Macolm X Essays - African-American Muslims, English-language Films

Macolm X A man was brought into this world on May 19,1925 to serve his people and help them open many doors. This man started of as a nobody and is now known to the world as being one of America's greatest Civil Rights leaders. Malcolm X Little was the 4th child born to Reverend Earl and Louise Little. He also had 3 half siblings. His dad believed in self-determination and worked for the unity of black people and tried to teach Malcolm the same way. His dad tried to raise Malcolm to be aware of his ethnic background and dignity. Violence was always sparked by white people that were trying to stop black people such as Rev. Little. (Malcolm's father) After he was born his family quite a few times before he they finally settled in Lansing, Michigan. His father became active in the University of Negro improvements Assoc. he also go involved in the Black Baptist Church. Throughout Malcolm's life he was dedicated to black people. I guess you could say that he followed in the footsteps of his father. Even though Malcolm, his brothers, sisters, and parents were all shot, burned out of their homes, harassed, and threatened they still fought for their freedom and for what they believed in. This culminated in the assassination of his father by the white people. When Malcolm was only 6 years of age his father was shot and died. Although all this happened to Malcolm throughout his life he still continued to go to school. HE graduated 8th grade with good grades, just as he thought his father would have wanted him to do. At the age of 15 Malcolm dropped out of school and began to learn the ways of the streets. He became acquainted with hoodlums, thieves, dope peddlers, and pimps. When he was twenty Malcolm was convicted of burglary, and he remained in prison till he was 27. While he was in prison he began to educated himself and he learned about and joined the Nation of Islam. He studied the teachings of Elijah Muhammad fully. In 1952 he was released a changed man. When he was released he went to Detroit and he joined the daily activity of the sect and was given instructions by Elijah Muhammad himself. After the teachings of Muhammad he changed his name to Al-Haji Malik El-Shabazz. His commitment helped build the organization nation-wide, while making him and international figure. He was interviewed for TV programs and by magazines and spoke across America at many different universities and other forums. Malcolm's power was in his words. Here is just a few of Malcolm's most powerful words. I feel like a man who had been asleep somewhat and under someone else's control. I feel what I'm saying now id for myself. Before, it was for and by guidance of another, now I think with my own mind. This means he took in all the information that people said, and used it as his own knowledge. He used to listen to what people would say and learn from what they said. Then one day he woke up and decided that he was the man in control and he has enough power to fight for what he believed in. Another great speech that Malcolm made was this one: This letter showed how he visited a country where all people were treated and that they have never heard of the word racist. He thought it was so amazing that people of all different ethnic beliefs could all eat of the same plate and drink from the same glass. His experience there was so amazing that he wanted the whole world to know how it was. Before his trip described in the letter above Malcolm was vehemently anti-white. He did not like whites and he believed that they were hell raisers and they had no more of a right to ridicule him than he does to ridicule them. He was taught as a child to hate whites so that is what he grew up believing. But after his trip to Abraham he came to see that all people were equal, regardless of their race. True anti-racism is color blindness. That's what he spoke about when

Right to Work Laws

Right to Work Laws Introduction Debates on the rights to work laws have been intensifying each day especially now that competition in the business world is increasing drastically. The topic of rights to work laws I, therefore, very significant in many organizations in the globe. This is because the laws define the rights of all employees and offers security for contracts for employers who are members of work unions (Taubman, and Alston, 2010, p 1).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Right to Work Laws specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Global organizations are much concerned about these laws because they define powers of business unions whereby the right to work laws are now prohibiting the unions from taking certain measures towards the companies involved, which would result to mandatory membership of all employees as well as payments of union dues by the employees. Some people support the laws while others oppose them. However, t hese laws should be made based on their benefits to the state in question as well as its people (both employees and employers). It is therefore important for organizations to be aware of these laws to avoid exploitation of their employees by the unions as well as to learn on the benefits of joining the unions to enable them make wise decisions to the benefit of their businesses (Niznik, 2011, p 1). How unions survive in Right to Work states Since much legislation on rights to work laws is opposing work unions, the unions have developed several strategies to help them survive the opposition. For instance, many unions are now encouraging the use of new and improved technologies aimed at improving production. This move has attracted many employers to join the unions in order to benefit from the advancements in productivity technology. They are also providing other services such as coordination of labor management and improved training for employees of member employers. Through the guar anteed increase in wages, many employees are willing to join the unions despite the laws imposed on the unions. In order for unions to maintain their members in rights to work states, they are improving the units of bargaining which keeps the nonunionized employers at greater risks of competition due to the low wages they offer and also lack of job benefits to their employees. As a result, many firms choose to remain as union members despite their rights not to do so. For instance, the construction firms have more to benefit from by maintaining their membership due to better and much quality work resulting from the increased and improved training of employees (Cooper, 2004, p. 1).Advertising Looking for research paper on labor law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Similarly, fewer injuries are experienced in such companies and this attracts many such firms to join or maintain their membership in the unions. Due to the higher wages guaranteed on union members, community members are likely to have more to spend and this is beneficial to the companies and other employers in that their sales and services will increase due to the increased income of the employees which leads to subsequent increase in expenditure by society members. This encourages companies to join and maintain their membership to the unions in order to promote rise in sales. Since the rights to work laws do not limit the management powers of companies, unions in right to work states take the initiative to provide management services to members and this attracts many companies to join the unions. The unions and the member companies therefore agree on the terms and conditions of those services. This way, the unions gain benefits from the fees they obtain from the members for the services offered (Considine, 2011, p. 1). Rights for union employees and differences in collective bargaining agreement in right t work and non right to work states Union employees in both right to work and non right to work states, enjoy certain benefits. For instance, unions require their member companies to give priority to union employees when giving job opportunities. Non union employees may therefore miss a job opportunity especially where there are other union employees pursuing the same position. However, employees from non union companies (right to work laws states), gain some benefits as well. The law requires that the workers get the benefits of the company membership. All eligible employees are, therefore, entitled to representation by the unions whether they pay the union dues or not. The unions are therefore required to use their own member’s dues to pay union benefits even to those who are not willing to pay off their dues. The unions however, tend to represent collective bargaining based on arguments that everyone is entitled to freedom to speech, assembly and press. Collective bargaining gives the unions the chanc e to express their views with regard to job benefits, improvements of working conditions and better wages for member employees (Denholm, 2011, p. 1). Employees in unionized companies in the rights to work states have the right to choose either to join or refrain from joining the union. This is opposed to workers in non rights to work states where all employees of unionized workplaces are forced to join the unions or pay the union dues prior to employment. Rights to work states have laws which give employees the right to refrain from joining the unions even when their employers are members.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Right to Work Laws specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Workers also have the rights to end their membership from the union at any given time without having to pay any post union fines or facing any disciplinary measures. Therefore, in the right to work states, employees do not need to pay any union dues to get employed while in the non right to work states, employers may require, by law, the worker to pay a reduced amount of the fees to support the union (Niznik, 2011, p 1). However, in the non right to work states, the union does not require formal membership of workers despite the agreements of collective bargaining. This agreement defines the distinction between volunteer membership in a company and the payment of financial dues without having to join the union membership. The voluntary members of the union are subject to fines and other internal agreements such as discipline while financial due payers are not. These payers are not part of the union members but are members of the bargaining unit which is completely covered by the union based on the bargaining agreements including salary and other benefits such as pension payments. Despite members of the bargaining agreement being excluded from internal participation of the union, they are fairly represented as well as bearing immunity from disciplinary measures and other fines (Barro, 2011, p. 1). Differences in employees in right to work and non right to work states Although both opponents and proponents of the right to work laws have exactly opposing views and arguments on the work laws, there are actual differences experienced between the two. Employees in the non right to work states, whose unions are stronger due to lack of restrictions, enjoy some benefits that their counter parts. For instance, compensation programs for workers in case of injuries as well insurance agreements are much friendlier and generous in states that have not yet implemented the work laws. Such employees’ families especially their children are less likely to suffer from poverty and are guaranteed of living a quality standard of life compared to those in right to work states that are poorly paid leading to low income among community members and consequently poor living standards. The unions in the non rights w ork states have pushed for health insurance services from all employers including the small ones. High income rates for employees give them opportunities to educate their children something which guarantees a bright future for the children. Immortality rates are equally lower in such states compared to those which have already implemented the laws opposing the work unions. This clearly shows that workers in the non rights to work states have much better lives than their counter parts in the rights to work states (Denholm, 2011, p. 1). On the other hand, employees in anti union states are more likely to suffer intimidation by their employers because after all they have no body through which they can air their views concerning their jobs.Advertising Looking for research paper on labor law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Since employers in such states are not under any pressure, they tend to pay low wages to their employees, fail to provide important services such as medical covers and do not pay much attention to working conditions their workers are exposed to. As a result, employees earn low income, they are likely not able to live a standard life as opposed to those in states where the laws have not been implemented. Similarly, unemployment rates are higher in right to work states since workers do not have guarantee for employment unlike in non right to work states where the union members are always prioritized during recruitments. Employment opportunities are therefore high in these states and as a result living standards of communities are improved. Additionally, unions may intervene between employers and workers in case any problem arises. This way, loss of jobs by union members is prevented (Taubman, and Alston, 2010, p 1). Importance of understanding the Right to Work laws It is very importa nt for both employees and employers to understand the basics of the Right to Work laws, whether they are in the Right to Work states or in the non-Right to Work states. The workers should clearly understand their rights in the unions whether they have joined the membership or they are part of the collective bargaining agreement. Proper understanding of these laws and employees rights will put them in a better position to decide whether to join the unions’ membership or not. Similarly, employers need to understand their duties as well especially their required responsibilities in regard to the unions. The employees also need to be fully informed on the benefits associated with union membership especially provision of job opportunities. Employees need to be aware of their rights involved in payments of union dues to avoid being exploited without their knowledge as it has been the case for many workers. It is also important for state governments to consider the good side of the unions before abolishing them completely so that they can be able to put into place, appropriate laws for the benefit of employees, employers as well as the unions (Cooper, 2004, p. 1). Conclusion Right to Work laws have been implemented in many countries over the years. However, many have opposed the laws and others have supported them. The opponents of the laws are supporters of the unions arguing that the existence of the unions has resulted to increased wages to its members, high living standards of the society as a whole as well as enjoyment of other benefits. However, the proponents of the law oppose the unions with exactly the opposite views on the unions as their counter parts. According to the proponents of the law, unions have led to low wages to its members, reduced job opportunities and low living standards among the union members. Most of these unions have been, for a very long time, exploiting their members by requiring them to pay mandatory union dues in order to get themselves a job. Others have forced workers to join the union membership against their will so that the union can benefit from the dues from the members. However, the Right to Work laws requires that no employee should be forced to either join the union or pay mandatory dues. The laws also give the employees the right to choose between joining the union membership and remaining as part of collective bargaining agreement which does not involve internal participation of the members in the union affairs. Reference List Barro, R. (2011). Unions vs. the Right to Work. Retrieved from, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704150604576166011983939364.html Considine, A. (2011). ‘Right to Work’: GOP aims to gut labor unions. Retrieved from, nuvo.net/indianapolis/right-to-work-making-unions-illegal/Content?oid=2067037 Cooper, J.W. (2004). Effects of Right to Work Laws on Employees, Unions and Businesses. Retrieved from, johnwcooper.com/right-to-work-laws/right-to-work-la ws.pdf Denholm, D. (2011). There is no â€Å"Right† to Collective Bargaining. Retrieved from, http://unionwatch.org/there-is-no-right-to-collective-bargaining/ Niznik, J.S. (2011). Right to Work. Retrieved from, http://jobsearchtech.about.com/od/laborlaws/a/right_to_work_2.htm Taubman, G. and Alston, R. (2010). Union Discipline and Employee Rights. Retrieved from, nrtw.org/RDA.htm

All About Hardie Board and Fiber Cement Siding

All About Hardie Board and Fiber Cement Siding Hardie Board is fiber cement siding manufactured by James Hardie Building Products, one of the first successful manufacturers of this material. Two of their most popular products are HardiePlank ® (horizontal lap siding, 0.312 inches thick) and HardiePanel ® (vertical siding, 0.312 inches thick). The fiber cement siding is made from Portland cement mixed with ground sand, cellulose fiber, and other additives. The product is also known as cement-fiber siding, concrete siding, and fiber cement cladding. Fiber cement siding can resemble stucco, wood clapboards, or cedar shingles (e.g., HardieShingle ® 0.25 inches thick), depending on how the panels are textured during the manufacturing process. Pulverized sand, cement, and wood pulp are mixed with water to make a slurry, which is rolled out and pressed together into sheets. The water is squeezed out, a pattern is pressed onto the surface, and the sheets are cut into boards. The product is baked in autoclaves under high-pressure steam, and then the individual boards are jostled apart, tested for strength, and painted. It may look like wood, but the boards are much heavier with properties associated more with cement than wood. The wood fiber is added to give the board flexibility so it doesnt crack. The material is more durable than most woods and stucco and resists insects and rot. It is also fire resistant, which explains its early popularity in Australia, an arid land plagued by wildfires throughout the bush. Fiber cement siding has become popular, because it requires little maintenance, will not melt, is non-combustible, and can have a natural, wood-like appearance. However, many people say it is much more difficult for a nonprofessional to install than other siding. Remember, when youre cutting it that its really cement, with the associated hardness and dust to prove it. Hardie Board should not be confused with hardboard, which is dense, pressed particleboard made from wood. Common misspellings include hardiboard, hardyboard, hardyplank, hardypanel, HardiPlank, and HardiPanel. Knowing the manufacturers name will help with accurate spelling. James Hardie Industries PLC is headquartered in Ireland. Expense Comparisons Although more expensive than vinyl, fiber cement siding is considerably less expensive than wood. Fiber cement board is generally less expensive than cedarwood, more expensive than vinyl, and less expensive than brick. It is equal or less expensive than composite siding and less expensive than synthetic stucco. As with any construction project, the materials are but one aspect of the expense. Installing fiber cement board incorrectly can be a priceless mistake. About James Hardie James Hardie Building Products has long been associated with Australia, ever since the Scottish-born son of master tanner Alexander Hardie emigrated there in the late 19th century. James Hardie became an importer of tannery chemicals and equipment until he came upon a new fire-resistant product being manufactured by the French Fibro-Ciment Co. The construction product became so popular so quickly that even the misspelled name Hardi Board became somewhat generic, like Kleenex means facial tissues and Bilco means any steel cellar doorway. HardieBoard has come to mean any fiber cement siding by any number of suppliers. The success of the  fibro-cement sheeting imported by Hardie allowed him to sell his company and his own name. Hardie Fibrolite Fibrolite is synonymous with asbestos in places like New Zealand and Australia. Asbestos cement sheets became popular in the 1950s as an alternative building material to wood and brick. Hardie manufactured a cement-asbestos product in Australia beginning in the early 20th century. The James Hardie company continues to settle claims with employees and customers who have been subject to asbestos-related cancers presumably from working closely with the building product. Since 1987, Hardie products have not contained asbestos; the fiber replacement is organic wood pulp. James Hardie building products installed before 1985 may contain asbestos. Fiber Cement Building Products James Hardie Building Products is a company that specializes in fiber cement building materials and has come to dominate the market, yet other providers carry products similar to Hardie Boards. For example, allura USA bought CertainTeed Corporation and also merged its manufacturing with Maxitile in order to be competitive. American Fiber Cement Corporation (AFCC) distributes in Europe under the name Cembrit. Nichiha has a formula that uses less silica and more fly ash. Wonderboard ® by Custom Building Products is a product similar to HardieBacker, ® a cement-based underlayment. Fiber cement cladding has a history of expanding, shrinking, and cracking. James Hardie has addressed these issues with the HardieZone ® system. In the U.S. a different formula is used to make siding for homes in the north subject to freezing temperatures as opposed to siding for homes in the south, subject to hot, wet climates. Many residential contractors cannot be convinced that cement siding is even worth changing their building processes. Next Generation Concrete Cladding Architects are using Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC), a very expensive, cement-based product for commercial cladding. Popularly known by their fabricators, such as Lafarges Ductal ® and TAKTL and Envel with Ductal, UHPC is a complex recipe that includes metal fibers of steel in the mix, making the product super strong but thin and shapeable. Its durability exceeds other cement mixtures, and its not subject to some of the fiber cement hazards such as expanding and shrinking. Building on UHPC, the next generation of composite technology is DUCON ® Micro-Reinforced Concrete Systems; stronger, thinner, and even more durable for structures in an age of terrorism and weather extremes. Concrete homes have long been considered a solution to building in climates of extremes. Like most new products for the homeowner, look to what architects are using to eventually be the product of choice, as long as you can find a contractor who keeps up with the skills and necessary equipment to install it. Sources Recent Updates at linkedin.com/company/james-hardie-building-products, LinkedIn [accessed June 8, 2015]Frequently Asked Questions, Our Company, and Performance Durability, James Hardie Building Products Inc. [accessed June 8, 2015; February 11, 2018]Case study: James Hardie and asbestos, lawgovpol.com [accessed June 8, 2015]Australian Dictionary of Biography, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hardie-james-jim-12963 [accessed February 12, 2018]

Recommendations for Market Entry in India (Gap Inc.) Essay

Recommendations for Market Entry in India (Gap Inc.) - Essay Example It is recommended that Gap Inc. take immediate advantage of this market opportunity in order to secure Indian consumer loyalty to Gap brands prior to competitor market entry; which will likely escalate with the removal of Indian import quotas. Gap Inc.'s strengthened balance sheet and debt reduction activities leading to U.S. $3 billion in cash and investments (Gap Annual Report) suggests that the company can adequately support the demands of higher logistics costs and employee compensation demands within this region. When retail companies consider additional retail expansion they are faced with a variety of options for market entry: that is, acquisitions, franchising or joint ventures. Due to the obvious drawbacks in securing local talent to effectively operate franchise facilities in the short-term, it is the recommendation that Gap Inc. consider foreign direct investment as an appropriate option for initial market entry. Direct corporate investment will accomplish two distinct objectives: First, to familiarise the firm.

Thesis On E-Government In Jordan Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 20000 words

Thesis On E-Government In Jordan - Dissertation Example E-government is the short form of electronic government, also known as the â€Å"e-gov† and has a number of other names in digital government, the online government, and even transformational government. E-government discusses the manner in which government makes use of the exchange of information and services that are pertinent with regards to the citizens, individual businesses, and other governmental agencies to name a few. E-government thus takes care of information and communications technology, which in this paper we will call as ICT. All these processes are carried out to ensure that there is improvement within the processes, efficiency is achieved, public services are better managed and delivered and there are plenty of tasks that are done in the right manner as far as processes of democratic governance are concerned. Thus to add to the same discussion, we see that the E-governments encompass a number of different models including the Government to Citizen, also known as the Government to Customer, Government to Business and lastly Government to Government. However, to coin the most significant of these activities that E-government does in the related scheme of things, we see that E-government increases efficiency between the tasks ensure there is convenience all around and there is a better accessibility factor related to the provision of basic public services. Hence the interaction between the private sector and that of the public sector is also improved as a result of the very same.

Wrights Native Son as Communist Manifesto? :: Native Son Essays

Wright's Native Son as Communist Manifesto? Was Richard Wright's Native Son a story about his views towards Capitalism and Communism ? Did Richard Wright want to show the good and bad points towards Capitalism and Communism ? Or was this novel just about how a young man went through life and how society made him. Richard Wright's Native Son shows that he used the Dalton's, Thomas's, and Jan Erlone to represent Capitalism and Communism . After reading Richard Wright's Native Son, many believe the author purposely placed the Thomas family in a small, run-down home . The book shows this right from the start . Bigger and his family had to sleep in the same room, and big rats were running around the house . This shows the Thomas family represented the lower class, a trademark of Capitalism . I could not even imagine living there, especially with that huge rat .The house must have been very dirty and disgusting by today's standards . The author wanted to show how some families live under these severe conditions. He made us see vividly how they lived with this quote . "A huge black rat squealed and leaped at Bigger's trouser-leg and snagged it in his teeth, hanging on." This showed how broke they were by showing that there were giant rats living with them and how it had no fear of them . Richard Wright did not just not just want to show the con sides to Capitalism, he also wanted to prove the Capitalism has its good sides to it also . For instance, Richard Wright purposely placed the Daltons in a spectacular house and made them very rich and famous . Another trademark of Capitalism, the upper class. The author showed how some of the Capitalist folks lived . The upper class is very wealthy and basically gets what they want . Mr. and Mrs. Dalton had it made. They had chauffeurs, a huge house, and cars . They had too much money . They were giving away things to the needy, though they were giving away useless things to the needy like Ping- Pong tables. Richard Wright wanted to show that the upper class were afraid of the blacks . Not afraid of their individual physical strength, but

In What Way Can China’s ‘Socialist Market Economy’ Be Regarded as Successful and to What Extent Is It Not Achieving Its Promise?

Question 2: In what way can China’s ‘socialist market economy’ be regarded as successful and to what extent is it not achieving its promise? China is much more than just a mere country. It has been through many ups and downs and exciting changes in the Chinese society, from changes of dynasties to establishing a name under the ‘7 wonders of the world’ with its creation of the ‘Great Wall of China’. Its heritage and history for the past thousands of years have made China of what it is today. Hence, with Deng Xiaoping’s widely quoted phrases: â€Å"crossing the river by grouping for stones†, â€Å"Getting rich is glorious†, and â€Å"seek truth from facts, and not from ideology†, how has China develop and grown over the years? How did China attain its current economic prosperity? How did China seek the truth of its economy transition from a planned economy to a market economy over the decades? â€Å"In a planned economy, government controls and determine business ownership, profits, and resource allocation. The theory behind a planned economy is ‘communism’, which suggests that all property is shared equally by the people in a community under the direction of a strong central government. It is an economic system that involves public ownership of businesses. Rather than entrepreneurs, the government decides what products consumers will be offered and in what quantities. As the main planner, the government establishes trade polices that historically have been very restrictive in allowing foreign companies the opportunity to compete† (Stralser, 2004). China was a planned economy under Mao Zedong’s leadership as he thoughts was mainly equality, where he established nationalization of China’s economy through the control of markets by keeping it free from foreign dominations, price, and production as well as natural and human resources. He also introduced the promotion of egalitarianism and collectivism with little incentives, while individuals’ needs are not being realized. As a result, economic development in China was stagnant and there was not much of an economic progress. In the late 1930s, Oscar Lange started the idea of â€Å"Market Socialism,† an economy in which assets or methods of productions, were owned socially by the communist party or State, but which imitated the supply-demand price adjustment of the competitive market economy. Conversely, Lerner and Lange debated on the issue that the key element that is common to ‘market socialism’ is socialist (i. e. party) ownership and (managerial) control of assets. The key difference is that market-based allocation of goods and services versus centrally planned allocation of goods and services. In China, the ‘market’ element has expanded gradually since the start of the agricultural reforms in 1979 and the introduction of Urban reforms in 1984. In 1992, China publicly stated that its goal is a â€Å"socialist market economy with Chinese Characteristics. † Though China has successfully expanded the scope of the market, â€Å"socialist† (communist) control of factors remains very important. An understanding of these elements is vital to an understanding of the economic performance of China. Thus, China’s transition from a planned economy to a ‘Socialist Market Economy’ started in 1978, after the death of Mao Zedong in 1976, when Deng Xiaoping recognized the need to reform its economy and political structure, as China was experiencing economic and developmental problems under Mao’s leadership. Deng Xiaoping’s thoughts were different from Mao Zedong’s, as Deng Xiaoping believed in prosperity and efficiency for China’s economy. His aim was to raise living standards and introduced the ‘Four Modernisations’; namely the Industry, Agriculture, Science and Technology and Defence, by developing ‘a market economy with Chinese Characteristics’. Moreover, he establishes a contract responsibility system in agricultural areas and revives individual businesses in urban areas to understand and satisfy individuals’ needs. Furthermore, he decentralized a substantial amount of authority in state enterprises and reform the irrational price system due to the high demand and selling in the market. The call for such a change is for the reason that China was under a very centralized planned economy system that has high speed and excessive accumulation of national income at the expense of consumption, but produces a low result and consumptions due to poor planning and economic mismanagement. It led to the excessive emphasis on grain production and the low productivity of commune systems. On the other hand, China sees the need to be modernized and strong, thus establishing what Deng Xiaoping introduces, the ‘Four Modernisations’. In particular, the Industry sector, where overemphasis is placed on heavy industry while the light industry and services are being ignored. In addition to that, the Defence sector has placed too much emphasis on their national defence and lacked efficiency. Too much attention is placed on self-reliance (Riskin, 1987; Hsu,1991). Not forgetting the acknowledgement of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) mistakes in the Cultural Revolution, whereby permanent revolution, class struggle, mass movement and political unrest exist and the rejection of key theories of Maoism that has seriously damaged the Chinese economy (Wei, 2000). From the period when China was under Deng Xiaoping’s leadership till the end of 1998, China’s economic reform has gone through a transition from a planned economy to a market economy. And at present, China portray itself as a â€Å"Socialist Market Economy† or where it is called â€Å"Socialism with Chinese Characteristics†, which means that â€Å"using market forces to improve the efficiency of production while retaining a managed, predominantly state-owned economy and authoritarian control over political activity† (Dorn, 1998). Deng Xiaoping introduced both the economic and political reform program to achieve four major objectives, namely, instituting contract responsibility in agricultural areas such as the labour responsibility system that determines where a person can work legally and where it cannot; reviving individual businesses in urban areas; decentralizing a substantial amount of authority in state enterprises where the banking system has evolved little from a government department where loans are decided on the basis of provincial or national objectives and ability to repay is irrelevant to the variable cost of the capital. And lastly, reforming the pricing system, which simply means that the market rather than the government itself determines the pricing system. Cities or Provinces can and do price land to any buyer at any price. Infrastructure pricing and supply, mainly to foreign invested enterprises, is likewise determined on the basis of national or provincial or city objectives and can vary within the various enterprise. This is also applicable to the limit for some of the output of the State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) that remain subjected to the central department, who are their bosses for orders and directions. As for the economic reform, Deng Xiaoping came up with three propositions that are private ownership has useful place in a socialist economy; market forces should be allowed to influence the allocation of goods and the determination of prices and material incentives should be the principal mechanism for stimulating greater productivity and efficiency, for example, having rewards to set the moods up for the workers so that they would work hard to achieve their rewards and hence, increases productivity and efficiency. According to Virmani 2005, he mentioned that â€Å"in moving from the ‘Socialist’ to the ‘Socialist Market’ Economy, China has borrowed aspects from the â€Å"Nationalist Market Economies† of developing Japan, S. Korea and Singapore. The main purpose of China’s government was to be able to economically draw closer to the advanced countries through fast growth of average income. Consequently, China developed a national consensus to maximize GDP growth. The whole nation was called together to achieve this aim. The simplicity of this purpose of growth, investment and production made China much easier to decentralize its economy structure and ensure accountability at every level including that of the private corporate sector†. Now we move on to the political reform, Deng Xiaoping wanted China to seek a sharper and decisive break from Maoism and the Soviet model; de-maoisation by abolishing class struggle and permanent proletarian revolution; to reduce the role of ideology in political and intellectual life and also reduce Party’s role in making technical and administrative decisions. Therefore, separate the Party’s ideology and administrative competence area and also not forgetting the technical and political areas. Today, China’s ‘Socialist Market Economy’ can be regarded as successful due to the â€Å"high rates of growth China has sustained for the last quarter or a century, with GDP averaging 9% per annum. China’s trade activity, including both imports and exports, has grown an average of 15% a year since 1979† (Eswar, 2004). Its achievements were from political and economic decentralization that consist of the introduction of entrepreneurial autonomy to the Chinese economy, and to the new booming of rural industries, so as to offer higher employment opportunities, income and prosperity to the local communities. With reference to the World Bank research done on fighting poverty, the overall living standards for the vast majority of the Chinese population improved as 400 million people were lifted out of poverty, while business dynamism spread across China's urban and rural areas. As a result, its transition to a market economy system gives individuals a higher share of their earnings, increasing their per capital wealth. Furthermore, Virmani also mentioned, one of China’s most significant market innovations to its socialist economy was the product market (2005). It started with agriculture output markets in 1979 where initially agriculture markets were partially liberalised in a manner similar to that used in India for sugar and other markets in the sixties. This was a ‘Dual pricing and distribution’ system in which part of the produce continued to be handed over to the government at a controlled price, while the rest could be sold freely at the market price. Many of the rules circumscribing small-scale service activities were also abolished or ignored, resulting in a boom in collectively and individually owned restaurants and shops. Labour contracting services also developed in the interior provinces to supply construction workers to urban areas. Dual pricing in industrial goods was introduced by China in 1985-86, with prices on the market channel allowed to fluctuate according to market conditions. At this point, more than half of all industrial goods were still distributed at administered prices. Product liberalisation was gradually extended to the entire manufacturing sector. It has also been selectively extended to the real estate sector and retail trade. One of the recent evidence on China’s success is seen during the Beijing Olympics that showed to the outside world its successfulness, spectacular and advancement, prosperous and modernity is like any other west countries. But there is also the more genuine and in fact improved aspect of China that raised itself up, so to speak, in the earthquake that occurred in May in Sichuan, â€Å"with heroic rescue efforts by government at all levels, the army, and people from all walks of life throughout the country. The resilience and resourcefulness of the Chinese people are the real source of optimism. With a socialist ideal and politically conscious forces to pursue it, true reform is well within China's capacity† (Lin, 2009). However, like any other communist or socialist country, to a certain extent China is not achieving its promise because in China, the single party rule is none other than the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). To paraphrase Perkins (1994), ‘All political power in China is monopolised by the Chinese Communist party, a party that is organised along Leninist lines. Power is centralised at the top and not easily challenged from below. ’ The party is a hierarchy stretching from the party general secretary at the top to the party honcho in the smallest settlement/village. The objectives, broad approach to achievement of these objectives and the parameters within which lower levels can take initiatives, is decided at the top. national to provincial level, and the Metro cities and Town & Village level. Also, with reference to Virmani 2005, in China, all land is owned and controlled by the State, however, due to the historical heritage of cooperative ownership of farmland, the controlling system is slightly different in the rural areas. In many provinces, farming households supposedly have an ownership share in village and farmland, but lose this right if they move to the urban areas to work. Similar to every other Communist country, in this case, China, the Party controlled the labour unions and therefore the terms and conditions of work. Therefore, the overall policy approach to terms & conditions of employment, work hours and wages is decided by the CCP (at an appropriate geographical level or level of government). If the CCP decides to apply different work and pay rules in a particular province, sector, industry or type of enterprise (e. g. foreign invested) from those applied to general domestic enterprises, neither the (so called) labour unions nor the employees can do anything to change it. China’s labour market is also controlled through the Hukou system that determines where a person is entitled to live and work and receive State provided social benefits. Hukou is a resident permit given by the government. It is issued on family basis where every family have a Hukou booklet that records information about the family members, name, birth date, relationship with each other, marriage status, address and your employer. In other words, its legal residence in an area entitles one to access public schooling and healthcare, housing and job opportunities and/or land for farming. Legal change of residence is possible if either a person succeeds in getting a place at a senior middle school and then at a city college by clearing competitive exams for the same, or if the state allows it, say allowing firms in a city to hire permanent workers from nearby rural areas. The Chinese government used the family register system in order to control the movement of people between urban and rural areas. Thus, with Hukou System, it limits mass migration from the land to the cities to ensure some structural stability. Also, it was an instrument of the command economy. Hence, if people move without formal CCP permission, they are in effect illegal migrants with no rights. Chinese government’s restrictions on rural-urban mobility primarily operate through the Hukou system. A worker may live legally in an urban area, without acquiring an urban hukou as a permanent resident on a long-term permit or as a contract worker. Permits for legal residence are neither easy nor cheap to come by, and illegal migration has been increasing throughout the reform period. When the special economic zones were first opened, all labour contracts were with a Chinese labour bureau that is effectively controlled by the CCP’s ‘terms and conditions’ of employment. 100% of capital assets were owned and controlled by the State, that is the CCP. The management of these assets is distributed to different levels of government, which in turn is controlled by different levels of the party. Some are controlled at the National level through the departments of the central government and their CCP bosses. Others are managed or controlled at the provincial, City and Village level. As a result, China’s political system is interlocked and intertwined with the majority of administrative heads being Party members, who still is in today’s China, controls everything. For example, China’s listing could also be solely on the Hong Kong stock exchange or even a foreign exchange. This does not convert them into private enterprises as management control remains with the same CCP boss or his nominee or appointee who represents them. In conclusion, China is trying to establish an entirely diverse conceptual economic system that is neither a traditional socialistic economic system nor a capitalistic economic system. Furthermore, it is not apparent that â€Å"Socialist Market Economy† can be said to be socialism or capitalism. In fact, Deng Xiaoping made it clear that capitalism and socialism are both non-conflicting ideas, as both of them are tools for managing China’s economy. For this reason, China would like to be at the so-called ‘middle mark’ where it is not at the extremes of the both sides but rather in the centre, with a system that makes use of the virtues of both capitalism and socialism. The changes that were brought about by the success of the transition to a ‘Socialist Market Economy’ are that its agriculture system moved from People’s Commune system to the family based ‘responsibility system’ and land has become a commodity. Market prices were from a price fixing system to a dual-price system, where the market determines 80% and the government determines the remaining 20%, so as to strengthen and institutionalized the price system in the market. The banking sector changed its allocation of funds according to the policy to dual system partially making decisions on its allocation. The marketing of goods and services have changed from central planning to allocation to the market’s allocation of goods and services. China’s relation with other countries improved from economic isolationism to a desire to be active in the worlds economy via foreign investments and allowing labour into export production and export to sustain domestic growth. As a result, the national economy showed a fast and constant growth, the overall strength of China expanded evidently, the standard of living of the people improved together with time and distinctive esults have been attained in such activities as science and technology, education, culture, health and physical culture have advanced. The people of China are happier now with such changes in their life. And not forgetting that China’s political system is still governed by the Party, Chinese Communist Party (CCP), that makes China still a capitalist country that controls and determines everything and not achievi ng its promise. References Dorn, James A. ed. 1998. China in the New Millennium: Market Reforms and Social Development. Washington D. C. Cato Institute. Hsu, Robert C. 1991. Economic Theories in China, 1979-1988. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press. Lange, Oscar. 1971. On The Economic Theory of Socialism. New York. : Comparative Economic Systems. Lerner, Abba, P. Economic Theory and Socialist Economy: Review of Economic Studies 1934. Lin, Chu. 2009. The Socialist Market Economy: Step Forward or Backward for China?. Science & Society, Vol. 73, No. 2, April 2009, 228-235. Perkins, Dwight. 1994. Completing China’s Move to Market. Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. , No. 2, Spring 1994, pp 23-46. Prasad, Eswar. ed. 2004. China’s Growth and Integration into the World Economy: Prospects and Challenges. International Monetary Fund, Occasional Paper N 232, Washington DC. http://www. imf. org/external/pubs/ft/op/232/op232. pdf (accessed 04/05/09). Riskin, Carl. 1987. China's political economy: the quest for development since 1949. New York: Oxford University Press, Incorporated. Stralser, Steven. 2004. MBA In A Day: What You Would Learn At Top-Tie. New Jersey. : Wiley & Sons, Inc. Suliman, Osman. ed. 1998. China’s Transition to a Socialist Market Economy. Westport, CT. : Quorum Books. The World Bank, â€Å"Fighting Poverty: Findings and Lessons from China’s Success,† The World Bank Research, http://econ. worldbank. org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTDEC/EXTRESEARCH/0,,c ntentMDK:20634060~pagePK:64165401~piPK:64165026~theSitePK:469382,00 html (accessed 04/05/09). Virmani, Arvind. 2005. China’s Socialist Market Economy: Lessons of Success. Working Paper No. 178. December 2005. Wei, Yehua Denni. 2000. Regional Development in China: States, Globalization, and Inequality. London. : Routledge.