What effect does the financial crisis have on the luxury fashion Essay - 1

What effect does the financial crisis have on the luxury fashion market - Essay Example Companies are looking forward to commence with some sort of strategies which would help them to retain their revenue and sustain in such economic turbulence. The predictions have been made that financial woes would continue for few years and will deflate consumer spending even more. (your statement) Â   The term financial crisis is largely used when the financial institutions lose a large quantity of their value. The financial crisis is allied with banking panics, stock market crashes, bursting of financial bubbles, currency crisis and sovereign defaults. The global financial calamity started in July 2007, when around the world stock markets collapsed, and the financial institutions plunged. The governments started to release some effective packages in order to save their financial systems. The investors became frightened by the abrupt decline in the stock market, which reduces their investments in the market. A luxury good is a good for which the demand of the consumer increases as the income level increases. Luxury goods have always been a symbol of prosperity and wealth for ages, for the spendthrifts, who desire and enjoy buying. Owning and wanting to be the owner of luxury items such as the latest designer clothes, jewelry, watches, is a pleasure on its own. Items that comes with a heavy price tag than ordinary items and have a known brand name is identified as luxury item. In economics, luxury goods have said to have high elasticity of demand, which means that when buyers become wealthier they would like to spend more and more cash on the luxury items. It also means that when there is a turn down in income level there will be a decrease in demand. Both income and demand are directly proportional to each other, if one increases the other rises as well and vice versa. Income elasticity of demand is not constant with respect to income, and the demand may changes at different income leve ls. That is to say, a

Sympathy for macbeth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sympathy for macbeth - Essay Example Despite his actions, Shakespeare encourages sympathy for Macbeth throughout the play. At first, Macbeth is displayed as a hero. However, this image changes drastically when he begins to thirst for power. Macbeth is a hero among his friends and soldiers for his loyalty and bravery to Scotland. He respects his country and does not want to interfere with his friends and king; however, greed begins to impede on Macbeth’s loyalty to his motherland. He struggles with an appropriate way to become the leader of his country. This is shown when he states: â€Å"If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me without my stir† (1.3.142-143). Although Macbeth greatly desires to become king, his decision to not actively seek this dream encourages sympathy from the reader. These thoughts show that Macbeth still has good moral beliefs; this allows for hope that he will remain a hero. Additionally, Macbeth knows that he does not have a chance for the throne while the king lives. As Macbeth thinks of himself as a loyal subject and Duncan as a good lea der, he does not want evil thoughts to overpower his loyalty. Macbeth begins with hope to one day rule his country. To achieve this, he decides that he must become king. Macbeth realizes that if he does not attempt to become king, then it will not happen. This thinking is demonstrated with his statement: â€Å"That is a step on which I must fall down, or else o’erleap, for in my way it lies† (1.4.49-50). Macbeth recognizes the enormity of this decision and that he must act upon his murderous thoughts to fulfill his destiny. His ambition to become king overrides his loyalty to his country and king. Because of this, Macbeth develops a plan to overthrow Duncan and rule in his place. This dilemma ensures that the reader feels sorry for Macbeth, as he struggles between remaining loyal and his obsession for power.  Macbeth struggles to stick to his

Critical Theory and the Middle East Essay Example for Free

Critical Theory and the Middle East Essay Critical theory is actually tackled by two different intellectual traditions from which the term is derived – critical theory in literary studies and critical social theory. The former is primarily a form of hermeneutics, or knowledge that is gained through the interpretation in the understanding of the meanings presented through human texts and symbolic expressions. On the other hand, the latter is a form of knowledge that is self-reflective which involves both understanding and theoretical explanation which intend reduction of entrapment within systems like domination and dependence, in the advancement of emancipator interest to expand autonomy and reduce domination. Critical theory from a sociological perspective, is best defined as that social theory that is in contrast to some of the principles of the 20th century positivism, and is, in fact, sometimes referred to as negative philosophy. Contrary to the general idea that knowledge comes from people’s sense-experience, critical theory proposes rationalism which posits that the source of knowledge and the source of common humanity is the fact that humans are rational beings. This paper adopts the sociological perspective of critical theory, and relates it with the Middle East scenario, taking Qatar into particular focus, as an example of the Middle East countries. Historical Background The concept of critical theory dates as early as 1937, with Max Horkheimer of Frankfurt School giving meaning to it as a social theory that is oriented toward critiquing and changing the society in general, contrary to the traditional theory that is oriented merely in the understanding or explaining the society. Most accounts of the theory closely link it with the Frankfurt School of Social Research (or Frankfurt School which later became the International Institute for Research at Columbia University, New York in 1933), while some trace its origins to as far back through Hegelianism and Western Marxism. Most of the key contributors to the theory are employed at the Frankfurt Institute, like Theodore W. Adorno, Herbert Marcuse, along with Hokheimer who was the Institute’s Director at that time. The other contributors who were not employed at the Institute were Walter Benjamin and Ernst Bloch, both published their materials in the Institute’s journal as well as engaged in other activities of the Institute. Later on, in 1945, a certain Hannah Arendt also helped by extending the concern for liberation as developed in the works of the Institute. After 1945, in Germany, Jurgen Habermas and Axel Honeth continued the advancement of critical social theory. Marx’s Influence on the Critical Theory It has been said by analysts of today that the common thread between and among the German critical theory and the French post-structuralism is that they are both anchored on Karl Marx’s theory of social change, which generally proposes for philosophers and thinkers to not just interpret the world, but rather change it. Such Marxian theory has been revised by critical theorists to posit that the critical theory rests on the concept of intervention which comes from appropriate understanding of the past and present conditions which provides adequate insight towards change, or possibilities of it. Further down the history of critical theory, Marx’s great influence can be traced with the Praxis School, which was a Marxist humanist philosophical movement originating from Zagreb and Belgrade in Yugoslavia in the 1960s. This Praxis School was closely linked with the Frankfurt School and the Critical Theory. In fact, the term critical theory is derived from Marx’s concept about his work Capital as a form of critique of political economy. Middle East in Context The Middle East or the Muslim world in particular, has been perceived by the rest of the world as an oppressive society where only men have the freedom to live the way they want to live, while women are repressed and stay in the shadows of their men. It is anchored basically on the Islamic teachings which have shaped the Muslim people’s beliefs, culture and traditions. In a traditional Muslim society, the women are raised and trained to obey and serve men without questions or opinions. Muslim women are not allowed to decide on anything, even for their own personal concerns, since it is the men who have the right to decide – this comes from the practice of betrothing the women, and the men paying dowry for the women they marry. This technically makes the women possessions of men. Through the years, the plight of Muslim women who also want to pursue careers, who also want to live freely and have more options than to be betrothed and raise a family, have been slowly heard by the world. Through the years, things have changed dramatically and drastically in the Muslim World. Contemporary Muslim societies have successful Muslim women on boob tube talking about pleasurable sex, albeit maintaining that it be in the context of marriage, but still, such freedom to speak about sex in public was a big taboo in years past. Qatar’s Shiekah Muzah Bint Nasser Al Misned, is another example of an emancipated lot of Muslim women now successfully treading career paths that were never trodden before. How did it all happen? What brought about such changes in the society that was once repressive but now tolerate and allow women to have choices? Critical Theory in the Middle East (Qatar) The Middle East, particularly Qatar, has gone through a lot of upheavals, significantly changing the social, political and cultural landscape of the nation. Applying the critical social theory, which seeks to critically study the interrelated facets of society – political, economic and social – with interventions appropriately based on understanding, Qatari society has been led by its leaders into a more tolerant society in the interest of further development and advancement. Looking back to the socio-political and economic landscape that gave birth to the Marxian theory and the critical theory, it was a repressive society and constrictive governmental policies that were sought to change by the proponents. Mere analysis and understanding of such society and government were not enough, and thus interventions based on appropriate understanding was proposed. The Qatari situation is no different. Awakening to the real situation, deep understanding of them, led the people and the leaders to create changes which now manifest in its media, which is rich in stories of women achievers. One of the leading women figures in Qatar is none other Her Highness Shiekah Muzah Bint Nasser Al Misned, who heads the nation’s Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. Summary The sociological definition of critical theory generally posits that it is necessary that matters be tackled in a multi-dimensional perspective, and that rationalism is as a key to understanding situations need to be coupled with interventions. In societies where societal norms tend to repress some sectors’ freedom, it is a necessity to pursue a critical outlook of the situation and provide measures to address the issues. In Qatar, for instance, the nation underwent various upheavals which significantly changed its social, political, cultural and economic scenarios, giving freedom to women as they have never experienced before. Personal Opinion Oppression or repression of any kind is always an unpleasant situation, much less to a more vulnerable group in the society, the women. History is replete with situations of oppression and repression, and almost all those situations ended up wrecking nations, which means that ultimately, the people are wrecked as the ultimate victims. The proponents of critical social theory emphasizes the rational nature of people which, if given deeper interpretation, only emphasizes that as rational beings, people must be treated as such, rational. Further, the argument of Marx that it is not enough for people or philosophers to merely interpret society, but rather must change it, rings a bell of truth in the contemporary times. For instance, in the Middle East, much have been written about the societal repression, but only recently have changes been felt and manifest. Only when some things have been done to change the situation. References Ahmed, L. , 1993, Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate Edition: reissue, illustrated, Published by Yale University Press, 1993. Calhoun, C. J. , 1995, Critical social theory: culture, history, and the challenge of difference, Edition: reprint, Published by Wiley-Blackwell, 1995. Held, D. , 1980, Introduction to critical theory: Horkheimer to Habermas,Published by University of California Press, 1980. Swank, A. ,2007, Sexual healing: How big is kalaam kibeer? , Arab Media and Society. Issue 2, Summer 2007, Published by The American University in Cairo. UNDP-POGAR, 2007, Women in public life, gender and women, Gender and Citizenship Initiative, 2007.

Five Axioms of Urban Economics

Five Axioms of Urban Economics Economics is a science of scarcity and it is bound by rules and principles like other sciences. Arthur O’Sullivan’s five axioms of urban economics are the guiding principles for urban economic theory. In this essay, the author will define and discuss O’Sullivan’s five axioms of urban economics, and then explain the existence of cities utilizing the five axioms of urban economics. The Five Axioms of Urban Economics The first axiom of Urban Economics is stated as prices adjust to achieve locational equilibrium. What this axiom means is that prices change based on the desirability of the area until individuals no longer desire to leave their current occupied area of residence. Locational equilibrium is what keeps Dallas residents living in Dallas. South Dallas and Oak Cliff may be rough areas to live in, but property values are cheaper because of the perceived value of present characteristics of these areas. Down Town, Dallas is an expensive area in which to live, but wages are higher. Fewer people want to live Oak Cliff or South Dallas when compared to Downtown, so homes are priced lower in Oak Cliff or South Dallas than in Downtown. Prices for housing, land, and wages are always adjusting to make urban areas equally appealing. People will not place the same values on all cities equally, but with a multitude of cities and variance in individual circumstances, cities can reach equilibrium. The second axiom of Urban Economics is self-reinforcing effects generate extreme outcomes. This axiom means that if one type of person or group moves into an area, then that area will become more attractive to the same types of people or groups. Think about places around the Dallas area. Are there areas known for rich people the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area? What about trailer parks or areas specifically known for high poverty in North Texas are there any that come to mind? Is there any certain street where you might find a surplus of car dealerships, gas stations, or restaurants? These are all examples that could be considered extreme outcomes. These outcomes happen because of self-reinforcing effects, or changes that lead to similar changes. When a trailer park locates in a city, for example, the area right around that park becomes an excellent spot for a new trailer park, and this creates even more appeal for a third park, and so on. Soon the area has additional stores and services targeted at people living in trailer parks, adding to the appeal for future expansion. The same outcome is true for any group of people where there is a higher concentration or that group, such as African Americans concentrated in South Dallas. The third axiom is externalities cause inefficiency. An externality is a cost or benefit that is passed on to someone outside of a transaction. There are two types of externalities, positive and negative. A negative externality, or external cost, is an economic activity that imposes a negative effect on an unrelated third party (Urban Economics, 8E). A positive externality, or external benefit, is the positive effect an activity imposes on an unrelated third party (Urban Economics, 8E). For example, if a widget business expanded into a widget factory, then a negative externality of this expansion would be the increase in pollution that a factory would produce. Positive externalities of the expansion would be the improved effect in production of widgets through research and that the laborers’ work became easier and less dangerous. Both positive and negative externalities can occur on either the production or the consumption side (Urban Economics, 8E). Externalities cause ineffi ciency because they incentivize people to do too much or too little of something. The fourth axiom of Urban Economics is that production is subject to economies of scale. The higher the volume of production of a firm, the lower the production cost. If the firm makes only one widget it will incur the total cost of buying the needed supplies, research and development of making a widget, and time cost of producing the widget. The cost would be very high. If a widget factory made millions of widgets, it may receive cost reduction for buying supplies in bulk, and through higher production of widgets the production process could be streamlined and cut costs. By principle of scale of economy, the cost of making the millionth widget will be less than the cost of producing the first widget. The fifth and final axiom of Urban Economics is that competition generates zero economic profit (Urban Economics, 8E). Where there are profits, there are people interested in getting their share (Urban Economics, 8E). This axiom of urban economics says that in real life businesses try to maximize profits by trying to mimic ideal economic model conditions. Firms analyze where to derive profits and wherever profits are found, new businesses with lower prices drive down the prices and the profits for the industry. The result is efficient for consumers, who can buy what they want at optimal prices. Take our hypothetical scenario: you have complete working knowledge of the production of widgets, the market is profitable, and the starting capital was given to you. Therefore, you open your own widget making business. For most people, the answer is easy. Assuming all widgets are created equal, to be competitive in the market, you charge you lower price than your competitors charge. In the wi dget industry where price makes the difference, a competitor might respond by lowering their price as well. You would have no choice but to lower your prices again to remain competitive. Eventually, firms in the widget market will lower price levels to the point where there is no more profit and firms are only covering costs of production. Competition would have created a situation where there is no economic profit and no room for new firms to enter into the marketplace. Why Cities Exist According to the Axioms of Urban Economics Since modern society seems to focus on cities, it may seem strange to the modern Americans that cities actually are very young and a new idea in terms of history. Cities are where we work and live, cities host our governments, and cities are where firms choose to be to do their business. Urban Economics by Arthur OSullivan States cities exist because human technology has created systems of production and exchange that seem to defy the natural order†¦The transformation of a rural society into an urban one occurred because technological advances increased the agricultural surplus, increased the productivity of urban workers, and increased the efficiency of transportation and exchange (Urban Economics, 8E). Recently in history, society has shifted from an agricultural focus to a focus on industrialization. Obviously, we all could not live in cities or there would be no one to raise crops and ranch livestock. According to the first axiom of urbanization, a locational equilibrium has been established by making land cheaper in the country to offset the lower wages of farming and ranching so not everyone will move into the cities. Thus, land and housing would be more expensive the closer you come to the heart of a city to offset the high wages available in the urban setting. According to the second axiom of self-reinforcing effects generating extreme outcomes, industrial firms that produce industrial goods will centralize themselves in the city, and farms and ranches that produce agricultural goods will develop side by side in the countryside. The fifth axiom states that firms will develop near like firms and will do so until there is zero economic profit. This situation means that industrial firms will develop in the city and agricultural firms will develop in the countryside until there is no more profit to be made. The fourth axiom of the scaling effect would allow for specialization in both the countryside and the city. This would set up a comparative advanta ge economy between the countryside and the city where the city can trade their industrial goods for the agricultural goods of the countryside. Cities were born from efficiency, hard work, and ingenuity. Without inventions like the cotton gin or the tractor, Americans might still find themselves living on the farm today. Instead, only 5 percent of the population grows food that feeds the entire country with more to spare; and the rest of us work to produce something worthy of trading for that food or for some other good or service (Urban Economics, 8E). Therefore, cities exist because it is beneficial to produce what you specialize in and use trading firms to lower costs and trade with other cities and areas that may specialize in goods and services desired or needed. Second Essay Starts Marginal costs and benefits are utilized as a form of measurement of costs and benefits at a specific level of production and consumption.Everyday individuals, groups, and institutions make decisions based on our marginal evaluations of the alternatives. They do this by asking questions: â€Å"What will it cost to produce one more unit†, and â€Å"What benefit will be received by acquiring one more unit†? In this essay, the author will define and discuss marginal costs and benefits and their effect on market efficiency in the presence or absence of externalities. What Are Marginal Costs and Marginal Benefits? Marginal benefit is the gain you receive for doing anything one more time (Urban Economics, 8E). Marginal benefit is typically measured in terms of revenue or what price level the free market places on the next unit you produce (Urban Economics, 8E). Imagine you are the proud owner of a widget making shop, and you could sell an unlimited number of widgets for 10 dollars, then your marginal benefit for each additional widget you produced would be 10 dollars. Realistically though, there is a limit on the amount of any item you can sell at a given price. If your market is saturated, to sell another widget you may have to lower your price to 8 dollars. Therefore, your marginal benefit for the next widget you produce will be only 8 dollars. Consumers experience marginal benefits as well, but the value of these benefits are not generally measured by the measurement of revenue. If a customer, values a widget from your store at value laden 20 dollars, based on its perceived value and consumer satisfaction from a purchase of a widget from your shop, then they will buy one. However, once they have one, they will only consider buying a second widget at 20 dollars. If they buy a second widget from your shop, it is based solely on the value-laden perception that the widget’s benefit is worth the 20 dollars. If the consumers do not perceive that the widget has 20 dollars benefit or use, they will not purchase another widget at the 20-dollar price level. Therefore, if your shop wants the consumer to buy widgets, the owner must either lower the price or offer some other promotional benefit. Consumers marginal benefit is also referred to as marginal utility(Urban Economics, 8E). According to the law of diminishing marginal u tility, â€Å"as a person increases consumption of a product, while keeping consumption of other products constant, there is a decline in the marginal utility that person derives from consuming each additional unit of that product† (Urban Economics, 8E). As the marginal benefit for widgets declines among your customer base, so does the price they are willing to pay which in turn affects your marginal benefit as a widget producer. â€Å"Marginal cost is the total cost you incur to produce one more unit† (Urban Economics, 8E). Following the example from the previous paragraph, it is the cost to make one more widget. Since, marginal costs are measured by total cost divided by change in output, marginal cost declines as change in output increases (Urban Economics, 8E). The overhead costs of production gets spread out over the increased change units produced. At some point, though, marginal cost reaches full capacity, and if you want to increase production, you will have to buy more widget machines, hire more employees, keep longer hours, and eventually build another site of production. These changes will increase the total cost for making widgets, so your marginal cost will increase. Now marginal cost is going up while marginal revenue is declining, for reasons already discussed. This situation means you are making less profit for each widget. Market Efficiency without Externalities If there is competition in the market but no significant, the free market result is efficient and benefits both the producer and the buyer (Urban Economics, 8E). It may or may not be fair since it depends on the existing distribution of market ownership (Urban Economics, 8E). This efficiency is achieved because the maximized quantity of output produced by a perfectly competitive firm results in the equality between price and marginal cost (Urban Economics, 8E). The most optimized efficient market without externalities is Perfect completion market. Perfect competition Market is an idealized market structure that achieves an efficient allocation of resources. In the short and long run, this involves the equality between price and marginal cost (Urban Economics, 8E). Market Efficiency with Externalities An externality exists when a third party who is not directly involved in the buying or selling of the goods or service incurs a cost or benefit (Urban Economics, 8E). In other words, an externality arises when a third party to a transaction experiences addition costs which can be either negative or positive due to transactions between buyers and sellers(Urban Economics, 8E). Negative externalities occur when the consumption or production of a good causes a harmful effect to a third party (Urban Economics, 8E). For example, the pollution produced with a sports car, or traffic jams due large number of car owners. If a good has a negative externality, then the cost to society is greater than the cost consumer is paying for it (Urban Economics, 8E). A positive externality exists when the private benefit enjoyed from the production or consumption of goods and services are exceeded by the benefits as a whole to the society. In this scenario, a third party other than the buyer and seller will receive a benefit because of consuming the good (Urban Economics, 8E). An example of positive externalities is the increased value of the neighborhood when you refurbish the outside of your house. Externalities are not usually fully reflected in prices. Externalities are regarded as a form of market failure. The costs and benefits related to externalities are not typically included as part of the decision making process when making market decisions. Negative externalities because too many goods and services are being made available to the market and being consumed at ill efficient amounts (Urban Economics, 8E). Positive externalities cause too little of a good or services to be made available to the market which cause inefficacies in consumption of goods and services by consumers (Urban Economics, 8E). the price for the good and the quantity produced are lower than the market could bear. When positive externalities occur in a free market, consumers pay a lower price for goods and services and consume lesser quantity of those goods and services to socially efficient levels (Urban Economics, 8E). When negative externalities happen in a free market, producers do not pay the additional external costs that exist so the costs are passed on to society (Urban Economics, 8E). Thus, producers have lower marginal costs so more of the products and services are bought than the efficient amount (Urban Economics, 8E). In order to get consumers to consume more of goods and services that have been affected by a positive externality, a government subsidy can be given to the public (Urban Economics, 8E). The subsidy will increase the marginal benefit they receive when they consume the good. All those who receive the external benefits from the consumer goods (Urban Economics, 8E) can pay for the subsidy. The subsidy will increase the marginal benefit they receive when they consume the good and all those who receive benefits from the positive externalities (Urban Economics, 8E) can pay for the subsidy. Negative externalities result in a lower free-market output. In order to make the market produce the optimal amount, we must impose a government regulations or taxes. This is called internalizing the externality, and forces those involved to pay for the negative externalities (Urban Economics, 8E). In conclusion, through this essay the author has learned many things about regulated and unregulated markets. Both have their costs and benefits, and society should be very prudent when entering to the market place because not all the cost is seen.

Social Oppression in Virginia Woolfs Mrs. Dalloway :: Mrs. Dalloway Essays

The physical and social setting in "Mrs. Dalloway" sets the mood for the novel's principal theme: the theme of social oppression. Social oppression was shown in two ways: the oppression of women as English society returned to its traditional norms and customs after the war, and the oppression of the hard realities of life, "concealing" these realities with the elegance of English society. This paper discusses the purpose of the city in mirroring the theme of social oppression, focusing on issues of gender oppression, particularly against women, and the oppression of poverty and class discrimination between London's peasants and the elite class.

Injury can result from violence Essay -- Social Issues, Domestic Viole

Injury can result form violence Injury Can Result from Violence Injury can result from many different incidents. One specifically important incident resulting in injury is domestic violence. It is approximated statistically that 1.8 million to 3-4 million domestic violence cases occur each year, unfortunately, the number of cases that occur cannot be more accurate due to domestic violence usually occurring in the relative privacy of one’s home. (Kelly, 2003) As disturbing as these numbers may be, we need to acknowledge that domestic violence is not a new problem arising in American homes but what is new is that we are now more aware of how serious the issue of domestic violence is in today’s society. Today, domestic violence, in its broadest definition is being defined as verbal, emotional, threatening, or physical abuse among current or former intimate partners and includes any persons related by blood. (Robert, 2002) They may be living currently within the same household or have been in the past for it to be considered do mestic. Domestic violence has no barriers. It affects any race, religion, culture, or socioeconomic status. In today’s world every nurse knowingly or not is most likely to encounter a situation involving domestic violence. (Nucero & O’Connor, 2002) Therefore, it is important that within this discussion that the following issues is to be identified: the seriousness of domestic violence and what factors contribute to domestic violence, what role the legal system must take on when domestic violence occurs, and lastly what a nurse and the medical world can do in identifying and assessing domestic violence. Domestic violence is a serious problem affecting many people each and every ye... ...ic violence, as we can see from the previous read information, results in injury. It is a very serious issue for the people within a violent home setting and with today’s legal system domestic violence cases are being taken extremely serious. It is important that we as nurses, if we feel someone is in a violent home setting, to identify these patients and assess as needed. By nurses identifying and assessing victims of violent acts we can help these people and contribute to decreasing the number of violent acts that occur. If a nurse or anyone knows or suspects that someone is being abused, we need to let that victim know there are alternative solutions, choices they can make, and that there is hope to solve the problem at hand. We should also let this victim know that without help, this problem may only get worse and could progress in frequency and severity.

Essay on Language Diversity Essay

Language diversity is an important topic for all South Africans to consider since we have 11 official languages. This means that we are challenged when it comes to being able to communicate with one another. This challenge presents itself in various forms, from the workplace to people’s daily lives and personal outlooks surrounding different cultures. Language diversity also influences important issues such as education, Government and adoption. Adoption in South African families is a good example of the language challenges South Africans face. If a family decides to adopt a child from another language, they are essentially uprooting the child from its heritage. If the child is only a baby when it’s adopted, it should be able to integrate into its new family with relative ease, because culture is learned and not inherited. However, if the child is a bit older and has lived some of his/her formative years in his/her original language and culture, the adoptive parents run the risk of not being able to fully understand their child, its unique cultural/ethnic needs/beliefs and/or methods of communication. Families who adopt toddlers, children and/or teenagers from different cultural and language backgrounds will only be able to cope with the unique parental challenges they will face through undertaking to learn about the community their child is from. Although it is important for such parents to integrate their adoptive children into their own cultural practices, so that the child feels truly part of the new family, it is also important that the child’s traditional beliefs and practices are understood by the parents, and where required, integrated into the family. One of the ways in which the adoptive parents may need to integrate the child’s heritage into their family is through learning and using more than one language in the home. If the child’s adoptive parents do not speak the child’s mother tongue, this may leave the child feeling alienated, and could lead to communication issues that could break down family bonds. Conversely, if the child is not taught the language of its adoptive parents, the parents  may feel a separation from the child, and that the child is not truly ‘one of them’, which would be very damaging for both the parents and the child. It is therefore important that the mother tongue of all family members is accepted in the home, and that a multilingual family culture is embraced and cultivated. If families with adopted members learn to understand, accept and embrace one another’s differences, they will be brought together and they will be able to bond on the basis of their shared humanity, rather than feel divided on the basis of their differing cultural practices. An aspect of such an embrace could manifest in the form of learning one another’s languages to break down any communication barriers that may otherwise exist. This process is a very positive one for South Africans because we live in such a culturally and linguistically diverse country. Aside from adoption, language diversity is also an important consideration in relation to Government, education, and interpersonal relationships in South Africa. When individuals communicate in general, it is important that they bear in mind the ‘cooperative principles’ of language usage. This means that both the speaker and the listener needs to be aware of possible ambiguity in sentences, and the speaker needs to be succinct and able to express himself or herself clearly. In the case of education, students who are learning in a language that is not their mother tongue may struggle to be perspicuous and this may obstruct their ability to be understood by their tutors. These students may also struggle to understand what their tutors are communicating to them, and may therefore be unable to interpret complex tasks correctly. Awareness of language diversity – and the barriers it can create – is therefore highly important in education as language, aside from intelligence, could be a deciding factor in a student’s ability to pass a course. Similar concerns also apply to the Government – who hold the burden to communicate with the entire, linguistically diverse nation competently and effectively. Government officials, and the President, must therefore be  certain that their speeches are translated accurately in all languages, as well as all legislation and legal proceedings. If certain laws passed are misunderstood, it could result in civil unrest. During legal proceedings, misunderstanding could even result unfair prosecution. On an interpersonal level, and in the work place, language diversity can be threatening and can create divides among individuals. Although people in the workplace are regularly exposed to other cultures and therefore don’t feel as threatened by them, language barriers could still prevent people from working cohesively. People who are not upper-income earners, and therefore not often exposed to other culture, may perceive the differences among cultures threating, which could in turn hinder their ability to work together in future. In conclusion I think that language diversity is an inextricable part of South African life, and it should be understood and respected by everyone. Citizens of the country should put active effort into learning how to communicate across language and cultural divides. Language diversity should not be seen as a force pushing the different cultures apart, but rather as a challenge that can be mastered in order to foster educational outcomes, political peace and work projects as well as a tool that will bring together families and friendships of all backgrounds.