Understanding the Pros and Cons of Protectionism

Understanding the Pros and Cons of Protectionism Protectionism is a type of trade policy by which governments attempt to prevent or limit competition from other countries. While it may provide some short-term benefit, particularly in poor or developing nations, unlimited protectionism eventually harms the country’s ability to compete in international trade. This article examines the tools of protectionism, how they are applied in the real world, and the advantages and disadvantages of limiting free trade. Key Takeaways: Protectionism Protectionism is a government-imposed trade policy by which countries attempt to protect their industries and workers from foreign competition. Protectionism is commonly implemented by the imposition of tariffs, quotas on import and exports, product standard, and government subsidies. While it may be of temporary benefit in developing countries, total protectionism typically harms the country’s economy, industries, workers, and consumers. Protectionism Definition Protectionism is a defensive, often politically-motivated, policy intended to shield a country’s businesses, industries, and workers from foreign competition through the imposition of trade barriers such as tariffs and quotas on imported goods and services, along with other government regulations. Protectionism is considered to be the opposite of free trade, which is the total absence of government restrictions on trade.   Historically, strict protectionism has been used mainly by newly developing countries as they build the industries necessary to compete internationally. While this so-called â€Å"infant industry† argument may promise brief, limited protection to the businesses and workers involved, it ultimately harms consumers by increasing the costs of imported essential goods, and workers by reducing trade overall.  Ã‚   Protectionism Methods Traditionally, governments employ four main methods of implementing protectionist policies: import tariffs, import quotas, product standards, and subsidies. Tariffs The most commonly applied protectionist practices, tariffs, also called â€Å"duties,† are taxes charged on specific imported goods. Since tariffs are paid by the importers, the price of imported goods in local markets is increased. The idea of tariffs is to make the imported product less attractive to consumers than the same locally produced product, thus protecting the local business and its workers. One of the most famous tariffs is the Smoot-Hawley Tariff of 1930. Initially intended to protect American farmers from the post-World War II influx of European agricultural imports, the bill eventually approved by Congress added high tariffs on many other imports. When European countries retaliated, the resulting trade war restricted global trade, harming the economies of all countries involved. In the United States, the Smoot-Hawley Tariff was considered an overly-protectionist measure that worsened the severity of the Great Depression. Import Quotas Trade quotas are â€Å"non-tariff† trade barriers that limit the number of a specific product that can be imported over a set period of time. Limiting the supply of a certain imported product, while increasing prices paid by consumers, allows local producers a chance to improve their position in the market by filling the unmet demand. Historically, industries like autos, steel, and consumer electronics have used trade quotas to protect domestic producers from foreign competition. For example, since the early 1980s, the United States has imposed a quota on imported raw sugar and sugar-containing products. Since then, the world price of sugar has averaged from 5 to 13 cents per pound, while the price within the U.S. has ranged from 20 to 24 cents. In contrast to import quotas, â€Å"production quotas† occur when governments limit the supply of a certain product in order to maintain a certain price point for that product. For example, the nations of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) imposes a production quota on crude oil in order to maintain a favorable price for oil in the world market. When the OPEC nations reduce production, U.S. consumers see higher gasoline prices. The most drastic and potentially inflammatory form of import quota, the â€Å"embargo† is a total prohibition against importing a certain product into a country. Historically, embargoes have had drastic impacts on consumers. For example, when OPEC proclaimed an oil embargo against nations it perceived as supporting Israel, the resulting 1973 oil crisis saw the average price of gasoline in the U.S. jump from 38.5 cents per gallon in May 1973 to 55.1 cents in June 1974. Some lawmakers called for nationwide gas rationing and President Richard Nixon asked gasoline stations not to sell gas on Saturday nights or Sundays.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Product Standards Product standards limit imports by imposing minimum safety and quality requirements for certain products. Product standards are typically based on concerns over product safety, material quality, environmental dangers, or improper labeling. For example, French cheese products made with raw, non-pasteurized milk, cannot be imported into the United States until they have been aged at least 60 days. While based on a concern for public health, the delay prevents some specialty French cheeses from being imported, thus providing local producers a better market for their own pasteurized versions. Some product standards apply to both imported and domestically-produced products. For example, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limits the content of mercury in imported and domestically harvested fish sold for human consumption to one part per million. Government Subsidies Subsidies are direct payments or low-interest loans given by governments to local producers to help them compete in the global market. In general, subsidies lower production costs enabling producers to make a profit at lower price levels. For example, U.S. agricultural subsidies help American farmers supplement their income, while helping the government manage the supply of agricultural commodities, and control the cost of American farm products internationally. Additionally, carefully applied subsidies can protect local jobs and help local companies adjust to global market demands and pricing. Protectionism vs. Free Trade Free trade- the opposite of protectionism- is a policy of completely unrestricted trade between countries. Devoid of protectionist restrictions like tariffs or quotas, free trade allows goods to move freely across borders. While both total protectionism and free trade have been tried in the past, the results were usually harmful. As a result, multilateral â€Å"free trade agreements,† or FTAs, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the 160-nation World Trade Organization (WTO) have become common. In FTAs, the participating nations mutually agree on limited protectionist practices tariffs and quotas. Today, economists agree that FTAs has averted many potentially disastrous trade wars. Protectionism Pros and Cons In poor or emerging countries, strict protectionist policies like high tariffs and embargoes on imports can help their new industries grow by protecting them from foreign competition. Protectionist policies also help create new jobs for local workers. Protected by tariffs and quotas, and bolstered by government subsidies, domestic industries are able to hire locally.  However, the effect is typically temporary, actually reducing employment as other countries retaliate by imposing their own protectionist trade barriers. On the negative side, the reality that protectionism hurts the economies of countries that employ it dates back to Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations, published in 1776. Eventually, protectionism weakens domestic industries. With no foreign competition, industries see no need for innovation. Their products soon decline in quality, while becoming more expensive than higher quality foreign alternatives. In order to succeed, strict protectionism demands the unrealistic expectation that the protectionist country will be able to produce everything its people need or want. In this sense, protectionism is in direct opposition to the reality that a country’s economy will prosper only when its workers are free to specialize at what they do best rather than trying to make the country self-sufficient. Sources and Further Reading Irwin, Douglas (2017), Peddling Protectionism: Smoot-Hawley and the Great Depression, Princeton University Press.Irwin, Douglas A., Tariffs and Growth in Late Nineteenth-Century America. World Economy. (2001-01-01). ISSN 1467-9701.Hufbauer, Gary C., and Kimberly A. Elliott. Measuring the Costs of Protectionism in the United States. Institute for International Economics, 1994.C. Feenstra, Robert; M. Taylor, Alan. Globalization in an Age of Crisis: Multilateral Economic Cooperation in the Twenty-First Century. National Bureau of Economic Research. ISBN: 978-0-226-03075-3Irwin, Douglas A., Free Trade Under Fire, Princeton University Press, 2005.

Advanced HealthCare Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Advanced HealthCare Management - Essay Example Conversely, a team may be defined as comprising a group of individuals. In such a way, it can be determined that a group can only develop into a team if there is a drive to reach some form of coordinated consensus or particular goal. Within such an understanding, the reader can come to the appreciation of the fact that the ultimate evolutionary goal of each and every group is to arrive at the â€Å"team† stage of development. Furthermore, an added level of differential exists between formal and informal groups. As one might expect, formal groups are created and/or maintained as a means of fulfilling certain and specific tasks with relation to the needs and demands of a particular entity and/or organization. Such a level of conscious and deliberate creation helps to constrain and formalize them into units that would not otherwise naturally exist or be spontaneously evidenced within the professional/business/or corporate environment. However, informal groups are the result of the spontaneous forces that can encourage individuals to come together while working to develop a variety of goals. Informal groups can be predicated on either useful or un-useful metrics. An example of a useful metric could be the fact that an informal group could come together as a means of tackling an extant problem that all stakeholders had come to notice (Hongseok et al, 2004). Conversely, an un-useful means by which such an info rmal group could be created would be based on a shared dislike for an individual or group of individuals. Although these organizational standards and means of application for teams, formal, and informal groups are all different, it must be understood that they each have their place in seeking to speak to the needs of the individuals and organizations that create and sponsor them. Hongseok, O., Myung-Ho, C., & Labianca, G. (2004). GROUP SOCIAL CAPITAL AND GROUP EFFECTIVENESS: THE ROLE OF INFORMAL SOCIALIZING TIES. Academy Of Management Journal,

Analysis of statistical status of bank based in uae Statistics Project

Analysis of statistical status of bank based in uae - Statistics Project Example e yearly market price on specific stock indicated in the company’s archive for the year 2009/2010 ranges from 2.67 to 3.45 price (AED) while specific monthly fluctuations on a fundamental average consist of 2.71 in January, 2.83 in February, 2.67 in March, 2.97 in April, 3.01 in May, 3.02 in June, 2.88 in July, 3.07 in August, 3.21 in September, 3.33 in October, 3.45 in November and 3.37 in December. The price (AED) situated here is the mean monthly figure calculated and hence are prone to price fluctuations in between days to a relative degree of negative or positive pips. The price AED on these stocks show us two premiered fundamentals and trends which enables us to potentially establish a forthcoming prediction as to how the relative stock prices would behave in the coming annual year and how much return would an investor achieve through such calculations. The first piece of evidence regarding this is the increasing trend of stock prices valued in AED. This inclination identifies that the stock prices on any amount of investment would surly benefit the investor and hence the ADX (Average directional Index) is an up move positive directed i.e. value inclined is greater that down move while value inclined > 0 which clearly indicates that the ADX is a +DM and consequently as per J Welles Wilder a + DI on the fourteen day exponential moving average, J. Welles Wilder, Jr. (June 1978). The second most evident fact suggest two particular things, the first being that as the amount of fluctuations between the stock prices is relatively high hence the risk factor involved is on the higher side as well consequently making an escalated percentage uncertainty on the return investments. The second aspect of this hypothetical claim lies with the fact that the variance on this particular stock is altitudinous in nature i.e. to claim that while observ ing the February and December stock changes we may witness a decline in the Price AED hence suggesting the fact that mean

Food and migration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Food and migration - Essay Example This dish is however incomplete without the addition of the chief ingredient – gochujang. Gochujang is a spicy fermented Korean seasoning, which when translated means ‘hot pepper paste’ or ‘red pepper paste’. It is the main ingredient in most spicy Korean food. It has the consistency of a thick jelly and the flavor is a unique mix of savory, spicy and sweet. In fact, gochujang is one ingredient you will find in any Korean family’s pantry. Gochujang was first made in Korea, in the latter part of the 18th century (Annie Chun’s). The preparation of gochujang followed the introduction of chili in the country from Japan, which began to be popularly cultivated during the 16th century (Annie Chun’s). According to folk tales, the Korean king of Joseon Dynasty once stopped for a meal at a farmer’s house. There he was served barley and rice mixed with gochujang. The king liked the food so much that he ordered the farmer to supply gochujang to his royal court frequently. It is from this point onwards that Traditionally, Koreans have been known to make gochujang at home by adding powdered red chili peppers and a grain (typically rice, sweet rice or barley) to a fermented soybean paste (Kracklauer). This mixture is then placed in large earthen jars and kept in the sun to be naturally fermented for months. During this process, the proteins break down into amino acids and the starch hydrolyses into sugars. However, in recent years, most families prefer buying it from the Korean grocery store because of the time it takes to make it. Over the years, the popularity of gochujang has increased so much, that there is a definite market for ‘Americanized’ gochujang. One can even see it served with a course of bibimbap on KLM, Air Canada and Cathay Pacific flights (Huster). In fact Annie Chun’s distribution market in collaboration with the South Korean CJ Cheiljedang Corporation, the number one gochujang supplier

Family Involvement In Early Education

Family Involvement In Early Education The purpose of this research paper is to examine the effects family involvement has on the success of children and the ways families can get involved in their childs education. My literature reviews defines family involvement is when families get personally involved in education, their children do better in schools, get better grades, and grow up to be successful in life. Family involvement is one of the most overlooked aspects of American education. Today, many programs are designed without recognition of the role of families, and consequently many families remain unaware of the significance that their role can have on their childs education (NASA, 2009). Family involvement means that families work together with care givers and teachers to create an atmosphere that strengthens learning both at the program and in the home. Family involvement is an important component of the United Sates of America educational programs. The purpose of the family involvement component is to engage families as partners in the educational process. Family involvement programs was developed to give families, regardless of their own educational experience, the tools needed to become more actively involved in their childs day-to-day education (Knopf Swick 2008). Significant research over at least 25 years has demonstrated that family involvement is critical to the educational success of children (Bricker Casuso). To give more detail on the findings: When schools acknowledge the relevance of childrens homes and cultures and promote family involvement, they can develop a supportive environment for learning through meaningful activities that engage and empower families (Bricker Casuso, 1979). As our schools and programs become more diverse, that relevance of home and culture takes on greater importance and expands teachers responsibilities for collaboration with families. Families can get more involved with their childs education by, talking with their children, enhancing their childs self esteem, modeling social and educational aspirations and values and monitoring out of school activities (supervising homework etc.)(Battle, 2004). Activities parents can be more involved at school consists of: attending events, such as open house and school fairs, working in the school in support teachers such as helping with activities in the classroom, on trips and with sport activities, assisting with the governance of the school and meeting with teachers to discuss their childrens progress are all ways parents can get more involved with their child education while in school (Battle, 2004). I have seen a lack of parental involvement in Head Start due to lack of communication. I have volunteered for Head Start every since my son went there in 2006. I am a former parent and I have done four internships there. I have done two for Social Work and two for Early Childhood. Most families I have talked to use work, or they do not get grades or I am too tired to sit with those bad kids as an excuse but I try to let them know that if they dont get involved in their child education now they will regret it in the long run. When I lived in Chicago I went to a Head Start program called the Child Parent Center (CPC). My mom worked nights and had three other children to take care of. She made it her job to volunteer at my school at least three days a week. She assisted the teachers, she was even the President of the PTA. My mom got involved in what I was learning because she was a concerned parent. Parents today are not concerned about their childs education. Parents who are involved in their childs education develop more confidence in the school, and about helping their children learn at home and often enroll in continuing education to advance their own schooling (Measuring Up, 1999). Parents tend to be less involved in their childs education as their child get older. The United States Department of Education found that nationwide, as children grow older contacts between families and schools decline both in number and in the positive nature of such contacts. Although 52 percent of interactions are positive and 20 percent are negative in the first grade, by seventh grade positive contacts drop to 36 percent and negative increase to 33 percent (Measuring Up, 1999). The importance of family involvement is the environmental, social, and economic factors have the most powerful effect on student performance. The greatest factor of a child underachieving in school is growing up in poverty, inadequate learning opportunities, and exposure to drugs, lack of after school care, dysfunctional families, and inadequate health care, run down schools, neighborhood distress, few role models, poor nutrition and teen pregnancy (Measuring Up, 1999). Parents cannot always change these factors; they can always have great influence over many of these challenges. Epstein defines a school, family and community partnership as an approach that gives families and community members greater opportunities to determine options for school involvement, to participate in the wide range of involvement activities, and to assume key role and responsibilities in school-improvement efforts, including participation in the schools decision-making processes. If a partnership is to succeed, it must be based on mutual trust and respect, an ongoing exchange of information, agreement on goals and strategies, and sharing of rights and responsibilities. Schools must be willing to involve parents, families, and communities at deeper levels and to support their participation (Epstein 2002). Epstein six types of involvement consist of: Type1: Parenting: Assist families establish home environments to support children as students. Type 2: Communicating: Implement effective home to school and school to home communication practices. Type 3: Volunteering: Encourage families as volunteers in a variety of ways. Type 4: Learning At Home: Involve families in supporting learning activities at home. Type 5: Decision making: Include parents in school; decisions, developing parent leaders and representatives. Type 6: Collaborating With the Community: Coordinate resources and services from the community to strengthen school programs, family practices and student learning development. The problem with families not being involved in their childs education is laziness. A lot of younger generation parents have too many excuses on why they can and cannot get involved. The most common one is transportation problems. If you can get a ride to go clubbing on Friday and Saturday you can get a ride to visit your child Monday thru Thursday for a couple of hours. Majority of the younger generation families just dont care. Their children are being raised by a grandmother, aunt or a caregiver. They do not understand how critical parental involvement is and the effects it has on a child. From my own personal observations parents just do not understand why they need to get involved. It is my job as a professional student to address these concerns to all parents young or old. Teachers are very frustrated trying to involve parents and getting little to no response. Teachers complain that parents do not come to conferences or school open houses, check homework, or answer take home notes. This leads teachers to feel that parents just do not care about their childs education (Brown, 1989). There are many reasons to consider why parents do not get involved. For many parents, a major obstacle to getting involved is lack of time. Working parents are often unable to attend school events during the day (Brown, 1989). Evenings are more convenient and the only time they can be involved. Parents rather spend that time with family than be at an open house, which is understandable. Parental involvement during prekindergarten can promote childrens school readiness and is associated with higher academic achievement and fewer behavior problems through adolescents, at least in low income families (Basile Henry, 1996). It can also lead to greater parental involvement in elementary school, which is associated with higher achievement for children of all socioeconomic backgrounds (Basile Henry 1996). When families do not get involved in their childrens education they are more at risk of being exposed to drugs and alcohol, teen pregnancy and inadequate learning opportunities. The benefits of families who get involved in their childs education their child will get better grades, better attendance, and higher graduation rates, less or no drug or alcohol use, better self-esteem, and less violent. Parental involvement is important because it improves cognitive and social development in early years of education. Evidence indicates that parental involvement continues to have a significant effect on achievement into adolescence even adulthood. A survey in 2007 has found a variation in levels of parental involvement among different ethnic groups. African American parents are more than twice as likely as White parents to say they felt very involved in their childs education. Parents from non-White ethnic backgrounds are more involved in their childs school activities (including homework). Parents from non-White backgrounds are also less likely to say that a childs education is the school responsibility rather than the parents (17% of African American and Asian parents compared to 27% of White parents said that it was the school responsibility) (Harris Goodall, 2007). Parental involvement is easy as pie says McReynolds she came up with the pie program based on research and many years in the classroom. McReynolds states family involvement is a critical part of high quality education, a safe and disciplined learning environment, and student achievement. McReynolds PIE program actively pursues and involves parents as true and equal partners. She offers them five ways in which they can become involved. Decision making. McReynolds encourages parents to set goals for their children and for the teacher goals that reach beyond those goals she has already set. The goals are stated at the start of the school year in a contract between parents, teachers, and students. That contract lists everyones responsibilities and is signed by each of the participants. A parent is free to add to the contract specific goals for their child. The goal of the contract is a very simple one: Helping children to learn, says McReynolds. The contract is a tool to meet that end. It can change from year to year and even sometimes from child to child. If parents feel a need, we do whatever we have to do to meet that need as long as it helps the child learn. Supporting. Parents support their children in many ways, McReynolds says. They provide shelter, food, clothing, protection, and love. They also need to support the work that goes on in the classroom. McReynolds shares with parents the research that supports the need for their involvement in their childrens education at home and at school. Showing children that school is important can be done in many ways, and McReynolds offers parents many options and tools for doing that. Her next goal is to establish a parent library, a place in the school where parents can find and check out materials that will help them to help their children learn. Teaching. Parents are teachers too, says McReynolds, adding, Lets face it, children learned a huge amount from their parents before they even entered school. And a parents role as teacher doesnt end when the child enters school. McReynolds points to a number of ways in which teaching continues to be a parents responsibility and part of a parents daily routine. Providing time and a place for doing homework, reading with a child, making sure homework is understood and finished, talking about what is being done at school, and continuing to learn how to help are just a few of the ways in which parents teach. In addition, parents can get actively involved in the classroom as volunteer tutors, as lecturers sharing their own expertise, and in many other ways. Last year, McReynolds says, a small group of parents got kids interested in participating in the Valentines for Veterans program. That was just one example of a wonderful learning experience that came directly from parental involvement and it was proof that If its important, parents will help to get it done,' says McReynolds. Kids got to see their parents in action and, more importantly, they got to see themselves as contributors to the larger community. Learning. The more parents learn, the more they are able to help a child learn, McReynolds says. That means getting actively involved in finding out what is being taught, how it is taught, and how children learn and develop. Parents can take classes (offered through adult education programs, community colleges, etc.) on their own to demonstrate to their children how important learning is. Or they can take classes with their children; computer classes or hobby classes are two possibilities. McReynolds offers additional help and suggestions. She provides ideas for field trips that parents and children can take together to support classroom learning. And she holds a monthly in-service session for parents. In one recent session she focused on the childrens math curriculum. The sessions goal was to familiarize parents with the curriculum and to relieve the parents anxiety about it. Other sessions have included a science fair preparation night (where McReynolds familiarizes parents with th e scientific method through a fun airplane-making family activity); a session that explains the school grading system; and a field trip to a dinosaur exhibit at a nearby museum. Communicating. An open-door policy allows parents to come into the classroom at any time. In addition, McReynolds offers regular communication through two newsletters. Those newsletters include information about the concepts that are being taught, how those concepts can be reinforced and practiced at home, a schedule of after-school help sessions, and news about a special citizenship program in which kids earn points for positive behaviors. The newsletters also include news of upcoming in-service sessions and special projects parents might want to get involved in. Parental involvement programs, if they are to be effective, must include parents in all aspects of a childs education, Parents must be involved as teachers, learners, supporters, and advocates for their children (Hopkins, 2004). Families can get involved in their childs education by just overseeing their childs homework (time), Limiting time spent watching T.V., Providing support for educators and taking advantage of opportunities to become more involved with school administrations and policy development. Suggestion for teachers to get parents involved is to help parents understand why it is so important to their children school success. Give parents specific thing they can do to be involved. Take time to assess current practices in your school before embarking on a program for parental involvement. Develop a long term plan for a parent that includes evaluations of their childs success. Teachers need to communicate with parents and encourage parents to provide inputs on policies that affect the education of their children. 1) Teachers need parents help! Teachers are over worked and overwhelmed and in need of our help. Even if it is the smallest amount of help. 2) All parents should volunteer at least five times in a school year. 3) Parents also need to know school is a learning environment and not a day care. Parents need to remember even when their children are at school they are still your children, take responsibility in their education. 4) The more parents volunteer, the more educated you are about what is going on in the school. Parents should be an example to their children, show them the importance of education through your actions, not just your words. 5) Kids copy what they see you do, show your children how important it is to be involved parent by being one yourself. 6) All parents should know the old saying It is better to give than to receive. Giving always feel good. 7) Majority of the schools budgets are being cut, as parents we can help schools save money by donating our time, talent and treasures. 8) Parental involvement also gives you the opportunity to voice your opinions on school matters. Who said it is better to be seen and not heard? 9) With all the violence in school today being an involved parent will allow you to keep up with the issues and problems. Parents need to keep their ears and eyes open while at school and you will be surprised at what you will find out. 10) Lastly, parent need to know that their children are only young once. Do not miss out on the opportunity to create memories that will last a forever. Children will not remember that toy you gave them but they will remember all those times you became involved in their education. In conclusion, the most important person in parental involvement is the child. Anything that the parent can do to assist their child is worth it all. Special importance should be on producing ways of helping children, families, and schools work together to supply students with the advantages to put their best efforts forward. It is very clear that parental involvement is very profitable to a child learning environment.

The Unjust Deportation of Cambodian Refugees Essay -- Argument Argumen

The Unjust Deportation of Cambodian Refugees A policy that has made it possible for the deportation of refugees back to their homeland has already affected 1,400 Cambodians. As a result of the Illegal Immigration and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, non-citizens of the United States who have been convicted of certain crimes are being targeted for deportation. The U.S. Committee for Refugees states that this harsh law has made it easy for the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the U.S. government agency that enforces our immigration laws, to detain and deport legal immigrants who have committed crimes. Since 1996, the INS has been required to detain and deport any immigrant who is convicted of an â€Å"aggravated felony,† which includes such crimes as DUI’s, possession of marijuana, minor assaults, shoplifting, joyriding, and even writing a bad check. Any convicted Cambodian may be detained in INS up to 6 months by law. Although they have already served time for these past convictions, Cambodian i mmigrants still face possible deportation as part of their punishment. ...

How is linguistics a scientific study Essay

When linguists claim that their discipline is the scientific study of language, they have in mind certain principles which distinguish between a scientific and a non-scientific study of language. First, linguistics is objective, that is, it considers all languages to be equal. For a linguist, there are no ‘primitive’, ‘pure’, ‘beautiful’, ‘cultural’, or ‘sophisticated’ languages. Objectivity is difficult to attain because language is so familiar to us that we can hardly dissociate ourselves from it. The objective study of language is hindered by various cultural, social and historical misconceptions about certain languages. Linguistics has demonstrated that any language, however ‘primitive’, or ‘underdeveloped’ its people may be, is as complex and highly organized as any other language spoken by a ‘civilized’ people. There is no intrinsically ‘richer’ or ‘purer’ language, because each language serves the functions needed by its speakers. The linguist deals with all languages equally with the aim to construct a general theory of the structure of the language. Second, linguistics is basically an empirical, not a speculative or intuitive, discipline in the sense that it examines specific data (e.g. speech and writing), and proceeds by verifiable and justifiable operations. It relies on observation and experiment, and uses formalized principles and a theory capable of formulation. It aims to analyze the data and make generalizations about the regularities encountered in the linguistic phenomena under study. Third, linguistics obeys the following canons of science : exhaustiveness, consistency and economy. Linguistics deals with all relevant data, i.e., it analyzes all the facts of language that fall within its scope, and studies systematically every linguistic element from all angles. It allows no contradictory statements and requires that all parts of analysis be consistent with the whole. Repetition is not allowed either, and more economic statements containing fewer concepts or symbols are preferred to longer ones. Thus, we can state that linguistic is a social science which can be subsumed under the empirical sciences. It deals with, among other things, how people  behave and interact with each other in society by means of language. Linguistics is not as accurate as the natural or ‘hard’ sciences like physics, chemistry or biology, whose scientific status is established and irrevocable perhaps what makes linguistics less precise than the natural sciences is the fact that its subject matter (spoken or written language) is part of the human behaviour in general.