Strategic Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 3

Strategic Analysis - Essay Example Being in 62 countries, the company has employed over one hundred and eighty-two thousand people. They offer their services in their coffee shops, homes and even in offices. The flexibility has made them acquire the loyalty of many customers. They operate in the stock market and have the majority of the market shares (The New York Times, 2014, retrieved fromhttp://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/starbucks_corporation/index.html ). They have a variety of brands that help meet the varying demands of customers. Starbucks operates in a highly competitive environment with many and strong competitors. The coffee business has no entry limitations and therefore competition grows each day. Despite the situation, Starbucks has managed to remain competitive and providing its customers with high-quality products. Starbucks operates well-maintained stores in terms of health and comfort (Michelli, 2007, p. 22). Their neatness maintains their customers and attracts new customers too. The management in each of the stores is strategic. They have ensured that all the services offered are premium. The managers have ensured that their customers feel that the products are adapted and personalized. The comfort in the coffee shops has made them become social places and hence, attracting many customers. The many people meeting in the Starbucks coffee shops have been their largest strong point in terms of expanding and increasing their economies of scale. The organization is very selective when hiring their staff. Well-trained employees who have a sense of customer service run the corporation. They train their employees on a yearly basis, hence growing to the world’s leading coffee shop in terms of restaurant service. Starbucks trains their employees not only to make coffee but also on service value of the corporation. This has improved their employees’ productivity and innovation capacity. They motivate their employees through provision of medical covers and

Alternative ecocnomic futures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Alternative ecocnomic futures - Essay Example Larson Inc. should hedge itself against any adverse price movements and fluctuations. What Larson Inc. could have done is to buy its inputs in one country and at the same time sells a futures contract for the same amount of input. When the inventory is utilized, the company can buy back the futures contract. The price change occurring during the two transactions will effectively be cancelled by the mutually compensatory movements in the cash and the futures holdings. In this scenario, futures will provide insurance. Larsons Inc. is betting on the correlation between the spot and the futures prices to move together. Another use of alternative economic futures by Larson Inc. can be that of interest rate futures, which will help it to lock the future investment rate. The use of debt to finance its expansion needs and working capital expenses can protect it from any changes in the interest rates. For any anticipated upwards movement in the interest rates, Larson Inc. can buy the futures contract and pay the seller an amount that will be equal to the difference that it benefits from any rate that has been mentioned or committed in the futures contract. Similarly, if the interest rates fall the seller will compensate Larson Inc. at the expiration of the futures contract between the two parties. The foremost advantage is that for an American operation trading of futures in the Chicago Mercantile Exchange is easy. Since Larson Inc.

Top Down Approach To Water Resource Managment

Top Down Approach To Water Resource Managment Ever since the period of Enlightenment, scientists and academics have adopted a top-down approach to managing the environment and its associated resources. The downfall of this persistent ideology is that it solely values or prioritizes professional expert scientific knowledge as a basis for formulating environmental policies and guiding decisions concerning the environment (Smith et al, 2008). The consequences of prioritizing expert knowledge was that the local knowledge and experiences of the surroundings of people at the grass roots level, were not taken into consideration during decision making and was normally regarded as irrelevant (Smith et al, 2008). In the context of water resource management, this approach meant that the policies, plans and programs formulated were technical and exclusively scientific in nature, lacking the dynamics of the social realm and use of social theory (Smith et al, 2008). The technical nature of policies formulated proved to be locally unsustainable and unacceptable because water resource management is an area that deals with a resource that integrates basic human rights and is central to all life (Smith et al, 2008).Some examples of the consequences of this non-participatory approach to water resource management is the construction of large dams for water supply and irrigation which results in the displacement of thousands of intended beneficiaries or how some government have even intentionally used the water policies formulated under this approach, to harm the disenfranchised (Jansky et al, 2005) Along with being purely technical in nature and non-participatory, conventional water resource management approaches focused primarily on the supply of water resources particularly for development and other economically inclined purposes. 2.2 Supply-driven approach It has been recognized that the evolution of water resource management is greatly interconnected with the growth of the worlds population (Al Radif, 1999). Until the end of the 19th century, water resource management was primarily focused on the supply of water to users for agricultural, domestic and industrial uses which proved to be successful throughout the 19th century due to the low population growth during this period. This approach to water resource management known as the supply-driven approach proved successful because the available water resources during this time period were adequate to meet the needs of the population (Al Radif, 1999). As shown in the Figure 1 above, when the worlds population was approximately 2 billion in the 19th century the fresh water ecosystems basically functioned undisturbed as a user, provider of goods and services and a regulator of both water quality and quantity which assumed a sustainable approach was being implemented however, when the population grew to 3 billion over 60 years, the approach was quickly undermined (Al Radif, 1999). This was mainly due to the governments focus on the supply of water resources by diverting water resources from the original stores to new store pathways. The approach to water resource management resulted in the deterioration of water quality, stresses on water supplies and the degradation of water resources (Al Radif, 1999). 3. INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 3.1 Definitions, principles and objectives According to the Global Water Partnership (GWP) 2000, Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) is viewed simultaneously as a philosophy, process and approach which promotes the coordinated development and management of water and related natural resources, in order to maximize the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems (GWP, 2000 as cited by Funke et al, 2007). IWRM is also described as a guiding principle that necessitates the interdisciplinary, participative and strategic approach to managing water resources, stressing the co ordinate interaction between and within both human and natural systems with the aim of achieving sustainable development (Guipponi et al, 2000). Since there is no unambiguous and universally accepted definition the examination of the Dublin principles which form the core of IWRM, allows a clearer understanding of the key issues that define IWRM (Funke et al, 2007). The Dublin principles state that: The worlds fresh water is finite and a vulnerable water resource vital for human survival, development and the correct functioning of the environment. Water resource management should be a participative process involving all users planners and policy makers at all levels. Women play a key role in the management of water resources and therefore should be involved in decision making. Water should be recognized as an economic good. IWRM emerged in response to the sector by sector technical conventional water resource management approaches and is more holistic in that it recognizes the various dimensions of water and accepts that water comprises an ecological system formed by a number of interdependent components, where each component influences the other (Matondo, 2002). This recognition results in management directed to joint consideration of aspects for example water supply, water treatment and disposal and water quality (Mitchell, 1944). While water is a system it is also recognized as a component and therefore its interactions with other systems need to be taken into consideration as changes in one system may have consequences in the other, therefore IWRM is a much broader perspective or approach to managing water resources (Matondo, 2002). IWRM does not only take into consideration the complex interconnections of the human and natural systems, it has even broader interpretations as it considers the interrelationships between water and socio-economic development where the main concern is the extent to which the available water supplies is both an opportunity for barrier against economic development and how to manage the resource to ensure sustainable development (Mitchell, 1944). IWRM compared to conventional water management approaches, recognizes and accepts that water resource planning and management can have physical, social and economical impacts and is therefore multi and interdisciplinary involving a wide range of disciplines such as engineering, economics and social science (Matondo, 2002). The aim of formulating multidisciplinary teams in IWRM is communication to view the various perspectives on water resources to ensure the maintenance of ecological functioning and the conservation of water resources (Al Radif, 1999). 3.2 Bottom- up approach By the end of the 1980s the conventional supply-driven management approach proved problematic and incapable of delivering portable water and proper sanitation especially in developing countries. By the mid 1980s early 1990s, the realization and acceptance of the fact that actions at the grass root level is what makes or breaks policies, resulted in the popularization of a more participatory approach to environmental management termed the bottom-up approach (Smith, 2008). In context of water management, conferences held in New Delhi in 1990, Dublin in 1992 and Rio de Jeneiro in 1992 endorsed community participation which was officially adopted universally as a key guiding principle in sustainable water resource management (Smith, 2008).The 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Jeneiro specifically proposed that local communities should be involved in all stages of decision making with regard to the management of water resources to ensure that decisions made are locally appropriate, accepted and sustainable (Smith, 2008). The concept of involving communities in all stages of decision making such as policy and plan formulation and project and program implementation, were based on the fact that local people themselves are considered experts of their own local environment and therefore their knowledge should be highly appreciated (Smith, 2008). Unlike the conventional top-down approach, the bottom-up approach encourages local people to work together on environmental issues within their surrounding environment which consequently provides capacity building and empowerment opportunity to communities that are able to define their specific needs, wants and aims in relation to local water access and management (Smith, 2008). IWRM encompasses all aspects of the environment namely economic, environmental and social aspects however, the approach pays little attention to the ecosystems role as a provider of goods and services which resulted in the suggestion of an ecosystem-based approach (Jewitt, 2002). 3.3 Ecosystem-based approach Conventional water resource management approaches were typically a command control type of approach in the sense that it aimed to control the hydrological cycle through the construction of hydrological structures to harvest goods and services and produce predictable outcomes (Jewit, 2002). The reduction of ecosystem variation and functioning, decline in the goods and services provided by ecosystems and resilience of the systems were some of the consequences of adopting this approach (Jewit, 2002). The key components of the ecosystem based approach as shown in figure 3 include capacity building, partnership, policy and planning and the assessment of water resources (Al Radif, 1999).The correct functioning of ecosystems such as headwaters, wetlands and floodplains is vital for human survival since society derives a wide variety of important life sustaining benefits and biodiversity from these systems (Al Radif, 1999). In the context of water resources ecosystems regulate water quality and quantity, habitat resources and provide vital information to society (Al Radif, 1999).Additionally, ecosystems are highly complex systems and the exclusion of vital aspects of the system regarding the environment such as ecological functioning during decision making due to the poor understanding of the systems dynamics results in undermined and unsustainable decisions (Jewit, 2002).This lack of understanding and lack of political willingness to accommodate non-quantitative aspects of ecosystem dynamics results in an incapable management system (Jewit, 2002). An ecosystem-based approach to managing water resources is a realization that management systems need to be flexible anticipatory and adaptive to deal with the complexity of ecosystems. The approach is similar to IWRM however the approach prioritizes ecosystem functioning and its related goods and services (Jewitt, 2002). 4. IWRM IN DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES Despite the universal acceptance of the Dublin principles which form the core of IWRM, The effective implementation of IWRM in each individual country is dependent on the nature and intensity of the water problems that reside in the country (Funke et al, 2007). The argument put forward by the European Union regarding the five fundamental principles of good governance for the effective implementation of IWRM in each country, is not entirely relevant in developing countries as it is in developed countries (Funke et al, 2007). This is mainly because the situations that occur in developing countries differ on many levels compared to those that reside in developed countries (Funke et al, 2007). The openness, participation and transparency of governance in developing countries are hampered by more factors compared to developed countries such as illiteracy and widespread poverty and mistrust of government leaders (Funke et al, 2007). Lack of budgets and human resource capacities in developing countries create a gap between water resource management and the application of new legislations, strategies and institutions in practice and it is therefore clear that with the uniquely characterized problems that reside in developing countries, the solutions to managing water resources in developed countries will prove inapplicable (Funke et al, 2007). IWRM principles and practices therefore need to take into consideration the local conditions which reside in developing countries such as Africa, if the management approach is to prove sustainable in a long run (Funke et al, 2007). 4.1 IWRM in South Africa South Africa is recognized universally as being at the forefront of adopting IWRM as a water resource management regime (Jonker, 2000). The need for IWRM in the countries stems from climatic, historical and political perspectives all of which differ from developed countries and make the successful and effective implementation of IWRM a challenge (Jonker, 2000).From climatic perspective large parts of the country is water limited due to the low average and highly variable rainfall received in the country. The inequitable patterns of both industrial and agricultural development from a historical perspective and the apartheid social engineering and planning legacy from a political perspective, resulted in the unequal access to and use of water resources and more concentrated water demands in particular areas of the country (Jonker, 2000). An additional challenge to IWRM in South Africa aroused when the citizens of the country took part in a national democratization process and now have the growing need to participate in decision making processes at all levels (Jonker, 2000). This has its benefits challenge although the problems come in when decision makers have to decide the extent to which citizens are able to have an influence on decisions made and the challenge of trade offs (Jonker, 2000). The management approach embraces a multitude of stakeholders in South Africa which include environmentalists, government at all levels, NGOs and local organizations such as subsistence farmers, traditional leaders and women groups (Shculze et al, 2004). The political transformation in South Africa the mid nineties was used as an opportunity by the water sector for formulating new water law policies and a new water act in 1998. IWRM formed the basis of this transformation and both the constitution and National Water Act (NWA) of 1998 make fundamental facilitations for the effective and successful implementation in South Africa (Jonker, 2000). 4.2 The Constitution and National Water Act of 1998 Despite the peaceful political transition to democracy in South Africa, in the context of water resource management, the allocation and management of water resources was still regulated by the 1956 Water Act which is primarily based on the riparian system water rights making no provision for the integration, equity or facilitation for transparent and open decision making, ecological sustainability or the reduction of poverty (Dollar et al, 2010). The inclusion of the concept of sustainable development into the South African Constitution due to the initiation of a water reform process in 1995 resulted in a major shift towards IWRM because the Constitution forms the basis of all policies laws and practices for water management ( Dollar et al, 2010). The values entrenched in the Constitution include equity, the right of access to sufficient water and a healthy environment and thus provides the enabling environment for the formulation and implementation of a new democratic water act ( Dollar et al, 2010). It took over three years for the NWA of 1998 to come into law in South Africa and the NWA recognizes that water is a powerful tool for restructuring society (Dollar et al, 2010). The act encompasses values such as human rights, social justice principles and provides policies and legal frameworks required to ensure the equal, efficient and sustainable supply of water resources (Asmal, 1998). Despite the fact that the NWA does not contain the term IWRM, it encompasses the principles and objectives of the water management approach as set out on the White paper policy document of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (Jonker et al, 2000). The act also makes noteworthy provisions and fundamental provisions for the effective implementation of IWRM (Asmal, 1998). Some of the provisions include the recognition by the act that water for basic human needs and proper ecological functioning must be taken as first priority before commercial and other water uses, the change from water rights to water-use rights and makes provision for levies to be charged for all major water users for their consumption (Asmal, 1998). This provision was made to ensure equity and efficiency but was met great resistance from the agricultural sector (Asmal, 1998) mainly because the agricultural sector is highly dependent on water resources for irrigation purposes (Schulze et al, 2004). The NWA also facilitates public participation which is one of the core principles of IWRM and stresses that government should involve local communities and all affected and involved stakeholders during legislation and policy formulation, and take their comments seriously however, even though the their catchment is their responsibility government remains the overseer (Schulze et al,2004).Another important provision of the NWA is the focus on the arrangements and establishment of institutions which resulted in a significant shift to more integrated and co operative approaches to water governance and stakeholder participation to ensure IWRM (Asmal, 1998). The act acknowledges that political boundaries prove inappropriate for water management and watersheds are more relevant. Part of IWRM is to ensure that there is equitable use of shared rivers and development cannot occur in isolation, another highlight of the NWA (Asmal, 1998). These provisions in the NWA of 1998 set the foundation for the implementation of IWRM in South Africa however; despite the top quality of the act implantation fatigue occurs due to capacity constraints and other challenges to the effective implementation of IWRM (Asmal, 1998). 5. CHALLENGES TO INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 5.1 Conceptual shortcomings The views of authors regarding universally accepted definition of IWRM provided by the Global Water partnership 2000 as being a hamper to the effective implementation of IWRM (Sherwill et al,2007). One of the arguments put forward is that the definition is narrow, incomplete and unchallenging and that this conceptual shortcoming tempts the water resource manager continue implementing the conventional water management practices and labeling it as IWRM (funke et al, 2007). Some authors argue that for effective implementation, the definition should include allocation to compensate for the inevitable political processes that reshape IWRM. While other authors argue that poverty should be included into the restricted definition the European Union suggests a complete name change of IWRM to Constructively Engaged IWRM Allocation and management which will emphasize the importance of practically implementing IWRM with prime focus on stakeholder involvement (funke et al, 2007). In the context of South Africa, the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) defines IWRM as a management strategy aimed to achieve the sustainable use of water resources by all affected stakeholders at catchment, regional, national and international levels while maintaining the integrity of water resources at catchment levels. (Schulze et al, 2004). Universally, apart from the conceptual shortcomings of IWRM which hamper its effective implementation, IWRM is first and foremost an institutional challenge that demands institutional capacities for integration which is in short supply (Van de Zaag, 2005). 5.2 Institutional challenges The management of resources and formulations of projects and plans have been fragmented, uncoordinated and implemented in a top-down approach however, according to the Global Water Partnership 2000 one of the most fundamental pillars of IWRM is integrated and coordinated institutional frameworks through which policies, strategies and legislations can be implemented (Funke, et al 2007). The integrative capacity of many countries lie at district level were various government departments such as health, environmental and education participate in implementing multi sector rural development programs ( Van De Zaag, 2005). South Africa on the other hand overrides existing management structures creating a structure alongside but separate from existing structures that are defined by hydrological boundaries and is regarded a waste of institutional resources (Van de Zaag, 2005). The South African NWA of 1998 mandates the establishment of water management institutions resulting in the neglecting of focus on the practical implementation of IWRM (Van de Zaag, 2005). Institutional fragmentation still persists in South Africa because the countries environmental, water and land-use legislations and administrations are administered by separate lines of functions in government ministries (Van de Zaag, 2005). 5.3 Governance and politics Effective implementation of IWRM is regarded as a product of good governance as it enables tradeoffs to be made between competing users for a resource with the aim of mitigating any conflict, enhancing equity, ensuring sustainability and holding officials liable for their actions (Funke et al, 2007). Participative, open and transparent governance plays an important part in forming the framework required for the successful implementation of IWRM. The issue however is that inefficient capacity and inefficient government processes and structures reside in countries with relatively ground democracies such as South Africa (Funke et al, 2007). Governance in developing countries lack the economic technical and human resources to implement IWRM and the challenge of politics and tradeoffs when making decisions regarding the allocation of water resources are unavoidable as they form part of the problem and solution (Funke et al, 2007). With reference to South Africa, after the modification of the countries water law to address post inequities, makes it more challenging for the successful implementation of IWRM in the country (Funke et al, 2007). 5.4 Public Participation Although public participation has been highly valued and recognized as being a fundamental component for the effective implementation of IWRM, there are inevitable problems and complexities that are associated with the process that needs to be taken into consideration (Smith, 2008). The four main problems associated with the process and highlighted by Smith 2008 is tokenism in terms of the degree to which local communities are involved in decision making, myths of regarding the community as a homogeneous coherent and cohesive body, local-level capacity constraints and critical lack of facilitator knowledge (Smith, 2008). The problem of tokenism is that communities are only considered important for the provision of local knowledge regarding their environment and are not involved in important and effectual positions in the different levels of decision making processes (Smith, 2008). This may be due to the unwillingness of government to devolve their power to local level communities. This results in plans and legislations that are locally inappropriate (Smith, 2008). With regard to the community myth, most communities are simplified as cohesive homogenous and harmonious entities with similar interests and goals instead of recognizing it as the complex heterogeneous organizations that they are (Smith, 2008). This fact must be included in management planning. This will then ensure locally appropriate outcomes. Other most problematic elements are the financial capacity constraints mainly experienced by bottom-up projects. Even though the community may be committed towards initiating a project, the essential element is economic material which local communities often lack (Smith, 2008). Therefore where there is community engagement the economic and social capacities needs to be considered (Smith, 2008). The final problematic element is the lack of knowledge regarding the process of public participation held by facilitators resulting in an influential process being facilitated by people without the necessary skills and capacities to initiate community participation initiatives (Smith, 2008). Despite the problems associated with public participation it is essential that the process be appreciated as an empowering, enlightening and sustainable approach to water resource management (Smith, 2008).

Megachurches and Theologies of Consumption :: Religion Christian

Last weekend, while attending Lexington, KY’s Southland Christian Church, I received an invitation to attend a â€Å"Poor Man’s After-Tax Dinner.† Located on a 115-acre plot that occupies a stretch of the rapidly disappearing farmland between Lexington and Jessamine County, Southland will host the gala, which includes a catered meal and a performance by the Dale Adams Band. On the church’s website, an announcement for the event asks, â€Å"Did you have to pay when you filed taxes? This month’s Gathering is designed to help you to forget your IRS woes.†[1] The After-Tax Dinner will minister to those still reeling from the April 15th deadline, and, with any luck, it will foster solidarity among Southland’s flock, the majority of whom are members of the tax bracket whose wallets ache most severely after just having rendered unto Caesar the money that belongs to him. Southland Christian Church, one of several worship centers in the United States that has earned the moniker â€Å"Six Flags over Jesus,† is Lexington’s largest megachurch. With a weekly attendance of 8,000 people and an operating budget that supports a staff of over eighty members, Southland far exceeds most U.S. congregations in terms of financial resources and social clout. In recent years, popular and scholarly studies have attempted to situate the megachurch movement within a broad cultural context. Although the majority of these analyses dispute the precise definition of a megachurch, most distinguish these multiplex sanctuaries from smaller worship communities by using the same criteria—i.e. weekly attendance, campus acreage, annual budget, etc.—that megachurches themselves draw on to represent their own success. [2] However, the essence of a megachurch is not its large buildings, but rather the theology of consumption that informs it s programming.[3] In this way, a megachurch ethos has infiltrated even the smallest congregations in the United States and has helped to solidify Christianity’s inextricable connection to consumer capitalism. To those who see megachurches as symptomatic of a flawed Christianity, market-minded church growth confounds one of the faith’s oldest dualities, the contradiction of living in the world without conforming to its ways, as Paul puts it in Romans 12. Megachurches at once reject â€Å"the world† and participate in it by seeking to win the lost and wow the consumer at the same time.

The kind of family a person should have

INTRODUCTIONEvery person longs to have the kind of family that is ideal for him. When we talk of an ideal family, it means that it is the family that a person views to be perfect. Even in a person’s early years in life, admiration to different families starts and thus making one dream of having a family someday that is picture perfect for him. Although there are different forms of family that are being accepted and acknowledged, the choice still depends upon ones perspective. What kind of family then a person should have?THE IDEAL FAMILYThere are three main characteristics that I deem to be essential in having an ideal family. First, it must have a traditional structure. Second, must have only two to three children. Third, must be God centered.A traditional family is a functional family in structure. Every member has its own appropriated function. The father is delegated to find means for the whole family’s subsistence. He works and is known to be the bread winner of th e family. He will provide the physiologic needs of family and fill the house with love, happiness, security and discipline.   He is also the one who can be called the head in reference to problem solving and decision making.On the other hand, the mother has an extraordinary task in the family and that is to take care of the entire household, this means that she will attend to the different needs of the family; she will be the one who will wake up early and sleep late at night and a role model in the house. She also has the responsibility of inculcating the best values in their children and giving them the best of care. The children have to take their education and help the mother in cleaning the house and other house tasks. Traditional type of family is considered as an ideal type of family. The children, who are the center of care, love and attention must equip with good values because they are the pillar of the family. In this type of family, each has to function well and must d o their part to make it an ideal one.The number of choice of children varies on parents, other desire to have one child only to focus their care and attention and to securely provide all that he needs. However, two or three children are perceived to be the ideal one. This is based on practical and economical reasons. Having lesser number of children would have greater opportunity for education and experience luxury in life. Giving a child an education now costs big and giving him a luxurious life costs even bigger. Having many children could deprive them on their rights on physical, emotional and mental needs due to economic crises. Lesser children in the family open opportunities.An ideal family is a God centered family because. It is the foundation of a strong family and a wonderful home. It comprises a responsible father, a loving mother and the obedient children.   This means that having God at home is a perfect home for a family of which joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, pati ence and love overflows. As Rev. Sun Myung Moon would say, â€Å"The ideal family is the place of the eternal love of parents, the eternal love of husband and wife, and the eternal love of children centering upon God. Rev. Sun Myung Moon indeed captured the essence of an ideal family which is beneficial to all because having God means good work. God preaches people to be good and not mandated by evil.Society will greatly benefit if all people will have this kind of family. In a structured family, even if the father is working, the mother can take care of the children and has the time to guide and teach them with values. Having only two to three children would entail a great chance in having all the people in a society to have proper education and a comfortable life. Lastly, in a family that is God centered, people will surely do away from misconduct and evil deeds because the primary teaching of God is to do good to others.CONCLUSIONTherefore, a family that a person should have is a traditional family having two to three children and making God as the center of their lives. By virtue of this kind of a family, our society will have peace and harmony.BIBLIOGRAPHYDiem, G. N.. The Definition of â€Å"Family† in a Free Society. Retrieved July 29, 2007 from The reading is about different definitions from different point of views of society regarding a family. It helps readers to know different types of a family.Reverend Sun Myung Moon. Blessing and Ideal Family. Retrieved July 30, 2007 fromhttp://www.unification.net/bif/bif-7-2a.htmlThe author makes people understand what a God centered family is all about. It also let people understand the importance of a family.CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CHRISTIAN FAMILYhttp://www.studyjesus.com/more/the_family/characteristicsofthechristianfam.htmThe reading is all about the characteristics of a Christian family. It also discusses what kind of life a Christian family has and must have.

Westward Expansion

Nichole Galindez AMH 2010 American History 31 October 2012 Nichole Galindez AMH 2010 American History 31 October 2012 Westward Expansion of the United States To what extent is it accurate to claim that the ideal of manifest destiny was a motivating factor in the western expansions of the United States? The 1840s was a time of great territorial expansion during which the United States fought to annex Texas, acquire the Oregon territory, and conquer California and New Mexico from Mexico.As the people sought reasoning behind their territorial ambitions, a belief known as Manifest Destiny sprouted from their feeling of nationality as they came to believe that America was destined to expand past the current borders. Manifest Destiny was also a term used by Democrats to promote and persuade people to support the territorial expansions that the United States was undergoing at the time.Although manifest destiny was a huge motivating factor in the western expansion of the United States, other factors such as the rising population, expansion of slavery and freedom-seeking slaves, the gold rush of California, and new opportunities sought by settlers. The rising population helped push Americans towards expanding westward. The early 1800s was a time when the United States was experiencing a rapid growth in population. The U. S. population grew from more than five million in 1800 to more than 23 million by mid-century. During that time, there the U. S had been experiencing a periodic high birth rate.The growth on the sizes of families only added pressure to expand their land and gather more resources to survive. Immigration also added to the explosive population growth in the United States. Over 7. 5 million immigrants migrated to the United States. Many immigrants fled their countries in order to escape from poverty and famine. The Gold rush also caused a great influx of immigrants as they hoped to acquire some of the wealth found in the United States. Since agriculture pro vided the primary economic structure, many incoming immigrants would scout for farmable land.However most of the fertile land east of the Appalachian Mts. had already been taken. This pushed immigrants to scout west to look for better land. Nearly 4,000,000 Americans moved to western territories between 1820 and 1850. The Gold Rush of California attracted all kinds of attention from money-hungry miners to hopeful farmers. The first discovery of gold in California in 1849 influenced many settlers and immigrants to flock westward in the hope of gaining wealth. As news spread of the discovery, thousands of gold miners traveled by sea or over land to San Francisco and the surrounding area.The Gold Rush attracted more than just the American people but it also helped the influx of immigrants. Thousands of Chinese migrated to the U. S after hearing about the opportunity to mine for wealth. This caused the non-native population of the California territory to reach 100,000. Many of the thous ands of settlers never found gold but helped to promote west expansion. New opportunities were another factor that helped to motivate westward expansion. As the increasing population put pressure on settlers, many of them headed west in hopes of acquiring cheap, fertile land to grow more food to feed their families.Since the government offered most of the land cheap, or in some cases free, many didn’t hesitate to move. Government passed things like the Homestead Act to encourage settlers to settle west. Others sought the chance at a new life. They wanted to increase their political power or standing by owning more land. In their eyes, land ownership was tied to wealth, political power, self-sufficiency, and independent â€Å"self rule. † New technologies also had an impact on westward expansion. New technological innovations helped to influence the economy by enhancing trade and commerce.This proved wrong the belief that, like previous empires, the United States would get weaker with expansion. By the 1840s, steamboats made use of America’s waterways and turned them into busy commercial thoroughfares. Their popularity grew as they continued to increase trade between towns and cities. Railroads were another innovation that helped to fuel trade. They integrated eastern markets with the towns on the western slope of the Appalachians. Robert Fulton’s invention of the canal and the invention of the telegraph were two other great examples of the technologies that helped to enhance westward expansion.The last factor that also affected westward expansion was the desire to expand slavery and slaves desire Politicians, editors, soldiers, and citizens, wanted new terrirory for various reasons. In the case of Texas, the Tyler administration sought to prevent the abolition of slavery there, control a potential rival in cotton production, provide a haven for masters and their slaves, thwart Great Britain from keeping Texas independent, and comply with the wishes of most Texians to join the United States.In the Oregon dispute, Democrats hoped to dominate Asian commerce, provide land for future pioneers, and safeguard citizens already settled there. The war with Mexico and the strategy of conquest revealed a desire to secure a border at the Rio Grande, satisfy claims against Mexico, and acquire California to monopolize trade with Asia. Democrats wanted to supply abundant land to the nation's poor and to future immigrants. To attain this laudable goal, however, they relied on bribery, bullying, and warfare to wrest land from Native Americans and Mexicans.Often idealistic, they were also racist and materialistic. Yet anti-slavery activists and Democrats, whose belief in federal power was threatened by the South, were opposed to any expansionist move that would add new slave-holding states to the Union and thereby upset the fragile balance of power between North and South. After the Mexican-American War ended in 1848, disagreeme nts over the expansion of slavery made further territorial annexation too divisive to be official government policy. Many Northerners were increasingly opposed to hat they believed to be efforts by Southern slave owners—and their friends in the North—to expand slavery at any cost. The proposal during the war of the Wilmot Proviso (a statement declaring that slavery would not be permitted in any new territory acquired by the U. S. ), and the emergence of various â€Å"Slave Power† conspiracy theories thereafter, indicated the degree to which Manifest Destiny had become controversial. The Fugitive Slave Law or Fugitive Slave Act was passed by the United States Congress on September 18, 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850 between Southern slave-holding interests and Northern Free-Soilers.This was one of the most controversial acts of the 1850 compromise and heightened Northern fears of a â€Å"slave power conspiracy†. It declared that all runaway slaves were, upon capture, to be returned to their masters. Abolitionists nicknamed it the â€Å"Bloodhound Law† for the dogs that were used to track down runaway slaves. [1] http://www. pbs. org/kera/usmexicanwar/prelude/md_expansionism. html http://solpass. org/6ss/games/westwardcloze. htm http://www. newworldencyclopedia. org/entry/Manifest_Destiny Westward Expansion The westward expansion, which started in the 1820s, was one of the biggest steps forward our country has ever taken. It nearly tripled the size of our country and increased the population by monstrous amounts. It also improved the economy greatly though agricultural means, prompted political leaders to sent people to explore (Lewis and Clark), started a civil war, motivated huge amounts of people to move west, and almost destroyed our country.The expansion was magnified greatly by the Louisiana Purchase, when President Jefferson bought a large area of land west of the Mississippi river from Spain, the purchase added large amounts of futile, unsettled land to the United States. This purchase was made possible by the exuberant democratic belief in the Manifest Destiny. The Manifest Destiny was a belief that Americans were meant to explore the western territories and settle the entire continent this, was strongly believed by most democrats and was a large political controversy.This, as well as making the Louisiana Purchase possible, made it so that President Polk could start the Mexican War. The Mexican War was a war between America and Mexico during which the U. S. acquired large amounts of land formerly owned by Mexico. The war started in 1846 and ended in 1848. The war was prompted by the Mexicans invading the U. S. annex of Texas which even after the Texas Revolution in 1836 Mexico claimed as theirs. The war ended informally in the fall of 1847 when an American army captured Mexico City and formally in 1848 with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.Lewis and Clark also made a significant impact on the westward expansion by exploring enormous amounts of land, from the Mississippi to the Pacific Ocean. They were sent out by President Jefferson to find a water route across North America and, with the help of an Indian named Sacajawea, they tried to do exactly that and although they couldn’t find any all water routes they did make many significant discoveries. A few of the discoveries Lewis and Clark made were pricelessly valuable to civilization.For example they discovered at least 70 different Native American tribes and discovered and documented 200 new plant/animal species that were completely unknown to science. The list of different kinds of people who went west is enormous. There were slaves and other low-class people looking for a fresh start, upper/ middle-class plantation owners and farmers looking to expand, explorers and adventurers looking for excitement in wild/unexplored lands, and many, many others. Even though these people were different in many ways they all wanted a fresh start.Now not all of them got what they were hoping for but a great deal did in the end although this brought up the issue of slavery. The westward expansion brought up the issue of slavery. The previous laws allowed for slavery below the 36 °30’ parallel but now it had to be decided whether or not slavery was going to be allowed in the new states/colonies/settlements. This as you can imagine caused major political differences. It was finally decided that the colonies would decide for themselves by voting.This caused many people to move so that they could vote in favor of their opinion. But this than caused South Carolina to secede from the union and prompted the civil war but I’ll get into that in another paper. http://www. nationalgeographic. com/lewisandclark  © 1996- National Geographic Society. http://www. history. com/topics/westward-expansion  © 1996-2013, A&E Television Networks, LLC. Carroll, Anne W. Christ and the Americas. New York: TAN Books and Publishers, Inc. , 1997 Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 2011. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Main_Page