Interracial Marriage Essay Example for Free

Interracial Marriage Essay Interracial marriage is used to describe marriages that take place between people who are from different linguistic, religious, or nations or ethnic groups. There are substantial increases in the number of individuals engaging in interracial. Relationships between people from different ethnic and cultural groups are becoming increasingly common because of globalization and improvement of technology. Internet technology has brought together the world in that people can enter into a relationship with anyone from any countries. In some countries, it is against the law to marry someone of a different race. These countries include Germany during the Nazi period, South Africa under apartheid, and some states in the United States before a 1969 ruling. In some Arab countries, it is forbidden for an Arab to marry outside their race because of the law and traditional customs. If an Arab person marries someone out of their race, their civil rights are taken away from them. In 2008, Pakistani senators allowed women to be buried alive if they married someone outside their race. People Most Attracted to Intercultural Relationships/ Marriages To begin the series on intercultural marriage, beginning with a discussion about who exactly tends to be most attracted to intercultural relationships/marriages in the first place seems like a good place to start. It’s certainly not for everyone, as mixed marriages are full of unique challenges that married people from the same culture may never face. In Romano’s book â€Å"Intercultural Marriage,† she lists 5 common types of people who tend to be involved in intercultural relationships. The first type is the Romantic type: those who see people from other cultures as exotic, fascinating, and thrilling. These people may find people from their own culture boring and predictable, and thrive in the mystique of people from far away and foreign lands. The second type is the Compensator. These people often feel like something is missing from their lives and believe they have found it in another person or culture, as they believe elements from that person/culture fulfills what is missing from their own. Romano notes that this type is found even in couples who marry from their own cultures, who are simply looking for someone to fulfill what they lacked growing up. Rebels are slightly different from the compensators in that they dislike much about their own culture and are intent on finding someone from somewhere else. Sometimes they have a specific target culture in mind; other times they simply take whatever fate brings them. Internationals, the next type of people drawn to intercultural marriage, are those who lived outside their native countries for most of their lives, and are typically children of missionaries, diplomats, military personnel, and so on. These people often do not feel as though they completely belong to one particular culture, as they tend to have been influenced by several cultures and therefore have a wide appreciation and love for differences. The final category is comprised of others. These people may not fit into their society and often are ostracized from it. Finding love in a different culture is a way to find a place to fit in and be accepted. Some of them are not considered to be attractive in their native culture, and have better luck in another culture. Others are part of a minority and find acceptance in another culture. Still others live in poverty and marry as a way to improve their quality of life. Barriers Oftentimes, couples in intercultural marriages face barriers that most married couples of the same culture are not exposed to. Intercultural marriages are often influenced by external factors that can create dissonance and disagreement in relationships. Different cultures endure vastly diverse moral, ethical and value foundations that influence their perceptions of individual, family and societal lifestyle. When these foundations are operating alongside the foundation of different cultural roots, as in intercultural marriages, problems and disagreement oftentimes occur. 1. Family and Society The most common external factors influencing intercultural relationships and marriages are the acceptance of the family and the society in which the couple lives. Sometimes, the families of the partners display rejection, resistance, hostility and lack of acceptance for their kin’s partner. Specific issues regarding the family; including generational gaps in ideology, and how the wedding will be held; which ties into how tradition will or will not be practiced. Many intercultural couples report conflict arising over issues of how to carry out child raising and religious worship as well. 2. Language In a mixed marriage where the partners do not share the same mother tongue, the language in which they decide to communicate at home can be symbolic of the extent to which each partner is prepared to forego his or her cultural background and incorporate new elements. There may also be elements of control and dependence in the choice of language when one partner refuses to learn the other’s language. There is a case-study of a so-called bought bride from Asia. The German husband had no knowledge of her language, while she could speak some English, but no German. Communication in such a relationship proved to be extremely difficult, and all decisions and dealings with the outside world where necessarily undertaken by the German husband. The wife could not find any but the most menial jobs where the necessity of understanding was limited, which further increased her economic dependence on him. 3. Communication Style Intercultural couples may possess differing communication styles. Individuals from a high context culture are not verbally explicit in their communication behaviors. These cultures typically consist of eastern world countries where collectivism and relational harmony underlie communication behavior. By contrast, individuals from a low context culture use direct and obvious communication styles to convey information. In situations where marriage occurs between two people from differing communication contextual backgrounds, conflict may arise from relational challenges posed by the underlying assumptions of high/low context cultures. Challenges posed by differing communication styles are common among intercultural marriage couples. The longer the two individuals have existed in the current culture the less likely this is to pose an issue. If one or more partners within the marriage is relatively new to the dominant culture, the likelihood for conflict to unfold o n these bases increases. Solution/ Suggestions 1. Learn How to Appreciate One of the ways to deal with interracial dating issues is acceptance of partner the way he or she is. Most issues arise when one or both partners want to have their way in everything that they do. It is therefore important to ensure that they appreciate their wife or husband with all his or her cultural practices. Since they come different regions, differences in the way of life are bound to happen. They must desist from criticizing each other based on cultural grounds or race. As a matter of fact they must never stereotype or generalize happenings as this can be the cause of interracial conflicts. If they are willing to love, understand and respect each other’s differences, you’re on the right track. 2. Learn More about the Culture Another thing they need to do in order to solve issues with interracial relationships is to study each other well before engaging. Discuss the symbolism or significance of each other’s important cultural traditions. Understanding the significance of these traditions will help to understand them. This will help them to have a more natural, familiar feeling toward the others traditions, accept and embrace the culture of the other. After some time, they will even feel the desire to incorporate culture into their own family traditions. Besides, they need to know what values their partner stands for and to establish whether they can accommodate them. When they understand their partner in advance, it becomes easier for them to solve any interracial dating concerns. One advantage of being married to someone from another country is to get travel from time to time. When they can travel, make sure to visit the spouses family and learn about their culture firsthand. Furthermore this prepares them for the future thus allowing them to solve situations better. 3. Maintain Contact with Family It is essential that foreign spouse keeps in contact with his or her family, especially as they are probably a long way from each other. With time, he or she will feel of longing for their family, homesickness, and even possible loneliness and depression. It is necessary that he or she can keep contact to his or her family. Today, the Internet and sites like Facebook and Twitter make this type of contact much easier, and your spouse happier. Help your spouse to develop friendships with people from his or her country or families that speak their language somehow so that they will know more people and may feel at home

Individual and Society Essay -- Essays Papers

Individual and Society Medicine Since 1715 Medicine has been a great advancement in society. Without the advancement in medicine, we would not have the lifestyle that we do today. Many different nations and individuals within those nations have contributed to this progression. Medicine has greatly increased the life- span of humans. We are where we stand today because of the many great people we have had in our history who contributed to and performed medical advances. The tests and theories of these people have been a major contributing factor. William Cullen said, "Every one nowadays pretends to neglect theory, and to stick to observation. But the first is in talk only, for every man has his theory, good or bad, which he occasionally employs; and the only difference is, that weak men who have little extent of ability for, or have had little experience in reasoning, are most liable to be attached to frivolous theories."1 William Cullen's expression concerning the importance of theories was proved to be correct due to the many contributions of the theories of those who studied medicine. In 1790, the birthrate was high, along with the death rate. The majority of deaths occurred among the infants and young children. The death rate of the population as a whole was higher than today. Although children born had only a 75% chance of surviving past the age of five, the beginning advances in medicine aided the population growth causing the population to increase in England. The medical schools, hospitals, medical societies and journals, medical knowledge, and doctors of 1790 did not perform life- prolonging therapeutics. In Science and the practice of Medicine in the Nineteenth Century, it was concluded that "many laymen, and... ...Sheikh, Eastern and Western Approaches to Healing (New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1989), 65. BIBLIOGRAPHY Sheikh, Anees A., and Katharina S. Sheikh. Eastern and Western Approaches to Healing. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1989. Proctor, Robert N. Racial Hygiene: Medicine Under the Nazis. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1988. Bynum, W.F. Science and the Practice of Medicine in the Nineteenth Century. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994. Taegu. "Yakryongshi-Market of Herb Medicine." Websites in Taegu. (c) 1996, JAC. n. pag. Online. Internet. 21 March, 1999 Available http://www.taegu.co.kr/h_045 .html "History of Medicine and Health." n. pag. Online. Internet. 21 March, 1999. Available http://ihs2.unn.ac.uk:8080/hhist.htm "Anatomy of an Epidemic." n. pag. Online. Internet. 21 March, 1999. Available http://library .advanced.org/11170/

Findings of Hoi Tin Tong Essay

Nowadays, about one half of youngsters would eat Chinese herbal food. 70% of them would not buy Chinese herbal food more than 3 times per month since it is not a necessary food. The whole of youngsters would not spend more than $400/month and majority of them would not spend more than $100 per month. Basically, all youngsters have a habit for buying specify brand. Mass of them would Chinese herbal food due to the avail. Over 50% of them would consider the needs, price and brand. They would obtain the information from own experiences, friends, family and internet for making buying decision to the food. Since Hoi Tin Tong is a famous and traditional brand in HK, also Hung Fook Tong has built up a fashion image to youngsters and has various types of products, they are the major brand of youngsters would buy constantly. They have occupied half of market and are chosen by 25% of youngsters separately. The others brands are Nin Jiom, Tung Fong Hung, Eu Yan Sang†¦ Thus, Hung Fook Tong is the main competitor of Hoi Tin Tong in market of Chinese Herbal Food. Anyway, a few youngsters feel no need and it is without effectiveness of Chinese herbal food. Hoi Tin Tong Herbal Turtle Gummy : Although â€Å"Hoi Tin Tong† is a famous brand in HK, not more than 50% of youngsters have bought its products before. It proofs that Hoi Tin Tong’s promotion cannot bring stimulate feeling to youngsters. Lots of them have eaten traditional herbal jelly before and some of them have eaten freshness retained jelly series and new product – herbal gummy series. TV advertisement is the chief to communicate with multitude. It has large broad coverage and stronger impression. So that TV advertisement of herbal turtle gummy is successful for the target group of youngsters, about 60% of youngsters have known this new product and around 30% of them have bought before. They feel it is an originality product for the market. Besides, least 30% of youngsters would get the information from friends, family and branch. It is one of the media to spread the gummy. Youngsters are updated to trend by keeping close pace with advertisement and influenced by their friends or family members in certain extend. However turtle gummy is a new product in the market, most of them would make buying decision due to curiousness thus. Some of them would buy the gummy base on friend’s recommendations, as youngsters are affected by their contemporaries easily. Only a few youngsters would buy base on the avail, brand and needs, because youngsters cannot obtain enough information from fewer channel. But around 40% of them still feel the advertisement lack of persuasion; they would not spend more money on the unnecessary goods, as they are not understand the avail and advantages absolutely of gummy. In order to draw their attention and propagandize the characteristic of gummy, Hoi Tin Tong should add some new elements into and retain the good one. For example, invite a star who to be their spokesman to promote the gummy can attract youngsters. Then, youngsters build up a smart image thought the advertisement. By the taste of gummy, combine with product test, most of youngsters are not favor the taste of turtle gummy so much, even unpalatable. Over 80% of them gave not more than 6 marks (0=the lowest, 10=the highest). And they said that the gummy is strange and too bitter. Also, some of them feel thirsty after eating. Hoi Tin Tong may make some changes of the taste in order to increase the opportunity of continuously youngsters’ buying behavior. Moreover, majority of youngsters buy the gummy from branch. All of them feel so difficult to buy and over 50% of youngsters expect that they can buy from convenience and supermarket. Even this is one of the important reasons to generate why they do not buy the gummy. In addition, all the world is face the financial tsunami now; youngsters feel the price is too expensive. It also is one of the main reasons for the youngsters do not buy the gummy. They would compare the gummy with others gummy in the market base on the taste, size, avail, brand, etc. Also, they feel the avail is not as same as traditional turtle jelly. And half of youngsters suggested that the best price should be $8/pack. Thus, Hoi Tin Hong should modulate the price of turtle gummy to humor the younger. Furthermore, more than half of youngsters would keep on consuming it, if turtle gummy is conductive to improve the health. So Hoi Tin Tong should do something to set a certain image for turtle gummy and show detail information of its avail to youngsters Besides, there are about 75% of youngsters feel the package of gummy is quite beautiful. The yellow color is very sharp. But package design is not enough to make buying decision of youngsters; over 50% of them don’t like the gummy as they like traditional turtle jelly more. The majority reasons are that they feel the taste of jelly is better and like eating in the branch. Only 40% of them like turtle gummy more, because they feel the package are convenience to carry out anywhere. Minority of them like gummy more than jelly is due to the cheaper price and better taste. Ultimately, we know that youngsters have not enough information to realize turtle gummy. Then, they would not buy and try it in order to reduce the risk. Hoi Tin Tong should establish a positive and special image for turtle first. It can increase satisfaction of youngsters and modify their viewpoints being better.

Technology and the Concept of Privacy - 1704 Words

Ethical and right based philosophical theories have long recognized the importance of privacy and its relationship to personal information. Much of my emphasis on privacy is focused on having control over information about oneself. The degree of control may differ among cultures and countries but the fundamental principle remains the same that all human has right to protect their personal information and lawfully go about their ordinary businesses without interference and surveillance. This paper reviews ethical aspects of information privacy and information technology. The issues discussed are the concept privacy, impact of technology on the private lives of people, influence of technology on processing, storing and accessing private information and proposed solutions to these issues. The state of privacy is the prevalent concern in the modern societies, given that the socio-economic activities are now could be translated into digital data. The explosion of social media and online marketing and business gave rise to the issue of information privacy. Some might argue that our privacy is died, but for me, we are on the verge of losing our privacy. We still have ways to protect our right to privacy. What kind of information can be considered personal or private? Privacy norms are applicable to any information about ourselves that we don’t want everybody to know. It could be our social security number or Credit card number. It could be intimate or sensitive information orShow MoreRelatedPrivacy Infringement by Surveillance Technology1042 Words   |  5 Pagesglobalization and digitalization. With the integration of the world economies and advancement of the technologies, the world is walking to the path of development With the increase in the terrorist activities in the world, the nations have felt to strengthen the national security using the latest technology trends; so, have lead to the development of the CCTV’s cameras and with the changing technology trends, the government has started to store the public database and the other activities through internetRead MoreTechnologys Impact On Technology And The Use Of Technology1408 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction In the past few decades’ technology has significantly transformed lives; however, this development has not come without controversy and challenges. It has therefore sparked discussions and debates regarding the safe consumption of the technology. Controversy, ambiguities, and demagoguery are such issues which have become evident attributable to technological development. Technology development has affected how things are accomplished and consequently affected decision-making. â€Å"The discussionsRead MorePublic or Private?798 Words   |  3 Pagessociety, people are losing sight of how important privacy truly is. We, as Americans, may seem concerned about our privacy, but this â€Å"concern† does not stop us from acquiring the latest and greatest technology. Designers are building technology with no consideration of the security and privacy of their consumers. People are purchasing these new iPhones with fingerprint recognition and downloading different apps everyday with the thought of privacy and security in the back of their minds. Cell phonesRead MorePrivacy And The Era Of Big Data Essay1449 Words   |  6 PagesPrivacy in the Era of Big Data One day, you go shopping in Times Square. When you are passing by an underwear shop, what do you feel if the store assistant who is standing out of the door promotes to you that: â€Å"Morning Ilarie. We have got several this season’s new models of your size, 66 D. And your boyfriend will also like them because they are pink and cute and right to his taste†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Could you tell me your feeling? Happy? Surprised? Or you’re scared? I think most of the people might feel offendedRead MoreEssay about Camera Phones and Invasion of Privacy1079 Words   |  5 PagesCamera Phones and Invasion of Privacy    â€Å"New technology has†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.placed all of us in an electronic fishbowl in which our habits, tastes and activities are watched and recorded.† as told by Simson Garfinkel (Ojeda). In the 21st century it is easy to awe people with new technology. Take two popular gadgets, merge them into a single point-and-click device, and then watch the world go nuts over it. This is a fact that will never change. Technology in this world is growing every day and there are productsRead MoreImpact Of Big Data On The Future1364 Words   |  6 Pagesconjunction with further increases in technology, has created a world of endless possibilities in this day and age. The impact and influences that have been created through big data will shape our lives not only today, but well into the future. This report examines the benefits of big data and the impact it has currently having in our lives as we speak. It also explores the correlation between the lack of knowledge, security and privacy iss ues we are facing with big data concepts and principles today, and whereRead MoreComputer Ethics : Basic Concepts And Historical Overview1266 Words   |  6 PagesEthics: Basic Concepts and Historical Overview, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, full version available at: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-computer/ ) No matter which re-definition of computer ethics one chooses, the best way to understand the nature of the field is through some representative examples of the issues and problems that have attracted research and scholarship. Consider, for example, the following topics: 1 Computers in the Workplace 2 Computer Crime 3 Privacy and AnonymityRead MoreUses and Abuses of Biochip Technology1704 Words   |  7 PagesTopic: Biochip Technology; Uses and Abuses Working Hypothesis: What is the correlation between the prophecy of the mark of the beast, and current trends in biochip technology? Intro/Thesis statement: Technology is chipping away at our personal freedoms. In the New Testament, Revelations 13 warns He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which isRead MoreOrwells Warning in 19841635 Words   |  7 Pagesamong all of the auguries and prediction none rival his warning about the severity of our reliance on technology. He shows us the dangers of technology through the protagonist Winston’s eyes. The prophecies in this novel are ones that we need to head in today’s society. With apparent advancements in technology we have begun to fall down the same awful Orwellian spiral, loosing to technology our privacy and thought. To truly understand the connection between the technological takeover in Orwell’s bookRead MoreSocial Media And Its Effects On Society1385 Words   |  6 Pagesbe able to see. We deserve to have some type of privacy and we don’t deserve to just be watched by people we don’t even know. This is important because some people don’t even know that the government is watching what we post on social media and they should be aware of it so they can be more careful about things that they post. Academic sources, government and industries suggest that consumer privacy has become a critical public policy topic. Privacy is a fundamental right and is valued as a freedom

Jane Austen s Pride And Prejudice - 2083 Words

The Enlightenment was a radical intellectual, philosophical and cultural movement that spread throughout Western Europe during the 18th century. Defined by its reliance on reason and individualism, this era replaced the traditional view of the authoritative power of institutions with an emphasis on the importance of freedom to think for oneself. This shift in focus to individual thought brought with it the freedom to question society, morals, religions, and customs. Written during the height of this movement, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice captures much of the complexity of this new Age of Reason. The main character, Elizabeth, is nothing if not individualistic. From the very beginning of the novel, she demonstrates a demand for self-expression, evidenced in her conversations at the dinner at Rosings, in which Elizabeth was â€Å"ready to speak whenever there was an opening† and responded to Lady Catherine’s inquiries about her sisters with confidence and comp osure, suspecting herself to â€Å"be the first creature who had ever dared to trifle with Lady Catherine with so much dignified impertinence† (Austen 125). Elizabeth’s interactions at Rosings illustrate her refusal to accept and be ruled by the social conventions and expectations of her time. As such, Elizabeth relies on her own reasoning to rationalize the world around her, and in turn creates a series of personal paradigms by which she leads her life. However, in an effort to stubbornly defend these ideals, Elizabeth fallsShow MoreRelatedJane Austen s Pride And Prejudice1231 Words   |  5 Pagesfinancial stability. In the novel Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen states that the desire for better social connections interferes with the workings of love through the relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth to criticize the social class structure of the 19th century. Anxieties about social connections or the desire for better social connections, interfere with the workings of love. Darcy and Elizabeth s realization of a mutual and tender love seems to imply that Jane Austen views love as something independentRead MoreJane Austen s Pride And Prejudice1294 Words   |  6 PagesJane Austen s exceptional novel Pride and Prejudice has been depicted as a classic that is as much a social study on class, marriage and gender as it is a romantic tale. It is an amusing representation of the social atmosphere of the late eighteenth and mid nineteenth century England, and it is primarily required with courtship rituals of the English high class. The novel is more than a romantic tale, however through Austen s subtle, and ironic style, it addresses gender, class, and marriageRead MoreJane Austen s Pride And Prejudice992 Words   |  4 Pages It is unfortunate that many people tend to dismiss Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice, as simply a roman tic love story, even labeling it a â€Å"chick flick.† Upon a shallow reading, it may appear to be such, but a closer look at the novel reveals so much more embedded in the story. In addition to describing the entertaining relationship between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, the novel serves to forward Austen s personal values and ideas. Furthermore, there is one issue of her era that she particularlyRead MoreJane Austen s Pride And Prejudice1138 Words   |  5 PagesPride and Prejudice is a novel about the superficiality of marriage during the late 19th and early 20th century, which largely influenced the decisions made by individuals, based on connections and social rankings. The novel takes its characters through various changes influenced by their decision to or rather not to marry certain individuals. It begins not by a man desiring to marry for love, but by a mother who desires nothing more than to marry her daughters well. As the novel develops, Jane AustenRead MoreJane A usten s Pride And Prejudice1211 Words   |  5 PagesJane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice was greatly influenced by the time period in which it was written, This novel follows the story of Elizabeth Bennet and her sisters as they are faced with marriage proposals. The marriage and roles of women in this time period are shown throughout this story. During the time Austen was writing this novel, a woman’s role for her family changed. Daughters started to become a way for their family to achieve more money. Because their family depended on this financialRead MoreJane Austen s Pride And Prejudice1675 Words   |  7 PagesIn Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, she has specific criteria that her characters follow when choosing their mates. In today’s society, most couples still follow these criteria and more when choosing their ideal mate. What are these important criteria that Austen’s characters consider when choosing a mate? For Austen, the important cr iteria that she has for choosing a mate are that couples are personally compatible, they are in love with each other, and they must have a good moral character. Read MoreJane Austen s Pride And Prejudice1678 Words   |  7 PagesAfter reading Jane Austen’s most popular piece of work, the effects of the high societal expectations can be acknowledged through viewing the lives of the Bennet family and friends and noting such effects. Through the examination of the characters in Pride and Prejudice it is easily deciphered between marriages based upon true love and marriage based upon the expectations of society. Society’s main goal for woman in the Victorian era was marriage. As seen many in Pride and Prejudice, marriage wasRead MoreJane Austen s Pride And Prejudice1434 Words   |  6 PagesJane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice was considered a radical novel back in 1813 when she wrote and published the piece. It is a social commentary on the treatment and societal standards of women, as well marriage expectations at the turn of the 19th century. Austen criticizes the patriarchal society, materialism, double standards of men and women by centering the book around Elizabeth Bennett, a young woman of decent means who does not understand the reason for the pressure to find a suitable husbandRead MoreJane Austen s Pride And Prejudice1468 Words   |  6 Pagesestablished over time. In Jane Austen s novel, Pride and Prejudice Elizabeth Bennet is the main character who is a lady in the Regency Era. Elizabeth lives in Longbourn with her parents, Mr and Mrs Bennet and her four sisters. In the beginning of the novel, Elizabeth s prejudice mindset and strong opinion blinds her from realizations happening around her. Soon, Elizabeth s prejudice disappears allowing her to open up and fall in love. Throughout Jane Austen s novel, Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth growsRead MoreJane Austen s Pride And Prejudice1649 Words   |  7 PagesIn her novel, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen is pre-occupied with the theme of marriage. Marriage is a central issue of a woman’s life but it was even more crucial for the women of her society where women were largely dependent on the men in their lives. As a result, women pursued socio-economic stability through marriage. However, it is clear through the novel that Austen did not agree with this part of her society. In Pride and Prejudice, she gives preference to a marriage which is based on love

The Role of Nigerian National Assembly in the Budget Process

THE ROLE OF NIGERIAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IN THE BUDGET PROCESS A PAPER WRITTEN BY DANIEL OMOLEWA OGUNSOLA APRIL, 2009 Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary 3 2. Introduction 4 3. Balance of Budgetary Powers 5 4. The National Assembly in Nigeria’s Budget Process 7 4.1. Legal Framework 8 4.2. Institutional capacity 10 4.2.1 Effective Appropriation Committee Capacity 10 4.2.1 Establishment of a Budget Office 10 a. Journey So Far 11 b. Challenges 11 c. Prospects 11 4.3 Political Will of Individual Legislators 11 5. Budget Implementation 12 6. Conclusion 14 1. Executive Summary The paper seeks to analyse the three identified variables as determining the actual role of the Nigerian legislature in the budget process. The†¦show more content†¦Also, Nigeria’s quest to meet the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) is frustrated by this development. 3. Balance of Budgetary Powers When presenting the 2006 budget to the National Assembly, the then Senate President, in his speech stated that â€Å" The National Budget is an important policy tool, hence the constitution requires Mr. President to present, and the National Assembly to approve, estimates of the revenues and expenditures of the Federation for the next financial year, which in Nigeria follows the lunar year. The power to approve includes the power to analyse, debate, amend and enact into law the estimates presented by Mr. President. The principle of separated institutions sharing power† is clearly illustrated in budgeting†. During the 2009 budget cycle, the legislature not only reduced some important expenditure items as proposed by the executive, the National Assembly also took liberty to increase allocation for several items and introduce several new items into the budget. The National Assembly, as stated by the Chairman of the Committee on Appropriation, however made effort to comply with overriding macro-economic projections of the executive and endeavoured to stay within the general principle of the budget. In my own opinion, the legislature pushed the frontiers of citizens, pro-poor budgeting a step further, by inserting development projects to be cited in each federal constituencyShow MoreRelatedCorruption Of The Silent Killer Essay1533 Words   |  7 PagesNigeria is the oil sector; it is also the sector with the most corruption. Officials shorten the revenue gotten from oil import and export, leaving the nation in a serious state of crisis and debt. The Central Bank of Nigeria reported that the Nigerian National Petroleum Co-operation (NNPC) has not paid a sum of twenty billion dollars ($20 billion) (Thisdaylive). In addition, recent statistics have shown that the debt woes of the nation are increasing further as the economy depreciates(vanguard). CommunitiesRead MoreAdvantages and Disadvantages of Social Media6162 Words   |  25 PagesMedia Tracking Centre and the 2011 Nigerian Elections Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation About the Authors Dr. Judith Burdin Asuni is the Executive Director of Academic Associates PeaceWorks, a Nigerian NGO working in the fields of conflict management, peace and development and peace education. Dr. Asuni has researched and written extensively on conflicts in Nigeria, particularly in the Niger Delta. AA PeaceWorks has established a social media team to engage Nigerian youth on their participation inRead MoreInformation and Communication Technology as Bedrock of the Nation13285 Words   |  54 PagesThese are:(i) (ii) (iii) Information and Communications Technology; Biotechnology; and Bio-resources Research and Development. This policy recognizes the tremendous challenges and opportunities offered Nigerians by these three. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is the bedrock for national survival and development in a rapidly changing global environment, and challenges us to devise bold and courageous initiatives to address a host of vital socio-economic issues such as reliable infrastructureRead MoreArgumentative Essay on Women Are Better Leaders Than Men4639 Words   |  19 PagesAN OVERVIEW OF THE NIGERIAN ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT | By A. H. Ekpo amp; 0. J. UmohINTRODUCTION   This article overviews the growth and development of the Nigerian economy from inde pendence to present times. Specifically, the following periods are discussed: the pro-oil boom decade (1960-70); the period of the oil boom (1971 1977); the period of stabilisation and structural adjustment (1986 - 1993) and the period of guided deregulation (1994 -1998).GENERAL PERFORMANCE OF THE ECONOMY Read MoreCounselling in Nigeria6031 Words   |  25 PagesFOOD PROCESSING AND STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, MICHAEL OKPARA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE, UMUDIKE, ABIA STATE, NIGERIA HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING IN NIGERIA Man from pre-historic times have been having challenges and solving them. Nigerians in the traditional set-up before the advent of formalized guidance and counselling had problems and they were solving them through what Iwuama (1991, 2003) called traditional guidance. This is any type of assistance given to somebody in need. 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Crisis Impact on Sustainability Reporting

Question: Discuss about the Crisis Impact on Sustainability Reporting. Answer: Introduction This study aims to identify the actual liabilities of the auditors in the current as well as past business context. In the beginning, the study focuses on the liabilities of the auditors in the general context. After that, the discussion in the study moves towards the liabilities that the auditors in the business organizations had during the global financial crisis. During the discussion, special emphasis is made on the incident of Lehman Brothers collapse during the global financial crisis in 2008. Critical analysis is made on the situation in order to identify the issues or loopholes that the auditors must avoid during auditing. Discussing on the concept of auditors liability In the words of Hall, Judd and Sunder (2016), the auditors in a business organization are liable for the providing the assurance that the financial and other operational information provided by the organization are true and fair. At the same time, the auditors of the companies are also liable to prevent any kind of financial fraud within the companies. The financial experts says that auditing is the essential work, which provides the assurance that the financial reports of the companies are disclosing true and fair view of the companies financial positions. Whittle, Mueller and Carter (2016) noted an auditor must be completely aware of the liabilities of detecting the financial frauds and mistakes in the financial reports of the firms. An auditor is liable for conducting mainly two types of audits internal audit and statutory audit. Though, in these two types of audits, the liabilities of the auditors are not different. In the internal audit, the auditors liability is to investigate or check the financial and operational documents and reports of the particular departments in the organization. The internal audit can be divided into three sub-categories product audit, process audit and system audit (Chen, Krishnan and Yu 2016). In case of product audit, the auditors check whether the products of the company are as per the required quality or not. In the process audit, the auditors check the operational process within the organization and in case of the system audit, the auditing is done on the management system. On the other side, in case of the statutory audit, the auditors are liable to check the financial reports and other operational documents of the company at the end of the financial year (Geiger, Raghunandan and Riccardi 2013). The statutory audit can be done on periodic basis. According to Antonia Garca-Benau, Sierra-Garcia and Zorio (2013), auditing is one of the most important activities for the business organization. Hence, the liability of the auditor is huge in case of maintaining the sustainability of the organizations. General liabilities of the auditors According to Sikka (2015), an auditor is liable for planning and executing the audit program in order to identify whether the financial statements presented by the company includes any misinterpretation or not. The auditor is also liable for providing personal opinion regarding the financial position and reporting standards of the company. Many times people think that fraud detection is the only liability that auditors have, but in actual sense auditors have many other responsibilities or liabilities like, identifying the risks involved in the financial statements or reports of the company, providing the guidance to the companies regarding the accounting techniques and expressing their views regarding the financial position of the company (Geiger, Raghunandan and Riccardi 2013). An auditor is liable for conducting different kinds of activities. In order to perform the proper auditing, the auditors must take care of the following liabilities: An auditor is one of the most liable persons for maintaining the transparency level in the financial reporting of the company. The auditors must investigate about the organization and its business activities by asking several questions to the employees and management personnel of the company. At the same time, the auditors are also liable for understanding the internal control system of the company through proper investigation (Hall, Judd and Sunder 2016). It is the liability of the auditors to perform an examination in order to verify each transaction took place within the company in a particular financial year. Along with the financial statements, the auditors are also responsible for testing the other documents related to the other business activities of the company. The auditors also require examining the supporting documents for financial reports or statements (Ntim, Lindop and Thomas 2013). The auditors of a company are also liable for confirming the reliability of each of the ledger accounts in the financial records of the company. Therefore, from the above discussion, it can be said that therefore several activities for which the auditors of the companies are liable. The above mentioned responsibilities make the job of auditing critical but it helps providing proper assurance to the company regarding their financial position in a financial year. Global financial crisis and auditors liability In the above discussion, it has been identified that in a business organization, the auditors have huge liability and the future of the business depends on the extent to which the auditors are aware of their liabilities. However, in this context Sikka (2015) stated that the business organizations may face several problems if the auditors do not play active role in the field of auditing. If the incident of global financial crisis in 2008 is considered, then it can be identified that many financial experts have stated that the big audit firms like, KPMG, PWC and Deloitte were responsible for the global financial crisis. In the words of Garca-Benau, Sierra-Garcia and Zorio (2013), the big audit firms played their role within the legal boundary but that was not up to the standard or as per the requirements. In support of this, Ntim, Lindop and Thomas (2013) noted that the global financial crisis took place because of weak communication between the large audit firms. The audit firms, which were responsible for the audit in banks, did not share important information regarding the financial positions of the banks in UK. On the contrary, Geiger, Raghunandan and Riccardi (2013) commented that auditors were not primarily responsible for the global financial crisis or financial crisis in the banks in UK and USA. The financial crisis primarily took place because of the wrong decisions taken by the banks regarding the lending and investing, wrong understanding regarding the risk factors and wrong credit rating system. Though the auditing firms or the auditors were not primarily responsible for the global financial crisis, still it cannot be said that the auditors played their role actively. After the global financial crisis in 2008, the head of PwC, US stated that the auditors of the companies before the financial crisis should have guided the companies regarding the improvements of the financial reporting. At the same time, Geiger, Raghunandan and Riccardi (2013) mentioned that before the financial crisis, the auditors also showed less effort on analyzing the valuations techniques applied by the banks and other large financial organizations. Before the financial crisis, the large banks in US and UK held huge amount of questionable assets like, collateralized obligations on the balance sheet or mortgage-backed securities. However, the auditors did not bother to check those questionable assets and their valuation techniques and guide the banks in order to improve their actual financial positions (Chen, Krishnan and Yu 2016). In the investigation after the global financial crisis, it has been identified that during the crisis period, most of the banks and other financial institutions valued their assets as per their own models. Though the banks and financial institutions were audited by the same audit firm, the audit firm did not mention anything about the differences in the assets valuation models of the organizations. For example, Goldman and AIG both valued their assets in their own assets valuation models and faced huge losses during the crisis. These two organizations were audited by the same audit firm that is PwC, bu t PwC did not mention that two firms were following different assets valuation models (Ft.com 2017). Therefore, the above discussion is indicating that in the legal sense, the job of the audit firm was proper during the financial crisis but technically the job done by the audit firms had loopholes. These loopholes in the activities of the audit firms took place because of the negligence. The negligence of the audit firms influenced the global financial crisis to high extent. The situation can be better understood if the case of any particular company during the crisis period is considered. Below, the analysis is done based on the particular case of Lehman Brothers collapse during the period of global financial crisis. Analyzing the liability of auditors in the collapse of Lehman Brothers In the above discussion, it has been identified that the negligence of the auditors was one of the major reasons behind the global financial crisis. If the particular case of Lehman Brothers is considered, then it can be identified that the auditor of Lehman Brothers was Ernst Young. After the collapse of Lehman Brothers, it has been argued by many financial analysts or experts that Ernst Young has not shown proper professionalism while auditing the financial reports of Lehman Brothers. However, in this context, Wiggins, Bennett and Metrick (2014) stated that before the global financial crisis, it was approved by the government that auditors of any firm will have limited liabilities. The audit firms were engaged with the organizations as per the LLP law. This particular law allowed the audit firms taking the liability of their client firms only to certain extent. Jones and Presley (2013) commented that the limited liability partnership actually influenced the negligence of the audit firms. In the investigation, it was identified that the financial interpretation done by Lehman Brothers was not proper. However, Ernst Young failed rather neglected this factor. At the same time, Kershaw and Moorhead (2013) noted that the structure of the business activities of the company was much complex as well as low standard, but the audit firm that is Ernst Young did not suggest anything to the company. Wiggins and Metrick (2014) argued that Lehman Brothers showed healthier financial position by misinterpreting the financial statement. This was not a tough job for Ernst Young identifying the factor that the financial statements of Lehman Brothers were misinterpreted. Wiggins, Piontek and Metrick (2014) commented that the tactics applied by Lehman Brother to hide their actual financial position were known to Ernst Young, but the audit firm did not bother to investigate further on the financial reporting standards applied by Lehman Brother. Due to this, the Repo 105 used by the firm was not disclosed. However, Mahon (2015) mentioned that it is not right to consider Ernst Young responsible for the collapse of Lehman Brothers because the audit firm that is Ernst Young checked the financial reporting of Lehman Brothers and it was identified by the firm that Lehman Brothers prepared and presented by financial reports as per the rules and regulations in GAAP (Generally Accepted Account ing Principles) (The Guardian 2017). However, on the contrary, Lubben and Woo (2014) stated that certain reduction in the gearing ratio of Lehman Brothers by 0.9 should have captured the attention of Ernst Young regarding the financial reporting of the company. In support of this, Presley and Jones (2014) noted that no questions were raised from the end of Ernst Young regarding the sudden change in the gearing ratio of the company. At the same time, Gottschalk (2015) suggested that the regulatory framework in the country in respect to accounting and finance was much weak, which created the scope of doing financial fraudulence by different large financial and other institutions or organizations. In the analysis of the particular case of Lehman Brothers collapse, it can be said that the audit firm or Ernst Young performed their job without taking any actual responsibility. The overall aim of auditing was not met by Ernst Young. After auditing, it is the duty of the auditors to provide their opinion regarding the financial reporting and financial statements of the company (Nguyen 2016). The auditor can provide the opinion only after checking each document of the company carefully. However, after the collapse of Lehman Brothers and global financial crisis, it has been mentioned by the governments of different countries that while auditing the financial statements and reports of any company, it is the duty of the auditors to check each transaction in detail. The responsibility of the auditors is not limited to the certain extent. It is possible that though the companies have followed the rules and regulations stated under GAAP, there are misinterpretations or manipulation of t he financial statements (Lwaltd.com 2017). Therefore, it is the responsibility of the auditors to provide their opinion after checking the financial information of the company thoroughly. Therefore, from the above discussion, it can be said that the audit company Ernst Young was partially liable for the collapse of Lehman Brothers. Ernst Young did not fulfill the requirements of auditing properly. If the auditor would have done critical examination of the financial statements of Lehman Brothers, then it could identify the financial misstatements or manipulations done by the company. This particular case of Lehman Brothers indicates that the responsibility of the auditors is not limited; the auditors are responsible for each financial activity done by the client company. Conclusion: In this study, it has been identified that an auditor has huge liabilities. The liability of the auditor is not limited to fraud detection; the auditor is liable for maintaining strong internal control system and at the same time providing best financial suggestions to the company. During the discussion, the study has identified that there are mainly two types of audit that the auditors generally do statutory audit and internal audit. The study has also indicated that the liability of the auditor is not different in case of statutory audit and internal audit. The study has also identified several general liabilities of auditors and some of those liabilities or responsibilities are detecting the financial frauds or misstatements in the financial statements of the company, checking the internal control system of the company and suggesting the company proper financial reporting standards. At the same time, the study has also identified that auditors were liable for the global financial crisis during 2008. The study has found out that in case of Lehman Brothers collapse, the audit firm of the company that is Ernst Young was partially responsible. This is because the Ernst Young did not check properly the financial statements or reporting of the company. There were several signs, which were indicating the manipulations in the financial statement; however, Ernst Young ignored those. Recommendations: The above discussions in the study provide the following recommendations: Every audit firm must conduct critical analysis of each of the transaction taken place in the client company. The audit firm must raise questions to the management of the client company if any suspicious or unusual thing happens or noted in the financial statements. The audit firm must check the assets valuation model of each client company. Reference list: Antonia Garca-Benau, M., Sierra-Garcia, L. and Zorio, A., 2013. Financial crisis impact on sustainability reporting.Management decision,51(7), pp.1528-1542. Chen, L., Krishnan, G.V. and Yu, W., 2016. The Relation between Audit Fee Cuts during the Global Financial Crisis and Earnings Quality and Audit Quality. Ft.com. 2017. [online] Available at: https:///www.ft.com [Accessed 17 Jan. 2017]. Geiger, M.A., Raghunandan, K. and Riccardi, W., 2013. The global financial crisis: US bankruptcies and going-concern audit opinions.Accounting Horizons,28(1), pp.59-75. Gottschalk, P., 2015. Private internal reports as evidence in court: The case of Stangeskovene investigation in Norway. Hall, C., Judd, J.S. and Sunder, J., 2016. The Role of Auditor Portfolios: Evidence from the Financial Crisis.Available at SSRN 2766448. Jones, B. and Presley, T., 2013. Law and accounting: did Lehman Brothers use of repo 105 transactions violate accounting and legal rules?.Journal of Legal, Ethical and Regulatory Issues,16(2), p.55. Kershaw, D. and Moorhead, R., 2013. Consequential Responsibility for Client Wrongs: Lehman Brothers and the Regulation of the Legal Profession.The Modern Law Review,76(1), pp.26-61. Lubben, S.J. and Woo, S.P., 2014. Reconceptualizing Lehman.Tex. Int'l LJ,49, p.297. Lwaltd.com. 2017. Accounting Services Manchester, Sale Warrington | LWA Ltd. [online] Available at: https://www.lwaltd.com/ [Accessed 17 Jan. 2017]. Mahon, K., 2015. Ernst Youngs Involvement with Lehman Brothers Downfall. Nguyen, T.N., 2016. Preventing Corporate Fiascos: Corporate Oversight Organization Unit. InPreventing Corporate Fiascos(pp. 101-107). Palgrave Macmillan US. Ntim, C.G., Lindop, S. and Thomas, D.A., 2013. Corporate governance and risk reporting in South Africa: A study of corporate risk disclosures in the pre-and post-2007/2008 global financial crisis periods.International Review of Financial Analysis,30, pp.363-383. Presley, T.J. and Jones, B., 2014. Lehman Brothers: The Case Against Self-Regulation.Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics,11(2), p.11. Sikka, P., 2015, March. The corrosive effects of neoliberalism on the UK financial crises and auditing practices: A dead-end for reforms. InAccounting Forum(Vol. 39, No. 1, pp. 1-18). Elsevier. The Guardian. 2017. News, sport and opinion from the Guardian's US edition | The Guardian. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com [Accessed 17 Jan. 2017]. Whittle, A., Mueller, F. and Carter, C., 2016. The Big Fourin the spotlight: Accountability and professional legitimacy in the UK audit market.Journal of Professions and Organization, p.jow001. Wiggins, R.Z. and Metrick, A., 2014. The Lehman Brothers Bankruptcy C: Managing the Balance Sheet through the Use of Repo 105.Yale Program on Financial Stability Case Study. Wiggins, R.Z., Bennett, R.L. and Metrick, A., 2014. The Lehman Brothers Bankruptcy D: The Role of Ernst Young.Yale Program on Financial Stability Case Study. Wiggins, R.Z., Piontek, T. and Metrick, A., 2014. The Lehman Brothers Bankruptcy A: Overview.Yale Program on Financial Stability Case Study.