Does the media distort childrens perceptions of reality or validate Research Paper

Does the media distort childrens perceptions of reality or validate them - Research Paper Example Some adverts have been successful in meeting this objective while others do not please the audience well enough to influence their decisions. However, a group of audience that may not be targeted by these adverts, but is actively involved in viewing them is underage children. Most online and TV digital advertisements are aired at convenient times when the children are watching, leading to serious implications in influencing innocent minds of the children. Therefore, the growing digital media advertising in TV and online commercials is responsible for distorting childrens minds due to the glamour and perceived reality of the virtual content portrayed in these commercials. Â   Paige (1) explains that currently, the violent and aggressive scenes, in addition to scenes portraying disrespect towards others have been the order of the day particularly in TV adverts. Introducing children to violent materials influences their perception regarding application of aggressiveness and violence; the kid perceives this as the best way to achieve a certain end as observed in these adverts. This is because; children cannot decode the messages to conceive the actual meaning being contemplated, but will take the portrayal of aggressiveness as the norm to achieve a certain need. For example, the Ford VW advert resulted in increased criticism from parents as the advert was aired too early and portrayed the chief engineer of Volkswagen embroiled in a combat with a few replicas of himself. The portrayed car parts being used as weapons passed a violent message to children; the advert was not supposed to be aired at normal times when children were watching TVs. As Haugan (23) ex plains, exposure of violent content to children leads to violent behaviors making such adverts to have bad influence on children. Super bowl snapshots when used in advertisements have been criticized for portraying the message of aggressiveness and violence to

China's Dangerous Overvaluation Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

China's Dangerous Overvaluation - Article Example Based upon labor costs and trade patterns, author is of the view that Yuan is certainly overvalued by approximately 15% suggesting that it’s time for China to take corrective measures. Author suggests measuring increasing labor costs as one of the indicators to measure how much the currency has appreciated and also cites the fact that labor costs have increased more than the overall profitability of the Chinese companies. Author indicates that any further appreciation in the currency would actually be more harmful for the country because the overall level of debt has been creeping up in the economy which would ultimately hurt the domestic consumption in China. Author suggests that to arrest the appreciation of Yuan, one way could be to allow domestic prices to adjust to the appreciated Yuan however; this may result into difficult economic consequences whereas rebalancing from investment to consumption is recommended as an easier way to manage Yuan. Probably one of the biggest weaknesses of the article is the absence of any figures and data based upon which author made the claims. Almost all the arguments are without any solid economic data and most arguments are relatively theoretical in nature. It would have been much better had the author used the real economic data to point out the appreciation trends in the value of Yuan against the major international currencies specially US Dollar. It is also critical to note that China has basically not highlighted as to how an appreciated Yuan have been benefiting Chinese economy in maintaining healthy trade surplus besides emerging as the leading export oriented economy in the world. An increase in the labor costs may not be one of the basic indicators of measuring the appreciation in Yuan. An increase in labor costs may also be due to the increasing specialization within the Chinese economy and the fact that Chinese workers may be gaining more advanced skills. Gaining more

Rori Rayes Advice Essay Example for Free

Rori Rayes Advice Essay At least not the way youd like it to smooth and easy, loving, exciting, fun, sexy? Maybe it would start out great, he might start out like Prince Charming, but then it all fades away and youre left with a guy whos only half-there? He forgets to call, forgets to show up on time, forgets your birthday? He forgets to make the reservation, forgets the directions, and asks you to pay for dinner? He only seems to want sex, and even then, he seems to have better things to do? AFFECTION and ATTENTION are things of the past? It feels awful when even one of these things happens. But when they all seem to happen at once, its TERRIFYING. I Know Just How This Feels I remember feeling as though the bottom had dropped out of everything. As though I must have been in a dream, and then suddenly found myself awake in the middle of a nightmare. Love Doesnt Have To Be Such Hard Work If you find yourself in the same kind of relationships with the same kind of difficult or emotionally unavailable man, over and over Relationships that dont work out, or are on-again, off-again with no real progress or closure Then theres a way you can turn all that around. I have a program that will teach you all about the reasons WHY you are attracting a certain type of man to you in your life, but also HOW you can make the relationship with this kind of man actually WORK. Heres where you can read all about it and see how you can transform your difficult relationship into a loving one permanently: Feel Safe With Him The thing that I had to learn to stop beating myself up about was that the nightmare kept happening over and over again. It was so PREDICTABLE. Id get with a man and go from dream to nightmare in nothing flat. Sometimes it took a week, sometimes two, sometimes a year. I felt absolutely helpless over my own romantic destiny. When I finally figured out that the same nightmare results were coming not from my luck or my looks, but from the same MISTAKES I was making over and over things started to change. I stepped back just enough to SEE things a bit more clearly. And I started to identify EXACTLY what my mistakes were. And then and it seemed like an overnight transformation I was finally able to take some control over what was happening to me. I almost instantly got totally different results: Instead of finding myself in the middle of a nightmare where I felt hurt most of the time, I found myself having fun I discovered I had CHOICES where I used to think the choice was all the mans I discovered I had some POWER over myself and my life that I didnt know I had I felt better

Virtual Reality - What It Is And How It Works :: essays research papers

Virtual Reality - What it is and How it Works Imagine being able to point into the sky and fly. Or perhaps walk through space and connect molecules together. These are some of the dreams that have come with the invention of virtual reality. With the introduction of computers, numerous applications have been enhanced or created. The newest technology that is being tapped is that of artificial reality, or "virtual reality" (VR). When Morton Heilig first got a patent for his "Sensorama Simulator" in 1962, he had no idea that 30 years later people would still be trying to simulate reality and that they would be doing it so effectively. Jaron Lanier first coined the phrase "virtual reality" around 1989, and it has stuck ever since. Unfortunately, this catchy name has caused people to dream up incredible uses for this technology including using it as a sort of drug. This became evident when, among other people, Timothy Leary became interested in VR. This has also worried some of the researchers who are trying to create very real applications for medical, space, physical, chemical, and entertainment uses among other things. In order to create this alternate reality, however, you need to find ways to create the illusion of reality with a piece of machinery known as the computer. This is done with several computer-user interfaces used to simulate the senses. Among these, are stereoscopic glasses to make the simulated world look real, a 3D auditory display to give depth to sound, sensor lined gloves to simulate tactile feedback, and head-trackers to follow the orientation of the head. Since the technology is fairly young, these interfaces have not been perfected, making for a somewhat cartoonish simulated reality. Stereoscopic vision is probably the most important feature of VR because in real life, people rely mainly on vision to get places and do things. The eyes are approximately 6.5 centimeters apart, and allow you to have a full-colour, three-dimensional view of the world. Stereoscopy, in itself, is not a very new idea, but the new twist is trying to generate completely new images in real- time. In 1933, Sir Charles Wheatstone invented the first stereoscope with the same basic principle being used in today's head-mounted displays. Presenting different views to each eye gives the illusion of three dimensions. The glasses that are used today work by using what is called an "electronic shutter". The lenses of the glasses interleave inflating air bladders in a glove, arrays of tiny pins moved by shape memory wires, and even fingertip piezoelectric vibrotactile actuators. The latter method uses tiny crystals that vibrate when

Teenage Abortion Essay -- Abortion Essays Research Papers

The subject of teenage abortion, is an emotionally charged one. The two major groups are completely opposite in their beliefs. Rather than discuss the emotional views of those groups, I have chosen to research, write, and conclude based on factual material, concerning teenage abortion. A discussion of abortion as a definition is explained medically, and in a small part the emotional effects on the participant. I have chosen to report in a factual not an emotional manner. The direct definition of abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by loss or destruction of the fetus before birth. ("Abortion") There are two types of abortion, spontaneous and induced. (Emmens 7) Spontaneous abortion occurs in the first trimester (first three months) of a pregnancy. (Emmens 7) This type of abortion is more commonly known as a miscarriage. (Emmens 7) "Miscarriages are usually attributed to an abnormality to the fetus." (Emmens, 7) Induced is the other type of abortion, the one creating a wide spread controversy throughout the United States and many other parts of the world. (Emmens, 7) Induced abortion is a procedure intended to terminate a suspected or known unwanted pregnancy. ("Abortion") The fetus is forced out of the uterus causing it to die. (Emmens, 7) There are only a few different ways that an induced abortion is performed. The most common technique is known as vacuum aspiration. ("Abortion") During the procedure the embryo or the fetus and the placenta is drawn into a tube by vacuum pressure. ("Abortion") Vacuum aspiration along with the other methods of abortion, are usually performed in the first trimester. ("Abortion") The procedure for second trimester abortion is a more risky and complicated procedure. ("Abortion") Thirty six percent of all teenage women who become pregnant choose to terminate their pregnancies by having abortions. (Meier,49) There are many reasons why teenagers decide that abortion is the best option for their own specific situations. "Some say they aren't ready for the kind of changes a baby would bring to their lives." (Meier,46) The top three reasons, teens and grown women alike, choose to have an abortion are: 1. A child would change the lives of all involved, drastically, in ways that many are not ready to handle. 2. A feeling of immaturity. 3. Financial problems, only to be made worse if a youngster was involved.(Planned)... ... to parental physical or psychiatric illness and/or drug and alcohol abuse. (Planned) Many are also frightened of what might be said and done to them. "There is evidence that teenagers who do not involve their parents believe, that involving their parents would not be in their best interests or are trying to protect their parents." (Planned) A strong majority of the teens having abortions already involve parents even if not required to do so by law. (Planned) Allowing teenage girls to have abortions is allowing them to go on with their lives. To pursue the many hopes and dreams of their childhood. It is allowing them to continue to be a child instead of raising one. As for the entire subject of teenage abortion, I am absolutely 100% pro-choice. I believe any women, young or old should have the right to choose, without legal strings attached. I would suggest a process of guidance be made available, should a women so choose. My thoughts are, an adult, maybe not a parent, but a pers on of legal age, should be available to give guidance because they care, not because they are bound to do so by law. In conclusion I do not believe Government should intrude in such personal matters. Teenage Abortion Essay -- Abortion Essays Research Papers The subject of teenage abortion, is an emotionally charged one. The two major groups are completely opposite in their beliefs. Rather than discuss the emotional views of those groups, I have chosen to research, write, and conclude based on factual material, concerning teenage abortion. A discussion of abortion as a definition is explained medically, and in a small part the emotional effects on the participant. I have chosen to report in a factual not an emotional manner. The direct definition of abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by loss or destruction of the fetus before birth. ("Abortion") There are two types of abortion, spontaneous and induced. (Emmens 7) Spontaneous abortion occurs in the first trimester (first three months) of a pregnancy. (Emmens 7) This type of abortion is more commonly known as a miscarriage. (Emmens 7) "Miscarriages are usually attributed to an abnormality to the fetus." (Emmens, 7) Induced is the other type of abortion, the one creating a wide spread controversy throughout the United States and many other parts of the world. (Emmens, 7) Induced abortion is a procedure intended to terminate a suspected or known unwanted pregnancy. ("Abortion") The fetus is forced out of the uterus causing it to die. (Emmens, 7) There are only a few different ways that an induced abortion is performed. The most common technique is known as vacuum aspiration. ("Abortion") During the procedure the embryo or the fetus and the placenta is drawn into a tube by vacuum pressure. ("Abortion") Vacuum aspiration along with the other methods of abortion, are usually performed in the first trimester. ("Abortion") The procedure for second trimester abortion is a more risky and complicated procedure. ("Abortion") Thirty six percent of all teenage women who become pregnant choose to terminate their pregnancies by having abortions. (Meier,49) There are many reasons why teenagers decide that abortion is the best option for their own specific situations. "Some say they aren't ready for the kind of changes a baby would bring to their lives." (Meier,46) The top three reasons, teens and grown women alike, choose to have an abortion are: 1. A child would change the lives of all involved, drastically, in ways that many are not ready to handle. 2. A feeling of immaturity. 3. Financial problems, only to be made worse if a youngster was involved.(Planned)... ... to parental physical or psychiatric illness and/or drug and alcohol abuse. (Planned) Many are also frightened of what might be said and done to them. "There is evidence that teenagers who do not involve their parents believe, that involving their parents would not be in their best interests or are trying to protect their parents." (Planned) A strong majority of the teens having abortions already involve parents even if not required to do so by law. (Planned) Allowing teenage girls to have abortions is allowing them to go on with their lives. To pursue the many hopes and dreams of their childhood. It is allowing them to continue to be a child instead of raising one. As for the entire subject of teenage abortion, I am absolutely 100% pro-choice. I believe any women, young or old should have the right to choose, without legal strings attached. I would suggest a process of guidance be made available, should a women so choose. My thoughts are, an adult, maybe not a parent, but a pers on of legal age, should be available to give guidance because they care, not because they are bound to do so by law. In conclusion I do not believe Government should intrude in such personal matters.

Ethical Business Behavior Essay

For this paper I will be discussing Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) using Anglo-American and Primark case studies as examples. First, I will discuss what is meant by ethical business behavior. Second, I will discuss how Anglo-American and Primark apply ethics into their business practices. Third, I will discuss what the costs and benefits are to an organization when they behave ethically. Finally, I will choose one component from Svennson & Woods’ model from â€Å"A Model of Business Ethics†, and discuss how it is relevant for Anglo-American. Ethical Business Behavior Ethical business behavior refers to an organizations actions and policies that are synergetic with â€Å"doing the right thing† (Sethi, 2003). Similar to the inherent laws of society that man has established that promote specific behaviors and actions that are deemed appropriate to build trust and relationships that last, it is similar in corporations. In order to operate ethically, organizations must also establish a clearly defined set of principles and a culture of ethical compliance that builds trust and confidence with their employees and their customers (Paine, 1994). Ethical business behavior is a combination of values and normative ethics, which drive an organization. Additionally, ethical business behavior is expected by society as a whole. Svennson & Woods write, â€Å"Society does have expectations of business and of its business leaders† (Svennson & Woods, 2008). Anglo-American and Primark are two companies that provide great strategies for practicing strong ethical business behaviors. Although both companies are in different industries, the fundamentals of their message of ethical compliance are similar in nature. Anglo American Anglo American, an international mining company operates throughout the world. According to the company, â€Å"It has extensive operations in Africa, where 76% of its employees live. It is also a major employer in Europe and employs nearly 7,000 people in the UK† (Anglo American, 2008). This company  is a major global producer and has an important role in this world economy. With the type of work this company does, and with the countries it operates in it is important for them to conduct their operations in an ethical manner. Anglo American applies corporate social responsibility through building communities in which they operate. According to the company’s ethical statement, â€Å"a long-term business such as ours will only thrive if it also takes into account the needs of other stakeholders such as governments, employees, suppliers, communities and customers.† (Anglo American, 2008) They also are focused on the safety of their employees. Operating in Africa can be dangerous at best and it is the responsibility of Anglo American to ensure its employees are working in a safe environment. The company has contributed to the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights, which sets out principles and practices for ensuring that a company’s need to ensure the security of its employees and operations in volatile countries does not adversely impact upon the local population (Anglo American, 2008). Last, but not least, Anglo American is also dedicated to the environmental issues, combating corruption and promoting revenue transparency. Primark For Primark there business is to produce quality clothing items globally. The company is a part of the Associated British Foods (ABF), a diversified international food, ingredients and retail group. Primark has almost 200 stores across Ireland, the UK, Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Portugal (www.times100.uk.co/Primark). In relation to business ethics, Primark takes a strong position on their belief in their responsibility to be socially responsible and to practice strong ethical business decisions. As a producer of clothing with a global supply chain, Primark interacts with many 3rd party vendors from all across the world. The company has embraced the challenges of ensuring that all of its clothing supply sources come from an ethically driven manufacturing company (www.times100.uk.co/Primark). The company publicly stresses its ethical position in the following statement on its website, â€Å"As an international brand with a global supply chain we have a  responsibility to act ethically. We embrace this responsibility as an opportunity to be a great force for good. Primark is committed to providing the best possible value for our customers, but not at the expense of the people who make our products† (www.times100.uk.co/Primark). In addition, Primark takes many steps to ensure that ethical behavior occurs across its vast organization. As a global manufacturing company, Primark has over 600 major suppliers in over 16 countries, employing over 700,000 employees. Primark stresses the importance of human rights and appropriate employment conditions in all of their supplier locations as part of doing business with them. Primark also has an Ethical Trade Director whose job it is to oversee all global supplier operations and ensure ethical conditions exist in accordance to Primark standards. The Ethical Trade Director manages other ethics managers who are stationed across the globe to monitor all operations activities. Also, Primark is associated with being a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative which is a global network of companies, non government organizations, labor unions, and other organizations that focus on improving the lives of their workers across the globe (www.times100.uk.co/Primark). Primark bases its founding ethical principles on the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) Code, which is an agency in the United Nations that combines representatives from governments, employers, and workers to help form the policies and programs for which they operate. Primark has also established its own corporate code of conduct that has been translated into 26 languages and is used at all locations to stress the importance of human rights, equality, and ethical behavior in the workforce (www.times100.uk.co/Primark). Costs and Benefits To Operating Ethically Every company has costs and benefits associated with doing business. Operating ethically also has its cost and benefits. First, when dealing with costs associated with doing business ethically, it’s important to note that competition must remain fair in order for social responsibility to develop. Friedman (1962, p. 133) contended that, ‘‘†¦ there is one and only one social responsibility of business – to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the  rules of the game, which is to say, engages in open and free competition, without deception or fraud†. Benefits of doing ethical business not only benefits the organization, but the customers, communities, and shareholders. In addition to these benefits, a strong ethical program promotes a strong public image, which is very important in today’s business climate. Murray and Vogel (1997) determined that when consumers were aware of the fact that an enterprise had made a great deal of effort to fulfill its social responsibilities, they were much more willing to purchase this enterprise’s products. Mohr and Webb (2005) asserted that an enterprise’s responsible behaviors had positive effects on consumers’ evaluation of this enterprise and their purchasing intention and that an enterprise’s lower level of ethics would significantly reduce this purchasing intention. Another benefit of doing ethical business is that not only it helps the business achieve its objectives of profits and reputation, but also helps manage other departments in the business. A business following ethics will have ethical programs that would identify values and would make sure that organizational behavior is in adherence to those values. This will be very useful for different other programs within the business such as quality management, strategic planning and diversity management (McNamara). Quality management places high importance on certain operating values for example trust among employees, reliability, measurement and feedback (McNamara). If a business has set ethical values the process of quality management will be more reliable and the business will be able to offer better quality to the consumers enhancing its image and increasing its profitability. Moreover ethics management techniques may be useful for managing strategic values such as expanding market share (M cNamara) and will make strategic decisions with utmost care while considering the broader effects. So ethics in business has a broader effect and is not limited to reputation, profits and growth. International Business with Integrity Svennson & Woods’ international business with integrity model from â€Å"A Model of Business Ethics† applies well to Anglo American due to the nature of mining operations in foreign nations and the environmental issues associated. It is expected that multi nationals’ corporations act ethically, not only because it is the right thing to do, but also it is within their power to do so. Svennson & Woods’ (2008) write, â€Å"Citizens of first world societies expect their corporations to display integrity in their international business dealings.† According to Anglo American, one of their goals is to â€Å"mine in ways that minimize environmental impacts is more expensive than extracting resources regardless of impact† (Anglo American, 2008). The Pebble Project in Alaska is a good example of the way that Anglo American takes account of the environment. There was some concerned that the mine could damage fish stocks and wildlife. Therefore, Anglo Am erican consulted widely and through a structured process with local people, politicians, businesses and especially indigenous people. Anglo American has made it clear that it will only seek to proceed with the project if it can be done without damage to the local fisheries (Anglo American, 2008). The environment is a major concern for people and governments around the world. Corporations have immense amount of pressure to produce goods to meet demand, but at the same time they have to be conscience about the environment. Countries around the world have laws governing environmental protection and there are several agencies to protect it. Conclusion To conclude, ethical business behavior is a combination of values and normative ethics, which drive an organization. Corporate social responsibility is important not only because it is the right thing to do, it also affects the stakeholders. Anglo American and Primark are examples of how major corporations can meet shareholder expectations, while conducting operations in an ethical manner. The costs and benefits associated with doing business ethically are important to take into consideration when reviewing ethics policies; however it is better to look at the long term benefits versus the short term costs. References: Anglo American. (2008). Business ethics and corporate social responsibility. Retrieved from http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/new-downloads-pop.php?getFile=cHJpbWFyay9wcmltYXJrXzE1X2Z1bGwucGRm Friedman, M. (1962). Capitalism and freedom. (p. 133). Chicago, Il: University of Chicago Press. Retrieved November 30, 2011 from http://www.hh.se/download/18.70cf2e49129168da0158000103376/2007+Model-of-Business-Ethics.pdf McNamara, C. (n.d.). Complete guide to ethics management: An ethics toolkit for managers. Retrieved from http://managementhelp.org/businessethics/ethics-guide.htm Primark. (2011). Providing consumers with ethically sourced garments. Retrieved from http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/new-downloads-pop.php?getFile=YW5nbG9fYW1lcmljYW4vYW5nbG9fYW1lcmljYW5fMTNfZnVsbC5wZGY Svensson, S., & Woof, S. (2008). A model of business ethics. Journal of Business Ethics, (77), 303-322: DOI 10.1007/s10551-007-9351-2. Retrieved November 30, 2011 from http://www.hh.se/download/18.70cf2e49129168da0158000103376/2007%2BModel-of-Business-Ethics.pdf Sethi, S. P.: 2003, _Globalization and the Good Corporation: A Need for Proactive Co-existence_, Journal of Business Ethics 43, 21-31. Paine, L. S.: 1994, ‘Managing for Organizational Integrity_, Harvard Business Review March/April, 106-117. Murray, K. B., & Vogel, C. M. (1997). Using a hierarchy of effects approach to gauge the effectiveness of CSR to generate goodwill towards the firm: Financial versus non-financial impacts. Journal of Business Research, 38(2), 141–160. Mohr, L. A., & Webb, D. J. (2005). The effects of corporate social responsibility and price on consumer responses. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 39(1), 121–147.

Long Term Impact Of The Atlantic Slave Trade On The Economic Development Of Capitalism The WritePass Journal

Long Term Impact Of The Atlantic Slave Trade On The Economic Development Of Capitalism Introduction Long Term Impact Of The Atlantic Slave Trade On The Economic Development Of Capitalism Introduction Sea portsIndustrial revolutionBanking and insuranceUnequal terms of trade and plunderConclusion      Ã‚  Ã‚  References Related Introduction The Atlantic slave trade (AST) was a trade in human slaves that took place across the Atlantic Ocean from the 16th and on through the 19th century. It was a trade predominantly in African slaves from mainly the central and western regions of the continent, who were sold by African slave merchants and tribal leaders to European slave traders (Stearns 2001). The slaves were then transported to colonies in North and South America and were forced to work on plantations of coffee, tobacco, cocoa, cotton and sugar; in rice fields; in the construction industry; in silver and gold mines; or, in houses working as servants. The Atlantic slave trade was a result of among other factors, the shortage of labor in the American colonies and later in the United States which had large amounts of cheap land for European immigrants (Eltis 2000). These colonists of the New World sought to exploit these lands for export of produce from the New World to Europe among other resources for capital profit. A vast amount of labor was needed in the creation and sustenance of plantations as they required intense labor to grow tropical crops, harvest and process them.   With the challenge of finding a sufficient workforce among the native peoples and a large number dying from overwork and diseases, alternative sources of labor were sought resulting in this trade (Williams 1944). Herein we delve into the long term impact of this slave trade on the economic development of capitalism. Capitalism, in basic terms, is an economic system in which investment of capital (or money) is used to produce profits. Factors of production such as land, communications, factories and transport systems are privately owned by either individuals or corporations trading in a free market whose main feature is competition. The history of capitalism points to a number of possible sources, among them the Atlantic slave trade (Dobb 1946). Prior to its development, the world was under a system referred to as â€Å"feudalism† which was characterized by legal and military customs that flourished between the 9th and the 15th centuries, which structured society around relationships that were derived from the holding of land in exchange for labor or service (Hobsbawm 1999). There is debate on the economic contributions of the Atlantic slave trade to economic development of Europe with some economic historians having the view that the capital required came from within solely through industrial development and trade, arguing that profits from the slave trade were minimal, not enough to finance the economic development to industrial capitalism. The enslavement of Africans in this transatlantic trade, others however argue, was an essential component in the development of capitalism in the Western world of Europe and America and which now dominates as a global economic system (Richardson 1998). To this latter group, Europes economic development, to its height today (its modern level) was based, largely, on the slave trade which made international trade across the Atlantic viable for European nations (Eltis 2000). Slaves from the African coast were shipped to the plantations in the American colonies and the Caribbean, their labor used to produce raw materials which were shipped to Europe for Industrial processing and manufacture, and finally the products of European industry were distributed back to the African market or to the plantations for the purchase of slaves and their owners. However minimal the contribution of the trade in slaves was, its contribution to this international (transatlantic) trade as described cannot be downplayed and was a major contributor to the whole since, apart from slaves being bought and sold as a commodity for profit, their labor in the plantations was essential for the production of raw material benefiting the European industry (Eltis 2000). The choice of African slaves was backed by the huge value placed on the slaves due to several considerations including the fact that they often had experience of agriculture and thus would be useful in the exploits of plantation agriculture. They also were used to a tropical climate and were not affected greatly by ill health as other indentured servants and slaves of other origins were. This trait was also enhanced by the realization that the African slaves were resistant to tropical diseases and could better survive in the plantations which made them the better choice for service on the plantations (Dobb 1946). Africans given their varied origins on the continent and the variations in their ethnic compositions were valued for the exploitation as they could be managed and controlled better by being mixed up ethnically and by origin. This approach was useful in inhibiting solidarity among the slaves with the possibility of revolts and dissent. African slaves were also chosen for their black skin colour because they were very visible if they ran away and could easily be hunted down by local groups. These factors made the African slave a valuable component for plantation farming and therefore a valuable commodity as well in the Atlantic slave trade (Eltis 2000). Sea ports The Atlantic slave trade can be directly linked to the rise of many sea-ports, mainly Bristol and Liverpool in Britain; Nantes and Bordeaux, France; and Seville in Spain. These sea ports grew as a direct result of shipping and international trade (Rosenberg 1986). The transatlantic trade through shipping and ship building directly led to the growth of the great sea ports of Bristol, Liverpool and Glasgow which were trading centers as well, and by mid 18th century, there was hardly any British town without a connection to the Atlantic slave or colonial rule, with interlinks in trade and manufacture of goods for export to various markets across the Atlantic including the colonies in the Americas (Williams 1944). These sea ports were the gateways to the world markets essential for early trade especially across the Atlantic later inducing industrialization which also gained from the established trading patterns and channels (North 1973). Industrial revolution The accumulation of capital (wealth) in Britain that fueled the industrial revolution was made on the back on this slave trade beginning in the late 17th century (North 1973). The Atlantic slave trade also enhanced Europes development in technology such as the evolution of shipbuilding which was a consequence of their monopoly of sea commerce. The triangular trade gave a direct stimulus for the ship building industry in England with ships built for the slave trade seeking to combine capacity with speed in an effort to reduce mortality which was the main challenge for the slave traders (Williams 1944). Manufacturing centers or towns grew often in places that had connections to sea ports consequently leading to the Industrial revolution. An example is Manchester which was the first center of the revolution, and which grew on the back of the growth of the sea-port of Liverpool, a port from which slave trading ships set off from and through which it could reach the world market (Eltis 2000). The capital accumulation in Liverpool from the slave trade profits and exploitations of the labor of blacks led to the existence of Lancashire and thereby stimulated the rapid extension of Manchester as a manufacturing hub. This capital was poured back to Manchester to finance its industrialization whose strength lay in the manufacture of cotton goods for the African market and West Indies, for purchase by slaves. Goods manufactured were ferried to Atlantic markets by the slave vessels which also brought back raw materials that enabled such industrialization (O’Brien 1982). Cargo to Africa, the first leg of the journey, is illustrated to have included finery and ornaments, all kinds of cloth, hardware items, iron and other metal goods, guns and powder, household utensils, paper, spirits and tobacco from Britain and foreign nations, among other goods   destined for the use of African princes and kings (O’Brien 1982). This assortment typified slave traders cargo exchanged for slaves and their production stimulated capitalism by bringing great profits to England and providing employment for British labor. This trade also provided opportunities for allied trades including distribution which required ships and wagons for transport inland and between the continental coasts (North 1973). Processing of raw materials sourced from colonial territories also gave rise to new industries and further created employment. Among these raw materials was sugar that gave rise to the sugar refining industry which transformed crude brown sugar manufactured on plantations into white sugar for the world market which was more durable and could be better preserved (O’Brien 1982). The importance of the sugar refining industry increased with the spread of tea and coffee as a necessity of life rather than a luxury of kings. It was the slave and sugar trade that brought Bristol to the level of the second city of England in the 18th century (Eltis 2000). Profits from plantations that had slaves providing the labour was of major assistance to economic development in many ways such as the increasing of the general prosperity of the economy which became a boost to the industrialization process (Rosenberg 1986). This happened through the easing of credit difficulties of the new industrialists suffering from the lengthy turnover time (time to realise profits from an investment) with credit offerings, which were a vital factor to success and the profits from slavery and plantation farming (Hobsbawm 1999). These offerings enabled the industrialization process with financial bills, backed by plantation products like sugar and tobacco, which became a form of money and went into circulation. This plantation funds scenario helped to fill the absence of institutions offering credit in sufficient volumes (Rosenberg 1986). The maintenance of the slaves and their owners in the plantations provided a significant market as well for British industry, agricultural produce of New England and fish produce from Newfoundland. The profits obtained from the triangular trade were one of the main streams to the accumulation of capital to finance the Industrial revolution in England (O’Brien 1982). Banking and insurance With regard to the banking and insurance sector, Eric Williams (Williams 1944) cites several examples of immense personal wealth derived directly from the slave trade. David and Alexander Barclay, for instance, made vast amounts of money from the trade, later using this to set up Barclays Bank. Also directly associated and having its roots in the transatlantic slave trade is the Lloyds of London, which grew through profits from the trade from a small London coffee house to the worlds largest banking and insurance houses. In Capital and Slavery he wrote: â€Å"Many of the 18th century banks established in Liverpool and Manchester, the slaving metropolis and the cotton capital respectively, were directly associated with the triangular trade. Here, large sums were needed for the cotton factories and the canals which improved the means of communication between the two towns (p. 99, 1944). Insurance houses grew to cover risks in the international business related to shipping with merchants insuring their cargoes of goods and slaves against loss, as well as the perils in the harbors and colonial plantations (Williams 1944). Banks, through their involvement in the trade, also financed the adoption of modern techniques in the agricultural enterprise in Europe enabling the practice of extensive agriculture and large scale production (Williams 1944). There was a typical transition from trader to merchant and then on to banker in the time, transitions that came about as individuals who made profit from the slave and allied trade sought further investments and diversification of business (Hobsbawm 1999). Banking and insurance grew primarily through links with shipping and the international trade. Examples of these include the Heywood bank founded in 1773 in Liverpool whose founders had success in the merchant business. Another individual merchant-turned-banker was Thomas Leyland of Leyland and Roscoe and later Leyland and Bullins, considered as one among the most active traders of slaves in Liverpool with immense profits (Williams 1944). Away from Britain, the financial effect of the Atlantic slave trade ranged wide even touching the French St. Malo fishing industry which saw a revival with the opening up of markets in the French plantations that flourished through the labor of African slaves (O’Brien 1982). The triangular trade brought back indigo dyes from Africa, as well, heavily depended upon by the Portuguese (North 1973). The ripple effect of the Atlantic slave trade had consequences far and wide with Brazilian dyewoods, for example, being re-exported from Portugal into the Mediterranean, North sea and Baltic which were then passed on to the continental cloth industry in the 17th century. Despite the Portuguese making enormous profits from the slave trade, it was unfortunate for Portugal that much of this money rapidly passed on to the hands of the more developed nations to the west of Europe. This happened through the imbalance of trade with supply of loans, ships and trade goods to Portugal from these more developed nations which included Germany, Britain, Holland and France (Hobsbawm 1999). Unequal terms of trade and plunder By 1800, the dominance of Europe on the increasingly global economy was quite well established and organized under capitalism. The upper capitalist class in Europe with their control of trade internationally ensured that Africa specialized in exporting captive slaves through the 17th to the 19th century, and, through their exploitation in labor made huge profits that continued to be re-invested in Western Europe in the formation of companies, shipping, capitalist agriculture, technology, insurance and the manufacture of machines including the steam engine (Rosenberg 1986). The economic philosophy over this time had no open door policy and the colonial trade was a monopoly of the home country administered rigidly (Richardson 1998). The colonies were under obligation to send their produce to England and to only use English ships. They were not allowed to manufacture anything, even refine the sugar they produced and could buy nothing but British commodities, or foreign products only if they were imported from England. Under British imperialism, colonies were confined mainly for their agricultural exploitation with the only concession being the access to the home market (Richardson 1998). In America, the New York City slave trade involved the building and maintaining of ships that were involved in the trade between it, Europe, the Caribbean and Africa; financial service provision which entailed borrowing, lending and insuring the transport vessels; as well as advertisements of slave sale and purchase which was a major source of revenue for New York newspapers in the 18th century (North 1973). New York was made a prime center for the slave trade mainly due to its strategic geographical position, its network of inland waterways, as well as, its proximity to the colonial settlements in America, a significant nexus in the web (North 1973). Virtually all New York businesses were involved with slavery from the beginning, with the enterprise comprising a myriad of activities including the direct trading in slaves; use of slave labor in workshops engaged in various crafts; and in agriculture where slaves were involved in harvesting, processing and packaging foodstuffs for use in the Atlantic slave trade. It also involved the supply of grains, tools and manufactured foods to plantations in the West Indies and North America for the consumption of slaves (North 1973). The economy of the city in its entirety was built on slavery with almost everything grown or produced a result of slave labor. Products entailed luxury items such as cheese, tobacco, rum, sugar, cloth and butter and were carried on ships owned by slave traders. The system of unpaid labor in its enormity kept the stores well stocked and prices fairly low (Rosenberg 1986). With Britain and France far ahead, they ushered in industrial development and parliamentary democracy with attendant liberties (Rogowski 1989). Accumulation in Britain was later fed by the trade with India, though this foreign stream was secondary to the Atlantic slave trade and its exploitation was strengthened only with its loss of the American colonies (O’Brien 1982). Growth in capitalism during this period of the Atlantic trade reflects the combined influence of growth opportunities generated by the Atlantic slave trade in addition to the emergence of economic institutions which provided security to property rights to the broader society, enabling the freedom to gain entry into profitable businesses and ventures (Rogowski 1989). These economic (capitalist) institutions were also a result of the development of political institutions which constrained the power of the monarchies and allied groups. For these institutions to gain strength needed to bring about the economic change, there was need for a nascent bourgeoisie and this was contributed indirectly through the enriching of segments of the bourgeoisie (Rogowski 1989). The rise in trade across the Atlantic strengthened their commercial interests enabling them to demand and thereby obtain changes in the institutions which were a necessity for growth of capitalism (Eltis 2000). Profits from this international trade were substantial with the recipients becoming very rich going by the standards of the time, thereby gaining power in the political and social spheres, and challenging the dominance of the monarchies (Rogowski 1989). This was a significant contributor to development economically and for capitalist growth. Conclusion       The Atlantic slave trade’s contribution to the development of capitalism has resulted in the nations that previously engaged in it still retaining their dominance of international trade and politics, with very strong economies and political maturity. The Atlantic slave trade was not entirely responsible for the economic development of capitalism but is considered to have contributed to the accumulation of capital ploughed-back to generate further capital that drove the industrial revolution. The slave trade was just one of the components of the transatlantic trade which featured an exchange of a variety of goods and plantation produce for slaves on the African coast who were later exchanged for raw materials in plantations on the American colonies and mainly the West Indies. Economic change is gradual and has a cumulative effect and the commercial capitalism in the 18th century developed Europes wealth contributed through slavery and monopoly. This further helped to create industrial capitalism characteristic of the 19th century, which undid much of the dependence on the slave trade. The Atlantic slave trade both directly and indirectly gave rise to the capitalism that still dominates in the world economy to this day.   Ã‚  References Dobb, M., 1946. Studies in the Development of Capitalism. London: Routledge Kegan Paul. Eltis, D., and S. Engerman, 2000. â€Å"The Importance of Slavery and the Slave Trade to Industrializing Britain.† In: Journal of Economic History, 60, 123-144. Hobsbawm, E., 1999. Industry and Empire: From 1750 to the Present Day. New York: The New Press. North, D., and R. Thomas, 1973. The Rise of the Western World: A New Economic History. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge UK. O’Brien, Patrick K., 1982. â€Å"European Economic Development: The Contribution of the Periphery.† In: Economic History Review, 2nd ser., 35, 1-18. Richardson, R., 1998. The Debate on the English Revolution, 3rd Edition. 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