Shylock should be Pitied or Condemed - 1663 Words

Shylock is a man more to be pitied then condemned. To what extent do you agree with this statement? Be sure to refer to details of the play in your response. In the historic play â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† written by William Shakespeare, Shylock is one of the main characters who I have great pity for. Therefore I agree with the above statement that Shylock should be more pitied than condemned. Throughout the play we see Shylock involved in many different incidences and it is unknown whether he is a victim or a villain in most cases. Shakespeare leads me to make a final conclusion by showing me different incidents that Shylock is involved in the play. Shakespeare helps me to gather this conclusion through the use of many different literary†¦show more content†¦Jessica is not the obedient daughter that Shylocks take her for. In Act two Scene three, Jessica is seen talking to Launcelot, secretly telling him that she plans to become a Christian like Lorenzo and will become Lorenzo’s wife. This is very disrespectful to me because it’s a horrible thing to go behind your fathe’rs back. I find this to be ve ry harsh because Shylock invested all that he had in her so wonder how he felt when he had found this out. Although her diction reveals that, she feels some type of guilt, â€Å"Alack, what heinous sin is it in me to be ashamed to be my father’s child†, Jessica rejects her father, his way of life, his religion and stole a great deal of his wealth. Once again let’s think about the pain that Shylock must have went through. In Act two Scene five we see Jessica giving a final goodbye to her father as she speaks to herself, â€Å"Farewell, and if my fortune be not crossed, I have a father, you a daughter lost†. Here Jessica sadly says these words of betrayal to the back of her father who had just gave her orders to close up the house. Jessica also took Shylock’s most valuable possession, his late wife turquoise ring, and bought a monkey, Shylock was hurt by this the most,† Out upon her! Thou torturest me, Tubal: it was my turquoise; I had it of Le ah when I was a bachelor. I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys.† The image of a broken Shylock walking the streets of Venice crying out loud, â€Å"Oh my

Puerto Rico Essay example - 492 Words

Puerto Rico The Caribbean before the landing of Columbus served almost as a bridge between the north coast of South America and Florida for the Amazonian tribes in the south and the north american inhabitants. When Christopher Columbus on his second trip in 1493 landed in Puerto Rico and claimed it for Spain, he found the island populated by as many as 60,000 Arawak or Taino indians, which for the most part, were friendly compared to the Carib indians in some of the more southerly islands which were warlike and to some degree cannibalistic. The conquest of the island didnt take long, and the peaceful Tainos were put to the task as slaves for†¦show more content†¦In 1508 the first governor arrived, Juan Ponce de Leà ³n (who is more famous as the searcher for the fountain of youth and discoveror of the state of Florida). The island remained Spanish despite harassment and numerous conquest attempts by buccaneers and pirates and English and Dutch expeditions. To defend the island against these threats, two forts, El Morro and San Cristà ³bal,were built to guard the approaches to San Juan harbor. Defense of these forts foiled attempts by Sir Francis Drake in 1595, by another English fleet in 1598, and by the Dutch in 1625 to capture Puerto Rico for their respective empires. The defeat of the British in 1797 finally thwarted that countrys designs on the island, and the Spanish colony was kept intact. During the 16th to the 19th century Puerto Rico was characterized primarily by underpopulation, poverty and neglect by Spain. It was mainly a garrison for the ships that would pass on their way to or from the other and richer colonies. During this time as much as 10 or 11 years would pass between the arrival of ships from Spain and as trade with other countries was prohibited, the islandShow MoreRelatedThe And Puerto Rico1864 Words   |  8 PagesPuerto Rico is an archipelago that is currently a territory of the United States of America with its official name being, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; however, it is often referred to by Puerto Ricans as Borinquen, a term derived from the name given to the island by its original Taà ­no natives, Borikà ©n. The Taà ­no natives were the last group of people to live on the island unphased by the outside world and are also the most well known pre-columbian settlement of Borinquen due to the greater numberRead MorePuerto Rico Ess ay2075 Words   |  9 PagesPuerto Rico is an island located in the northeastern Caribbean Sea, which is an unincorporated territory of the United States. The islands of Puerto Rico were acquired by the United States in 1898, where Spain ceded the islands to the U.S. In 1917, the Jones Act declared Puerto Rico to be an â€Å"organized but incorporated† territory of the United States, and granted US citizenship to all the residents who wanted it. An â€Å"unincorporated territory†, according to the US Supreme Court Insular Cases, ofRead MoreThe Independence Of Puerto Rico1407 Words   |  6 PagesPresident Truman was an indication that Puerto Ricans would use any necessary means to gain independence. Puerto Rico has been a territory of the United States for almost a century. The citizens of Puerto Rico have always had different views on whether they want independence or greater autonomy. The following essay will focus on the commonwealth status of Puerto Rico and the attempted assassination of President Truman. The commonwealth status of Puerto Rico between the 1950-1952 was with limitedRead MorePuerto Rico Statehood2998 Words   |  12 PagesPuerto Rico Statehood Composition 2 (11 am) Decmeber-02-2010 Formal Outline Topic: Puerto Rico Statehood Purpose: To encourage the US and Puerto Rican government to for more interest for Puerto Rico statehood. Thesis: As an American I feel our government needs to make more progress, and give more encouragement to Puerto Rico to become a state though education, and social learning. Introduction: Body: I Economics: A: Underemployment B: Taxes Incentives C: Effects on the economy II Political:Read MoreThe Americanization of Puerto Rico1056 Words   |  5 Pageson invading Puerto Rico and driving out Spains rulers, Puerto Ricans welcomed the North Americans to their home. (To view an in-progress work dealing with the Spanish-American War from a pro-colonial expansion point of view, visit this site/ For an objective historical account view this site). The Puerto Ricans were tired of not having a voice in politics and government and with the knowledge that America was a democracy, there was hope that this status quo would change. Although Puerto Ricans feltRead MoreThe Issue Of Puerto Rico1542 Words   |  7 PagesPuerto Rico is a territory of the United States since 1898 and in order to change that status citizens of the territory must vote in a plebiscite, a special referendum. The three options available to choose from were to become a state, to remain a territory, or to become an independent nation (Martin). In the November 6, 2012 plebiscite held in Puert o Rico, 54% of the population said that do not like the current commonwealth status of the island (Alexandrino). The next question offered to the populationRead MorePuerto Rico And Its Effects Essay1153 Words   |  5 PagesPuerto Rico is spanish for rich port. It’s history, landscapes, food, and climate make it a world class destination for tourist. Puerto Rico is a caribbean island with landscapes of mountains, waterfalls and the El Yunque tropical rainforest. It is one of the most densely populated islands in the world. Puerto Rico is 3,515 square miles which is three time the size of Rhode Island. The population of the island is 3,474,182 making it one of the most densely populated islands in the world. With aRead MoreThe World Of Puerto Rico Essay1082 Words   |  5 Pages Boriqua! is a commonly used term among the people of Puerto Rico when referring to themselves or their country. Puerto Rico, formerly known as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a U.S. Territory. It is a small island, only 100 miles long and 35 miles wide, located in the Caribbean Ocean. It is about 1,000 miles off the tip of Florida in between the Dominican Republic and the Virgin Islands. The climate is tropical and mild with little variation in the seasonal temperature. The country is composedRead MoreThe Country Of Puerto Rico2392 Words   |  10 Pages Larry W Dumas Jr Dr. Wilbert Karigomba World Geography 24 June 2015 Puerto Rico Puerto Rico is an island that is impacted by not having enough land for cultivation. The Three thousand four hundred and ninety-two square miles of this island is about seventy-five percent hills or mountains (Worldmark Encyclopedia of the States b). With the large amount of land consisting of hill or mountains, Puerto Rico has limited amounts of natural resources. While under Spanish colonial rule, the island was largelyRead MoreThe Politics Of Puerto Rico Essay1993 Words   |  8 PagesThe politics of Puerto Rico takes place in the framework of a republican democratic form of government that is under the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the United States as an organized unincorporated territory. As a republican form of government, the government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is divided into three branches: executive, legislative and judicial, as established by the Constitution of Puerto Rico. The executive power is exercised by the executive branch, which is headed by the Governor

Child Health for Infant Mortality Rates-myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theChild Health for Infant Mortality Rates. Answer: Introduction The right good health is a basic right that each and every individual has a right to, however children can be considered as the future of our society; hence the health status of the children must receive extra attention as a public health priority. Unfortunately, the health status of the children is the neglected alarmingly all over the world and this instrumental negligence has contributed alarmingly to the rapidly deteriorating health conditions of the children all over the world. It has to be understood that there have been a steady decrease in the health status of the children, and the statistics are even more alarming for Australia (Victora et al. 2012). Considering the statistical data from the past three to four years, the child mortality rates have decreased significantly from the past decade, however still, almost 70% of the total rate in the present can be contributed by the number of infant mortality rates. The total number of infant deaths in Australia had been 1012, and this ghastly status of current neonatal health status for Australia is one of the major public health concerns (Brinkman et al. 2012). However it has to be mentioned that the child death rate on an overall scale has decreased from 8.8% to 3.4% per 1000 live births, which is an appreciable effort over all. However it can not be denied that there is a significant room for more improvements and in order attain optimal health status for children a robust health improvement strategy will be required. This report will attempt to explore the health development goals and objectives for better child health status and evaluate the current status of child health in the h opes of gaining a better understanding of the escalating issue taking the example of Australia. Relevant MDGs and SDGs It has to be understood in this context that the child health status is nowhere near the requirement or primary outcome; there are many a restrictions or barriers which needs to be overcome in order to obtain the optimal health status for the children. Now there have been many a initiatives taken by both the global and national authorities to ensure improvements in the health of the public and progress in the health care industry as a whole (Wang and Lim 2012). One such global initiative or health improvements are the millennium developmental goals. Millennium developmental goals can be defined as the eight international developmental goals established by the United Nations, and out of those eight goals, number 4 and number 5 relate to the present health conditions of the children. Goal number four is to reduce the child mortality and goal number five is to improve maternal, and both the4se goals contribute directly or indirectly towards the health status of the children (Taylor et a l. 2015). Similar to MDGs, sustainable developmental goals are the set of global developmental goals developed by the United Nations as a follow up of the much broader millennium developmental goals. The list of sustainable developmental goals contains 17 separate goals that cater to the various developmental needs and requirements prevalent in the 193 member states of the United Nations. Among the different goals that has been set, goal three discusses the need for good health and wellbeing for all. For this goal to be met optimally for Australia, the nation is in dire need of emphasizing actions and initiatives for improving their child health status (Taylor et al. 2015). Key determinants There are various barriers to optimal child health all over the world, be it societal, environmental or economic, and the conditions in Australia is no exception to this phenomenon. According to the most of the authors, there is a distinct socio-cultural pattern of dominance on health and development and the socio-cultural factors, coupled with environmental restrictions are the key determinants of child health in Australia (Badland et al. 2014). Among the socio-cultural determinants, the advantages or discrepancies faced throughout their life contributes largely to the health status of different groups of children, and this gradient of societal privilege is mostly dependent upon the socio-economic status of the individual. The level of health literacy in the parental groups is also a key indicator of the health status of the children. According to a recent analysis of WHO, the parental and postnatal experience of the children contribute largely to the health status that they develop eventually. Lastly, the lifestyle or living conditions and nutritional status of the children also is a key indicator of the health condition they have all throughout their life (Riggs et al. 2012). National international literature According to the report of Fotso and Fogarty (2015), Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have been able to play a major role in focusing the Global attention of child development care in all parts of Australia. One of the major causes of the success is due to the fact that all the goals were set based upon the time bound scale. This was possible mainly due to the achievement alongside with sustainable development goals (SDGs). The child has been one of the major concerns in the goals of MDGs and SDGs. In case of Australia, the goal has been able to implemented depending upon the social and economic status of child health. Being one of the developments in the globe, it is easily possible to implement sustainable development in case related to personal development of the child and various aspect of the health. Requejo et al. (2015), have argued that one of the major challenges that have been faced in the method related to sustainable development of child health is to provide sustainable energy for the healthcare department. It is relevant to mention in this context that use of technology is one of the major aspects of child care health in Australia. The Millennium development goals have been able to deal with major severe child diseases that include genetic disorders. In terms of the Global, aspect the major achievement of MDGs and SDGs is in the context of eradication of a poverty that has helped to deal with one of the biggest challenge of child health care. According to the report of Requejo et al. (2015), one of the major achievement of MDGs is that the cases related to child mortality rate in Australia have been decreased to more than 50% in the last 10 years. It is also possible to collect in a funding from the government organization about improvement of child development care. This also relevant to mention that MDGs and SDGs have focused on maternal development care, which is believed to be one of the primary cause to have better health of newborn child. Arguments It is also possible to develop better monitoring system of the child health, which is responsible for improved level of Diagnosis. One of the major components of the millennium development is to track the condition of health in a child right after the moment of birth. The component of the goal has been successfully able to employ special child care experts in every Maternity work of Health Care Centre. This has made it possible for actively tracking the help of a child right after the delivery (Lay-Yee et al.2015). It is also possible to implement and develop civil society, which is needed from partnership with the World Health Organization and meeting up with the guidelines of child care development. One of the major important successes of the goal in MDGs and SDGs is related with the reduction of total number of patient in HIV or AIDS and malaria (Nigatu et al. 2014). This has been one of the major health issue encountered by young aged children in Australia. The implementation of the goals of Sustainable and Millennium development it is possible to significantly reduce the number of child patient suffering from deadly diseases. It is also possible to properly track the occurrence of AIDS among the pregnant women, which will reduce the chance of spreading of HIV to the children (Smith et al. 2014). All this goals is associated with sustainable development, that is believed to be one of the major effective way ensure that all health resources are being properly utilized in providing the best Health Care guideline for children (Glenton et al. 2013) Strategies In the recent years it has been reported that the levels of child neglect from the healthcare and abuse have increased in Australia. Protection of the children is everyones responsibility and for this protection Australian government has established a national framework for protecting the children for the year 2009-2010 (Currie and Reichman 2015). This framework is committed for the implementation of the actions which will help to protect the children and take care of their health. Australian government had also introduced some vaccines that are being approved by the therapeutic goods administration (TGA). This TGA used to monitor the safety of the medicines that are being used in Australia (Leyland et al. 2016). The country has various network or the health care communities which help in the development of the child. These organizations mainly aim for the improvement of the mental and physical health of the children for achieving the greater support for children who are facing the p hysical as well as the psychological problems. The government of state and territory are currently implementing the protection systems for the children. The national framework is used to deliver an integrated response without changing the responsibilities of the government. This framework also recognizes the existing efforts and the reform s that are being undertaken by the government of Australia for the protection of the children and supporting the families. The outcomes of this framework help to focus on the efforts of the framework and the actions provided by them under the rules of the government for reaching to the outcome of high level (Coyne, Hallstrm and Sderbck 2016). The Australian government offers some services for the vulnerable individuals also where the children can get help for mental health, misuse of the substances and reduction of the health risks. The National and international research shows that the families are having the strengths that will help in keeping the children safe, also to provide advice and support, to provide the proper services at the time of need so that the child can improve their personal behaviour and reduce the negative impacts (Makaroff et al. 2014). Conclusion Thus it can be conclude that the health status of the children must receive extra attention as a public health priority. There have been a steady decrease in the health status of the children, and the statistics are even more alarming for Australia. Millennium developmental goals can be defined as the eight international developmental goals established by the United Nations, and out of those eight goals, number 4 and number 5 relate to the present health conditions of the children. Similar to MDGs, sustainable developmental goals are the set of global developmental goals developed by the United Nations as a follow up of the much broader millennium developmental goals. The key determinants of the child health care are health and development and the socio-cultural factors, level of health literacy in the parental groups, the lifestyle or living conditions and nutritional status of the children also is a key indicator of the health. One of the major components of the millennium developm ent is to track the condition of health in a child right after the moment of birth. The country has various network or the health care communities which help in the development of the child. The outcomes of this framework help to focus on the efforts of the framework and the actions provided by them under the rules of the government for reaching to the outcome of high level. References: Badland, H., Whitzman, C., Lowe, M., Davern, M., Aye, L., Butterworth, I., Hes, D. and Giles-Corti, B., 2014. Urban liveability: emerging lessons from Australia for exploring the potential for indicators to measure the social determinants of health.Social science medicine,111, pp.64-73. Brinkman, S.A., Gialamas, A., Rahman, A., Mittinty, M.N., Gregory, T.A., Silburn, S., Goldfeld, S., Zubrick, S.R., Carr, V., Janus, M. and Hertzman, C., 2012. Jurisdictional, socioeconomic and gender inequalities in child health and development: analysis of a national census of 5-year-olds in Australia. BMJ open, 2(5), p.e001075. Coyne, I., Hallstrm, I. and Sderbck, M., 2016. Reframing the focus from a family-centred to a child-centred care approach for childrens healthcare.Journal of Child Health Care,20(4), pp.494-502. Currie, J. and Reichman, N., 2015. Policies to promote child health: introducing the issue.The Future of Children,25(1), pp.3-9. Fotso, J.C. and Fogarty, L., 2015. Progress towards Millennium Development Goals 4 5: strengthening human resources for maternal, newborn and child health. BMC health services research, 15(1), p.S1. Glenton, C., Colvin, C.J., Carlsen, B., Swartz, A., Lewin, S., Noyes, J. and Rashidian, A., 2013. Barriers and facilitators to the implementation of lay health worker programmes to improve access to maternal and child health: qualitative evidence synthesis.Cochrane Database Syst Rev,10(10). Lay-Yee, R., Milne, B., Davis, P., Pearson, J. and McLay, J., 2015. Determinants and disparities: a simulation approach to the case of child health care.Social Science Medicine,128, pp.202-211. Leyland, A.F., Pickett, K.E., Barber, S., McEachan, R. and Wright, J., 2016. Teacher-reported prevalence and management of child health problems at primary school.Journal of Child Health Care,20(2), pp.243-251. Makaroff, L.A., Xierali, I.M., Petterson, S.M., Shipman, S.A., Puffer, J.C. and Bazemore, A.W., 2014. Factors influencing family physicians contribution to the child health care workforce.The Annals of Family Medicine,12(5), pp.427-431. Nigatu, D., Gebremariam, A., Abera, M., Setegn, T. and Deribe, K., 2014. Factors associated with womens autonomy regarding maternal and child health care utilization in Bale Zone: a community based cross-sectional study.BMC women's health,14(1), p.79. Requejo, J.H., Bryce, J., Barros, A.J., Berman, P., Bhutta, Z., Chopra, M., Daelmans, B., De Francisco, A., Lawn, J., Maliqi, B. and Mason, E., 2015. Countdown to 2015 and beyond: fulfilling the health agenda for women and children. The Lancet, 385(9966), pp.466-476. Riggs, E., Davis, E., Gibbs, L., Block, K., Szwarc, J., Casey, S., Duell-Piening, P. and Waters, E., 2012. Accessing maternal and child health services in Melbourne, Australia: reflections from refugee families and service providers.BMC Health Services Research,12(1), p.117. Smith, A.C., Mutangiri, W., Fox, R. and Crofts, J.F., 2014. Millennium Development Goal 4: reducing perinatal and neonatal mortality in low?resource settings. The Obstetrician Gynaecologist, 16(1), pp.1-5. Taylor, S., Williams, B., Magnus, D., Goenka, A. and Modi, N., 2015. From MDG to SDG: good news for global child health?.Lancet (London, England),386(10000), p.1213. Victora, C.G., Barros, A.J., Axelson, H., Bhutta, Z.A., Chopra, M., Frana, G.V., Kerber, K., Kirkwood, B.R., Newby, H., Ronsmans, C. and Boerma, J.T., 2012. How changes in coverage affect equity in maternal and child health interventions in 35 Countdown to 2015 countries: an analysis of national surveys. The Lancet, 380(9848), pp.1149-1156. Wang, Y. and Lim, H., 2012. The global childhood obesity epidemic and the association between socio-economic status and childhood obesity.

International Political Economy

Introduction In the last two to three decades, the world has experienced unprecedented economic growth in all spheres of economy. Despite such encouraging progress in the economy, the gap between the poor and rich people has widened. The rich are getting richer as the poor get poorer.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on International Political Economy – World Systems Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Further, the world has moved to a more integrated and globalised economy where there is interrelatedness between nations of the world. Although such globalisation might ideally mean more prosperity for nations based on their increased accessibility and market interaction levels, it has instead acted to increase economic inequalities among societies and nations. In addition, at the global political stage, the powerful countries have amassed more power. Periphery countries are becoming less influential in th e political and economic realms. While trying to explain the growing disparities in wealth and power in the global political economy, different scholars have advanced different theories. Of the many theories and approaches, Immanuel Wallerstein’s world-systems analysis has been credited for its detailed analysis of the functioning of the world economy1. The theory incorporates different arguments from the existing knowledge in sociology, political science, and economics. However, it significantly shifts from the existing theories of economic development that focus on the nations as independent units that can traverse their own paths towards civilisation and modernity. This paper will analyse whether the world systems analysis has been able to explain successfully the wealth and power inequalities in the world. Further, it will discuss various criticisms that have been put forward against the approach.Advertising Looking for essay on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More World-Systems Analysis According to Makki, the world-system analysis, which is also referred to as world-system hypothesis, is a modern macro-sociological viewpoint that regards the changes of capitalism and world economy as a ‘total collective system’2. The theory draws from the tenets of historical sociology and economic history. It is also linked to Immanuel Wallerstein who is credited for building its credibility. According to Jones, developmental theorists have adopted the theory for its synthesis of developmental and unequal opportunities across the world. 3. Although the theory’s views on capitalism and the global economy differ from those expressed by Marx and Weber, these two theorists have offered a great inspiration to the theory. The main agenda of the theory is that the world as a whole plays an important role in determining the economic and social dynamics between and among natio ns. In other words, the theory emphasises the world-system as the main unit of social analysis. The theory is a shift from Marxist approaches that viewed the nation as the main unit of analysis in the global political economy. By world-system, the theory indicates the inter-regional and transnational divisions of labour that divide the world between the rich and the poor, and the powerful and the weak as Macedo and Gounari confirm4. Accordingly, Wallerstein views the world-system as a social system with no boundaries, structures, coherence, or rules of legitimating but rather a body that comprises conflicting forces that hold it together or threaten to tear it apart as each group tries to remould it to its advantage. Further, as an organism, the world-system has a life span. It changes over time while other characteristics remain constant. According to Harvey, its life is not only largely self-contained, but also has some internal developmental changes5.Advertising We will writ e a custom essay sample on International Political Economy – World Systems Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the world classification, nations are joined together through market financial system rather than through affairs of the state. In this incorporation of nations, the relationship is based on the exchange of goods and products that characterise a market financial system. According to O’Brien and Williams, although there is competition among polities to dominate the system, none lasts forever6. As a shift from the thinking of the 19th century with reference to society, politics, and economy, the world-system analysis criticises Marxist and other theories of economic development and approaches to modernisation. For instance, it criticises the modernisation theory for its focus on the state as the only unit of analysis. It claims the existence of one path through which all nations experience economic develo pment. It disregards the transnational structure that hinders local and national economic development. World-system analysis is a shift from the modernisation hypothesis, which holds that nations follow a given course and stages of development from pre-modern to modern states and that nations are accountable for their individual growth. Through small assistance to its internal strictures of economy, Wallerstein asserts that any nation can become modern just like other developed countries have7. As such, capitalism is an inevitable outcome of the previous failures of structures of economy such as feudalism since nations have progressed in their path to modernity.Advertising Looking for essay on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, world-system theorists disapprove this notion on capitalism. They view it as a deliberate move through which Europe came to dominate the world economy to create inequalities8. While explaining the inequalities in wealth and power, the world-system analysis views the world economy as having divisions based on the kind of labour each country or region offers and/or contributes to the system and market economy9. The theory regards the world economy as a body that comprises three groups of countries, that is, the core countries, semi-periphery, and the periphery countries. Core nations concentrate on capital–demanding and proficient work production as opposed to a wanting toil or raw-material assembly that is characteristic of semi-periphery and marginalised nations10. By focusing on proficient production, the mainstay nations govern the sidelined or marginalised nations. However, changes in the system mean that countries may lose or gain more on their status. In this ca se, Clark says that periphery countries may upgrade to semi-periphery and further to core countries11. At different periods, some nations may raise to hegemonic status in the system. For example, hegemonic status has passed from Netherlands to the Great Britain and then to the United States of America. World-System Analysis’ Approach to Power and Wealth Inequality As previously explained, the world-system analysis tries to explain the inequalities in the world by viewing the world economy as a single unit where division of labour among its members contributes immensely to inequalities in power and wealth. In this case, the countries that fall under the core category dominate the world economy since they control the means of production while the peripheral ones control labour. Tracing the history of the world’s economy from the start of capitalism, O’Brien and Williams see a trend where the world is constantly in a core/periphery economic relationship that began with Europe12. In this case, Gareau reveals that countries that controlled production were always more prosperous at the expense of those that supplied labour13. For more than 5 centuries, many European countries have been in the core countries category while the others such as African, Asian, and South American countries, which have historically provided labour for European nations, remain at the periphery14. According to Harvey, the most important structure of the present-day world system is what he refers to as power hierarchy between core countries and the peripheral ones. In this affiliation, powerful countries govern and take advantage of the underprivileged ones. Their driving force is to use unrefined ways of getting hold of the weak countries’ wealth. According to Goldfrank, in this equation, technology plays an important role in determining the category where each county falls15. The countries that have advanced technology such as the United States, Britain, Japan, and Germany among others form the core countries while the less technologically developed countries such as Kenya, Venezuela, and other third-world countries form the periphery. Over the years, the core nations have used their advantaged positions to amass great power both economically and socially over their disadvantaged nations as Tarrow reveals16. According to the world-system analysis, the core nations’ access to enormous financial resources by controlling the highly lucrative means of production implies that they are able to finance other core areas of their economy and standings in the global stage. For instance, looking at the hegemonic status of countries over the years, a peculiar trend emerges17. For instance, during the reign of the Great Britain in the 19th century, it controlled more than 85% of world’s industries. Further, it amassed great powers through its advanced military and superior economic status that allowed it to ‘acquire’ and colo nise many territories across the world. One of the main reasons of establishing colonies was to have a ready access of raw materials and a ready market of the finished products. In this interaction between the Great Britain as the core and its overseas territories as the periphery, it is evident that the interaction was not mutually beneficial. The Great Britain benefited more. It amassed more wealth and more power at the expense of the periphery countries18. In another case, during the reign of the US as the hegemony after the World War II, the nation accounted for more than 50% of the global finished products. The interaction between the poor and the wealth nations is characterised by unequal exchange. Unequal exchange refers to the systematic substitution of excess material possessions between sectors that lie in the peripheral category and the highly industrialised and powerful countries. The powerful homelands amass immense resources using marginal surplus. On the other hand, t he continuous deprivation of the periphery’s surplus leads to stagnated or reducing capital for those countries. The implication is that they are unable to break from the yoke of poverty to a higher economic status as a way of standing in the global arena. In the process of domination by the core nations, three key processes ensure that these countries amass power and wealth in the end. Firstly, it starts with productivity dominance where the core countries have control over technology and other means of production, which are not accessible to the periphery countries. In this case, as Macedo and Gounari confirm, with the superior technology and means of production, the countries can produce high superior products at a cheaper cost, thus tilting trade to their advantage19. As long as the periphery countries do not have access to such technology due to many factors, including capital resources, the core countries achieve dominance whereas the peripheral ones feed the core count ries’ productivity with cheap raw materials in exchange of expensive finished products20. The core countries’ act of accumulating more productivity powers leads to the second process of gaining power and wealth, which is trade dominance. According to Moore, since the cost of production is cheaper and hence able to benefit more from international trade, core countries easily dominate the trade21. The core nations control trade by selling, as opposed to purchasing, more of their products to other states22. Consequently, there is a favourable balance of trade for the core nations. With trade dominance, more money comes relative to the amount that goes out, thus resulting in economic supremacy. For instance, the US and European countries get a large percentage of the global monetary possessions. With strong financial resources, the core nations are able to invest more in activities such as education, economic diversification, healthcare, poverty elimination programmes, res earch and development, and military among other activities that ensure that they strengthen their dominant position in the world system. On the other hand, as Harvey says, the peripheral countries are characterised by underdeveloped technologies, less industrialisation, large populations of poor people, and high levels of illiteracy23. In addition, the peripheral nations are greatly influenced by the core nations through their multinational corporations. In many instances, they have to adhere to the economic policies of the former, although such policies are obviously skewed to the advantage of the rich ones as Firebaugh confirms24. Due to their focus on few financial means that involve the processing and selling of materials, marginalised states enjoy less fiscal diversity as compared to the major countries25. Further, there is a high availability of cheap and unskilled labour, which is exploited by the core nations through their multinational corporations. Since the peripheral cou ntries struggle to meet the needs of the people who have little financial resources, no surplus has been availed to invest in high-technology production activities that are done by the core nations. Further, due to the basic nature of the technology that is available for these nations, the high cost of production makes it difficult for them to industrialise. Consequently, such nations are locked in a vicious cycle where they are unable to expand beyond their focus on production of raw materials to feed the ever-expanding production capacities of the core nations. Therefore, with all the odds against the periphery countries, McCarthy asserts that it is difficult for the poor nations to prosper in the highly skewed world system that benefits the rich while exploiting the poor26. In many ways, the world-system analysis presents the bitter reality of globalisation where issues such as free trade and elimination of previous barriers of trade are advantageous for the prosperity of the â⠂¬Ëœworld-economy.’ However, upon further analysis, world-economy is a tool that is supported by the core nations as long as it benefits their interests in the world-system. It is evident that the notion that globalisation is beneficial to all countries is not valid in all its assertions as it has led to the increase of the difference between the underprivileged peripheral countries and the well-off major ones. In this case, globalisation has provided an opportunity for the rich to exploit the poor countries in an arrangement that benefits the former while disadvantaging the latter. Hence, the world-system analytical approach provides a detailed and a convincing explanation of the present-day power and wealth inequalities in the world. Criticisms of World-System Analysis Like any other theory, the world-system analysis has received a lot of criticism from different theorists and economic experts who are not satisfied with its main assertions. The first criticism is that unlik e other social theories that explain the economy and inequality in the society, world-system theory focuses on the economy and less on other important issues such as culture27. While this criticism is strong, it does not lead to a disregard of key concepts other than the world-system analysis. However, there is a need to find a way through which culture can be incorporated into the theory to make it more reflective of the social dynamics of the world economy, power, and inequalities28. Further, the theory is criticised for being overly core-centric. In this case, the critiques such as Gregory assert that Wallerstein concentrates on explaining why and how the core nations have amassed wealth29. At the end, he does not focus on the plight of the peripheral nations. Further, he does not offer elaborate solutions of how such inequalities and power can be eliminated30. However, this claim is not a valid argument since his reference to a ‘system’ is an indication of the fact that perfection can never be achieved. The theory compensates for this argument by pointing out that just like a system, the various changes that occur with time change the balance where the periphery and semi-peripheral countries change their status up and/or down the classification. Another valid argument by Hall is that by focusing on the world market and economy, the theory makes a great supposition by assuming the local class struggles and class divisions that play an important part in one way or another in the state and global economy31. Conclusion The world-system analysis satisfactorily explains the main causes of disparities in wealth and power in the global political economy. The theory views the world as a unitary system that is divided into core, semi-peripheral, and peripheral nations as dictated by divisions of labour between them. The core countries dominate the economy of the system through their focus on production of high-end finished products and high-skilled labo ur while others focus on low-skilled labour and production of raw materials. Accordingly, due to these differences between nations in the system, core countries exploit the poor nations for their raw materials, which create surplus in productivity. In this way, the key countries dictate business and monetary wealth at the disadvantage of the marginalised states that remain underprivileged. However, the theory has been criticised for its focus on the economy at the expense of other important factors such as culture and class struggles within individual nations. Further, it has been criticised for its focus on core nations whilst showing less attention to the peripheral nations. As such, a room has been left for expansion of the theory to address valid criticisms that have been advanced by its critics. Overall, the theory has been able to capture and explain the ‘politics’ of the global economy and the inequalities of power and wealth. Bibliography Clark, Rob. â€Å"Worl d Incoome Inequality in the Global Era: New Estimates 1990-2008.† Social Problems 58, no. 1 (2011): 565-592. Drainville, Andre. â€Å"Resistance too globalisation: The view from the periphery of the world economy.† International Social Science Journal 59, no. 2 (2008): 235-246. Firebaugh, Glenn. New Geographies of World Income Inequality. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2003. Gareau, Brian J. â€Å"Theorising Environmental Governance of the World-System.† American Sociological Association 18, no. 2 (2012): 187-210. Goldfrank, Walter. â€Å"Paradigm Regained? The Rules of Wallerstein’s World-System Method.† Journal of World-Systems Research 6, no. 2 (2000): 150-195. Gregory, Robert J. â€Å"What is World Systems All About? An Introduction for Human Ecologists.† Journal of Human Ecology 16, no. 3 (2004): 193-196. Hall, Thomas. A World-Systems Reader: New Perspectives on Gender, Urbanism, Culture, Indigenous People and Ecology. Oxford, UK: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2000. Harvey, David. A Brief Introduction to Neoliberalism. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2005. Jones, Bary R.J. â€Å"Globalisation and change in the Iiternational political economy.† International Affairs 75, no. 2 (1999): 357-367. Macedo, Donaldo, and Panayota Gounari. Globalisation and the unleashing of new racism: an introduction. Boulder: Paradigm Publishers, 2006. Makki, Fouad. â€Å"The Empire of Capital and the Remaking of Centre Periphery Relations.† Third World Quarterly 25, no. 1 (2005): 149-168. McCarthy, James. â€Å"The Financial Crisis and Environmental Governance ‘After’ Neoliberalism.† Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie 103, no. 2 (2012): 180-195. Moore, Jason. â€Å"Nature and the Transition from Feudalism to Capitalism.† The Journal of Fernard Braudel Centre XXVI, no. II (2003): 97-172. O’Brien, Robert, and Marc Williams. Global Political Economy: Evolution and Dynamics. 4th. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014. Tarrow, Sydney. â€Å"Transnational Politics: Contention and Institutions in International Politics.† Annual Review of Political Science 4, no. 1 (2001): 1-20. Wallerstein, Immanuel. â€Å"The West, Capitalism and the Modern World-System.† Review 15, no. 4 (1992): 561-619. Wallerstein, Immanuel. The Modern World-System I. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2003. Wallerstein, Immanuel. The Uncertainties of Knowledge. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2004. Footnotes 1 Immanuel Wallerstein, The Uncertainties of Knowledge (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2004), 8. 2 Fouad Makki, â€Å"The Empire of Capital and the Remaking of Centre Periphery Relations,† Third World Quarterly 25, no. 1 (2005): 149. 3 Bary Jones,†Globalisation and change in the Iiternational political economy,† International Affairs 75, no. 2 (1999): 357. 4 Donaldo Macedo and Panayota Gounari, Globalisation and the unleashing of new racism: an introduction (Boulder: Paradigm Publishers, 2006), 23. 5 David Harvey, A Brief Introduction to Neoliberalism (New York: Oxford University Press, 2005, 23. 6 Robert O’Brien and Marc Williams, Global Political Economy: Evolution and Dynamics (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014), 68. 7 Immanuel Wallerstein, The Modern World-System I (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2003), 307. 8 Andre Drainville, â€Å"Resistance too globalisation: The view from the periphery of the world economy.† International Social Science Journal 59, no. 2 (2008): 235. 9 Immanuel Wallerstein, The Uncertainties of Knowledge (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2004), 15. 10 Immanuel Wallerstein, â€Å"The West, Capitalism and the Modern World-System.† Review 15, no. 4 (1992): 561. 11 Rob Clark, â€Å"World Income Inequality in the Global Era: New Estimates 1990-2008.† Social Problems 58 (2011): 568. 12 O’Brien and Williams, 13. 13 Brian G areau, â€Å"Theorising Environmental Governance of the World-System.† American Sociological Association 18, no. 2 (2012): 204. 14 Andre Drainville, â€Å"Resistance to globalisation: The view from the periphery of the world economy.† International Social Science Journal 59, no. 2 (2008): 224. 15 Walter Goldfrank, â€Å"Paradigm Regained? The Rules of Wallerstein’s World-System Method.† Journal of World-Systems Research 6, no. 2 (2000): 153. 16 Sydney Tarrow, â€Å"Transnational Politics: Contention and Institutions in International Politics.† Annual Review of Political Science 4, no. 1 (2001): 8. 17 O’Brien and Williams, 19. 18 Fouad Makki, â€Å"The Empire of Capital and the Remaking of Centre Periphery Relations.† Third World Quarterly 25, no. 1 (2005): 158. 19 Macedo and Gounari, 22. 20 Goldfrank, 176. 21 Jason Moore, â€Å"Nature and the Transition from Feudalism to Capitalism,† The Journal of Fernard Braudel Centre XXVI ( 2003): 151. 22 Drainville, 237. 23 Harvey, 23. 24 Glenn Firebaugh, New Geographies of World Income Inequality (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2003), 42. 25 O’Brien and Williams, 45. 26 James McCarthy, â€Å"The Financial Crisis and Environmental Governance ‘After’ Neoliberalism.† Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie 103, no. 2 (2012): 188. 27 Makki, 158. 28 Harvey, 56. 29 Robert Gregory, â€Å"What is World Systems All About? An Introduction for Human Ecologists.† Journal of Human Ecology 16, no. 3 (2004): 194. 30 Macedo and Gounari, 13. 31 Thomas Hall, A World-Systems Reader: New Perspectives on Gender, Urbanism, Culture, Indigenous People and Ecology (Oxford, UK: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2000), 63. This essay on International Political Economy – World Systems Analysis was written and submitted by user Abr1l to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.