A College Degree Is Not Worth It Essay

What is a college degree worth 50,000, $150,000, $300,000? The real question should be is a college degree really worth it? A lot of students go into college not knowing what to expect, or not knowing what to do. College degrees are made of paper, the importance of these degrees are valued by all the hard work you put in. There are several reasons why a college degree is not worth it. A college degree can be connected with negative associations. Getting a degree is like getting married. It’s a big decision someone has to make. There’s a lot of  cost, a lot of ups and downs, and it can be very stressful. Someone shouldn’t just go to college because they see everyone attending college after high school. The main number one reason why everyone wants to get a college degree is because they believe once they finish college they’ll have a better employment rate rather than someone without one. According to Not All College Majors Are Created Equal, by Michelle Singletary â€Å"the highest unemployment rate for recent graduates is generally the highest in architecture (13. 9 percent), then in non- technical majors, such as arts (11.1 percent), humanities and liberal arts (9. 4 percent), social science (8. 9 percent), finally law and public policy (8. 1 percent). † Having a degree is not automatically doing to get you a job, but most graduates are working in a job that does not require a degree. Focusing so much on college and perusing the goal of earning a degree can impact your social life. For many accomplishing a degree is not only a must but it becomes part of their life from sunrise to sunset. They start losing touch with reality, friends, and everyday activities. It is as if your life only has  one signal meaning that is, your college degree. College requires so many sacrifices because you have to have time to study for exams and getting your homework done. Not having a college degree doesn’t mean that someone won’t become successful. There have been a lot of people in this world that become very successful without a degree. For example: the CEO of Coca cola, Walt Disney, Steve Jobs, and many more. A degree does not make you the richest person in the world. There are many roads for an education rather than just attending college for a degree. Many people succeed without college degrees.

Philosophy Statement

I believe that each child learns at their own pace, and it’s important to accommodate each individual. To reference Pestalozzi, I also believe children have more meaningful learning experiences with hands-on activities and it allows them to draw their own conclusions because they are experiencing what they’re learning first hand. I believe it’s my job as a teacher to create an environment that encourages children to think critically and allow them to experience things first hand.I also understand that each child learns differently, and not every child is the same, and it’s my job as a teacher to accommodate them to the best of my ability and create an environment where children feel comfortable to ask questions or voice their opinions. My goal as a teacher is to be a good role model to my students. I want to be able to develop a relationship with each of my students. I to be able help children with their self esteem by promoting individuality and diversity .I also understand the importance of assessment and believe it’s my job to assess each student thoroughly to better understand them and help them through whatever they are struggling with. I also believe it’s important to create an environment that promotes a child’s autonomy, to help them draw their own conclusions and think critically to help them build skills early on that they will need throughout adulthood. Over all I want to be the one teacher in a child’s life who made a difference.I believe that one of my strengths is that I’m accepting of others. I come from a half Hispanic and half Irish family and I was immersed in both cultures. I accept people no matter their religion, culture, or ethnicity and I promote diversity because I come from a diverse family. I believe this will be a very positive attribute when dealing with families and students because not every student is the same and it’s important to make each family feel welcome i n the classroom regardless of their cultural background.I also believe that I am a very observant person which would be a very important skill in assessing my students which is a very significant part of being a teacher. I’ve always been observant, even as a child, I wanted to understand how things worked and why certain things affected others. Properly assessing students can put help put a stop to bullying, it can allow the teacher to better understand their students and find a method of teaching that works for each individual, and also can help keep parents updated on their child’s learning development.An area of future growth would be my communication skills. I’m not very articulate when I talk to crowds; I get nervous and falter my words. I’m more of a quiet person, I like to keep thoughts to myself and when I’m forced to express them I feel out of my element. This is something that is a work in progress and it is, slowly but surely, getting mu ch easier for me. This is very important as a teacher to be able to effectively speak to the students and teach the material well. It’s also very important to keep in contact with parents to update them on activities and their child’s progress.

Was Chivalry in Decline During the 14th and 15th Centuries

Far from disappearing, chivalry during the 14 and 15th centuries it was actually going through somewhat of a revival, some historians even go as far to say it was experiencing a â€Å"renascence† in the late middle ages albeit an imperfect one. Even though it appears in this period of medieval history that chivalry was becoming all the more popular, fashionable even, the meaning and spirit behind chivalry that were so important during the first crusades were dilapidated, therefore one can see why it can be viewed that chivalry was in decline in the 14th 15th century. This is especially apparent seeing as Chivalry became a tool to be wielded by those privileged enough to have the money and influence to use it. Furthermore despite the large amount of bravado surrounding chivalry in the later medieval period, this just underlines the fact that chivalry in the 14th and 15th centuries was a hollow shell of what it had been in the time of the crusades. Kilgour indentifies chivalry in the early medieval period as the â€Å"First heroic age† where a â€Å"fusion of military glory and religion† was achieved for the first time. In his description of the glory of chivalry in its early days Kilgour only stresses the devaluation of chivalry in its time of decline in the 14th and 15th century. The writings of J Huizinga in which he describes the return of chivalry as †a rather artificial revival of things long dead, a sort of deliberate and insincere renascence of ideas drained of any real value† offer a clear analysis of chivalry and its decline as an ideal with any real meaning during the 14th and 15th century. Even though to a large extent he is certainly right to view chivalry as a hollow shell of what it was, his statement is slightly implausible because by no means were there no chivalric deeds performed that would not have seemed out of place some 200 years earlier during the crusades, for example: â€Å"A knight of the nation of Hainault named Sir Loys de Robessart. One day it happened that his enemies found him in a village with few of his people with him. There they attacked him and staged a fine skirmish. And although his enemies where great in numbers and much stronger he drove them out of he village. Thereupon a great force of his enemies renewed the attack, and although he sighted them at a distance, all the same he disdained to flee or to show any signs of fear. But with very steady, noble and virtuous courage sallied forth and in order to uphold the honour of this order of chivalry and of himself he determined to hold his ground, and there he died gloriously, for before he di ed when he saw he could not hold he made his men withdraw to the castle, for which act he was greatly praised both by his enemies and his own men. † From this example it is apparent that there were cases in which chivalric actions were not completely selfless, suggesting to one that chivalry was not in decline. Never the less mindful of Maurice Keens remark that the value of chivalry signified by the heroic ideals of the earlier romances has been lost to sight in a quest for imitative decoration, it is thus easy to see that perhaps even the most selfless cases of chivalry recorded by historians like the tale of Roberssart just suit to underpin the inherent flaws in late medieval chivalry with their â€Å"quest for imitative decoration. There is however one issue in the early medieval period that is conceivably the defining factor in best determining if there was a decline in chivalry in the 14th and 15th century, one that is not explored by Huizinga or Kilgour. It is whether the state of chivalry in its â€Å"first heroic age† was any different in its ideals and value before it had collapsed into a â€Å"mad, exaggerated display. One aspect that might prove this conclusion to be correct is raised by Maurice Keen who observes that some of the evidence describing chivalry, although being less plentiful in the 12th century is remarkably similar to what is being said two or three hundred years later. This example is enough to convince one that there was little difference in the spirit of chivalry at its beginning in the 12th and 13th centuries, suggesting that there was not a decline in chivalry due to it losing its meaning because that meaning was unchanged in some two hundred years. Despite her argument there is some evidence which disproves Maurice Keen’s notion of a chivalric spirit unchanged over two hundred years, which apart from being implausible, is proved to be inaccurate due to the evolution of chivalry as a tool to be used for selfish ends further undermining the ideals for which chivalry stands. The best illustration of chivalry being used as a tool is when it started to be harnessed for means of propaganda. This can be seen most prominently at the Vow of the Pheasant and the banquet held at Lille in 1445, in which the banquet was used to lavishly display a sense of chivalry with the intention of trying to gain the adequate support to initiate a crusade along the Mediterranean. However this was no excessive imitation of the past but was a calculated move by King Philip the Good, a move which perfectly illustrates the decline of chivalry in the late Middle Ages. What one also needs to understand is that this was not an isolated case. Chivalry was used as a tool in other ways as well. For example many Dukes’ Counts and court officials hoped that by exploiting the genuine respect for chivalrous values and conduct they could â€Å"solidify† respect for their rather â€Å"shaky† ducal authority. This point is interestingly supported by Maurice Keen who despite her previous argument explains that â€Å"chivalry was something secular princes could exploit† mainly because it was taken so seriously by â€Å"a very important sector of people. What makes her statement even more plausible is that it is reinforced by Raymond Kilgour, whose view is that an event such as these pageants evolved without a â€Å"deeper value to society† such was the extent to the dilapidation of chivalry, and its decline in the 14th and 15th centuries Despite much evidence to prove that chivalry was in decline in the late medieval period of the 14th and 15th centuries, some events just do not lend themselves to be interpreted it in this way. Especially when taken into account that a definition of the word decline is â€Å"the period when something reaches its end† this is particularly interesting as there are some documents which raise the question whether chivalry actually ever reached a period of definite decline at all in the 15th and 14th centuries, despite its withering spirit. One such piece of evidence that supports this view is a table listing all books printed in Venice in reference to military affairs. This specific document is useful because of all the works devoted to military affairs or dealing with them, the most prevalent category of book published was that of the laws of war and chivalry. The fact that this table lists books on chivalric warfare as being so popular this late on in the 1400’s must denote that chivalry was not in decline, for if it was going through a tangible Decline it would surely not have been such a popular subject for publishing. However if we are to take Huizinga’s view that chivalry was nothing more than â€Å"a rather artificial revival of things long dead† this would explain why even though chivalry exercised a â€Å"disastrous† affect on wars in this period of late medieval period it was still so wrote about. Another interpretation which supports Huizinga’s view is that litterateurs of the time where probably trying to capitalize on chivalry as a popular subject, similar to the way that secular princes used chivalry as a tool as Maurice Keen pointed out. Chivalry in practise was obviously not in decline in the late medieval period however in spirit it was, a perfect exhibition of this is shown through the disastrous effect chivalry had on the outcome of wars and on France itself. This was mainly the doing of King John the Good whose reign was â€Å"disastrous† to France because of his â€Å"chivalric prejudice†, as is pointed out by J Huizinga who rightly claims that it was King Johns â€Å"chivalric stubbornness† and carelessness which cost him the battle of Poitiers in 1356, as well as one of his most celebrated chivalric knights Geroffroi De Charny. This use of chivalry almost seems as though it’s being used to keep up appearances with what was fashionable at the time no matter the cost, and as a result underlines the decline in the spirit of chivalry and therefore the decline of chivalry itself. In conclusion the â€Å"cult† of chivalry as it is sometimes called in the later middle ages is generally considered by the majority of historians who deal with it indirectly or directly as meaningless, and therefore it has to be perceived as being in decline. Karl Brandi labelled the elaborate protocol at play in chivalric court as an â€Å"impressive, sumptuous yet wholly meaningless shell. † Similarly J Huizinga described chivalry as â€Å"naive† and â€Å"imperfect. † Raymond Kilgour on the other hand stated that chivalry was an â€Å"extravagant† illusion to try and maintain a feeling of â€Å"significance. † All these statements overwhelmingly point at a chivalry in a dire state of decline in the late medieval period, however in reality it was going through a revival. Despite this revival, chivalry was weak in spirit and had disastrous effects on society, the outcomes of war and on France itself. From this assumption it’s hard not to see that although chivalry in practise was not in decline in practise its meanings and ideals were, hence why one can see that chivalry was in decline in the 14 and 15th century.

Industrialization After the Civil War Final Paper Research

Industrialization After the Civil War Final - Research Paper Example According to the standard classification there are two main sectors of economy. The first one is responsible for the production of goods (agriculture, sand mining and so forth). The second one deals with the manufactured products from the first sector. The process of industrialization takes place when the second sector dominates the first one leading to the reorganization of the whole process. In this work the process of industrialization is shown on the basis of history of the USA and its rapid growth after the Civil War. â€Å"At the stage of history, however, there are major differences in the way industrializing societies are organized; and these differences add both variety and conflict to the world scene. Many of these differences can be explained by the character of the industrializing elite who are in charge from one country to another – who they are, what goals they seek, what strategies they follow and how they approach labor – management – state relations† (1960) written by Clark Kerr. The Civil War in the USA (1861-1865) started on the basis of strong contradictions between the North and the South. Its main aim was fighting against slave-owning system. In the first half of the XIX century agricultural South and industrial North existed as two separate economic regions. The enterprises of machinery and consumer industry were situated in the northern part of the country. The immigrants came there from different countries in order to hire a job at the factories, pl ants or other places. As a result this part of the USA was characterized by high level of life. In the South the situation was absolutely different. As a benefit the USA got a great territory after the American-Mexican War. The territory had a good climate, consequently the lands were productive and fruitful. The South became the main agricultural region which lands were occupied by rich planters. The problem was that there were not enough labor resources

Strtegic Position of BMW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Strtegic Position of BMW - Essay Example ustrin industrilist Frnz Josef Popp purchsed the compny in 1917 nd renmed it Byerische Motoren Werke. The Trety of Versilles, June 28, 1919, directly influenced the entry of Rpp Motoren Werke (lter to be known s BMW), into utomobile mnufcture s the terms of surrender by Germny resulting from World Wr 1 stipulted under rticles 198, 199 nd 201 tht ny militry or nvl ir forces were prohibited nd it lso stipulted the mnufcture of or importtion of ircrft. Rpp Motoren Werke, s result of sid bn, mde rilwy brkes until its fory into utomobiles in 1929. The hyperinfltion rising s result of the severe economic snctions imposed by the Trety of Versilles rered its hed in the 1920's nd helped to stgnte growth in Germny. This pper will nlyze the strtegic position of BMW with the help of five competitive forces of Porter, SWOT nlysis nd other mrketing nlysis in the utomobile industry. More prticulrly, it will be nlyzed how the forces hve n effect on the cr mnufcturer BMW. Bsed on this nlysis, the force with the most impct on the compny will be identified. Bsed on tht, it will be described how BMW uses informtion systems to offset the force. BMW, which stnds for Byerische Motoren Werke, hs mde well-known nme s luxury cr mnufcturer (Bernhrdt & Kinner, 1994). The hedqurters of the BMW group is in Munich, Germny, but the compny is present ll over the world. The compny built high brnd equity over the yers through continuous brnding efforts nd high qulity products. BMW is rgubly the most dmired crmker in the world nd BMW products inspire ner- fnticl loylty (Kiley, 2004). SWOT nlysis Strengths BMW is well-known compny with high sttus brnding tht hs very high recognition fctor. The compny hs been strengths in both reserch nd development nd design s well s in mrketing. For exmple when it comes to mrketing it ws BMW dvertisement tht ws the first e-dvertisement tht mde it to Cmpigns 'Pick of the Week' (Domn). However, in long-term purchse such s this there is need for moire substnce thn just mrketing, otherwise the life of the compny would be reltively short due to the nture of the purchse. It is in these longer-term systems nd strtegies tht we cn see mny of the strengths of BMW, we cn consider these by strting with the mrket position of the compny. BMW s well s Mercedes' nd few other compnies hve mnged too successful ttin m mrket position where they hve focus on nrrow rnge of exclusive crs. These cn be seen s imed t the mrket plce tht is not lso sensitive to price, nd s such we must rgue tht the mrket positioning my be seen s strength s there will not be such rection if the economic conditions chnge. The customers tht re in the trget group re hppy to py premium price for wht they perceive s premium product (Thompson). This my not be so true of the subsidiry compnies tht hve hd different problems, such s the ill-fted Rover group. However, the core product hs remined strong (Thompson). This my be seen s diversifiction, nd some of the diversifiction my lso be seen s strength, for exmple the purchse of Rolls Royce where there is similr strtegy, however the rnge nd trget mrket re even more focused nd exclusive. The strtegy of BMW is designed to be defensive ginst other cr mnufctures, nd s we will see when it comes to the section on threts this is defensive

Write a research paper discussing the affects of the Voting Term

Write a research discussing the affects of the Voting demographic on politics in the United States - Term Paper Example Because of these changes in the country’s demographics, democrats enjoyed a greater share of the country’s votes. According to the results of various studies, democrats will enjoy a favorable vote in the years to come, especially because of the increased rates of immigration into the country. Some of the leading populations in terms of immigration into the country are of Hispanic and Latino origin. The role of these populations has been widely felt especially in the 3 most recent elections. Democrats are therefore best advised to retain a hold on these populations. Al Gore scooped 66% of the votes from this population. This was especially notable in swing states examples being New Mexico. Cubans are not so keen on the democrats, a fact that resulted in Al Gore losing in states like Florida. This was one of causes of Gore’s loss to George Bush. The margin between the two candidates was quite slim but played a role in his loss. This effect was also noticeable in the 2004 election where George Bush was able to garner 44% of the Hispanic/Latino votes. This was a new achievement for the republicans. It was instrumental in his victory in that election. However, the republicans could not hold on to their Latino votes during the 2008 election when Barrack Obama of the Democrats won over 67% of their votes. The influence of the Latino/Hispanic vote was felt across several states in which republican’s George Bush won in the previous election in 2004. Florida was one of the most influential states during that election and Obama managed to clinch 57% of the votes cast by the Latino/Hispanic population. This win helped to raise Democrats’ confidence that had been lost due to Gore’s losses (Goldberg 17). The Latino/Hispanic population makes up 16% of the 312 million US citizens. The majority (64%) are whites while blacks make up 13% of the population. Asians make up 4% of the population while the rest 3% is made of less dominant races. The

Crittaclly Describe and Analyse the world Top Ten Airports of the Essay

Crittaclly Describe and Analyse the world Top Ten Airports of the Civil Aviation Industry - Essay Example The airport was once the largest airport in America before Atlanta airport took over the first place. The O’Hare International Airport has four terminals with a combined number of an astounding 182 gates. The airport runs over 50 different airlines and has a positive feedback from its customers. This is indeed one the largest and the oldest airports of human history. The airport was created in 1923 and in 1949 it was named Chicago Midway airport from its previous name of Chicago Municipal airport. This is the second largest airport in the Chicago areas and the second busiest in the state of Illinois after Chicago’s OHare International Airport. The number of travelers that passed through Midway was 17,340,497 in2008. The airport is the 30th busiest airport in the Unites States. The airport has an over eighty years of top quality service, with only 21 accidents. The last tragedy took place almost thirty four years ago in 1976. The airport has 43 gates in total. Southwest airline is still their dominant service which controls 28 of these 43 gates. The two main players in the Chicago IL area are as mentioned Midway and O’Hare. According to the financial statements issued by Chicago city airport system, O’Hare saw 75 million customers and Midway as many as 19 million customers. If we analyze the market share in terms of customer base than we can say that the market share of O’Hare is almost 79%. There are a many other smaller airports in the area with negligible market share. The industry is owned and run by the city council. The mayor of Chicago is the person in charge and has delegated operational authority to John A. Roberson who is the Commissioner in Chicago’s Department of Aviation. The airport has two types of customers. The primary customers are the travelers. They use the facilities being provided by Chicago IL airport system such as restaurants, lodging and restrooms. The main

Analysis of the Contract Law Cases Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Analysis of the Contract Law Cases - Assignment Example The organizer or the person who got the contract from the company can express disclaim for all the liability and damage to persons or goods including the exhibits or furnishings in the premises. This exclusion of the liability generally will be irrespective of cause or responsibility. The exclusion of the liability cause will be complete if the damage is a result of the organizer’s buildings or furnishings. In this contract, this exclusion is not included. The damage due to the external causes can be excluded and the remaining damages can be excluded from the liability of the contractor to whom the retail sales contract has been awarded. The liability cause is limited to the internal cause in case of damage and the external causes cannot make contractor bind over for the damage. In the third express term, the price variation clause of raw material can be considered. This is because the company is awarding a retail sales contract. This should include the wage variation that cau ses price variation. In the case of industrial tenders, the raw material supplied can be considered for the price variation. In the case of retail sales, the goods supplied by the company to the retail contractor can be considered as the raw material and the price variation clause can be applied. The supplier has to mention the base price of the material supplied to the retail contractor. According to unfair contract terms act 1977, the references to liability are needed to be considered. The liability of an occupier of the premises for breach of an obligation or duty towards a person obtaining access has to be mentioned in that context. This access is restricted because the company awarding the contract can claim that the equity regarding the premises and the business is owned by it. Here this clause can be termed as unfair because the contractor who got permission for retail sales from the company is paying an amount to the company and the amount includes the value of the material supplied. If the company wants to own the equity, it can take the money as deposit regarding the material supplied only.        Ã‚  

Tiebout mi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tiebout mi - Essay Example This case of Sharon and Ron can be ruled using the Troxel v. Granville case where the mother of the children Granville got sole custody of her children and had the rights to grant visitation or agree to custody to a non-parent or refute it. The parent had the liberty to make decisions for his or her children according to the Supreme Court ruling (Sanger 78). Ron was sure that the child Sharon was carrying was not his and hence his quick agreement to waive all his parental rights and be relieved of any child support of the unborn child once it was born. The agreement will not change once the child is born as it was made to be enforced once the child was born. The fact that the court supports Sharon as the biological parent cements the agreement further. The Troxel case ruling made it clear that the Washington State visitation law which granted the non-parents the right to claim custody and visitation of children would not be applied or used again. The Supreme Court rule that the parent of the child or children holds the fundamental right over the care, control and even custody of the children and hence would be the one to make decisions about any visitation or custody of their children to non-parents (Sanger 87). Any other law that was against or tried to go against the parental liberty towards the custody of their children over that of the non-parents was to be considered unconstitutional and was infringing on the law as well as on the fundamental right of the parent. The standard to be used is that of parental liberty over that of non-parents. The Troxel case does not make any preclusion about the best interests of the children in custody or visitation litigation between a non-parent and a parent. The ruling of the case simply states that the parent of the children has the liberty to make decisions about the custody or care through visitation of

African American Culture 5 Essay Example for Free

African American Culture 5 Essay Question# 4: African cultures, by and large, bring a similar world view to the relationship between man and the spiritual realm, one that is marked by an extremely personal interaction. In the broader African spiritual world human beings are seen to be under the constant influence of other people, their ancestors, minor deities, the Creator, and various forces of nature. As a result the African spiritual world can be described as interactive since all things are endowed with life-force. How is this idea expressed in ritual approaches to morality, wrongdoing, and spiritual empowerment? African American religion has always been heavily involved and influenced by the notion of morality, wrong doing and spiritual empowerment since the slave days if not earlier, African Americans came to embrace Protestant Christianity and adapted their own version of it which is consistent with evidence in the 19th century and a little bit of the 18th, at the time Christianity had little effect on slave society through the efforts of Anglicans, but it was not because African Americans rejected the gospel but because whites seized Christian brotherhood from blacks. As blacks in the South and in the British Caribbean struggled to develop individual and collective identities from the ideas and ways of African culture and their new conditions of life, the series of efforts by evangelicals to convert slaves eventually gave rise to a distinct African-American form of Christian theology, worship style, and religious community. The importance of religion and having their own take on it is among African Americans, as among all people, rests on fulfilling the human need for an understanding of one’s place in both the spiritual and temporal world. Although it was difficult, African Americans discovered in evangelical conversion requirements an opportunity to reassert personal authority based on their ability to communicate directly with God and to bring others to recognize the need for personal repentance and acceptance of Jesus. A perfect example that supports the connection between religious involvement and a sense of personal identity, is found in a slave woman who, back then it was not common for them to tell missionaries that her people have come from across the sea and lost their father and mother, and therefore want to know the Father. The displacement of Africans, for whom locality was critical to interactions with the spiritual world, did not strip them of their religious identity, but required them to learn the spiritual landscape of their new home and reshape their practices accordingly. â€Å"Come Shouting to Zion† details the many religious rituals that Africans preserved in the new world, especially those surrounding fundamental life events such as the birth and naming of children, marriage, burial ceremonies, and ritual dancing and singing to communicate with ancestors and deities. The influence of Africans with many diverse but fundamentally similar cultures in a strange new land encouraged slaves to form new pan-African cultures, which grew increasingly popular as later generations of slaves were born into bondage in America, establishing a distinct African-American culture. The pidgin African-English is a prime example of Africans in American creating a system of communication that was not traceable to a particular African ethnic origin, nor was it a perfect imitation of American English, but was instead shared by blacks in America. As slaves first encountered a foreign language that whites wished them to learn well enough to be more productive but not well enough to pose a threat to the race-based socioeconomic hierarchy, so they became acquainted with Christianity at the will of whites, but when given the opportunity, appropriated it for their own purposes. In the early encounters between slaves and Christianity it is without question that African, and particularly American-born slaves, sought a spirituality that would explain or show their temporal condition. Some salves looked to a theology of liberation and equality among Christians, which they could glean from 18th century evangelicals, mostly Anglicans, who tried to downplay these aspects of biblical teaching. The early period of evangelism was restricted by the fears of slave-owners that slaves who converted to Christianity would feel empowered to revolt against their bondage. Several conspired rebellions and many smaller incidents of black assertion were linked to blacks who had heard enough preaching to identify themselves with the enslaved nation of Israel. This fed the fears of whites, and Anglicans continued to complain that the planters who prohibited them from educating slaves on religious matters were the largest hindrance to saving African American souls. While racism was strengthened and slaves were unable to improve their social status by conforming to white European-American values, very few blacks found the Christian message Anglicans shared with them appealing . Anglican churches maintained strict separation of rich and poor, white and black, during services and sacraments. The high-church emphasized that learned men alone were authorized to teach and that blacks would listen without questioning and to accept the extension of their temporal message and isolation from whites into the religious sphere. Under these terms, it is I am not surprised that Christianity failed to take root as a meaningful religion, a spiritual world that Africans wanted to live in. But it is essential to recognize the role of whites in shaping the message that Africans were allowed to hear, and the role specifically of slaveholders in excluding blacks from access to Christianity. That blacks expressed their agency in rejecting this early version of Christianity offered to them. . At the same time Anglicans were confused over their lack of success in the Southern mainland, Moravians made a significant impact on blacks in the Caribbean by bringing a different vision of a Christian community. Moravians, Methodists, Separate Baptists, and a few other missionaries in the late 18th and early 19th centuries who sought out African Americans stressed spiritual, if not always worldly, equality. Africans identified with and embraced images of a savior who had suffered like they did, and joined these Christian images with African musical modes of expression to create spirituals that reminded: â€Å"Jesus been down to de mire/ You must bow low to de mire† (Stuckey, 139). However, you must finally accept Christianity as an affirmation of their lowly place in society and a divine exhortation to obedience and docility, as many white slaveholders had hoped they would. Rather, blacks found opportunities at biracial revival meetings which were meetings held at locations most often church, in which slaves and blacks were black would interpret what they heard and to share their divinely inspired interpretations of Christian faith, even from pulpits. During this critical period when a significant portion of blacks in the Caribbean and American South were first offered Christianity, they clearly adopted it and transformed it into something that was their own. After the period of revivals that first sparked wide-scale conversions in the South, many African-Americans focused on building a community in which they could support one another and worship in their own African-influenced style. Local black congregations extended their religious community, most notably with the founding of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in1816. As an institution spanning several states, the A. M. E. Church allowed blacks to take part at different levels in a collective, hierarchical social system as had never before been possible under American slavery. blacks continued to participate as minorities in biracial congregations (still with segregated seating) in most parts of the south and the expanding frontier, but found fewer opportunities to become ordained preachers or lay leaders in mixed parishes, where they were likely only to be allowed to â€Å"exercise the gift, provided they teach sound Doctrine sic† under the approval of whites (Frey Wood, 166). In the creation of their own religious communities in which no whites were present to criticize â€Å"overemotional† black forms of religious expression and persisting practices, such as polygamy and dancing, African-Americans actively designed a spirituality that fulfilled their needs in the slave societies of the Americas. African-American religiosity was then, as it is now, â€Å"centered on extended and expanding families and households, the importance of self-determination and personal dignity, mutual aid, and shared responsibility for the progress of the race† (Hortons, xi). In my opinion, African agency is most clearly supported by evidence of Africans defining their faith, modes of worship, and religious ties as part of a larger emerging African-American culture. Change was a relentless fact of life for Africans in 18th and 19th century America, most tragically present in enslavement and removal from Africa and domestic trade within the Americas that broke up families as masters bought and sold property. Outside the personal struggles of individual slaves, the changes in ideology and society wrought by the era of the American Revolution exposed Africans and their descendents to evolving external ideas about their place within American society, their rights as humans, and their needs as spiritual beings. Religion was one of the few arenas in which African-Americans could control the changes in their individual lives and their culture as a whole. Evolving religious traditions provided individuals over generations with a source of spiritual renewal and a supportive community and prepared an institution that could serve future generations. The long and turbulent transition from African forms of religiosity to African-influenced forms of Protestantism shows that black Americans created, out of all religious ideas and structures available to them, a faith that was their own. Question#3 The musical selections in this section come from Africa and the Americas. Some are examples of the preservation of traditional musical styles; others are examples of the adaptation of traditional modes of expression to modern styles. Prevalent in each performance is the use of either percussion instruments such as drums or singing in groups or by soloists. How do these musical selections exemplify a common African musical aesthetic, i. e. rhythmic syncopation, call-and-response, melodic constructions, vocal colors, in both traditional and contemporary expressions? African dance has contributed many characteristics to dance in America. We see evidence of this in many aspects of dance today. Being such a diverse nation, America has the blessing of combining original dances from different cultures to create an amazing dance repertoire. American dance as we know would be completely different, if it weren’t for the Africans. African dance began with the different rhythms of the tribes. Its roots in America began with the slave trade. The American slave trade began in 1619, (However, Africans were imported as slaves to the West Indies staring almost a century before that) with the arrival of Dutch trading ships carrying a cargo of Africans to Virginia. They were first brought over by boat to places such as Brazil, Cuba, and Haiti. Eventually different countries end up taking over those nations and slaves fall under their rule. In Brazil, the Portuguese take over, in Cuba the Spanish take over, and in Haiti, the French take over. The retaining of African culture by those in slavery was stronger in the other nations than in America, as the Spanish and French rulers adhered to the more lenient view of dancing taken by the Catholic Church. In America, the Protestant church strongly disapproved of dance. Therefore, dances that occurred in the West Indies, Brazil, Haiti and Cuba retained more of the African dance structure, than those in America did. Those dances can be classified as recreational or sacred. An example of a recreational dance is the Juba, which was a competitive dance where opponents would outdo each other in feats of skill, sometimes while balancing something on their head. Sacred dances were based on the worship of religious gods. The goal of the dance was for the dancer to become possessed by the god so that it would speak through the dancer. Two examples are voodoo and Shango dances. Traces of the African religious practice of possession, or disengaging from reality through the combined effects of music and dance, can be detected in the appeal of some forms of jazz dance. In America, the dance movement of Africa was restrained mainly by two factors: the attitude of the church towards dancing as being immoral and the restricted use of the primary African instrument (the drum). Drumming was banned in 1739 following a slave insurrection. White plantation owners responded by banning all drums and that forced slaves to search for other percussion options. They substituted with banjos, clapping hands, stomping feet, and the fiddle. Dances that occurred on the Plantations were for recreation and religious reasons also. Because of the European influence in America, the movement gave a distinct American appearance, rather than a strictly African one. Many dances imitated animals. There were also circle dances and dances for celebrations. Another category that emerged was competitive dances. The most well known one was the cakewalk. The slaves had witnessed their owners’ dancing festivities and imitated their stiff upper bodies while contrasting it with loose leg movements. The owners enjoyed watching this and gave a cake to the best dancer. The observation of African dancing by the whites led to them stereotyping the dancing slave. They began to blacken their faces and imitate them using such indigenous movements as the ‘shuffle’. The imitation dances by whites started an era of American entertainment based on the stereotype on the dancing ‘Negro’. Before the Civil War, professional dancers were mostly white, with the exception of William Henry Lane. He was also known as Master Juba and was a freeborn slave thought to be the best dancer in the World. He had lived in Manhattan where the Irish immigrants also lived. His dancing was a combination of Irish jig dancing and African rhythm, just like the slaves who were forced to compete with the Irish migrant workers aboard the ships. Both his movements and the Nigerian slaves are said to be the start of tap dance. Minstrelsy was also a popular form of entertainment in America from 1845 –1900. The Minstrel show was a group of male performers that portrayed the Negro as either slow and shuffling or sharply dressed and quick moving. The minstrel show proved prominent in spreading vernacular dances like the cakewalk and jig dancing on a wide scale. The next major change after minstrelsy came with the birth of ragtime music and ballroom dancing after 1910. A bunch of animal dances were seen in white ballrooms. Examples were the Turkey Trot, and Chicken Scratch. The invasion of ballrooms with native inspired dances set the stage for the same process to occur on Broadway. Zeigfield borrowed some of these dances for his Follies. Social dance became introduced on the theatrical stage. The big aspect being borrowed wasn’t the actual dances, but their swinging qualities. In 1921, Shuffle Along featured a jazz inspired dance called the Charleston. It left the audience with a lot of energy and a new respect towards black dancing. Tap was now also brought to white audiences and the musical comedies took on a new, more rhythmic life. In the late 1920s, jazz inspired songs replaced the popular white standards and America accepted Jazz music as its own. Louis Armstrong was a big part of the creation of swing music. It was a style of jazz music that emphasized African influenced rhythm and was played by big bands. Faster and sharper footwork came about and the Lindy was the new dance craze. It incorporated the shuffle and glide and buck and wing movements from early African dances. The Lindy was significant for starting jazz dance styles used in later musicals. It also gave the opportunity for white choreographers to experience African swing. Jazz music and dancing slowed down in popularity after WWII. Technology and music were evolving. The beat became more complex and musicians like Charlie Parker and Dizie Gillespie explored more with improve. The overall result was, jazz music became something more to listen to rather than to dance socially. The advent of Television in the 1950s also kept people at home instead of on the dance floors. African American dance became more of an artistic expression than a social means. Professional companies and dancers restored early African rhythms and the beauty and emotion of their traditional songs, including Catherine Dunham’s Shango, Alvin Ailey’s Revelations and Bill T. Jones’ Uncle Tom’s Cabin. In the past 50 years, African American dance has been rich in innovations as well as connections with the past. The definition of professional dance has broadened beyond ballet, modern, and jazz. Popular and social dances, including the urban black dance forms of break dancing and hip-hop have been recognized for their artistry and expressiveness. Dance created and performed by African Americans has become a permanent part of American dance. Every dancer and almost every person in America, in one way or another has danced steps that resemble early African polyrhythmic movements. Personally, I think the dance World in America could no have flourished as well as it did without it’s African influences. since the slave trade the drum has been used all over the world as a means of communication and self expression. Its broad variety of users includes the early African tribes, using them for ceremonial purposes. The Africans brought drums with them to the Americas and helped to develop their popularity among American musicians. In the mid 1900’s drum sets were brought about. These revolutionary collaborations of percussive pieces started off with a pair of hi-hats, a bass and snare drum, and a couple of tom toms. Later as the music progressed, so did the drum kits, completely eliminating the need for an entire drum section. With the coming of the rock and roll movement the drum kits were changing, they needed to accommodate the new music styles. They became sonically diverse and even electronic drums were brought about; making them infinitely adjustable both ergonomically and musically. With every major drum manufacturer competing to have the best product on the market drums will always be evolving. African American musicians and early slaves choose to use drums as a common form of expression because of the deep bass that was used to duplicate heart beat and thunder. The sound waves for open ended and string instruments is fairly straight forward. However, for a closed end instrument, such as a drum, the sound waves are different. A lot of the energy is dissipated through the shell of the drum, which is the reason for the variance in drum construction these days. Many different kinds of wood are used to generate different sounds, or a different amount of energy absorption. For a warmer, deeper sound maple construction is used while birch is used to get a high, resonant tone full of vibration. The heaviest wood that dissipates the most amount of energy is oak, creating a lower, flat sound. Question#1 I believe that Egypt’s economic progress over the last decade is a great example of showing how They have come a long way and are still vastly improving. Egypt is the third-largest economy in the Middle East and North Africa region (after Saudi Arabia and Israel), as well as one of the strongest, with significant potential for future economic growth and diversification. With a real commitment to economic reform, which favors a large privatization program and the encouragement of private investment and growth. The improvement in Ghana is evident in how their country has such a diverse economy. The Gold Coast was renamed Ghana upon independence in 1957 because of indications that present-day inhabitants descended from migrants who moved south from the ancient kingdom of Ghana. By West African standards, Ghana has a relatively diverse and rich natural resource base Mineralsprincipally gold, diamonds, manganese ore, and bauxiteare produced and exported. Exploration for oil and gas resources is ongoing. Timber and marine resources are important but declining resources. Agriculture remains a mainstay of the economy, accounting for more than one-third of GDP and about 55% of formal employment. Cash crops consist primarily of cocoa and cocoa products, which typically provide about one-third of export revenue, timber products, coconuts and other palm products, shear nuts , and coffee. Ghana also has established a successful program of nontraditional agricultural products for export including pineapples, cashews, and peppers. Cassava, yams, plantains, corn, rice, peanuts, millet, and sorghum are the basic foodstuffs. Fish, poultry, and meat also are important dietary staples. Ghanas industrial base is relatively advanced compared to many other African countries. Industries include textiles, apparel, steel (using scrap), tires, oil refining, flour milling, beverages, tobacco, simple consumer goods, and car, truck, and bus assembly. Industry, including mining, manufacturing, construction and electricity, accounts for about 25% of GDP. I strongly believe that since Ghana and Egypt have improved so vastly it is helping African Americans improve in general, the saying â€Å"We come from a long line of kings and queens is such a truthful statement if you look back on history. We have a lot of ancestry that lies within Ghana and Egypt. With the knowledge of the past it will help us to continue realize our past and bring us to terms with the future. We can reverse the process by not letting people hold us back and to not blame others. I also believe that strong knowledge of Ghana and Egypt and Mali, will also further our culture by being educated and not told how our past was. There are a lot of invention by many great African Americans that most people do not know that black inventors were behind the idea, not that is matters that a black or a white person constructed or came up with an idea for a patent, it is essential that we are have contributed just as many things if not more than any other culture. There have been so many contributions to society to western civilization and I feel it is so important that we surround our selves with knowledge of our ancestors because they worked hard to get us to the point today where we are able to vote and the possibility of a black president. The saying that we come from a long line kings and queens is so powerful because it shows you that black really is beautiful and if you retrace our ancestors you will find out that our people were just as important as kings and queens. Lewis Temple was the inventor of a whaling harpoon called the Temples Toggle and the Temples Iron. He was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1800 and arrived in New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1829. He worked as a blacksmith and had lots of friends that were whalers who bought harpoons and had lots of conversations with them. Granville T. Wood was known as the black Edison. Woods was born in Columbus, Ohio on April 23,1856. He never finished elementary school and he worked in a machine shop at a very young age. He moved to Missouri in 1872 at the age of sixteen. By 1881 he opened a factory in Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactured telephone, telegraph and electrical equipment. He filed for his first application for a patent in 1884 for an improved steam-boiler furnace. Woods patented the telographony , a combination of the telegraph and the telephone. He produced one of his most important inventions in 1887, it was called the Synchronous Multiplex Railway Telegraph. It enabled messages to be sent from moving trains and railways stations. In 1890 he set out to improve the lighting system by creating an efficient safe economical dimmer. It was safer and and resulted in 40% energy savings. Woods also created an overhead conducting system for electrical railways and the electrified third rail. By the time of his death in 1910 he had 150 patents awarded to him all together. Lewis H. L was a pioneer in the development of the electric light bulb. He was also the only black member of the Edison Pioneers, a group of inventors and scientists who worked with Thomas Edison. He was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts in 1848 and was raised in Boston. He enlisted in the Navy and served as a cabin boy on the U. S. S Massaoitta the age of sixteen. Latimer was given the assignment to draw plans for Alexander Graham Bells telephone patent . In 1879 Latimer went to work as a draftsman for Hiram Maxim, who invented the machine gun and headed the electric lighting company. Latimer worked on improving the quality of the carbon filament used in the light bulb. In 1882 he received a patent for an improved process for manufacturing carbon filaments. Gerrett is best remembered for his invention of the gas mask and the three way traffic signal. Mogan was born on March 4,1875 in Paris, Kentucky. He left school after fifth grade at the age of fourteen. He left Kentucky and headed for Cincinnati, Ohio and got a job as a handy man in a sewing shop. Morgan directed his attention to the frequent instances of firemen being overcome by fumes and thick smoke when they went into burning buildings. He perfected breathing device which he patented in 1914. In 1923morgan patented an automatic traffic signal which he sold to the General Electric Company for four thousand dollars. In 1963 Garrett A. Morgan died at ht age of 88 in Cleveland, Ohio after he was ill for two years. Just to name a few ,those were a couple of major contributors to the African American culture and western civilization.

Forming a regional trade agreement advantages and disadvantages

Forming a regional trade agreement advantages and disadvantages Since World Trade Organization (WTO) was established in 1995, the number of its membership has increased to 153 countries by 2010. Recently, a phenomenon is observed. As countries pursue trade liberalization under the multilateral standard of WTO, more and more regional economic integration are conducted. Many members in WTO sign new regional trading Arrangements (RTAs) to deepen each regional trade reaction. Because positions and demand for different trade issue are often diverse to the regional member countries, the negotiations become more and more difficult. Consequently, the trend of bilateral and multilateral free trade agreement rises gradually. Besides, due to the bitter competition in the global market, countries also exert to obtain trade partners. Countries found thorough forming regional trade agreements could be an easy way to enhance trade reaction with their close trade partners. According to RTA database offered by WTO (2010), 371 RTAs related to WTO have been announc ed and 193 of them were in force by 31 July 2010Figure 1 shows the evolution of the average number of RTA partners for the current members of the World Trade Organization (WTO): the average WTO member now has agreements with more than 15 countries. Therefore, regional economic integration has become one of the main trends in the present global economic development. In recent years, the global economic system expands gradually by the reaction between the forces of regionalization and globalization. The following offer a general historical data of regional integrations. First, the trend of Regional Integration can be traced back to the 1950s. The 1950s saw European Communities (EC), the most important and representative regional integration case, was established. Then in the 1960s, numerous regional integrations were conducted by Africa, Latin America and other developing countries. Continually, United State is considered to be the main thrust of regional economic cooperation during the mid 1980s and the1990s. During this period, except for lasting the free trade agreement with Canada and Israel, also United State promoted to arrange North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). Meanwhile, In Europe, the target of expansion and cross-regional cooperation are approached by European Union (EU). On the side of the expansion, Greece, Spain and Portugal were subsumed in the 1980s and the steps were followed by Sweden, Finland and Austria during the 1990s. Then, in the 2000s, Czech Republic and other eleven countr ies also attended European Union and four more countries, for instance, Turkey, are candidate to join. A growth in membership in European Union is expected. On the other hand, the aspect of cross-regional economic integration is also approached. To ensure the market share and position in America area, European Union urged to conduct free trade agreements with Mexico and MERCOSUR. As a result, the free trade agreement was announced with Mexico in 2000 and became the first free trade agreement conducted with Latin American Countries. Compared with Europe and America area, it is entirely reasonable to make the analogy in East Asia. One of the representative regional integrations in East Asia is ASEAN. ASEAN, namely Association of South East Asian Nations, was established in 1967, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand five countries. The original motivation of ASEAN is to prevent the spread of communism and to improve the regional trade reaction and cooperation. Since its establishment, there has been 40 year of its history. On 8 Jan 1984, the membership increased to six with the join of Brunei, and these six countries are called the founding members of ASEAN. Then they were followed by Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia in the 1990s so that current membership expands to 10 countries. The communism prevailed when the time ASEAN was formed. As a consequence, the political purpose was more than economic one in that period so there was no free trade agreement until 1992 the founding membe rs signed ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (AFTA). A gradually tariff reduction in member countries, which is called Common Effective Preferential Tariff (CEPT), was planed to be achieved before 2008. As in 1999 the thirteenth meeting of the ASEAN Free Trade Area decided CEPT should be achieved earlier and decided non-tariff among members instead of the initial target. Then AFTA was in force with the founding countries of ASEAN in 2003 and non-tariff in all members was planed to be reached by 2015. Above is the development of ASEAN free trade agreement. Next, a difficult position of Taiwan will be introduced. Asian financial Crisis happened in 1997 and conduced the willingness of East Asia countries to cooperate. Since 1999, those important trade partners of Taiwan in Asia have committed to access the forming of free trade agreement. For example, Japan and Singapore signed Japan-Singapore in 2002 and in force in the same year. Also after AFTA was conducted, China, South Korea and Japan, three large economy countries in East Asia, had pursued to sign FTAs with ASEAN. In December 1999, ASEAN announced to impose cooperation in their economic with China, Japan, and South Korea, which is called ASEAN+3. According to Picture I, it reveals the ASEAN+3 member countries on the world map: the dark ink represents the members and, comparatively, Taiwan is circled to be pointed out. An interesting discovery is found: although being a country located in East Asia, Taiwan is excluded from ASE AN+3. Due to some political problem, Taiwan has just signed 5 free trade agreements with other countries and none of them are Asia countries. Table 1 see the export trade amount of Taiwan with ASEAN+3 countries. The export amount occupied 66% of total Taiwan export so that if ASEAN+3 non-tariff target is achieved (in fact ASEAN and China free trade agreement has progressed on 1 Jan 2010), Taiwan would face a difficult trade position. Therefore, to avoid being isolated away by other trade partners and to deepen the cooperation with them, accessing advantages and disadvantages of forming a regional trade agreement become necessary. To analyze those advantages and disadvantages of forming a RTA, an understanding in regional trade agreements is important. Also, to know whether any limit exist to forming a RTA, a good way is to review the international trade criteria given by GATT and WTO. Hence, in the discussion, a two-phase study was designed to explore the advantages and disadvantages of forming regional trade agreements. First of all, there are three branches in the former phase. In the first branch, to realize what regional trade agreement is, the paper examines the theories of regionalism and all types of regional economics integrations. It is worthy to understand regional trade agreement from its original intention and distinguish those differences. Second branch provides an overview of the organizations, which aim for improving international trade. For example, a comparison between World Trade Organization, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Europe Union and Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( ASEAN) will be made to clarify their objectives of the establishment. We will see a conflict between the globalization and the regionalization. Last branch reveals two forces which against each others, namely trade creation and trade diversion. These two forces determine the gain or loss of a regional economic integration. In the second part of the study, an analysis of the advantages and disadvantages will be offered, based on the knowledge provided in the first part of the studies. The remainder of this paper is divided into four sections. The next section of the article is a review of the literature; addressing both empirical and theoretical aspects of regionalism, worldwide trade organizations, trade creation and trade diversion. Section III describes the development of regionalism and provides empirical economic integration to support that. Using the background provided in the section III, section IV analyses the advantages and disadvantages of forming regional trade agreement. In the end of the paper, section V concludes. Trade Creation and Trade Diversion Trade economists have being going the effort on whether the formation of a regional trade agreement will lead member countries to be better off. A common concept to analyze gain or loss of a RTA was given by Viner. In his crucial work, The Customs Union Issue, two forces, which decide whether a RTA better off the member countries, were well indicated, namely trade creation and trade diversion. Viner noted that preferential agreement member countries would have lower tariff barrier than non-members due to the preferential tariff and therefore trade creation effect and trade diversion effect are produced. Trade creation effect is generated because the bloc members increased each others intra-bloc import and export when a preferential tariff reduction or removal is induced, and consequently bilateral trade amount increases. In addition, the low-efficiency production in domestic provider would be replaced by high-efficiency providers in other bloc countries so that home countries can con sume this product with lower social cost. In contract, Trade diversion might be happened when a preferential treat is offered in member countries. Originally home country imports products form those high-production efficiency countries; however, due to the preferential tariff home town might import products from those low-production efficiency countries so that the social cost to consume this product rise and decrease domestic social welfare. Trade creation is a positive effect to domestic social welfare and trade diversion is negative. If trade creation effect is greater than trade diversion effect, home social welfare increase. Conversely, it would be harmful if trade diversion is greater. In The Customs Union Issue, Viner made a crucial conclusion that the formation of customs union has no certain welfare effect to members welfare due to these two trade forces. Accordingly, economists doubt whether we can prevent trade diversion as forming an RTA. Ohyama , Kemp and Wan proved customs union improve the welfare of members as given a fixed trade amount between members and non-members. On the contrast, if a change in nonmember trade amount would lead an uncertain welfare effect. Even Kemp and Wan theoretically showed that members improve their welfare completely in the fixed trade amount with outsider, that sounds once given an unchanging treat to outsider, the world must be better off. It implies through a negotiated optimal tariff we can create economic benefit and prevent being hurt from trade diversion; however, many empirical observations reveal that countries usually choose the trade policies which results trade diversion when they forming a RTA, namely RTAs benefit members and worse off nonmembers. The implication is Kemp-Wan result might not be the trade equilibrium. In fact, there exist other factors influencing the trade outcome of RTAs. The formation of an RTA related to political, economic and regional factors, the external tariff might be influenced not only economically but also politically. For example, lobbying might cause a distortion in government optimal external tariff adjustment. Thus, as we analyze the trade effect we better to account those factors in. In these few decades, economists focus on these two trade effects in RTAs and question whether RTAs generate more trade diversion or trade creation. Is RTA more trade diverting? Freund and Ornelas noted in principle RTAs can generate either net trade creation or net trade diversion, we must remember that participation in any RTA is a political decision. Thus only some types of agreements will be formed, depending on the objectives of governments. Except for the intension to maximize the social welfare, the decision whether to take RTAs might be influenced by specific-interest groups. Some literatures indicate domestic political factor might be a better way to explain FTA phenomenon. Grossman and Helpman reckoned domestic powerful specific-interest group usually lobby their government with huge money and resources to conduct RTAs which advantage them. Milner offered a similar viewpoint as well. He considered those export-oriented companies usually push government to enter a preferential trade agreement (PTA) to enlarge the bloc market which disadvantage outside companies. The powerful domestic companies have influences to the government election outcome so th at the relationship between lobbying and election outcome is another factor to be taken to examine the influence on RTAs. Above sounds RTA generates more trade diversion due to non-trade effects, but it still needs evidences Empirics of trade creation and trade diversion Unfortunately, the estimation of trade diversion is not an easy work. As above mentioned, the estimation has to account into both trade and non-trade factors which influence RTA outcome, therefore, a gravity equation is used to help this issue. The equation provides a theoretical way to examine whether a RTA generates more trade creation or trade diversion. The concept of natural trading partners were first proposed by Wonnacott and Lutz . They pointed that the agreements, which are conducted with those geographically close countries and similar culture countries, are likely to attain more trade creation. Tinbergen and Poyhonen successively used gravity model in international trade analysis and used it to research world trade flow and size. Tinbergen hence pointed bilateral trade flow and bilateral economic size have a positive relationship and have a oppose relationship with their geographical distance. Frankel applied gravity model to examine the natural trade partner hypothesis. He analyses the trade flow effect in different regional integrations by using different dummy variables like culture, whether they have common border or same languages etc. He reckoned gravity model is the best instrument to judge trade creation effect and trade diversion effect. Frankel used the data between 1965 and 1992 to examine the regional effect. When two countries belong to the same regional integration, then regional dummy effect is 1; therefore 0. The estimated correlation coefficient represents how many trade flows can be attributed to specific regional trade effect. The empirical result revealed the correlation coefficient in each variable was all significant. He found two-country GNP coefficient is less than 1. That means trade amount will not rise proportionally when the economic size of both countries increase 1. Also the distance coefficient is negative, that represents the trade decrease with an increase in distance. The distance result is similar to the result of Tinbergen. Frankel also found the same language and the same border has a positive influence to trade flow. For each regional variable, the outcome shows the regional trade effect is significant in Europe Union, MERCOSUR, Australia-New Zealand Closer Economic Relationship, and Andean Group, yet not significant in NAFTA. Frankel provided evidence for natural trade partners hypothesis by using gravity equation. Clausing used HS-10 digit import data of United State to access CUSFTA. She found due to the agreement signed in 1994 the import of the US from Canada had increased 26 percentage. the import from Canada increased half amount since 1989 to 1994 and Clausing attributed it to tariff reduction decision in CUSFTA. She found that trade creation are more general than trade diversion in most of cases. Furthermore, RTAs increase bilateral trade between members . Their research points there is no significant trade reduction between members and non-members be found. Other studies also examined the impact of regional integration to trade effect. For Europe Union, Kreinin pointed the establishment and east-expansion of EU would cause little trade diversion and huge trade creation. A distinct evidence was provided by Chang and Winer . They found the formation of MERCOSUR do hurt non-members but as Calvo-Pardo et al. pointed, MERCOSUR is a customs union (CU), which is different from CUSTA, NAFTA those FTAs. According to the literatures above, we found in most cases RTAs except MERCOSUR are likely to trade creating more than trade diverting. As well, if countries, which are natural partners, sign an RTA, it would benefit them. That is because the similar culture, for example, language, may reduce transaction cost. Consequently, the trade creation effect has more opportunity to be greater than trade diversion. That gives the incentive of government to negotiate an RTA with their close countries. Adjustment in External Tariffs Another issue trade economist cared is optimal external tariffs after forming a RTA. The original Vinerian assessments of trade creation and trade diversion are normally constraint to the policies fixed. However, there is at least a trade policy those RTA members would use: external tariff policy. Kennan and Riezman (1990) were the first to examine the optimal external tariffs after RTA was formed and they found the formations of RTAs are usually with external tariff reduction. Also, the same result was in several literatures. To avoid the welfare costs of trade diversion, optimal external tariffs seem to be lower in RTAs. Kennan and Riezman pointed there is coordination of common external tariff under CU. Unlike CU, FTA members have authority to set their external tariff unilaterally. Kennan and Riezman use this key different chrematistic between CU and FTA to see the external tariff adjustment outcome after the formation of RTAs. Another issue we will discuss in this section is the influence of lobbying to the formation of a RTA. In section II we reviewed those structural characteristics, which lead to more trade creation or trade diversion, of RTA members. Intuitively, bloc countries are willing to attain more trade creation and to reduce more trade diversion so that they can achieve the objective of social welfare maximizing, yet as mentioned in Section II the formation of RTAs are not only economically, more important, also politically. There are some incentives bloc countries hold to adjust their specific product external tariff rate so that they can achieve their objectives (no matter what that is). Thus, this section will introduce those incentives that members are likely to alter their external tariff and the reaction to members external tariff under the formation of RTAs, which is what we concerned. That will help us to figure out whether the political force would lead distortion among the RTA formati on. Incentives to alter external tariffs in RTAs with empirics The incentives to alter external tariffs in RTAs can be clarified generally in three main parts: the incentive due to CU, due to FTA and due to domestic producer influence. We will discuss them in the following content. The external tariff policy adjustment might be influenced by different types of RTAs. In CU their external tariff are coordinated by all members, on contrast, FTA members have more authorities on their own external tariff. Thus, the motivation in different types of RTAs might be different. Firstly, we examine the incentive to alter external tariff rate of CU members. According to Kenan and Riezman , the equilibrium external tariffs are also observed being higher than FTAs. They concluded two points. One is a custom union allows its members to internalize their tariff externality when bloc members import the same product. Another, a customs union makes several countries into one larger one and enlarges their market power. Similarly, the analysis of Bond, et al. also clarified the external tariff in an FTA would be lower in a CU due to the lack of external tariff coordination. Preferential margin is the differences between external tariff and preferential tariff rate. Higher external tariff leads to higher preferential margin. Also, the higher the preferential margin is, the larger the discrimination and trade diversion effect are. Therefore, inter-bloc countries benefit more from the CU agreement due to the discrimination effect. As what Kennan and Riezman found, Richardson indicated there is an intention of external tariffs to be reduced under FTA. The phenomenon is called the tariff complementary effect. Relative to customs union, there is neither large market power nor external tariff coordination effect under FTAs. Even so, motivations to alter external policies still exist. A simple way to think is that: trade creation is created due to the preferential tariff among the FTA members and trade diversion is generated simultaneously. An effective trade policy against trade diversion that government holds is external tariff policies. Hence, if a preferential trade agreement comes with a reduction of external tariff, it would enhance both the total welfare in the world and reduce a hurting on non-members. However, an issue is whether the external tariff should be removed under a FTA. Bond, et al. reckoned the implication of the lack of external policy coordination is that the optimal external tariff for an FTA should be positive. Logically, a principle is that external tariff for outsider should no less than preferential tariff for insider so that the agreement would not be meaningless. As what have mentioned in Chapter 2, there are some non-trade factors also affect the trade effects. The one which is broadly discussed is the effect of lobbying to external tariff in a RTA. When political motivations are concluded in, the net trade effect will become ambiguous. Empirics of external tariff adjustment in RTAs With protection, are RTAs more trade diverting? The impact of regionalism on multilateralism Kyle and Robert examined whether exceptions from MFN for the purpose of forming preferential agreements can lead to lower external tariffs, and thereby to a more efficient tariff structure unter the multilateral agreement. imply that the formation of the FTA benefits ROW. These findings differ from those that arise under a CU where typically there is a smaller external tariff reduction (or even an increase). This occurs because CU members jointly choose the external tariff to maximize union welfare, thus internalizing the positive tariff externality that exists whenever two countries import the same good from ROW. With the objective function that we consider, a CU will always be preferred to an FTA for symmetric member countries because of its more favorable market power effects25. Thus, while this model does not provide a positive theory of FTA formation, it does point out how international distributional effects differ between FTAs and CUs. It also suggests that, in the short run, FTAs are more appealing from a world welfare perspective because they imply relatively less aggressive tariff setting for their members.

Advantages Of Aluminium As A Shipbuilding Material Engineering Essay

Advantages Of Aluminium As A Shipbuilding Material Engineering Essay The use of aluminium in any vessel involves a radical set of production methods compared to traditional shipbuilding processes. Hence, the methods used for the construction of aluminium vessels are an important factor in the feasibility study. The welding of aluminium is susceptible to hot cracking and can only be done using certain processes. It is important to employ the correct welding methods to serve different purposes. As aluminium technology matures over the years, new production methods such as aluminium extrusions were introduced in a bid to save time and which has also proven to be economical. The use of aluminium in naval shipbuilding exists in two forms; first there is the aluminium-steel ship, where in the case, the superstructure is made from aluminium intended for topside weight saving, and the hull made from steel. Then there is the all-aluminium ship, with the purpose of achieving a considerable overall reduction in weight. It is important to understand that though both forms have their advantages, there are design issues that must be addressed related to the use of aluminium in naval vessel. Background 1.2.1 Advantages of aluminium as a shipbuilding material Aluminiums most important characteristic is its light weight. When coupled with a reasonable tensile strength, it has grown to become the choice of material for many naval ships in the world. In a research by Wade (1996), when it comes to naval shipbuilding, mission capability is the most heavily evaluated criteria of the program. Speed is an increasingly important parameter under mission capability due to the shift in the maritime strategy of the worlds navies from blue-water operations that include traditional Anti-Submarine Warfare, Anti-Air Warfare and Surface Action to littoral operations focusing on surveillance, mine-clearing, counter-terrorism and support for landing operations. Ship Structure Committee (2012) suggests that there are many design parameters that can be optimized for a better performance, where structural weight is one such parameter that gives the most out of cost efficiency. According to Lamb and Beavers (2010), a decrease in weight relates directly to the reduction in material costs and operating costs throughout the service life while reduction in the power demand gives a higher fuel efficiency, higher speed, longer range and additional tonnage capacity. Also, aluminium gives additional benefits in the form of maintenance cost savings, where less painting is required. Brown (1999) mentioned that corrosion protection offered by aluminium is around 100 times slower than structural steel. The excellent corrosion-resistance of aluminium owes its trait to the thin layer of aluminium oxide that forms immediately when the metal is exposed to air, protecting it from external elements. The use of lightweight material like aluminium can also lead to stealth improvement (International Ship Structure Committee, 2012). In a timespan of just over a decade, aluminium high speed vessels have evolved from 30m long vessels that carried passengers and operated in littoral waters, to 120m long vessels that could carry both passengers and vehicles which operated in the open waters. Ship Structure Committee (2012) gave an overview of the prospect of aluminium in naval shipbuilding. Aluminium is a growingly popular metal in the marine industry, typically the naval shipbuilding industry because of the wide range of physical and mechanical properties that can be created through the alloying process. Aluminium can be alloyed with chromium, copper, magnesium, manganese, scandium, silicon, silver, tin, titanium, zinc and zirconium. This wide range of alloying produces different grades of metal each with different properties. Promising properties includes reduction in stress corrosion susceptibility, improving of toughness, strength and hardness, improving of strength without a decrease in ductility, good weldability, increase in tensile strength, elimination of hot cracking in welds, decrease in electrical conductivity and reduction in quench-sensitivity. However, the discrepancy of the material property and behaviour of aluminium was found to vary with different sources (Sielski, 2007). The differences come as a result of different standards used for determining yield strength. Some tests were done using a 50-mm gage length that measures only weld metal and heat-affected zone, and other tests use a 250-mm gage length sample that includes the base metal. Shown in the following is one such example of aluminiums yield strength discrepancy. Table (1), extracted from (Sielski, 2007). 1.2.2 Disadvantages of aluminium as a shipbuilding material Like any other material, aluminium also has its drawbacks. The two most important properties of a material are perhaps its yield strength and modulus of elasticity, a structure will be designed with considerations around the two properties to ensure that it is able to withstand a given load without exceeding certain permissible deflections and stress level, where the stress level is equal to the yield stress divided by a factor of safety. Albeit aluminium alloy has a high strength-to-weight ratio, it is to be noted that for every strong aluminium alloy in terms of yield strength, there is a stronger structural steel available. In terms of Modulus of Elasticity, which is the measure of stiffness of a material, aluminium and steel measures at 69 GPa and 200 GPa respectively. Since aluminiums stiffness is only a third of steel, it will likely be deformed three times more easily than steel if put under high strain. Therefore the use of aluminium alloy is generally only limited to vessels of up to 130 meters in length (Ship Structure Committee, 2008); the longer the vessel the more stiffening is required, until a point of impracticability. The figure below illustrates the undefined yield strength of an aluminium alloy as compared to mild steel. It is important to note that for aluminium, normally 0.2% strain limit or proof stress is used for design purposes. Yield Strength of Steel and Aluminium Figure (1), graph taken from (http://aluminium.matter.org.uk/content/html/eng/default.asp?catid=217pageid=2144417131) Another consideration is the low melting point of aluminium. As a naval vessel will likely be subjected to on-board fire if it comes under attack, the loss of mechanical properties of aluminium when temperature exceeds 200ËÅ ¡C (Ferraris, 2005) is unfavourable. Some classification societies and navies do not permit the use of aluminium for structural applications. While DnV, ABS and RINA permit the use of light alloy and AA5xxx series, Lloyds register does not. Brown (1999) noted that the cost of aluminium is roughly five times the cost of steel. Though it may be feasible to replace structural steel with aluminium alloy in view of the latters weight-saving and corrosion resistance properties, but it might not necessarily be economical. Table (2) Current Methods To determine the applicability of aluminium in naval vessels, it is important to look at the current aluminium technology available. The manufacturing and production process for aluminium is relatively new. Aluminium welding like the FSW process was invented just two decades ago at the Welding Institute in the UK. For aluminium usages to be feasible for large scale production of naval vessels, then the overall productivity must be improved. Such can be achieved through the application of aluminium extrusion and FSW as these methods offer significant cost savings (Collette et al., 2008). The existing studies on the reliability of aluminium stiffened panels can also give a clear idea of some of the impacts of aluminium usage. 1.3.1 Aluminium extrusions Adding to the advantages of using aluminium is its ability to be extruded. Extrusion can allow complex design of stiffeners to be produced which can, if used appropriately; reduce the effect of stresses experienced in the mid-ship region due to hull girder bending. Collette et al. (2008) researched on the ultimate strength and optimization of aluminium extrusions. Extrusion allows a designer to replace conventional welded plates or stiffeners with extruded profiles of varying thicknesses and it can be used on decks and side shells, places with large amount of area for an increase in weight savings. This method effectively reduces the number of welds to be performed and also reduces the complexity of the overall design of the structure. The study examined three different types of extruded stiffeners, the conventional T type, the sandwich type and the hat type for use on board a high-speed vessel. The performance of all three types was found to be similar, and the study concluded that the panel should be selected based on considerations rather than which has the best strength to weight ratio. Such considerations may include cost, ease of construction and material fatigue. In the figure below, the joining of conventional plate to the stiffener requires welding while for the extruded panel, both the plate and stiffener is extruded as a single unit. Sectional view of Aluminium Extrusion panels Figure (2) 1.3.2 MIG and FSW welding To consider the feasibility of using aluminium in shipbuilding, it is important to look at aluminiums weldability. Metal-Inert-Gas (MIG) welding, a subtype of Gas-Metal-Arc-Welding (GMAW) is the earliest form of welding for aluminium plates. In the 1950-60s, further developments gave more versatility which resulted in a highly used industrial process nowadays. Until recently, a new and better method of aluminium welding is invented, namely the Friction-Stir-Welding (FSW). FSW is a new concept of welding where the metal is not melted for the joining process so that the mechanical properties remain unaltered as much as possible. The join between the two plates is then softened for the metal to fuse using mechanical pressure. Kulekci (2010) notes that the FSW increases tensile, impact, and fatigue strength of the welded joint as compared to MIG process. Less hardness change and a narrower heat-affected zone can be expected in the welded material as less heat is produced from the FSW process. Higher heat intensity from the MIG process can damage the mechanical properties of aluminium. By using FSW, production rate and quality will increase and production costs will decrease. Friction-Stir Welding Process Figure (3), pictures from (http://www.fpe.co.uk/processes/friction-stir-welding) 1.3.3 Heat-Affected Zone Mahoney et al. (1998) researched on the FSW process induced Heat-affected zone (HAZ) of the 7075 T-651 aluminium alloy. A series of tensile tests both longitudinal and transverse to the weld produced results that showed the weakest region is at the lower temperature location within 7 to 8mm from the edge of the weld area. While the average weldable aluminium alloy displays a 30 to 60% reduction in yield and ultimate strength, the loss in ultimate strength of FSW aluminium alloy is only around 25% and the yield strength at the HAZ is about 45% less than the base metal. 1.3.4 Strength and reliability in aluminium stiffened panels Benson, Downes and Dow (2009) note that as aluminium alloy is an established structural material in the shipbuilding industry for high speed crafts and naval vessels, the analysis for large high speed craft operating in ocean environments have since developed rigorous methodologies for the evaluation of ultimate strength in the hull girder. The fast increase in capacity and size of aluminium vessels has led to the demand in new engineering tools and solutions to effectively analyse the structural performance of these vessels. One of it could be the analysis on the ultimate and fatigue strength of aluminium stiffened panels. The ultimate and fatigue strength of the panels can be predicted by using the Reliability method, which consists of firstly using limit state equations to determine when the structural member has failed. Secondly, to determine the average value and the collection of random variables distribution in the limit state equation. Then the final step is to estimate the probability of a failure. Collette (2005) researched that in the Stress-life or S-N fatigue approach, the fatigue life of a material is determined by applying continuously a varying load of constant amplitude until a crack is observed. However the main drawback is that it is not able to give feedback on the seriousness or the size of the crack. That is where the Initial-propagation of I-P method proved to be more useful. The main difference between both is that when the crack starts to form in the material, I-P method can estimate the growth using a fracture mechanics model. 1.3.5 All-aluminium naval ship With all the existing technologies and methods available for aluminium shipbuilding, aluminium has the potential to replace steel in the future as the main ship construction material. Lamb and Beavers (2010) studied on the significance of an all-aluminium naval ship. It proposes two types of aluminium frigate, one with a reduced draft, the other an aluminium equivalent of a steel frigate, with identical draft and similar in weight. Aluminium ship with a reduced draft can allow for a reduction of block coefficient, thereby reducing resistance and increasing speed. With a finer hull, less power is required for propulsion, in turn cutting costs during operation. The authors went on to conduct an analysis of steel and aluminium equivalent naval vessel design focusing on the acquisition and ownership costs. The findings showed that an aluminium ship can be constructed with just 7.5% of the cost of an equivalent steel ship even though 50% more labour hours are required for construction of the aluminium ship. The authors highlighted that this is possible due to the overwhelming benefits of aluminiums significantly lighter weight. Aluminium ship was also found to have operational and ownership cost advantages. Furthermore, advancement of aluminium technology in manufacturing process and design methods has closed the gap between steel and aluminium acquisition costs which in some cases, shipyards are producing aluminium structures more cost effectively than equivalent steel structures. 1.3.6 Hull-superstructure interaction One of the important factors to consider when designing a naval vessel is its hull-superstructure interaction. With the aid of structural analysis software MAESTRO, Hughes and Jeom (2010) determined that Hull-Superstructure Interaction is a very complex study that can only be visualised effectively through 3D finite element model, rather than an inadequate beam theory. The vertical center of gravity for any naval vessel is critical, therefore it is important to keep the center of gravity as low as possible, either by reducing the size or using a lighter material in the superstructure. Another important thing to note of Hull-Superstructure Interaction is the superstructure continuity with the ship side. A superstructure will participate substantially in hull girder bending in vertical continuation with the ship sides if the superstructure is long and continuous. It will undergo the same bending radius as the hull. If the superstructure rises from the same plane as that of the ship sides, then the bending will be maximal. To exclude the superstructure from any hull girder bending, it is possible to do so through offsetting it from the side sides. If superstructure is not in line with the ship sides, due to the flexibility of the deck beams, the sides of the superstructure can be subjected to a much larger radius of curvature. In the case of such design, then an intermediate transverse bulkhead must be included in amid-ship for the purpose of terminating excessive cyclic deflections and stresses in the deck structure. The above are especially critical as a design consideration with regards to naval vessels. To further complicate matters; in a naval vessel, the amid-ship portion is used for RAS operation, or Replenishment At Sea. RAS operations are very difficult manoeuvres to execute; and it has to take place in amid-ship due to the heavier pitching motions of the vessel at both ends. In addition to that, RAS operations also require a large open deck area on both sides of the vessel. This means a reduction in the size, or width of the superstructure in amid-ship, precisely the area which experiences the largest hull girder bending. 1.3.7 Fatigue-induced cracking In the case of an aluminium superstructure, the fatigue experienced will be even greater than for an equivalent steel superstructure (Grabovac et al., 1999). The cases of similar Royal Australian Navy FFG-7 class frigates which experienced fatigue-induced cracking in the aluminium superstructure were caused by a combination of applied cyclic stresses and stress concentration interacting with a region of material weakness. This problem of fatigue-induced cracking has surfaced in almost all ships of this class. The vessel has a continuous aluminium superstructure welded atop a steel hull, which is prone to a substantial amount of hull-girder bending (Hughes and Jeom, 2010). This further reflects on how the Hull-Superstructure Interaction can affect a vessel. In the case of their study, composite material is then chosen for repairing of the cracked region by adhesive bonding, which proved to be working later on with subsequent series of assessments. Methodology Lamb and Beavers (2010) introduced three types of ship for their study, the baseline steel, the aluminium reduced draft and the aluminium reduced block coefficient ship for comparison. The aluminium reduced block coefficient has the same draft as the baseline steel ship but its block coefficient is much lower than the other aluminium ship. The authors designed a 10m long mid-ship section of a naval vessel and then derived the scantlings using the ABS High Speed Naval Craft Rules. The scantlings include steel, aluminium and aluminium extrusion. Subsequently, bending moment and stress calculations were performed and the results shown were much less than the design stress of 23.5 t/cm ² for steel and 12.4 t/cm ² for aluminium. Reasons for the huge differences were given that most of the plating is based on allowable minimum thickness rather than that derived from the formulas. 1.4.1 Linear Stress Analysis The structural study in the present paper will adopt the Linear Stress Analysis method. Similar to the work of Lamb and Beavers (2010), the material behaviour in this study will only be looked at in the elastic range. In the Linear Stress Analysis, the stress is assumed to be directly proportional to the strain and the structural deformations are proportional to the load. Shown below is the stress-strain graph of a material, where the limit of proportionality is the limit of the Linear Stress Analysis. Considerations will not be made for the behaviour after the limit of proportionality. Where (C) is the proof stress of the material. Stress-strain graph Figure (4), graph taken from (http://www.sr.bham.ac.uk/xmm/structures3.html) In the case of Non-linear Stress Analysis, problems are solved by applying the load slowly, and then take account of the deflection with each increment. Stresses will be updated with each increment until the full load is applied. A more complex Non-linear FEA requires iterations for equilibrium with each increment; hence it is a computationally expensive approach. 1.5 Discussion Aluminium usage in naval shipbuilding has been increasing steadily over the years as shown in the literature above. Commercial and merchant aluminium vessels were built with different purposes and intentions in mind, some built for an increase in speed, some for more capacity and some simply for costs saving. In the case of naval ships however, they share more similarities. Common objectives would be an increase in speed and payload, if not for a reduction in draft. It is therefore important to understand what different aluminium alloys can offer for different specific function of the ship. Aluminium alloy as mentioned earlier was found to have some discrepancies among various authorities; this might be due to the poor definition of aluminiums yield strength due to the nature of its properties. Nonetheless, aluminiums yield strength will be taken as 0.2% of its strain limit. Designing an all-aluminium vessel of a 130m in length is an inherently complex task, and the strongest design, most up-to-date methods of production and manufacturing must be adopted to reduce the risk of a structural failure. Due to the nature of the method employed in this paper, where a standard steel hull will be replaced by an aluminium equivalent, it is important to consider the application of aluminium extrusion as a more effective way to increase the stiffness of the hull to ensure no deformation takes place prematurely. As fatigue-induced stresses was found on almost all of the FFG-7 class frigates, there is a need to study the hull-superstructure interaction of the vessel and understand the effects if applied on an all-aluminium vessel. Among the past studies, few have made comparison between a steel ship and an aluminium ship. One notable work is from Lamb and Beavers (2010), which based their calculations on a hypothesised frigate. This present paper differentiates from that in a way that it looks at the differences between the two materials if used on an existing vessel. For a ship that already has an optimum hull form, and re-designing it would be irrelevant due to specific mission capabilities, it will be useful to adopt this approach. Another way to look at it is that certain navies might prefer to build an aluminium equivalent of a steel Off-the-Shelf (OTS) ship like the FFG-7 which has proven to be a cheap and seaworthy ship, than to completely redesign an entire vessel. The design process of a new naval vessel can take up to several years. Apart from that, the past research of the all-aluminium ship with its cost and feasibility study was found to be outdated and non-applicable to the present year. The present research will provide an up to date costs comparison between steel and aluminium, inclusive of costs incurred in the welding process, and with the additional consideration for aluminium extrusions. Also critical will be the consideration of the various methods of welding. It is important to note that there are limitations within this feasibility study. The Linear Stress Analysis method adopted is only accurate to a certain extent and Non-linear Stress Analysis method should be adopted for any future work in this topic. Also, there are considerations which will not be covered in this feasibility study. Factors such as the lack of infrastructure for aluminium naval shipbuilding in terms of aluminium workshops and supply of aluminium panels will not be considered. Limitations may also include the lack of skilled workers and expertise in aluminium manufacturing and ship production. 1.6 Aims and Objectives In short, the purpose of this paper is to study the feasibility of using aluminium as a naval shipbuilding material. To achieve that, it is necessary to include the common shipbuilding material, steel, for comparison. This paper aims to give a clearer comparison, in terms of designs, methods used, costs incurred and production time of the two ships. The US Navy FFG-7 class frigate will be used as a base ship. Designed in the mid-1970s by Bath Iron Works and partner Gibbs Cox, FFG-7 frigate is intended to serve as an inexpensive escort ship. Its area of operations includes protecting merchant convoys, replenish groups, landing forces, submarines and carrier battle groups; also performing anti-submarine warfare or surface action. The frigate has a steel hull with an aluminium superstructure intended for weight saving. The overall bending stress characteristics in the mid-ship section of the frigate will be presented through load, buoyancy, shear force and bending moment calculations; one with steel hull and the other, a hypothesised aluminium hull of the same dimensions. Essentially, constraining the dimensions of the hull for an aluminium equivalent will result in an increase in plate thickness due to the reduction in the section moduli of aluminium. An alternative could be the increase in the number of stiffeners to be used and ultimately, the final design of the aluminium equivalent mid-ship section should include both methods for a section modulus increment. The results produced should show that an aluminium hull would still be sufficient in terms of section modulus to keep the maximum bending stress values under the design stress of the frigate, at 131.75 N/mm ² (Ship Structure Committee, 2002). All calculations in the present structural analysis will be based upon the linear elastic region of the materials only. Through the study on a mid-ship section, it can provide an idea of the stress characteristics of the entire vessel as the maximum bending moment will usually takes place in that region. Finite Element Analysis software MAESTRO will be used to model a mid-ship section of the naval vessel and give a better understanding of the structural stresses acting on the aluminium hull. The paper will go on further to present the costs relating to the two ships, in terms of acquisition, productivity and ownership of the vessels with respect to the current steel and aluminium prices. The results from the study will be analysed and discussed, after that the conclusion will be drawn accordingly.