Moreover, the process is essential in HR management since it guides the compensation and performance appraisal of the employees. The reason is that it provides clear-cut principles of performance for each job that can be used to determine pay surveys and appraising workers that perform their duties and responsibilities appropriately. Job design refers to the specification of content, structure, methods, relationship and configuration of the jobs to satisfy both the organizational, technological, social and personal requirements of a jobholder. Job design involves putting together different elements to form a job while considering the organizational, health, safety, and the individual worker requirements. The process involves integrating all the job responsibilities and specific qualifications that are needed to perform the same (Shantz, Alfes, Truss & Soane, 2013). In the human resource management, job design is essential since it improves the management of an organization thus enabling it to perform its activities in an efficient and effective manner. That is because it provides