Role of African Elites in Dismantling Decolonization

Colonial literature F-K Omoregie, English Department, University of Botswana Walter Rodney s How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, Amilcar Cabral s National Liberation and Struggle, and Ngugi Wa Thiong o s Writing Against Neocolonialism reveal the political, economic, and social circumstances that formed the sensibility of most African writers. Thus, they illuminate the various types of mentalities or ideologies that inform African literature. In addition, these works help the reader determine if a novelist s portrayal of African society fully reflects its social relations, political arrangements, and economic factors. These critical writings also help in the debate on the definition of African literature. For they bring out the†¦show more content†¦. . (1980). In Ferdinand Oyono s The Old Man and the Medal, the road, constructed by forced black labor, symbolizes the visible exploitative means linking Africa to Europe. Rodney notes also that the social services in colonial Africa reflected the pattern of domination and exploitation geared toward the wel l-being of the settlers. In Mayombe the narrator says: You earn twenty escudos a day, for chopping down trees with an axe . . . And how much does the boss earn for each tree? A pile. What does the boss do to earn this money? Nothing, nothing . . . So, how can he earn many thousands a day and give you twenty escudos? What right has he? This is colonialist exploitation. [Pepetela: 1983: 19] What the narrator notes above, claims Rodney, is what resulted in the underdevelopment of Africa. Rodney observes that the African dependency upon the European also ultimately produced neocolonial class stratification and Africans who manipulated the colonial economic structures for their own benefit. In Mission to Kala, the colonial authorities nominate the chief of Vimili who goes on to live an opulent life at the expense of the people: The colonial Administration (who had nominated him in the first place) buttered him up. In return, he obeyed their commands like a robot and knew they would not throw him out. In the days of the forced labor gangs he had been feared by everyone because he betrayed fugitives to the authorities and acted as an informer.Show MoreRelated Outside the Teaching Machine by Gayatri Spivak2753 Words   |  11 Pagesâ€Å"Other† as self’s other is going on, perhaps with more subtlety and programmatic finesse. The significant distinction she makes between relative strength of subjectivity is the way how she considers the Western critical discourse as assuming the role of the originator, legitimizer, and of course the guarantor of the discourse about the so-called Third World. The ethical question that arises from Spivak’s discussion leads towards what she terms â€Å"epistemic violence.† For her, the Western subject’sRead MoreCultural Erasure5591 Words   |  23 Pagescity of El Dorado, the fabled Fountain of Youth and the island home of Robinson Crusoe. Enriched by the process of creolization, the cosmopolitanism of the average Caribbean person is also well recognized: ‘No Indian from India, no European, no African can adjust with greater ease and naturalness to new situations’ (Lamming 1960, 34). As a concept or notion ‘the Caribbean’ can also be seen to have a marvellous elasticity that defies the imposition of clear geographic boundaries, has no distinctRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagestwentieth century as a coherent unit for teaching, as well as for written narrative and analysis. Though they do not exhaust the crucial strands of historical development that tie the century together—one could add, for example, nationalism and decolonization—they cover in depth the defining phenomena of that epoch, which, as the essays demonstrate, very often connect in important ways with these and other major developments. The opening essays of this collection underscore the importance of including

Real Choices at Starbucks Free Essays

Real Choices at Starbucks Starbucks started as small coffee shop in a tourist area called Pikes Place Market in Seattle. The three unknown pioneer of Starbucks wanted to share their passion for brewed coffee and tea. During their first year in the business, they experimented with all sorts of coffee blend until they came up with their own flavor. We will write a custom essay sample on Real Choices at Starbucks or any similar topic only for you Order Now Their business became an instant success using the word of mouth selling brewed coffee cup by cup. This is what inspired them to open a second store to target the wider market. By the early 1980’s, Starbucks expanded to four new stores in Seattle area. Since then, they became the largest retail company in the world. This coffee company grew from four Starbucks store to having currently 16,635 stores globally including 11,068 in the United States, 1000 stores in Canada, and more than 800 in Japan (Salomon 271). This amazing expansion can be attributed to Howard Shultz’s dedication to brewing coffee who bought the coffee’s trademark twenty five years ago. The main reason Starbucks has done so well for four decades can be attributed to their commitment to high quality products and passion for educating customers to appreciate the qualities of fine coffees. Strength Starbucks has become a popular company for selling the best tasting coffee products around the world. As a result, everyone saw Starbucks as the biggest and best in the business (Higbee 6). They acquired a solid brand reputation and have a world renowned company logo. There are no other national coffee bar competitors in the same scale as Starbucks. They are the only competitor in the coffee business that has a recognized brand image. They also own trademarks, copyrights, domain names, patents. The current SEC filing of Starbucks shows that the company is in a positive financial condition. The company’s total revenue for the first quarter of fiscal 2012 had increased sixteen percent and the net income was up more than ten percent (Smith, http://wallstcheatsheet. com/). This result was primarily driven by increase revenues from company-operated stores, licensed stores, and CPG foodservice contributing to approximately $3. 44 billion (http://investing. businessweek. com/). The overall areas of Starbucks business, from domestic and international retail operations to the company’s specialty businesses delivered strong financial performance, and innovation was the reason for the success of the company’s operations. The statement below shows the current financial status of the company as of January 1, 2012. Financial Statements Results of Operations (in millions) Revenues Quarter Ended ___________________________ Jan 1, Jan 2 % 2012 2011 Change _________ ________ ________ Company-operated stores $ 2,731. 8 $ 2,451. 3 11. 4% Licensed stores 306. 6 254. 3 20. 6 CPG, foodservice and other 397. 245. 3 62. 0 Total net revenues $ 3,435. 9 $ 2,950. 8 16. 4% Weakness Even though Starbucks has strength to stay in the business, it also has a few weaknesses. Starbucks must deal with these weaknesses in order to remain as a competitor in the retail market. One of the company’s most prevalent obstacles is the price they charge for a cup of coffee. While most people consider Starbucks coffee as a luxury and would pay whatever price is set, there is an increasing opinion that Starbucks charges too much (Higbee 7). Sometimes it is difficult for a company to penetrate the mass market with the prices above market averages. While this weakness may not come to reality in the short term, it is possible that this company is somewhat maturing since they have grown so rapidly penetrating the U. S. market. Opportunities Opportunities present themselves when it comes to Starbucks business strategy which provided the options to strengthen its retail market. Starbucks would not be able to effectively compete with its competitors if it not with these opportunities. They continued their quest by expanding its retail operations and sales. They pursued other opportunities by introducing new products and develop new channels to stay on top. Starbucks is in great position to expand its global business more that they already have. Since they expanded to Europe, Canada, and Japan, they enjoyed much success in these countries and their future plan is to open more Starbucks in Asia, Latin America, and the Far East. Starbucks also created numerous partnerships that will ensure its longevity for a long time. Formed a partnership with Pepsi Company and created a coffee type bottled drink called Frappucino. These Frappucino bottles were currently being sold in shops, grocery stores, and convenient stores. This drink has grown in popularity in the past that it was labeled by the consumers as â€Å"the coffee on the go† (Higbee 6). In addition, Starbucks also partnered with Target that pave the way to opening a coffee shop inside the shopping center. Threats One of the major threats to Starbucks is their competition with other coffee chain, such as Coffee Bean and Peet’s Coffee. Other companies, such as McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, and Burger King already have the infrastructure in place and are instead adding quality coffee to their menu to compete with Starbucks (Higbee 8). But for one thing, many people enjoy buying coffee even though it is pricey because of the environment and experience that allow people to enjoy, relax, and mingle while sipping a cup of coffee. Other threats to Starbucks are the gas station and restaurants industry. Many people are in the habit of buying breakfast and coffee at the local gas stations such as 7 Eleven. This practice is done mostly out of habit, but also for convenience especially for morning paper paired with a cup of coffee before going to work. Many consumers are also attracted by the convenience and the economics of the big mug cup of coffee they can obtain. Other consumer concerns are the trend towards more healthy ways. More and more people are becoming aware of the risk in consumption of caffeine. Too much caffeine can produce restlessness, nausea, headache, tense muscles, sleep disturbances, and irregular heartbeats. Caffeine can also increase the production of stomach acid that causes acid reflux. And finally, the price of coffee is so volatile that it remained as the biggest complaint by its customers. Recommendation Starbucks has created such a strong corporate culture and strong work values that it allows a company to successfully engage in product diversification. However, amongst the first thing that Starbucks needs to have is to define their brand image by lowering the coffee prices. It needs to be conveyed to the market in a precise manner, so that there would be no confusion amid Starbucks customer complaints. This is vital if Starbucks wanted to maintain its domestic market share competing with the likes of McDonald, Dunkin Donut, and Burger King. They must resolve all the consumer concerns so that they can embark on another project with smooth transition. Conclusion Overall, as long as Starbucks maintains and promotes a strong quality product without deterring from its corporate-level strategy, it will always have number of opportunities ahead. There is a very strong base for this company which will allow it to pursue desired avenues with aggressiveness and confidence. Works Cited Salomon M, Marshall G, Stuart E, Marketing: Real People Real Choice 7th Ed. P. cm. Higbee J, Liaw Z, Ting C, Tjho K, Ton M, The Future of Starbucks, http://www. mcafee. cc/Classes/BEM106/Papers/2008/Starbucks. pdf Smith G, Cost of Coffee Could Squeeze Starbucks, http://wallstcheatsheet. com/stocks/cost-of-coffee-could-squeeze-starbucks. html/ United States Securities and Exchange Commission, FORM 10-Q, http://investing. businessweek. com/research/stocks/financials/drawFiling. asp? docKey=137-000119312512032427-56VATRT3JVABGO7FIGIBD5RTCJdocFormat=HTMformType=10-Q#D270627D10Q_HTM_TX270627_3 How to cite Real Choices at Starbucks, Essay examples

Jack Shaefer Essay Example For Students

Jack Shaefer Essay These four short stories are all set in America and show the diversity of Culture in the United States compared to the UK and other countries. I will illustrate the main cultural features shown in these four stories. Jeremy Rodock, by Jack Shaefer This story is about a pioneer who owns a ranch in the uncharted Wild West of the United States in the mid nineteenth century. He is extremely fond of his horses, which are the main feature in his life. One day, he goes to see his mares and foals in his pasture, but discovers they have been stolen. He and the author of the story track the horses and locate them in a valley, but they had been roped and thrown and their front hooves rasped almost to the quick, so that they could barely put their weight on them. Rodock leaves the horses in the valley, planning to return to try and capture the thieves and make them pay. He does this and manages to capture the thieves, but instead of hanging them, which is his usual practice, he makes them walk fifty miles over rocky land without shoes, but then he decided to let them go. This story features a pioneer, a man who explored and settled in unknown territory in the Wild West of America in the mid nineteenth century. Pioneers are a very important feature of American culture, and are not featured in many other countries cultures, except other New World countries like Australia. Pioneers rode on their horse into the unknown, founding settlements. In this story, Jeremy Rodock, the pioneer, has started up a ranch in some unknown territory. Pioneers were very important to American culture in the nineteenth and early twentieth century as they expanded American territory from the East to the far Wild West. Without them, the western areas of the USA would not be part of the country. Jeremy Rodock was a typical pioneer of his time, a tough strong man. The story is set in the Wild West, which is also very important to American culture. The Wild West is an informal term for the unexplored southwestern states of the USA, where law did not exist. Pioneers, or settlers who followed them inhabited the Wild West. As there was no law; people took the law into their own hands, as shown in Jeremy Rodock. He has a reputation (which he deserves) of hanging rustlers who stole his horses, Jeremy Rodock was a hanging man when it came to horse thieves (page 1). Modern America appears to be intrigued by the Wild West, as they have made a countless number of films and series set in the Wild West, as have many other countries showing that it is not just the Americans who are fascinated with the Wild West. The main culture demonstrated in Jeremy Rodock is the horse culture. The story is set in a horse ranch. There is nothing else at the ranch but horses and ranch hands to look after the horses. The whole story is about horses, tracking down horse thieves who have stolen and harmed Jeremy Rodocks horses, and getting revenge for this. The Horse culture was very important to the pioneers, as back then this was their only mode of transport. In the barren land, where this story are set, there are no women, no nearby settlements, nothing but open landscape. This horse culture could be described as primitive or restricted. The horse culture is so important as the ranch is isolated, and no settlers have followed Rodock into this area. The language used in the culture shown above is different to modern English. .u285e3b55ffa282d5f97951f9f1b68db2 , .u285e3b55ffa282d5f97951f9f1b68db2 .postImageUrl , .u285e3b55ffa282d5f97951f9f1b68db2 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u285e3b55ffa282d5f97951f9f1b68db2 , .u285e3b55ffa282d5f97951f9f1b68db2:hover , .u285e3b55ffa282d5f97951f9f1b68db2:visited , .u285e3b55ffa282d5f97951f9f1b68db2:active { border:0!important; } .u285e3b55ffa282d5f97951f9f1b68db2 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u285e3b55ffa282d5f97951f9f1b68db2 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u285e3b55ffa282d5f97951f9f1b68db2:active , .u285e3b55ffa282d5f97951f9f1b68db2:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u285e3b55ffa282d5f97951f9f1b68db2 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u285e3b55ffa282d5f97951f9f1b68db2 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u285e3b55ffa282d5f97951f9f1b68db2 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u285e3b55ffa282d5f97951f9f1b68db2 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u285e3b55ffa282d5f97951f9f1b68db2:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u285e3b55ffa282d5f97951f9f1b68db2 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u285e3b55ffa282d5f97951f9f1b68db2 .u285e3b55ffa282d5f97951f9f1b68db2-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u285e3b55ffa282d5f97951f9f1b68db2:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: John Keats uses often uses pain EssayThey have many slang words, and correct American vocabulary. The slang that they use is commonly associated with America; some was absorbed into the American language as correct vocabulary at a later date. Examples: critters (pg5), mosey (pg5), look see (pg5), hobbles (pg4) and hitching (pg4). These are but few of the many slang examples in this story. They give an insight to the language used in the mid nineteenth century, which is a very important part of the culture. Words in this story that are part of the American language but not the English are: hustling, (pg6) and rustling (pg2). There are many more examples of correct American words in the story. The difference in language illustrates the difference between the American culture and the English culture at the time. Jeremy Rodock sheds light on the life of a pioneer in the mid nineteenth century. My father by Damon Runyon This story is about a man whose father used to be a pioneer and who has a pioneers reunion in the same town where his wife is to give a speech for her society in dedication to a new museum for Spanish explorers. But his father tries to re-enact his earlier years and starts running riots in the town with his gun and violent ways.