Cuba and China Essay

Democracy, or the power of people, is rather old form of rule. While the word â€Å"democracy† originated in the Ancient Greece in 5th century BC, this form of rule had existed even before this, found in ancient India republics before 6th century BC. However, it was the city-state of Athens in the Ancient Greece that presented this word in the sense which resembles, in some features, the modern vision of democracy. In Athens, people had the right to vote, to take the most important decisions, influencing the political situation of their state. Of course, not all the population could vote – women and children could not vote as well as disabled people. In fact, only one forth or one sixth of the citizens of Athens could vote and participate in a political life of their state. However, it was the first form of democracy and it had many aspects in common with today’s notion of democracy. For example, all the citizens of Athens, poor or rich, powerful or powerless, had the right to vote, they were equal in this right. The democracy, in the form in which it existed in Athens and in the Ancient Greece, was not preserved until our time. Moreover, great changes took place in Europe in 18-19th centuries, in the form of revolutions. The right to vote and to participate in the political life of a state directly is not the main factor characterizing democracy in the modern world. Democracy in the modern sense includes such basic postulates as the basic freedoms: of speech, of expression, of the press, of association et cetera. The democracy in the western world is much more associated with the notion of free market and free trade. However, these preconditions are not exactly true for some countries, for example for China, where free market and free trade can coexist with the lack of democracy, where there are no basic freedoms (for example, the freedom of association – the assembly of Falun Gong in China was violently dispersed by police and banished for practicing in China). Cuba which has made some steps toward the free market economy, opening some part of its economy for the US dollars, does allow the internationally recognized organization of the Red Cross to its prisons, where political prisoners are kept in big numbers. The rule of Communist Party as the only party in the country is observed both in Cuba and in China. And this excludes another characteristic feature of democracy – pluralism, the possibility of many political parties to take part in the political life of the state. Before we proceed to explain the lack of democracy in Cuba and China, it is necessary to understand what democracy means and why China and Cuba should become democratic. In the twentieth century, democracy has gained such popularity that most world rulers describe their rule as democratic. However, most countries were not democratic, and some even became totalitarian. Generally speaking, the term â€Å"democracy† is misused in two ways. First, democracy is expanded into a laundry list that contains almost all kinds of good things. Second, democracy is modified by adding an adjective to the term. Since Western bourgeois democracy is the prototype of modern democracy, modifications are made along two lines. Either rulers characterize their systems not as bourgeois democracies, but as â€Å"people’s democracies,† â€Å"proletarian democracies,† or â€Å"socialist democracies,† or they emphasize local characteristics of their system, such as â€Å"Burmese type of democracy† or â€Å"African type of democracy. † What is democracy? Etymologically, the term means rule by the people. Democracy originated in Athens more than 2,500 years ago, when Cleisthenes allowed all citizens of Attica to preside over the affairs of the city. Athenian democracy took the form of direct democracy. Citizens, which excluded women, slaves, and resident aliens, participated directly in making laws. Moreover, regardless of their properties and talents, rulers were selected not by ballot but by lot. Not surprisingly, virtually all famous Greek scholars were no fans of democracy, regarding tyranny, oligarchy, and democracy as corrupt forms of government. Democracy includes two forms: popular sovereignty and individual liberty. This paper defines democracy in terms of political freedom, which involves both positive and negative aspects. Positive freedom refers to a situation in which people have the ability to participate in government; negative freedom means a situation in which people are free from arbitrary interference from government. Modern democracy adheres to the dual principles of popular sovereignty and individual liberty, but has its own distinctive features. Ideal as the principle of popular sovereignty may be, it is technically impossible to let the people in a nation-state decide everything. As a result, modern democracies are representative, not participatory (or direct). The principle of popular sovereignty in modern times hinges on two major mechanisms: the separation of powers and the competitive election. While the ruled choose their rulers during an election, rulers are mutually checked and balanced before and after the election. In determining the nature of a particular political system, the competitive election is more important than the separation of powers. A division of labor is employed in any government, particularly a modern one. Despite the importance of liberalism for modern democracy, popular sovereignty precedes individual liberty. Popular sovereignty talks about the purpose of government; individual liberty comprises the notion of government. The term that means â€Å"people† has undergone great changes in terms of class, education, gender, race, and age. Besides, individual liberty is historically and culturally specific. In the twentieth century, democracy and totalitarianism are regarded as two ends of the political spectrum. To put it in terms of ideal types, a government respecting both popular sovereignty and individual liberty is democratic; a government violating them is totalitarian. Falling somewhere in between, most systems are neither democratic nor totalitarian in the strictest sense of the terms. Some may respect popular sovereignty but violate individual liberty; others may violate popular sovereignty but respect individual liberty. Today’s Islamic Republic of Iran and eighteenth-century Britain are cited as respective examples of these two types. Throughout human history, not many regimes have ever been totalitarian and most have been authoritarian. Compared with totalitarian regimes, authoritarian regimes are less willing and less able to damage people’s rights and interests. The United States of America when compared to China or Cuba, presents the example of â€Å"democratic† democracy towards which China or Cuba should strive. Because now, when we took a closer look at the notion of democracy in the modern world, we are going to analyze the kind of democratic situation and democratic changes that took place in two of the most controversial countries in the world: China and Cuba. To reach conclusions as to the qualitative aspects of Cuban politics in the post-transition era, we will examine aspects of political culture as they relate to the formation and practices of civil society in democracy. From this angle one can interpret some key dimensions of politics in particular settings. Transition to democracy (and its consolidation) depends on a multiplicity of factors, including elite decisions, institutional arrangements, pacts between competing social actors, a constitution and organizations typical of liberal democracies, a favorable moment in world history, supportive international structures, and a measure of good luck. Political and economic factors also impinge on the likelihood of democratic transitions and survival. But political and economic factors determine neither transition to democracy nor democratic stability. The impact of the economy on democracy is not automatic, unidirectional, or necessarily predictable. According to Mattiace and Camp (1996), democracy is the product of multiple causes working together. In contexts where the system confronts unresolved foundational issues and consensus is elusive – on such matters as how the political community is defined, who has authority, what the rules of the game are – political questions become an affair of the heart, lending themselves less to compromise and pragmatism. As a result, democracy tends to be endangered, particularly in places where institutional democratic norms are weak and personalism is high. This is likely to occur in Cuba after Fidel Castro (as it has before and during the socialist years). Though democracy will be established in Cuba sometime in the future, Cuban democracy will not conform to normative models of liberal democracy. Democracy in the way it is in Cuba will be characterized by features of incivility in civil society. The democracy that is most likely to emerge on the island will be far from perfect, will share striking continuities with the past, and will dash the hopes of many who dream of democracy. The cynicism about democracy also has a long genealogy in Cuban intellectual history. As far back as the nineteenth century cultural pessimists on the island have remarked on the frustration that has followed modern projects of independence, nationalism, republicanism, and democracy. Democratic aspirations have a long history on the island, as long as the trajectory of their frustration. The notion is not as alien to Cuban soil as many believe (Dealy, 1996)

Cultural and Ethical Issue of Globalization

Cross-Cultural Perspective: The Cultural and Ethical Issue of Globalization Many American companies that are outsourcing jobs to other countries create a problem in the economy of the Unites States and also creates a cultural effect in a global scale. To this day, The United States had lost millions of manufacturing jobs compared to two decades ago (Heffner, 2012). Americans can no longer compete to international manufacturers, which put the United States economy in doom.There are many factors involved as to why American companies’ decides to do its manufacturing business outside of the United States. The most obvious reason is the cost of labor. International wages from third world countries cost way less than wages in the United States. For example, manufacturers in China get paid 33 cents an hour (Heffner, 2012). As a company, the cost of doing business outside of the Unites States is way cheaper than hiring workers in the United States, which would cost more than 20 folds. In addition to wages, outsourcing jobs outside of the United States would also save companies cost for payroll taxes, benefits, and dealing with unions that are common in The United States. Moreover, doing business outside the United States increases a company’s capital because the cost of labor wages and manufacturing are less, yet the sales remain the same. The cost of real estate and plant cost is less than in the United States. Companies don’t have to worry about maintenance, property taxes, insurance, and cost for operations (Samuels, 2013).Although there are standards created by the International Labor Organizations when it comes to doing business in other countries, there are still fewer regulations set forth in other countries compared to regulations that are mandatory in doing business in the United States (Samuels, 2013). Companies will need to follow set rules and regulations in the United States, which means more paperwork, more taxes, worrying about worker s rights, providing benefits to workers, paid time offs, vacations, etc.More regulations means more cost and companies will definitely outsource jobs outside of the United States if it means saving them millions of dollars in cost. Another effects of outsourcing jobs outside of the United States are the cultural changes that are accompanied by doing business in other countries. It is no doubt that economy of third world countries are growing due to international trade that most foreign company brings in. But global business can change the way people live in a country. The ways of living are affected and so as the native language of the country.For example, The Philippines is considered one of the poorest countries in the world (The Poorest Countries in the World, 2013) and just a decade ago there were very few foreign countries that do businesses in the Philippines. Now, there are so many American companies like, IBM, Cisco, TeleTech, and Sprint that outsourced jobs to the Philippin es. Again, it is good for the growing economy of the Philippines, but at the same time it creates a culture shock in the country. It is now mandatory to take English courses in the Philippines, and most people are now speaking English language.Long-term effect could be a decline in the native cultures in the Philippines. One example of ethical problems that arises in global business can be seen in the case of the company Nike. More than a decade ago Nike was involved in a scandal that the company allegedly hired children in its workforce in Pakistan, but later it was concluded that it was indeed the truth. Children made the soccer balls that were manufactured in Pakistan by Nike Corporation. It was known that the children were paid 66 cents to spend all day stitching the soccer balls.Although there were laws in Pakistan about child labor, it was not fully enforced in the country (Azam, 1999). The problem was that records of birth were nearly impossible to obtain in countries like Pa kistan. Therefore, there are now records keeping of how old the workers were. The country is not like the United States was every born child is listed in a database. Nike Corporation admitted the allegations and apologized for employing workers that in the United States would be considered under aged workers (Boggan, 2001) .The company pledged not to hire under aged workers, â€Å"Nike said it would raise the minimum age for hiring workers at shoe factories to 18 and the minimum age for hiring workers at other plants to 16, in countries where it is common for 14-year-olds to hold such jobs. It will not require the dismissal of underage workers already in place† (Cushman, 1998). The company also â€Å"pledging to allow outsiders from labor and human rights groups to join the independent auditors who inspect the factories in Asia, nterviewing workers and assessing working conditions† (Cushman, 1998). Companies like Nike needs to consider the ethical responsibilities that is part of doing business in other countries. Not just because the country, like Pakistan, has laws that were not enforced properly in the country, it does not give any company the right to stray from the ethical responsibilities of companies to their employees. They should treat workers of other countries the same way that they would do if they were to employ workers in the United States.When companies do business with other countries they must be aware of the cultural and ethical perspective that can arise in doing such businesses. There are many factors that influence the companies’ decision on outsourcing jobs, but the social responsibility of a company must be equal across the board. It doesn’t mean that wages, benefits, or other factors will be the same for worker in the United States and in other countries, but the level of commitment to workers, respect, and treatment must be adherence to the ethical responsibilities of companies to their worker. References Az am, F. (1999, June). NIKE: Nike Shoes and Child Labor in Pakistan. Retrieved from http://www1. american. edu/ted/nike. htm Boggan, S. (2001, October 20). ‘We Blew It' Nike Admits to Mistakes Over Child Labor. Retrieved from http://www. commondreams. org/headlines01/1020-01. htm Cushman, J. (1998, May 13). INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS; Nike Pledges to End Child Labor And Apply U. S. Rules Abroad. Retrieved from http://www. nytimes. om/1998/05/13/business/international-business-nike-pledges-to-end-child-labor-and-apply-us-rules-abroad. html Heffner, T. (2012, May 15). American Manufacturing Can No Longer Compete. Retrieved from httphttp://economyincrisis. org/content/american-manufacturing-can-no-longer-compete Samuels, D. (2013). Pros & Cons of Outsourcing Manufacturing Jobs. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness. chron. com/pros-amp-cons-outsourcing-manufacturing-jobs-40320. html The Poorest Countries in the World. (2013). Retrieved from

Aging and Disability Worksheet Essay Example for Free (#5)

Aging and Disability Worksheet Essay ? Answer the following questions in 100 to 200 words each. Provide citations for all the sources you use. †¢ What is ageism? How does ageism influence the presence of diversity in society? Ageism is defined as prejudice and discrimination against old people. Schafer writes that for the ageist, elderly persons reflect the image of disease, death, and dying as well as a reminder that we all be old one day (2012,pp. 395-396). Another stereotype of the elderly is that they are slow and mentally dysfunctional. All of this is further emphasized by society’s fixation with youth. †¢ What is the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)? How does the ADEA address issues for the aging population? The Americans with Disability Act is a law that prohibits discrimination based on disability and only disability. It is somewhat similar to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Our textbook defines this law as â€Å"In many respects, this law is the most sweeping antidiscrimination leg- isolation since the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The ADA went into effect in 1992, covering people with a disability, defined as a condition that â€Å"substantially limits† a â€Å"major life activity† such as walking or seeing. It prohibits bias in employment, transportation, public accommodations, and telecommunication against people with disabilities† (Schaefer, 2012). The ADA addresses issues for the aging population by how our text book stated â€Å"basically, we can see it taking a civil-rights view of disabilities that seeks to humanize the way society sees and t reats people with disabilities† (Schaefer, 2012). Which is by not discriminating them. †¢ What is being done to address the issues you identified? There are senior citizen centers that have been working to provide activities to bring the elderly together for social interaction. Most elderly look to family as their main source of support system. Many of these elderly try to stay living as close to their children have been known to live with their parents during this time to provide the best care to their aging parents. Retirement is an issue that some employers try to help by letting employers â€Å"step down† so that they may retain some of their benefits from still being employed. The media has started depicting some more of the elderly to be active people that are as bright as young people as opposed to times when they made old people appear to be shriveled and wrinkled up people that cannot do much at their age. †¢ Is the number of aging population expected to rise in numbers or decrease? The world population has experienced continuous growth since the end of the Great Famine and the Black Death in 1350, when it stood at around 370 million. The growth rate peaked at 2.2% in 1963, and had declined to 1.1% by 2011. Current projections show a continued increase in population (but a steady decline in the population growth rate). †¢ What types of legislation may or may not be affected by the aging population? In the midterm, anti-age discrimination legislation, better health and a statutory rise in the retirement age to manage the cost of the state pension bill will see more older people working for longer, whether they want to or not (see changes to retirement and pensions). This will decrease the number of old but active volunteers. In the long term, especially as baby boomers become the older old, there will be a rise in demand for health services and long term care, possibly combined with constrained public spending, creating a challenge for the funding of public services and pensions and increasing pressure on families and friends to support retirees. †¢ How does poverty affect the aging population? Poverty affects the aging population by them not being able to afford medical insurances and many other expenses such as housing. An increase in the numbers of older people at 80 plus, will mean more with complex needs. The baby boomers are more assertive, put more emphasis on lifestyles, and do not consider themselves old. Answer the following questions in 100 to 200 words each. Provide citations for all the sources you use. †¢ What does the ADA provide for people with disabilities? The ADA makes it illegal to discriminate based on disability in several different areas in life. It prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in: employment, services rendered by state and local governments, places of public accommodation, transportation, telecommunications services. Under the ADA, accommodative services for these disabilities are usually the same as those offered to people with physical, psychological, sensory and cognitive disabilities. †¢ How have people with disabilities been treated in the past? People in the past treated people with disabilities as if they were a disease themselves. In some countries people with disabilities would be murdered to lessen the burden and â€Å"ease their pain† but as time progressed people started to treat them as if they were a lost kitten, and have become more affectionate towards us or them. †¢ How has the attitude toward people with disabilities changed over time? The disabled were placed in institutions (by the government) and were often forgotten about thus forcing them to live in unsafe/ unsanitary conditions. In conditions that would be construed as â€Å"animal cruelty† if a kettle owner made their animals live in those very same conditions the disabled were forced to live in. Many were abused, neglected, and murdered either by family members or at the hands of institution workers. The word â€Å"retarded† was used to describe everyone with a disability, regardless of the type of disability or the severity. While discrimination toward the disability is still rampant and the government shows little interest in eliminating disability discrimination. †¢ What are some unique circumstances or issues encountered by people with disabilities? When I was younger I remember going into stores that still had those turning things, gosh what are they called? They were made of metal and you had to turn them and go through them in order to get into the store. I would see how that was a huge issue for the people in wheelchairs or many other disabilities. Aging and Disability Worksheet. (2016, Oct 22).

Case study on the Zeal Peso Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Case study on the Zeal Peso - Essay Example From the case, we know that the exchange rate at the beginning was 20ZPG per dollar; the total time from 1973 to 1995 is 22 years. Price levels in the US have moved from 70 to 140 representing 100% inflation while those in the Zeal have moved from 50 to 180 representing 260% inflation. Substituting these figures in equation 2 we get: This represents 1/36 = $0.027 per Zeal Peso. According to the case report, the peso had devalued to a figure of $0.0263 per peso, which is the same figure predicted using PPP. Assuming that PPP holds true, then we can conclude that the figure $0,0263/ZPG is the best prediction for the Zeal peso spot rate for the last 22 years. (Shapiro, 2006: pp137). Therefore we can conclude here that the currency has devalued enough. However, given that this is the figure for 1995, the figure might be expected to reduce with further increase in inflation by the end of 1996. In my opinion, it was possible to forecast the peso float. From an understanding of purchasing power parity it is clear that two currencies can only be in fixed parity if the rates of change of consumer prices in the two countries are equal through time. In so far as the changes in inflation rates in one country are more than the other it will not be possible for fixed parity to be maintained. Thus, the currency values must readjust to reflect the inflation differentials. In the case of the US and the Zeal, one can observe from table 2 that the consumer price index for both countries has been increasing but that for the Zeal witnessed higher increases than that for the United States. As purchasing power parity states, currencies with higher inflation rates should depreciate relative to currencies with lower rates of inflation (Shapiro, 2006). Therefore given that the inflation index for the Zeal was increasing at a rate that was higher than that for the US it should have been possib le to forecast the peso float. Question 3. According to Black (2002), foreign exchange reserves or international reserves represent liquid assets held by a country's government or central bank for the purpose of intervening in the foreign exchange market. These include gold or convertible foreign currencies. (Black, 2002). For example in the case of the Zeal this might refer to assets denominated in US dollars rather than the Zeal peso. Foreign exchange reserves can also include balances with international institutions, notably the International Monetary Fund (IMF). (Black, 2002). Looking at table 3, which shows the balance of payments for the Zeal from 1973 to 1995, including the international reserves, we can observe that the international reserves have been decreasing since 1973. The international reserves have dropped from $-45million in 1973 to $-150million. This implies that the country has more liquid liabilities and not assets in foreign currency and therefore less money has been transferred out of the country. Instead, more money has been moved into the country in foreign currency. This is contrary to the assertion in the case that many people transferred money out of the country. Question 4 Bodie et al (2002), Shapiro (2006) state that in a well functioning foreign exchange market, there should be a spot-futures exchange rate relationship that will

Choose what u want Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Choose what u want - Research Paper Example The problem of poverty differs among countries. When visiting countries like India where people sometimes have nothing to eat, no possessions the level of poverty can be defined as critical and regrettably it has become a cultural feature. The level of poverty in United States is not so dramatic and can be categorized as relative. There are many factors that make contribution to that problem both social and economic ones. When discussing social classes and overall mobility level it is vitally important to take into consideration the phenomena of poverty. Americans tend to be proud of the economic system and they believe it is capable to provide every opportunity in pursuit of prosperity and good life in general. But nevertheless poverty seem so be persistent in different parts of the country. A lot of anti-poverty programs and efforts have been applied in the last five decades and they have made some progress but the problem is far from being totally eliminated. There has been a wide spread opinion that poor people are to blame themselves for the situation they faced and they are more likely to display self-defeating behavior instead of taking serious steps. The poor can be characterized as fatalists that engage themselves into the poverty culture where nothing can be done and this vicious circle absorbs people generation after generation. But still this perception of poverty is just a stereotype as most poor people are eager to work hard and make a living, the only thing they need is a given chance and helping hand. This help should be provided on all the stages of people’s lives beginning from the support of the child being born within poor conditions and all the way to retirement. The main aim is to ensure people with security and reduce the fear of being left behind (Vallas, 2014). Recently professionals in sociological sciences have concentrated their attention on additional causes of

Toyota Production System Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Toyota Production System - Article Example In a company that produces iron sheets, just in time can be applied by placing orders for raw material such that the materials ordered for arrive at the company in the right quantity just when it is needed and without any delays. Muda refers to waste or anything that adds no value to the system. Muda exists in the form of motion, correction, processing, waiting time, conveyance, overproduction, and inventory. In a company that manufactures iron sheet, one example of muda is raw material that has been established to be substandard in quality and therefore needs to be reworked. Yokoten implies horizontal deployment; good practices and results in one area or organization are copied or applied to other areas or organizations. One franchise of Coca Cola company can decide to send a team of its employees to a more efficient franchise in a different country so that the team observes and learns how things are done to ensure high efficiency and productivity. The team will learn and implement what they have learnt doing what they can to improve on the ideas in their organization. Pokayoke involves the use of fool proof devices during production. Through the use of fool proof devices, the production of defective parts that result from human error is minimized or altogether eliminated. In a manufacturing plant, the buttons in the control panel of a machine can be color coded and associated with drawings that show what the buttons make the machines do. This way, even an untrained operator has less chances of pressing the wrong button that may lead to the production of faulty parts. Hoshin involves capturing and cementing strategic goals as developed by executive managers so that they are realized eventually. The organization’s level of performances is set to improve with the passage of time as the strategic goals are realized. In a soda manufacturing company, top management may develop strategic goals relating to the production of a given quantity of soda crates.

Finncil Mrkets nd Monetry Policy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Finncil Mrkets nd Monetry Policy - Assignment Example "In that sense I think the outlook is 'bimodal' - in terms of there being two main stories. The orthodox story, to which I gave most weight in my November vote, required a small tightening," he said. On the significance of the 15 per cent annual rise in broad money supply, Mr Tucker said it was important to look at what was contributing to the growth: "One has to get one's hands dirty in analysing the money numbers." (Daneshkhu, 2006) The rection of the finncil community to the increse of interest rtes by the Bnk of Englnd showed tht they believed tht the consumer price index would remin bove trget if rtes were left unchnged t 4.75 per cent. Growth ws firm nd hd left smll mrgin of spre cpcity, they rgued, while the risks from slowing US economy hd diminished. The still buoynt housing mrket might spur consumer spending, though it ws ccepted tht household indebtedness could ct s restrint. In ddition, the mjority remined concerned tht the upcoming New Yer py round my pose risk s workers noted tht the retil price index ws t n eight yer pek of 3.7 per cent. "There ws risk tht employees would seek to negotite higher wges in order to resist the erosion of their purchsing power ccording to tht index," sid the Bnk. (Daneshkhu, 2006) The mjorityThe mjority gin reiterted their concerns tht the fst pce of brod money growth could further fuel sset price infltion nd tht tht if infltion continued bove trget for much longer, tht might come to be reflected in infltion expecttions. ll these fctors posed upside risks to infltion. In contrst, one member, presumed to be Ms Lomx, "plced more weight on the downside risks to demnd nd infltion." (Fifield, 2006) The member lso rgued tht the ugust rte rise hd not yet fully been fully felt nd tht the Bnk ws underestimting the risks to demnd of slowing US economy. Rising unemployment ws likely to leve wge growth muted. nother member, believed to be Dvid Blnch flower, rgued tht the "current spike in infltion ws minly relted to lrge gs nd electricity price increses, which were still more thn offsetting the recent fllbck in petrol prices." Infltion would fll shrply next yer s their impct dissipted. Richrd McGuire t RBC Cpitl Mrkets sid the split vote might be interpreted by the mrket s reducing the momentum for nother increse in the cost of borrowing. "While it remins close cll, we continue to see the blnce of probbilities slnted towrd the Bnk of Englnd remining t the sidelines in Februry, view which hs received some support from tody's minutes." (Fifield, 2006) b) On wht grounds hs this interest rte increse hs been justifiedRises in interest rtes re justified by the forecsting tht Bnk of Englnd hs mde in reference to the growth during the next yer nd infltion tht will remin t or bove its trget over the next two yers. Addressing the Financial Markets Association in London, Paul Tucker said he had voted for last month's quarter-point increase in the Bank's main rate to 5 per cent. "With headline inflation tangibly above target in the run-up to the main, new year wage bargaining season and with the market clearly expecting that policy would be tightened, a small increase in bank rate was,

Meego operating system Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Meego operating system - Research Paper Example The report evaluates various features in MeeGo operating system. The aim of developing MeeGo OS was to offer users a simple OS and enable them utilize the existing software on devices once considered unsuited to run some applications. MeeGo powered devices enable users go online as well as being entertained at home and when travelling. MeeGo OS provides users and developers a new platform useful in communicating, using office applications, and playing multimedia files. The OS incorporates rich features integral in mobile devices like graphic based applications and computation technology among others. MeeGo OS offers users an easy to use interface and also allows them to customize the OS fully. MeeGo OS was developed after the merger of Intel’s Moblin project and Nokia’s Maemo. MeeGo OS provides a vibrant environment for cross-platform creation of applications capable of functioning in various platforms, which promises to unite developers resulting in valuable services and applications. The operating system can run on various hardwar e like mobile phones, in-vehicle, net books and smart TV as well as tablets and devices sharing the same OS internals but different user interfaces. Mobile distribution for the OS supports isolated executions and implements a trusted framework, which is OS-protected although third party developers are unable to access it (Guruprasad TV, n.d). This evaluation illustrates the separation of OS into various layers useful to developers as well as user experience. Layer view is made up of 3 layers: Application API, User experience and Core operating system layers. User experience layer supports multiple platform segments. This layer offers application framework for every device profile. On the other hand, application layer contains MeeGo API, which incorporates the interface useful in developing applications. The latest application layer in MeeGo OS incorporates Qt mobility 1.0, Qt 4.7,

Economic Outcome Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Economic Outcome - Case Study Example According to the study findings  it is imperative to explain the meaning of franchising in order to gain understanding of the whole concept. Basically, franchising is the most common type of contractual relationship in which a channel member called a franchisor links several stages in the production and distribution process.This essay discusses that the relationship created in this particular case involves the franchisor and the franchisee where the later acquires the license or right to operate their business using the trademark of the other company. This kind of relationship is very common especially in fast food business and it has significantly contributed to the success of different businesses. The franchise is licensed to market and distribute the products offered under the trademark of the franchisor. In this particular case, it can be observed that Andy’s Parties will retain its brand name and trademark while licensing other franchisees to market its services which h elps business to expand and this also helps it to gain large market share in its operations. This helps the company to increase its income base given that it would be in a position to attract a large number of customers. A close analysis of the case of Andy’s Parties shows that it costs about $60 000 to open company operated stores. This amount is quite high for a company that has been in business for a short time and intending to expand its operations to other market.         Ã‚  

Cloud computing and IT management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cloud computing and IT management - Essay Example Rapid developments in the fields of computers and communications technologies have enabled information technology to secure a commanding position in all walks of life ranging from financial transactions through entertainment to water supplies. Surprisingly, healthcare systems – a domain of high social relevance, world over can be considered as laggards in adopting information technologies (Braa et al. 1). The prime issues those are challenging healthcare IT are (Hersh, 2273): Despite these challenges, forward looking and IT savvy clinicians are trying their best to lead the adoption drive in their respective healthcare set ups, the day is not far when IT applications in healthcare will merge into mainstream healthcare delivery systems. Telemedicine (use of information technologies like internet to deliver healthcare services at a distance) is one applications of HealthIT that has the potential to not only address some of the intransigent healthcare issues but is also promising enough from a business perspective. Telemedicine enables delivery of healthcare services and medical education from one geographical location to another primarily to address challenges like uneven distribution and shortage of infrastructural and human resources. Tertiary hospitals can set up peripheral hospitals in remote and isolated areas these and these peripheral hospitals can have telemedicine linkages via internet with the tertiary level (referral) hospital primarily to extend the reach of specialized medical services to remote and isolated cases. This type of business concept has been used by a number of healthcare service providers around the globe. Slowly and steadily such services are not only bridging the digital divide but are also acting as pathways for revenue generation. 2. Brown, E.D. "Risks and issues in Cloud Computing." Eric D Brown: Technology, Strategy, People and Projects 2 Feb 2009: n. pag. Web. 4 Nov 2009.

High School Drop out Rate Essay Example for Free

High School Drop out Rate Essay Analysts agree that the rate of high school dropout in the United States has reached catastrophic levels. Credible estimates claim that more than a third of all students that join high school are likely to abandon school before completion. A look at the past decades indicates that this has been a growing trend and is yet to be arrested appropriately. This is a problem that has not been captured in the public glare due to scarcity if data. This paper will provide the available statistics on the rate of high school dropouts; provide an analysis of the possible causes and remedies. Different publications contain valid rates of dropouts; this is because of the existing differences in the definition of a dropout. There are those that graduate after completing the high school syllabus, others that graduate after completing an equivalency test of the same and those that graduate after passing other states based tests. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) compiles its data using either the event rates, status rates or the cohert rates. Events rates refer to the number of students that drop out of school annually while the status rate takes into account the total number of students that have cumulatively dropped out of school as a proportion of the total population. (National Institute on the Education of At Risks Students, 2006) Indicative reports have it that the rate of school dropout from the 1970s to the 1990s recorded a steady decline; however the rates have stabilized from the 90s to date recording an insignificant improvement. A look at the 1999 and the 2000 reports indicate that 5% of all students that had joined high school in the respective years dropped out within a year. This is in according to the available education department’s event dropout rates. The status dropout rates for 2000 indicate that â€Å"some 3. 8 million young adults were not enrolled in a high school program and had not completed high school. † (National Center for Education Statistics). Other available statistics on the dropout rates focus on the differences between gender and the racial groups. They have indicated that 5. 8% of male students are more likely to dropout compared to whose dropout rate is 4. 3%. The gender disparities in the dropout rate are witnessed across all the ethnic and racial groups with male students being the most affected. The dropout rate for the minority groups has remained higher than that of white Americans. The Latinos lead the group of the minorities with a rate of 27. 5%; African Americans have 13. 6% while the whites have a dropout rate of 7. 9%. This is according to the 1993 survey although these rates have remained fairly constant since then. (National Institute on the Education of At Risk Students, 1996) Having looked at the existing statistics, it is important to look at the reasons behind these statistics. There exists immense research on the causes of high school dropouts but it is important to point out that they focus on a variety of issues depending on the discipline. The ethnographic studies for example may focus on the issues of minorities and the social causes of their dropout. Attempts therefore to establish the specific factors are impeded by the existence of â€Å"a large variety of factors that predict or influence dropout behaviors, ranging from family background to school characteristics. † (Richard, 2002, 120) Scholars however have observed that students drop out of schools either after being ‘pushed out’ by the school environment or after being ‘pulled away’ by factors beyond the school curriculum. (Jay W. , 1999). A survey conducted on the various reasons behind the high school drop out rates revolve around vague reasons such boring classes and hard exams. These though are the pointer towards the major factors that contribute towards high school dropout rates. The causes range from academic challenges, economic, social and personal reasons One of the major ‘push out’ cause of dropout of high school can be traced to the various schools’ requirements to undertake an exit exam as the precondition for graduation. A look at the United States reveals that most states have put forth a requirement for a standardized test to mark the graduation of students from high school. Exit exams were adopted to enable states to standardize their tests and upgrade their diplomas. Where the merits of these exams have been widely noted, criticism has been leveled against them alleging that they exert too much pressure on the high school students. The basic purpose of exit exams is to ensure that the quality of the diploma is maintained, today however it is being seen as pushing students out of school, â€Å"these critics rely upon the push-out-myth- the idea that requiring students to pass exit exams forces students to drop out of high school. † (Jay P. , 2006, 127). The conclusion that stringent exam requirement may push students out of school has been reached after examining performance records and transcripts belonging to those that have dropped out. Studies have pointed out a streak of dismal performance by most of them indicating a sense of hopelessness on the drop outs. Some students have blamed the dismal performance on the lack of motivation by their teachers. Another possible cause of school dropout is peer influence. Peers are an important component to the development of an individual and also as socialization agents. It has been established that the influence of the family to the life of adolescents is fast waning and its place taken over by peers. The issue of how peers influence school drop out rate is broad and has been found to be an important factor. School dropouts have claimed to have been influenced by their peers to quit schools especially for those that had non schooling friends. This is so as peer influence has been found to either be a source of motivation or discouragement. This has been problematic as most of these have plunged into the crime world led by their peers. Working students also find it hard to cope with both tasks and most have even been found to give up education in the belief that they will resume later. Unsupportive parents have also been known to lead their children out of schools due to lack of moral support. Just like there is no single cause behind the high rates of school dropouts, there is no single remedy for the problem. It requires a multifaceted approach that incorporates both students and the teachers. It has been found that most students drop out of schools to escape the taxing nature of academics and exams. While it is not prudent to change the existing exams, it would be appropriate to put measures to ensure that the tests would not be an excuse to drive students out of school. As Marvin (2003, 215) has pointed out, â€Å"states should look for more ways to identify students at risk and consider instituting or adapting existing programs to support students before they drop out. † The best approach hence would be to incorporate a support program to help students cope with the rising challenges. This should include providing extra school tutoring and retake programs for students that perform dismally in the first attempts. This should also include introducing changes to the academic programs to ensure that they are more responsive and relevant to the student lives. The government also should roll out programs that aim towards sensitizing students on the need to stay in school. A number of factors that contribute to high rates of school dropout are social-psychological meaning that they can be eradicated through creation of awareness and general counseling. It is also important to involve students in the process of policy making to ensure that their expectations and views are incorporated and hence make them feel that they have a bigger stake in the school programs. Indeed there much has to be done to reduce the number of students that fail to complete their high school. The dropout rates indicated above are worrisome. More also needs to be done to bridge the dropout disparities across the racial groups. Students should be sensitized on the dangers of dropping out of schools especially as they are exposing themselves to the risks of unemployment as well as crime.

Ethics in Negotiation. Annual review of psychology Essay Example for Free

Ethics in Negotiation. Annual review of psychology Essay Ethics in Negotiation Introduction            Some believe that success at any negotiation table is determined by the skillful use of deception. The critical difference between those who succeed in negotiating and those who are not successful lies on the ability to mislead and not to be deceived. However, negotiators have an ethical duty to make sure that the deal is fair for both sides. This articles summarizes the ethical guidelines and insights for a successful negotiation strategies such as ethical adversarial. According to Paul (2011), ethical negotiation enhances positive working relations which in turn returns brings trust and easy sharing of information and the motive to seek a mutual solution thus facilitating positive interactions. References Bazerman, M. H., Curhan, J. R., Moore, D. A., Valley, K. L. (2000). Negotiation.  Annual review of psychology,  51(1), 279-314. Source document

Methods Of Waste Management And Recycling Environmental Sciences Essay

Methods Of Waste Management And Recycling Environmental Sciences Essay Waste management means collecting, transporting, processing, recycling and monitoring of the waste materials. The term waste management generally relates to those materials which are produced by human activity and is usually undertaken to reduce the effect of these activities on their health and environment. Waste management is also useful to recover useful resources from the waste. Waste management involves all solid, liquid and gaseous or radioactive substances which are managed with different methods and expertise is required for each of them. Waste management practices are different for different countries of the world be it developed or developing nations. The management is different for urban and rural areas, for residential and industrial waste producers. Management of residential and institutional waste in cities and metros is done by the local government authorities or what we call as Municipal Corporation, while management of non-hazardous commercial and industrial waste is done by the generator of such waste. Solid waste Management Plasma gasification Plasma is a highly ionized or electrically charged gas. An example in nature is lightning, capable of producing temperatures exceeding 12,600  Ã‚ °F (6,980  Ã‚ °C). A gasifier vessel utilizes proprietary plasma torches operating at +10,000  Ã‚ °F (5,540  Ã‚ °C) (the surface temperature of the Sun) in order to create a gasification zone of up to 3,000  Ã‚ °F (1,650  Ã‚ °C) to convert solid or liquid wastes into a sun gas. When municipal solid waste is subjected to this intense heat within the vessel, the wastes molecular bonds break down into elemental components. The process results in elemental destruction of waste and hazardous materials According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. generated 250 million tons of waste in 2008 alone, and this number continues to rise. About 54% of this trash (135,000,000  short tons (122,000,000 t)) ends up in landfills and is consuming land at a rate of nearly 3,500  acres (1,400 ha) per year. In fact, landfilling is currently the number one method of waste disposal in the US. Some states no longer have capacity at permitted landfills and export their waste to other states. Plasma gasification offers states new opportunities for waste disposal, and more importantly for renewable power generation in an environmentally sustainable manner. Landfill Disposing of waste in a landfill involves burying the waste, and this remains a common practice in most countries. Landfills were often established in abandoned or unused quarries, mining voids or borrow pits. A properly designed and well-managed landfill can be a hygienic and relatively inexpensive method of disposing of waste materials. Older, poorly designed or poorly managed landfills can create a number of adverse environmental impacts such as wind-blown litter, attraction of vermin, and generation of liquid leach ate. Another common byproduct of landfills is gas (mostly composed of methane and carbon dioxide), which is produced as organic waste breaks down anaerobic ally. This gas can create odour problems, kill surface vegetation, and is a greenhouse gas. Design characteristics of a modern landfill include methods to contain leachate such as clay or plastic lining material. Deposited waste is normally compacted to increase its density and stability, and covered to prevent attr acting vermin (such as mice or rats). Many landfills also have landfill gas extraction systems installed to extract the landfill gas. Gas is pumped out of the landfill using perforated pipes and flared off or burnt in a gas engine to generate electricity. Water Treatment Water treatment means all those processes which are used to make water acceptable for a desired end-use. These include use of water for drinking, medical, industrial processes and many other uses. The goal of all such water treatment is to remove the contaminants present in the water or reduce the concentration of contaminants so that the water becomes fit for consumption. One meaning to it is returning water to its natural environment without adversely impacting the ecology. The processes for treating water for drinking purpose can be solids separation by using physical processes such as settling and filtration, and chemical processes such as disinfection and coagulation and Biological processes if required. In general the process includes: Pre-chlorination for algae control and arresting any biological growth Aeration along with pre-chlorination for removal of dissolved iron and manganese Coagulation for flocculation Coagulant aids, also known as polyelectrolyte to improve coagulation and for thicker floc formation Sedimentation for solids separation, that is, removal of suspended solids trapped in the floc Filtration removing particles from water Desalination Process of removing salt from the water Disinfection for killing bacteria. There is no unique solution for any type of water. Also, it is difficult to standardize the solution in the form of processes for water from different sources. Treatability studies for each source of water in different seasons need to be carried out to arrive at most appropriate processes. Sewage treatment is the process which removes the majority of the contamination from wastewater or sewage and produces both a liquid effluent suitable for disposal to the natural environment. To be effective, sewage must be conveyed to a treatment plant by appropriate pipes and infrastructure and the process itself must be subject to regulation and controls. E-waste management Electronic waste is defined as all the secondary computers, entertainment devices, mobile phones, all other items like television, refrigerators, whether they are sold or donated or discarded by their original owners or users. In simple terms all those items mentioned above which are either dumped or disposed or discarded by their buyers rather than recycling and reusing them is called E-Waste. A major portion of this waste is generated through products like personal computers, laptops etc. According to recent estimates about 50 million tons of E-waste is produced each year around the globe. The USA alone discards 30 million computers each year and nearly 100 million phones are discarded in Europe each year. The reasons for these huge figures are that there are the rapid changes in technology, low cost of the product initially which encourages people to buy new instead of repairing and reusing and also the cost of modifying the features is much more than the original cost. Moreover t he electronic goods today are made in such a way that they follow something called as planned obsolescence which means they get obsolete with the passage of time. Electronic waste processing first involves dismantling the equipment or the electronic item into various parts i.e. metal frames, circuit boards, power supplies, plastics etc. and this is often done manually. The advantage of this process is that humans have the ability to recognize and save those parts which are working and are repairable which includes chips, RAM, transistors etc. The disadvantage of this process is that the labour might often be expensive in those countries which have high health and safety standards. An alternative to this is called bulk system; wherein a hopper conveys material meant for shredding into a very sophisticated mechanical separator which has screening and grinding machines to separate the constituents of metal and plastic fractions. These plastic fractions are then sold to plastics recycle rs or smelters. Emissions are caught by the scrubbers and screens. To separate glass, plastic, harmful and unharmful metals; magnets and eddy currents are used. Copper, gold silver, tin etc. valuable metals are sold to smelters for recycling purpose. Hazardous smoke and gases are captured, and then treated to remove the environmental threat. An ideal electronic waste recycling plant is one which combines dismantling for recovery of its components with increased cost-effectiveness of processing of bulk electronic waste. Reuse is an alternative option to recycling because it extends the life of the device. Recycling Reduce, Reuse, Recycle are known as the 3R of the waste hierarchy. Recycling involves processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for conventional waste disposal, and lower greenhouse gas emissions as compared to virgin production Recycling is a key component of modern waste reduction and is the third component of Recyclable materials include many kinds of glass, paper, metal, plastic, textiles, and electronics. Although similar in effect, the composting or other reuse of biodegradable waste such as food or garden waste is not typically considered recycling. Materials to be recycled are either brought to a collection center or picked up from the curbside, then sorted, cleaned, and reprocessed into new materials bound for manufacturing. Recycling Saves money, energy, trees the planet Earth. In a strict sense, recycling of a material would produce a fresh supply of the same material-for example; used office paper would be converted into new office paper, or used foamed polystyrene into new polystyrene. However, this is often difficult or too expensive (compared with producing the same product from raw materials or other sources), so recycling of many products or materials involve their reuse in producing different materials (e.g., paperboard) instead. Another form of recycling is the salvage of certain materials from complex products, either due to their intrinsic value (e.g., lead from car batteries, or gold from computer components), or due to their hazardous nature. Critics dispute the net economic and environmental benefits of recycling over its costs, and suggest that proponents of recycling often make matters worse and suffer from confirmation bias. Specifically, critics argue that the costs and energy used in collection and transportation detract from (and outweig h) the costs and energy saved in the production process; also that the jobs produced by the recycling industry can be a poor trade for the jobs lost in logging, mining, and other industries associated with virgin production; and that materials such as paper pulp can only be recycled a few times before material degradation prevents further recycling. Proponents of recycling dispute each of these claims, and the validity of arguments from both sides has led to enduring controversy Recent developments: Jamshedpur Utilities Services Company (Jusco), which is a fully owned subsidiary of Tata Steel, recently bagged the Municipal Solid Waste management contract for Mysore city from the Mysore City Corporation and Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management contract under the Kolkata metropolitan area for six municipalities. Under the project Jusco will construct 5transfer stations and 6 compost plants in the municipalities of Champdani, Baidyabati, Serampore, Rishra, Konnagar and Uttarapara-Kotrung which fall under Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). The Rs 39 crore projects will be funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Jusco offers integrated solutions to municipal waste management which comprises of waste transfer, transfer station management, composting, engineered structured landfills, integrated waste recycling and reclamation, recycling of municipal and specialized wastes, etc. The utilities major also bagged the TPM Excellence A ward -2008 instituted by the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance (JIPM) and has several other national and international awards like National Urban Water Awards (NUWA) in the citizen services governance category for 2009.

Rhythmic Foundations, and the Necessary Aesthetic in Peirce’s Categories :: Philosophy Philosophical Papers

Rhythmic Foundations, and the Necessary Aesthetic in Peirce’s Categories ABSTRACT: There has been a tendency in scholarship to steer quite clear of discussions of Peirce and Aesthetics, and I believe that the main reason that Peirce’s works lacks, perhaps even intentionally, a clear aesthetic theory is because his entire architectonic of experience is aesthetically founded. This thesis is based, in part, on the necessary aesthetic descriptions one is forced to use when describing something such as the categories. For example, Secondness necessarily elicits aesthetic descriptions of relations and tensions, Thirdness is described most accurately with words such as harmony and arrangement, and the process by which we come to attain a belief is an "aesthetic" endeavor aimed at satisfaction. Focusing particularly on the categories, and secondarily on the method for attaining belief, I hope to show that Peirce’s foundation is, itself, an aesthetic awareness of life. There has been a tendency to steer quite clear of discussions of Peirce and Aesthetics. Over and over, statements by Peircean scholars attest to the lack of philosophical guidance regarding the status and judgment of art that is available in his writings.(1) Peirce himself states that, "My notion would be that there are innumerable varieties of esthetic quality, but no purely esthetic grade of excellence."(2) Doug Anderson also states that a Peircean aesthetic is hard to piece together because it was a "very late addition to Peirce’s classification of the sciences." That is, even though aesthetics is presupposed by ethics, logic, and metaphysics, in Peirce’s prioritization of the sciences, his intention was that aesthetics was to be understood through the work he had already done in the other branches of his system.(3) This vagueness hasn’t, however, prevented scholars from speculating on the aesthetic in Peirce’s works. Yet even so, we are still faced with many problems. First is the "paleontological reconstruction", as Herman Parret states, of the various minuscule references by Peirce regarding the aesthetic. Second, it is claimed that if any approach to a Peircean aesthetic is going to be worthwhile, it will probably be too large to handle because it must incorporate his views on logic, metaphysics and theology.(4) Third, as pointed out by Beverly Kent, Peirce seems to conflate two senses of the aesthetic, where it is both a quality that is immediately present and an ultimate ideal.(5) I will argue that the main reason that Peirce’s works lacks, perhaps even intentionally, a clear aesthetic theory is because his depiction of experience is aesthetically founded.

Plato’s Influence on Western Civilization Essay -- Greek Metaphysics,

Our country is built on a set of values derived from ancient civilizations, individuals, and city-states; both negative and positive attributes of these relics can be proven to have assisted in molding our government into a unique and prized entity. Never would one imagine that western civilization is actually inclined by theories of truth and the human beings perception of it. Few would have thought that a primitive concept could be linked to the setbacks of other societies and their forms of socialization, as well as to the success to ours. The basic concept of truth and our natural response to socialization developed an ideal image of our current day country, long before our country existed. In ancient Greece, a great philosopher named Plato founded one of the most famous schools in all of history. Plato was a student of an enlightened man and a teacher of many others. Plato’s contribution to our existing government is given little credit, yet thanks to him we function as o ne of the most sophisticated societies in the entire history and the world. Plato, whose real name was Aristocles, was believed to have been born the year 427 BCE in Athens, Greece. He was born into a wealthy, Athenian aristocratic family, who actually came to rule Athens in 404 BCE. Because of his family’s prosperous background, Plato was treated to fine education. Plato’s upbringing ultimately influenced his viewpoints on particular subjects pertaining to philosophy and politics, a majority of his thoughts were pulled from two chief occurrences in his life; the Spartans victory over Athens in the Peloponnesian War, and the teachings, as well as the execution, of Socrates. The Peloponnesian War began before Plato’s birth, yet didn’t end until he was abo... ...Web. 25 Nov. 2013. . Patten, Joseph, and Kevin Dooley. "Ancient Political Theory." Why Politics Matters: An Introduction to Political Science. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Co, 2011. 35-47. Print. "Politics." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2013. . "Thomas R. Martin, An Overview of Classical Greek History from Mycenae to Alexander." Thomas R. Martin, An Overview of Classical Greek History from Mycenae to Alexander,New Directions in Philosophy and Education, Plato's Academy. The Annenberg CPB/Project, n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2013. . Thornton, Bruce S. Greek Ways: How the Greeks Created Western Civilization. San Francisco: Encounter, 2000. Print. Plato’s Influence on Western Civilization Essay -- Greek Metaphysics, Our country is built on a set of values derived from ancient civilizations, individuals, and city-states; both negative and positive attributes of these relics can be proven to have assisted in molding our government into a unique and prized entity. Never would one imagine that western civilization is actually inclined by theories of truth and the human beings perception of it. Few would have thought that a primitive concept could be linked to the setbacks of other societies and their forms of socialization, as well as to the success to ours. The basic concept of truth and our natural response to socialization developed an ideal image of our current day country, long before our country existed. In ancient Greece, a great philosopher named Plato founded one of the most famous schools in all of history. Plato was a student of an enlightened man and a teacher of many others. Plato’s contribution to our existing government is given little credit, yet thanks to him we function as o ne of the most sophisticated societies in the entire history and the world. Plato, whose real name was Aristocles, was believed to have been born the year 427 BCE in Athens, Greece. He was born into a wealthy, Athenian aristocratic family, who actually came to rule Athens in 404 BCE. Because of his family’s prosperous background, Plato was treated to fine education. Plato’s upbringing ultimately influenced his viewpoints on particular subjects pertaining to philosophy and politics, a majority of his thoughts were pulled from two chief occurrences in his life; the Spartans victory over Athens in the Peloponnesian War, and the teachings, as well as the execution, of Socrates. The Peloponnesian War began before Plato’s birth, yet didn’t end until he was abo... ...Web. 25 Nov. 2013. . Patten, Joseph, and Kevin Dooley. "Ancient Political Theory." Why Politics Matters: An Introduction to Political Science. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Co, 2011. 35-47. Print. "Politics." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2013. . "Thomas R. Martin, An Overview of Classical Greek History from Mycenae to Alexander." Thomas R. Martin, An Overview of Classical Greek History from Mycenae to Alexander,New Directions in Philosophy and Education, Plato's Academy. The Annenberg CPB/Project, n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2013. . Thornton, Bruce S. Greek Ways: How the Greeks Created Western Civilization. San Francisco: Encounter, 2000. Print.

Depiction of Latinos in 20th Century Film Essay -- Latino Portrayal Fi

Depiction of Latinos in 20th Century Film Graphs Not Included Over the course of this past century, the depictions of assimilated Latino characters has improved a great deal. Early portrayals of Latino assimilation generally proved to be a montage of unrealistic caricatures which seemed to convey the filmmaker's creativity more so than true representations. This formed the manner in which the American people at large viewed not just Latino characters attempting to assimilate, but also those who were not. As Cine-Aztlan puts it, film "manipulates the human psychology, sociology, religion, and morality of the people, in a word the ideological super-structure of modern capitalist society" (pg.275, Chicanos and Film). As the years went by however, mainly because Latinos started gaining power in the film industry and depicting (as opposed to creating) Latino characters, the images of Latinos who were adapting (either by choice or by societal force) to the lifestyle and values of the United States, grew more and more representative of what was actually taking place outside of the film studios. Today, most portrayals of assimilated Latinos are fairly accurate. The forces to which their modification is portrayed are not so much representative of middle-class White America however, but rather that of Urban Hip-Hop culture. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (Rex Ingram. 1921) provides us with an inaccurate portrayal of an assimilated Latino character. First and foremost, it is important to note that Julio Desnoyers (the Latino character in question) is played by Rudolph Valentino, a non-Latino. This in itself makes him seem "un-Latino" to the Hispanic audience. Also, Julio represented the prototypical Latin Lover during t... ...e growing power of Latinos in the film industry. Latino producers such as Joseph Vasquez have made many films (such as Hangin? with the Homeboys and Manhattan Merengue) which show Latinos in a truer light. Also, since some of today?s hottest movie stars are Latino, big time producers cannot ignore the influence which they bring to the studio. Leguizamo, Antoni Banderas, and Jeniffer Lopez are just three examples of the growing number of latin@s whose appeal and presence in the film industry can help the overall cause of Latino representation, whether it be assimilated depictions or wholly cultural ones. It is important to recognize that American society recognize that there are indeed differences between U.S. Latin@s and Latin@s in their respective countries. In order to do this; both must be portrayed in popular film. GRAPH

Factors Affecting Academic Performance Essay

Like many Americans caught up in the economic downturn, college students are worried about money. Now research indicates that financial worries may affect their academic performance. This year’s National Survey of Student Engagement, released on Thursday, reveals that more than a third of seniors and more than a quarter of freshmen did not purchase required academic materials because of the cost. Roughly equal shares, around 60 percent, said they worried about having enough money for day-to-day expenses. And 36 percent of freshmen and 32 percent of seniors reported that financial concerns had interfered with their academic performance. Since 2000, Nessie, as the survey is known, has collected wide-ranging data to help colleges develop effective educational practices and promote engagement. Students are asked, for instance, how much time they spend studying, whether they get involved with campus organizations, and how they interact with their professors and peers. This year the researchers, based at Indiana University at Bloomington, also assessed how the economy was affecting students at a subset of the 546 American colleges that participated. The survey examined students’ employment, finding that among freshmen, nearly 20 percent worked on campuses, and about 30 percent worked elsewhere. For seniors, those proportions were about a quarter on campuses and more than half elsewhere. Students working off campuses logged more hours: More than half of seniors working on campuses worked less than 15 hours a week, but 40 percent of full-time seniors in off-campus jobs worked more than 16 hours a week; 20 percent logged 30 or more hours. Other research has found that working up to 20 hours a week can increase students’ engagement and improve their academic performance, but that a greater time commitment can be detrimental. In this year’s survey, more than half of full-time seniors who worked 21 or more hours a week said their work schedule interfered with their studies. Yet 60 percent of those students said they had investigated working even more hours to help cover the cost of college. Related Content Grades and Tests May Miss What Matters Most in Learning Charts: How Financial Worries Are Affecting Students Alexander C. McCormick, director of the survey, says institutions should consider such findings an opportunity to get a better sense of the financial stressors that shape students’ academic experiences. Most colleges, he points out, know which students have on-campus jobs. But administrators could do more to figure out how much time students spend working off-campus, and whether those commitments threaten their academic success. â€Å"You can never do enough to understand who your students are,† Mr. McCormick says. But collecting data is the easy part. â€Å"The really hard work is up to the colleges and universities, to figure out what the data mean and what they want to do in response.†

Modern mining Essay

Modern mining is an industry that involves the exploration for and removal of minerals from the earth, economically and with minimum damage to the environment. Mining is important because minerals are major sources of energy as well as materials such as fertilizers and steel. Mining is necessary for nations to have adequate and dependable supplies of minerals and materials to meet their economic and defense needs at acceptable environmental, energy, and economic costs. There are significant differences in the mining techniques and environmental effects of mining metallic, industrial, and fuel minerals. Mining is a global industry, and not every country has high-grade, large, exceptionally profitable mineral deposits, and the transportation infrastructure to get the mined products to market economically. Some of the factors affecting global mining are environmental regulations, fuel costs, labor costs, access to land believed to contain valuable ore, diminishing ore grades requiring the mining of more raw materials to obtain the target mineral, technology, the length of time to obtain a permit to mine, and proximity to markets, among others. Without proper precaution, mining have negative consequences on the environments, ecosystems, water, beautiful sceneries and the landscapes. Though it has had many negative impacts on the environment in the past, mining is a vital industry completely necessary to our economy and lives. Nearly every item we use or encounter in our day to day lives is mined or contains mined products. Without the excavation of such materials things like computers, televisions, large building structures, electricity, and cars would not be possible. Virtually every technological and medical advance uses minded materials, without which millions would suffer. To some extend mining activities have some positive impact on wildlife in that when these fields are broken, it creates openings which acts as there home. Food and cover plants can be introduced to these places for the benefit of the entire wildlife A list of the 10 biggest gold mines in the world; 1. Grasberg Gold Mine — This mine, which is in the Indonesian province of Papua, produced 2,025,000 ounces of gold, according to the annual report of Rio Tinto Plc. The mine is majority owned by Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. Besides gold, it also produces silver and copper. 2. Muruntau Gold Mine — This mine, which is about 250 miles west of the capital in Uzbekistan, is believed to have produced approximately 1,800,000 ounces of gold last year. The project, which is an open-pit operation, is run by state-owned Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Combinat. 3. Carlin-Nevada Complex — This mine, which is in the U.S. state of Nevada, produced 1.735 million ounces in 2010. It is owned by Newmont Mining Corp. It includes both open-pit and underground operations. 4. Yanacocha Gold Mine — This mine, which is in northern Peru and is the largest gold mine in Latin America, produced 1.46 million ounces last year. It is run by Newmont Mining and owned by Newmont Mining and Buenaventurda, a Peruvian company. 5. Goldstrike (Betze Post) Gold Mine — This mine, which is northwest of Elko, Nev., produced 1.24 million ounces of gold last year. It is owned by Barrick Gold Corp. 6. Cortez Gold Mine — This mine, which is southwest of Elko, Nev., produced 1.14 million ounces of gold last year. It is owned by Barrick Gold. 7. Veladero Gold Mine — This mine, which is in Argentina, produced 1.12 million ounces of gold last year. It is owned by Barrick Gold. 8. Lagunas Norte Gold Mine — This mine, which is in north-central Peru, produced 808,000 ounces of gold last year. It is owned by Barrick Gold. 9. Lihir Gold Mine — This mine, which is in Papua New Guineau, produced 790,974 ounces of gold in the 12 months ended June 30. It is owned by Newcrest Mining Ltd., Australia’s largest gold producer. 10. Super Pit/Kalgoorlie — This mine, an open-cut mine in Western Australia, produced 788,000 ounces last year. It is 50-50 owned by Barrick Gold and Newmont Mining. CORRUPTION Corruption is not a new phenomenon in India. It has been prevalent in society since ancient times. History reveals that it was present even in the Mauryan period. Great scholar Kautilya mentions the pressure of forty types of corruption in his contemporary society. It was practised even in Mughal and  Sultanate period. When the East India Company took control of the country, corruption reached new height. Corruption in India has become so common that people now are averse to thinking of public life with it. Corruption has been defined variously by scholars. But the simple meaning of it is that corruption implies perversion of morality, integrity, character or duty out of mercenary motives, i.e. bribery, without any regard to honour, right and justice. In other words, undue favour for any one for some monetary or other gains is corruption. Simultaneously, depriving the genuinely deserving from their right or privilege is also a corrupt practice. Shrinking from one’s duty or dereliction of duty are also forms of corruption. Besides, thefts, wastage of public property constitute varieties of corruption. Dishonesty, exploitation, malpractices, scams and scandals are various manifestations of corruption. Corruption is not a uniquely Indian phenomenon. It is witnessed all over the world in developing as well as developed countries. It has spread its tentacles in every sphere of life, namely business administration, politics, officialdom, and services. In fact, there is hardly any sector which can be characterised for not being infected with the vices of corruption. Corruption is rampant in every segment and every section of society, barring the social status attached to it. Nobody can be considered free from corruption from a high ranking officer. To root out the evil of corruption from society, we need to make a comprehensive code of conduct for politicians, legislatures, bureaucrats, and such code should be strictly enforced. Judiciary should be given more independence and initiatives on issues related to corruption. Special courts should be set-up to take up such issues and speedy trial is to be promoted. Law and order machinery should be allowed to work without political interference. NGOs and media should come forward to create awareness against corruption in society and educate people to combat this evil. Only then we would be able to save our system from being collapsed. Essay 2: (Just read this, it’s a nice one) Let us first of all understand what is meant by corruption and corrupt practices. In brief, anything that is below all standard norms of morality in a country, is called or defined as corruption and corrupt practices. These norms are a fixed standard in any given society, and when these are broken we say that, a society is getting corrupted. This corruption as we see it today is not a development that has come overnight, it has been a continuous process for the last several decades and, to – day it has seeped into the very blood stream of the system. What we have to study next is, why and how this monster of corruption has taken such a firm hold on India so much so that, the country of the legendary Harischandra, the honest has reached the position of one of the top ten or so of corrupt countries of the world. The corrupt practices have now become our lifestyle to such an extent that, we do not seem to feel that there is anything wrong in what all we are doing., and that things should not be as they are. We, on the contrary are inclined to justify all wrong saying that, without doing wrong we cannot exist or be functional. Tourism Tourism is one of the world’s fastest growing industries. Tourism is an excellent way to develop a country, but it can also cause harm. How can countries ensure that tourism benefits the development. It is irrefutable that tourism has become the backbone of many economies of the world. In fact many countries rely on the tourist dollar for their development. This has also led to damage of the natural environment and at many places the tourist places have been so much littered that they have ceased being a tourist attraction any more. In a way tourism is killing tourism. In the following paragraphs, I shall discuss ways in which countries can ensure sustainable tourism. Also the tourism industry provides 8% of total world employment. Rising affluence in many countries is one major contributing factor for this development. Tourism itself has diversified into heritage tourism, beach tourism, nature tourism, adventure tourism, medical tourism, etc., to cater to different tastes. All this has created a massive spurt in global tourism. Long periods of political stability also emboldened people to venture out and explore the world. Television, movies and other kinds of media fostered curiosity about other parts of the world by showing attractive images of such places. Creative ad campaigns like ‘Incredible India’ and ‘Truly Malaysia’ have also done their bit to boost global tourism. Global tourism fosters an understanding of different cultures. This helps to promote peace among nations and peoples. It can also improve the economy of poor countries which in turn raises the living standards of their people. But global tourism has some downsides too. Unchecked tourist arrivals can impact the environment or socio-cultural fabric of a place. A once peaceful Goa has become a den of vices like rape, child abuse and drugs because of tourism. A sustainable approach will ensure that such negative consequences will be minimized.

Political Elite Revised Essay

Do you want to belong to the elite? Or do you sometimes feel that, in a way, you belong to the elite? Without its political meaning, the elite simply refer to a group that possesses superior qualities than the rest. It is the â€Å"cream of the crop†. In one way or another, some of us may have already experienced belonging to the elite, such as when we became part of an important club in school or belonged to the top of the class. In the book Concept and Issues in Comparative Politics, Frank Wilson explained that when applied to politics, the term elite acquires a negative connotation to mean a â€Å"small group who conspire to monopolize power and use it for their benefit†. However, without this political meaning, term elite refers to those who are active in political processes. Thus, Wilson stresses that not only the politicians belong to the elite, but also the opinion leaders and influence wielders and the senior civil servants. While politicians seek and hold elective or appointed government positions, influential figures participate in the process by shaping the ideas and preferences of others. This makes the media and business group as parts of the political elite. Bureaucrats or senior civil servants are also one of the components of the elite because they are involved in the policy- and decision-making processes in the government. Can a person enter the circle of the elite by moving his or her way up in the bureaucracy? Yes, if the person’s career achievements merit him or her to be recruited into the elite. Basically Wilson suggests two ways of recruitment to the elite: by achievement and by ascription. Recruitment by achievement does not only refer to technical skills, but also pertains to interpersonal, leadership or money-making skills. This is in stark contrast with the ascriptive mode of recruitment wherein a person automatically becomes a member of the elite because he or she was â€Å"born with silver spoon in the mouth,† so to speak. Also, Wilson points out that recruitment by achievement is characteristic of developed political systems, while recruitment by ascription is more common in traditional societies. However, it is not uncommon to find elites by birth who also developed the necessary skills to lead by achievement. For example, George W. Bush did not become the US President simply because he is the son of George H. W. Bush; but his first-hand observation of his father’s former job, the Bush’s network of influence, and the name recall surely helped in his campaign. Wilson also classifies elites into open and closed elites. The US is considered as one of the most open political recruitment processes because of the system of primary elections. One does not have to be a dedicated party worker to get nominated and eventually elected. According to Wilson, it also explains why movie stars could become elected officials, as well. Most democratic societies have open elites hence outsiders have multiple opportunities to enter the elite circle; but there are also democratic societies which require aspiring politicians to serve apprenticeships in local or party politics. This is to prevent just anybody, especially those who are only famous, to get elected without any political experience.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the other hand, closed elites are characteristic of authoritarian regimes wherein membership to the elite is controlled. In practice, however, there are also democratic regimes which also have closed elites, in a sense that ruling elites may hinder other members of the society from obtaining enough political leverage to become one of the political elite. For instance, I want to get in the elite circle because I have sufficient background, knowledge and skills to become a leader, but the circle is controlled and very elitist (snobbish). Do I have other options if I do not get recruited through achievement? Yes, by ascription such as by marrying a member of the elite, as Wilson stresses, or stage a revolt or a coup d’etat to overthrow the ruling elite.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nevertheless, violent successions of the elites usually happen when there is no predictability or long-established rules in the change of leadership. In most advanced political systems, there are approved procedures in the transition and legitimation of leadership that would render the blood spill unnecessary. However, even if Wilson contends that unpredictable successions are common to authoritarian regimes and third world countries, he also cites examples to the contrary. He takes particular exception to the Party politics in China which has proven that orderly manner of succession is possible, even in an authoritarian system. To add to this example are a number of â€Å"illiberal democracies† in Asia wherein rulers could maintain their hold in power, yet such undemocratic rule were long accepted by the people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Wilson also adds that there are other ways to make the elite’s hold on power legitimate such as tradition, charismatic appeal, accepted rational processes, and more importantly, capability of the political elite to deliver its promises to the people. The capability to perform to improve the welfare of the people could be a more powerful factor for legitimacy than election, and thus could make people’s obedience possible even if the rule is considered undemocratic. However, whether in democratic or authoritarian regimes, any elite that would exercise coercive force to command obedience from the people is bound to fail – and that is when we observe violent or tense transitions of political power.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Still, there is always a certain elite or a small group that would be most directly involved in the political processes. Even erstwhile socialist regimes which claimed to promote equality among the people have been ruled by elites, and have in fact used their position to perpetuate themselves in power. The widely-held notion of democracy is that of a representative democracy. As such, it has been a nagging controversy in the studies of elite that even the most democratic systems are not truly democratic because political leadership is in the hands of a representative elite that would never mirror the general citizenry. Wilson has provided enough empirical evidence that those who usually get recruited into the elite are from the middle and upper classes, educated, from dominant societal groups, and male. Even if the elite would recruit from the ranks of the masses, those who would enter the elite would soon acquire the certain values and perspectives that are characteristic of the elite. Thus they get absorbed into the system – and could not possibly reform the system. As such radicals view that only by changing the system itself, say, by supplanting a genuinely socialist one, that political elitism would end. The above proposition is grounded on the assumption that elitism is bad, as Wilson has scrutinized effectively. Breaking down this assumption brings us to the sub-assumptions that firstly, political elites always rules in its own best interests; and that   secondly, the best political representation of a particular group is made by people who are from that group. Wilson debunks these assumptions for lack of sufficient empirical evidence. In the first instance, political elites ruling only on their interests can always be checked in democratic societies. In democratic systems wherein the succession of political power is determined by elections, the ruling elites would have to bend to the wishes of important portions of the population because they would ultimately need their support come election time. Of course, it is also possible that the political elite sincerely care for the people; that is why we now have welfare states and taxation systems that really hurt the rich and benefit the poor. The argument that one can best represent the interests the group where he or she comes from, at all times, may not always hold true since as Wilson explained in the text, new entrants to the elite may change their values by virtue of their position thus may render them useless in advancing his original group or class. A very concrete example would be the socialist Russian revolution which catapulted the working class into power, which in the long run only became a self-seeking and self-defensive class of its own.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus Wilson argues that a pluralist democracy, wherein various interests are articulated and political competition prevents domination of political power of a single set of elites, holds the answer to the controversy that bedevils the political elite. As such, the rule of the elites, per se, is not bad – as long as it is in the context of a working pluralist democracy.

Module 3: Drug Essay

Are drug companies that test experimental drugs in foreign countries acting ethically? In my opinion, a lot of people in foreign countries are uneducated and therefore, may not fully understand the risks, complications and side effects of these experimental drugs. If they do not have the means to adequately research the drug prior to testing it, they may end up doing so without fully understanding what potential side effects are involved. I am not sure how well companies educate these foreign countries and or people involved in the case study. If these people are not educated properly than it is unethical for them to test experimental drugs on them. Is American industry at too much risk of lawsuits to remain competitive? Should companies trying to develop drugs be given immunity from lawsuits? The American industry is at risk for lawsuits. I believe people sue now days for almost anything. However, it is not too much of a risk to remain competitive. America is one of the richest countries in the world. I feel China is our biggest competition. We must continue to advance our technology, enhance our products and services and look for new ideas and inventions in order to remain competitive. There will always be a risk of lawsuits but I do not feel is would stop us from being competitive. Companies trying to develop drugs should not be given immunity from lawsuits. I know that by developing and inventing new drugs, companies are trying to remain competitive and find cures or medicines to help people. However, some of the side effects that are related to these drugs are horrendous and can cause permanent damage. I also understand that most side effects are disclosed to people who take these new drugs however; not all side effects are known with these new drugs and some of them can lead to death. It may not be the company’s intention to cause death or some other serious deficiency but it happens and when it does, the individual should have to right to sue for medical related costs and pain and suffering. Is it ethical for companies to decline to sell a useful drug because they can make more money marketing drugs that are more widely needed? Is it ethical for companies to decline to sell a useful drug in a foreign country because they can make more money marketing the drug elsewhere? I personally feel that it is neither ethical nor unethical for a company to decline to sell a useful drug just because they can make more money marketing drugs that are more widely needed. It really is up to the company what drugs they want to sell  however; if a drug is available that will help people and or cure disease, it should be made available and companies should sell it. From a business stand point I can understand why they would want to market only drugs that are more widely needed as it will make them more money however; by offering or selling drugs that are useful, they will eventually gain more recognition and that could lead to a competitive advantage. As for whether or not it is ethical for companies to decline selling a useful drug in a foreign country because they can make more money marketing the drug elsewhere, I am again neither in agreement or disagreement on this one. It is a company’s chose where and to whom they want to sell drugs to. However, in poor countries, people cannot easily afford anything. Companies would have to reduce their price significantly even by selling in bulk. If they sell to China or other countries that can afford the drugs, I am sure they would do so but they also risk losing money. Do companies have an ethical obligation to make drugs available in poor countries at little or no cost? I personally feel that companies do not have an ethical obligation to make drugs available in poor countries at little or no cost. I certainly can understand that people in other countries have it very hard. A lot of people have little or no money and can barely afford to feed their family and or children let alone afford health care and or drugs. However, by making drugs available at little to no cost, people will be able to sell it and use it illegally creating an even bigger problem. People will smuggle it into the United States as they do now with street drugs. It is unfortunate that people with good intentions who will use the drugs and or medication for what it is prescribe for have to suffer because of those people whose intentions are not so good. Those free and or lost cost drugs will be another way for criminals to make money. I do not think it is a good idea nor do I fee l that companies have any type of moral or ethical obligation to do this.

How do Piagets and Vygotskys theories of learning and development Essay

How do Piagets and Vygotskys theories of learning and development compare regarding the influences of social interactions in childrens cognitive development - Essay Example These theories include Maturationist, Environmentalist and Constructivists ones. These three schools of thoughts have different views and ideas on child development. Piaget and Vygotsky are the pioneers and representatives of the Constructivist school of thought. Both of them have similarities and dissimilarities in their views. Before discussing the three aspects of child development, it is necessary to define cognitive psychology. In the words of Anderson: Cognitive psychology attempts to understand the nature of human intelligence and how people think. The study of cognitive psychology is motivated by scientific curiosity, by the desire for practical applications, and by the need to provide a foundation for other fields of social science. (Anderson, 1990:1) The Swiss biologist Jean Piaget and Russian psychologist Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky were the theorists to advance the constructivist theory of Cognitive development in children. According to which the cognitive development starts in children with their interaction with the environment and people around them. It is necessary for a child’s development, according to them, that he must interact with other individuals of society. The theory is different from the Maturationist school of thought. The Maturationist theorists believe that the cognitive development is a biological process, and all the healthy (normal) children get it as long as they grow physically. The theorists including Arnold Gessel and others believe that the cognitive development occur naturally and automatically. DeCos has quoted their views in these words: School readiness, according to maturationists, is a state at which all healthy young children arrive when they can perform tasks such as reciting the alphabet and counting; these tasks are required for learning more complex tasks such as reading and arithmetic. (DeCos, 1997) On the other hand, constructivists are of the view that development in children is not the outcome of