Simmels versus Du Boiss Theories in the Social Sciences

Throughout history, Georg Simmel and W.E.B. Du Bois have had a substantial influence on imperative theories and concepts developed in the area of social sciences. Two of the most significant and distinguished concepts fostered by both of these theorists are the concepts of â€Å"double consciousness† and â€Å"the stranger†. In this essay, I will be analyzing each of these works to draw upon differences and similarities concerning the two. The resemblances I will be expanding on are the usage of the paradoxical figure, which both theorists discuss in their theories, and the coexisting sensation of division from conventional society. The contrast between the two theories in which I will be exploring is the perception that conventional society†¦show more content†¦He is fixed within a certain spatial circle- or within a group whose boundaries are analogous to spatial boundaries- but his position within it is fundamentally affected by the fact that he does not belong in it initially and that he brings qualities into it that are not, and cannot be, indigenous to it† (Low, 2008). Simmel defines the stranger as one that is both close and far; that is physically close, but socially distant. He disassociates his concept from the understanding of the stranger as one who comes and goes. Rather, the stranger he speaks of in this case is one who comes and stays, but has not been socialized under the same conditions as mainstream society. Despite this, the stranger is not a person who is withdrawn from society and is unaware of social norms. Rather, someone is inorganically appended to the society, but still an organic member of the group (ibid, 149). The stranger is seen as and valuable member of society because it is, in no way connected to any one individual. The stranger holds a certain objectivity, and can be confessed to without the threat of judgment on the confessor (ibid, 145). Simmel believes that the role of stranger is historical ly related to certain forms of economic interaction, particularly trade. Because the role of the stranger is never the owner of land, it takes on the specific character of

Favorable Shocks For Bram And Brazil Case Study - 712 Words

Favorable shocks for LatAm and Brazil The high correlation between commodity price change and asset prices in Latin America is a well-documented fact. Against this backdrop, the recent upturn in the terms of trade for primary products following four years of sharp decline speaks of an increasingly constructive stance of international investors towards the region (Chart I). Getting the causation right, however, is a more daunting task. Conventional wisdom would posit that primary products are a material factor in the value-added creation process in Latin America, hence better terms of trade signify increased corporate earnings, higher ROICs, increased income, stronger GDP performance and a cascade of benign outcomes that increase asset†¦show more content†¦Commodity price shocks account for 77% of the real income variance in Chile.2 Domestic productivity shifts seem to be the most relevant factor causing real income shifts in Peru and Colombia (52% on average), although commodity price changes come at a respectable second place (42% on average). Brazil is an outlier, for the key drivers are local interest rates, domestic productivity and changes in global interest rates (U.S. Treasury bills), which explain 30%, 22% and 20% of real income variance, respectively. Intriguingly, world demand shocks that are not captured by the aforementioned variab les appears to be irrelevant in Latin America and that hints at the region showing asynchrony with global business cycles. Against this backdrop, the recent upturn in global commodity prices is good news for Latin American countries and should lead to an upward revision of expected economic growth. Presently, market consensus foresees a somewhat lackluster 2.5% average real GDP growth for the region from 2018 to 2022. Brazil warrants a more comprehensive review, though. Commodity price changes account for 27% of reported real income variance and improved terms of trade are surely a tail-wind. However, a much larger favorable shock has occurred. The Central Bank’s policy rate (Selic) fell 675 bps over the past 12 months and the impact of the monetary easing is still propagating through the

Census of Population and Housing †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Census of Population and Housing. Answer: Introduction: The indigenous Australians have lived through the country for the estimated time span of 30000 to 45000 years. The indigenous Australians were dependent on land and the water, depending on their place of living. Their dwelling place also determined their skills of hunting, fishing and gathering. The indigenous populations of Australia had been regarded as the earliest migrants from Africa. The place chosen for the essay is the Circular Quay Sydney. The original indigenous inhabitants of Sydney are the Gadigals. They used to inhabit the area, which is now called the Sydney Central Business District. I chose the Gadigals as the central group of indigenous community as they are the oldest community here in Sydney. The Gadigals are a coastal community who lived their life being dependent on the harbor Sherwood, 2013). The city council of Sydney recognized the Gadigal community as the traditional custodian of Sydney. In the metropolitan area of Sydney, there are 29 indigenous clans. The 29 indigenous clans together are called Eora Nations. Gadigals are the part of the Eora Nations. The word Eora means from the place. The British encountered the Eora Nation when to in 1788 on Port Jackson Bay. The places at the harbor where they used to hunt remained a safe site for them. Despite of the continuous clash with the British, the Eora culture survived. The Eora clans have 29 different indigenous group and they spoke different languages. They spoke with coastal dialects, such as, Dharug, Gundungurra, Dharawal, and Guringai. The sociologists disagree about the cultural separateness of the indigenous groups in Eora. They have expressed their doubt about the claim that all the groups, which are listed above spoke the same language in different dialects. According to the evidence, the indigenous groups of the Sydney harbor used different languages and dialects (Warren, 2014). There are many sites in Sydney harbor which have significance. These sites includes- Barangaroo reserve- Millers point First Flag (The place where the British people has raised their flag for the first time). Sydney museum. Cyprus Hellene Club. T2 buliding- Oxford street. This commonwealth Bank building was transformed by an indigenous artist named Reko Rennie. He painted the building in bright pink and designed it with patterns of geometric diamond. This pattern depicts his association to the indigenous group of Kamilaroi. The artist had also wrote some texts at the front side of the building in neon color which reads Always was, always will be. This text depicts the traditional custodianship of the Gadigal people (Koch, 2013). Tribal Warrior tour- This tour is for those people who come to Australia to know more about the traditional indigenous experience before the British invasion. The learning experience includes knowing the idea about the authentic food and fishing, knowing the name of the original landmarks, and hears the indigenous stories. Woodford Bat, Lane Cove. The first people who have populated the area of Sydney are the indigenous people, such as the Gadigals. In Perinth, many ancient indigenous tools have been found (Koch, 2013). It has been found that there were 4000-8000 native people in Sydney from 29 clans. The early visiting Europeans have noted that the indigenous people spent their day by fishing and camping. The Europeans discovered Australia in 1770. Lieutenant James Cook and crew were the first Europeans who discovered Australia. Some months later, they took possession of the coast. They named the coast Botany Bay (Warren, 2014). The British colony was established in Botany Bay at 1788 as the first British fleet arrived there with 11 vessels. The fleet had thousand people. The colony was then moved to Port Jackson. The establishment of British colony gave a negative effect to the indigenous population there. In the early days, the people from the British Colony depleted the local food stocks and introduced some major disease like chicken pox, measles and smallpox amongst the indigenous people (Price, 2012). These diseases easily affected the indigenous people, as they had no immunity against the diseases. An epidemic of Smallpox was spread in 1789 after a French expedition was held which was led by Jean-Franois de Galaup, comte de Laprouse. According to J. L Cohen, about 50% to 90% local tribe members died within three years of British settlement, whereas no child from the British settler group showed the signs of the disease. However, many indigenous people still lives in Sydney and identify themselves as Eora (Warren, 2014). According to the 2016, Census about 79000 people in Sydney has identified themselves as Indigenous. The number increased by estimated 18.5% from the 2011 Census (Abs.gov.au., 2016). The data showed the number of Indigenous people increased significantly in Wollongong, Sydney. The average age group of the indigenous population is also declining as the indigenous population has produced more children than the non-indigenous population. According to the 2016 census, the median age of the indigenous population is 23 (Abs.gov.au., 2016). The Census also shows that the indigenous population is attending school and staying in the education system for a longer time. The socio economical status of the indigenous has also increased. They are earning a little bit more than that of 2011 (Abs.gov.au., 2016). However, on average the personal income of any indigenous person is two third of the non-indigenous population. The number of the indigenous people has also increased as homeowners to nearly 40%. Those homes that have at least one person who identifies himself/herself as indigenous have less certainty to be overcrowded. The indigenous people are also attending school and getting educated (Abs.gov.au., 2016). 16% of population is getting higher education. The NSW Aboriginal land council protects the lands owned by the indigenous community by working according to the Aboriginal Land Right Act (1983) (Alc.org.au., 2017). The land council helps the indigenous community to establish the land acquisition or to establish commercial community schemes, which helps the community to create an economic base. The NSW law states that the healthcare services are equal for the indigenous people and the non-indigenous people (Alc.org.au., 2017). There are many services which helps the indigenous people to help them. One of such service is the fall service, which helps the older indigenous people in the case of fall related injury. One such fall service is available in my locality and it helps the indigenous population. On average, the indigenous population in Sydney is growing very rapidly. As we all know, the natality rate of their population has increased significantly in recent times, especially in Port Jackson Area. The most important fact about the increase is there is almost 10000 people in Sydney who identified themselves as indigenous, was not ready to identify their heritage during the previous census. However, not all these people speak indigenous language at home. I did a quick interview with some of these people and identified that all these people are actually half-indigenous. The indigenous people are also getting education more than earlier. The indigenous population is also getting their children into the education system from early age (Alc.org.au., 2017). Moreover, in the terms of outcome, the indigenous population is progressing day by day Though, there is still some non indigenous people who behaves as a racist and are against them for sharing the same privilege than them. The indigenous people in Australia has been through a lot and they still have sustained there. Sydney is an area which is full of the indigenous population. The number of indigenous people is increasing day by day and they are progressing, but still much progress and change in the mindset of the non-indigenous people must change. References: Abs.gov.au. (2016).2071.0 - Census of Population and Housing: Reflecting Australia - Stories from the Census, 2016.Abs.gov.au. Retrieved 5 October 2017, from https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/2071.0~2016~Main%20Features~Aboriginal%20and%20Torres%20Strait%20Islander%20Population%20Data%20Summary~10 Alc.org.au. (2017).Our Organisation.Alc.org.au. Retrieved 5 October 2017, from https://alc.org.au/about-nswalc/our-organisation.aspx Koch, H. (2013).Aboriginal Placenames: Naming and re-naming the Australian landscape. ANU Press. Price, K. (2012). A brief history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education in Australia.Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education: An introduction for the teaching profession, 1-20. Read, P. (2013). Making Aboriginal history.Australian History Now, 24-39. Sherwood, J. (2013). ColonisationIts bad for your health: The context of Aboriginal health.Contemporary nurse,46(1), 28-40. Warren, C. (2014). Smallpox at Sydney Covewho, when, why?.Journal of Australian Studies,38(1), 68-86. Warren, C. (2014).Was Sydney's smallpox outbreak of 1789 an act of biological warfare against Aboriginal tribes?.Radio National. Retrieved 5 October 2017, from https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/ockhamsrazor/was-sydneys-smallpox-outbreak-an-act-of-biological-warfare/5395050

The Story Of An Hour Irony Essay free essay sample

The Story Of An Hour: Irony Essay, Research Paper The Story of An Hour: Sarcasm In Kate Chopin # 8217 ; s short narrative # 8220 ; The Story of an Hour, # 8221 ; there is much sarcasm. The first sarcasm detected is in the manner that Louise reacts to the intelligence of the decease of her hubby, Brently Mallard. Before Louise # 8217 ; s reaction is revealed, Chopin alludes to how the widow feels by depicting the universe harmonizing to her perceptual experience of it after the # 8220 ; atrocious # 8221 ; intelligence. Louise is said to # 8220 ; non hear the narrative as many adult females have heard the same. # 8221 ; Rather, she accepts it and goes to her room to be entirely. Now the reader starts to see the universe through Louise # 8217 ; s eyes, a universe full of new and pure life. In her room, Louise sinks into a comfy chair and looks out her window. Immediately the image of comfort seems to strike a uneven note. We will write a custom essay sample on The Story Of An Hour Irony Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page One reading this narrative should oppugn the usage of this word # 8221 ; comfy # 8221 ; and why Louise is non crushing the furniture alternatively. Following, the freshly widowed adult females is looking out of the window and sees spring and all the new life it brings. The descriptions used now are as far off from decease as possible. # 8220 ; The delicios breath of rain # 8230 ; the notes of a distant vocal # 8230 ; infinite sparrows were chittering # 8230 ; spots of bluish sky # 8230 ; . # 8221 ; All these are beautiful images of life, the reader is rather confused by this most unusual prefiguration until Louise # 8217 ; s reaction is explained. The widow susurrations â€Å"Free, free, free! † Louise realizes that her hubby had loved her, but she goes on to explicate that as work forces and adult females frequently inhibit eachother, even if it is done with the best of purposes, they exert their ain volitions upon eachother. She realized that although at times she had loved him, she has regained her freedom, a province of beeing that all of G-d # 8217 ; s animals strive for. Although this reaction is wholly unexpected, the reader rapidly accepts it because of Louise # 8217 ; s equal account. She grows excited and Begins to fantasy about life her life for herself. With this realisation, she wishes that # 8220 ; life might be long, # 8221 ; and she feels like a # 8220 ; goddess of Victory # 8221 ; as she walks down the steps. This is an eerie forshadowing for an even more unexpected stoping. The reader has merely accepted Louise # 8217 ; s reaction to her hubby # 8217 ; s decease, when the most unexpected happens ; her hubby is really alive and he enters the room flooring everyone, and Louise particularly, as she is shocked to decease. The sarcasm continues, though, because the physicians say she died of joy, when the reader knows that she really died because she had a glimps of freedom and could non travel back to populating under her hubby # 8217 ; s will once more. In the rubric, the # 8220 ; narrative # 8221 ; refers to that of Louise # 8217 ; s life. She lived in the true sense of the word, with the will and freedom to populate for merely one hr.

f example apple Essay

f example apple Essay f example apple Essay Apple launched its new generation tablet the iPad Air today, describing it as a giant leap forward. The new device is slimmer, lighter, faster and more powerful than the previous model, the computing giant announced. It weighs 1lb, compared to 1.4lb of the iPad 4, and is 7.5mm thin compared to 9.4mm - making it 20% thinner. There is also 43% smaller bezel around the edge of the screen. The iPad Air will be available on November 1 in the UK and many other countries around the world. Apple also unveiled a new iPad mini with a retina display, which will be available later in November. They will both come in silver/white and grey/black versions. Speaking at the Yerba Buena Centre in San Francisco, Apple CEO Tim Cook said: "I couldn't be prouder of both new iPads." He said he could not think of another product that had come so far, so fast, adding: "We want to help our customers create even more amazing stories, because we know this is just the beginning for iPad, and so we've been busy working on the next generation of iPad." Phil Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide marketing described it as a "screaming fast iPad", with faster graphics and wifi access. He described the iPad Air as "a whole new generation" and added: "This is probably our biggest leap forward." The iPad Air will cost from  £399, including VAT, the price for the 16GB WiFi model. The price increases to  £479 for the 32GB model,  £559 for 64GB and  £639 for 128GB. The WiFi Cellular versions will be  £100 more expensive in each case. It will be the lightest full-sized tablet in the world, according to Apple. "When you hold it, it will be a dramatically different experience," said Mr Schiller. He said every possible hundredth of an inch had been shaved off to make it so thin. "To make an iPad this thin took a huge amount of work, over years," he added. "The first time you pick it up and feel it yourself, you will understand why we're so excited about it." It has a 9.7 inch retina display and an A7 chip inside, with over a billion transistors. It offers a twofold increase in rendering, is twice as fast at opening files and has double the graphics performance of the iPad 4. Other key features include a new FaceTime HD camera and dual microphones. The iPad Air will have the same 10-hour battery life as its predecessor. The new iPad mini costs from  £319, for the WiFi 16GB version, rising to  £399 for 32GB,  £479 for 64GB and  £559 for 128GB. Again, the cost for the WiFi cellular version is  £100 extra in each case. The new version of the iPad mini has the same 2048x1536 pixels of the iPad Air and the same apps will run on each. It is also powered by the A7 chip, which Mr Schiller described as "a big jump in performance". It will be up to four times faster at graphics than the first generation model. It will also have double the WiFi speed and expanded support for broadband wireless networks, like the iPad Air. The cost of the original iPad mini has been lowered to a starting price of  £249 for the 16GB version, with the cost  £349 for the WiFi cellular model. Mr Schiller said this was the lowest price ever. The iPad 2 will now cost  £329 for WiFi with 16GB, and  £429 with 3G. A range of new covers and cases for

The 7 Types of Weather in a High Pressure System

The 7 Types of Weather in a High Pressure System Learning to forecast the weather means understanding the type of weather associated with an approaching high-pressure zone. A high-pressure zone is also known as an anticyclone. On a weather map, a blue letter H is used to symbolize a zone of pressure that is relatively higher than the surrounding areas. Air pressure is typically reported in units called millibars or inches of mercury. The origin of a high-pressure zone will determine the type of weather to come. If a high-pressure zone moves in from the south, the weather is usually warm and clear in the summer. However, a high-pressure zone originating from the north will usually bring cold weather in the winter months. One common mistake is to think all high-pressure zones bring warm and nice weather. Cooler air is dense and has more air molecules per unit of volume making it exert more pressure on the surface of Earth. Therefore, the weather in a high-pressure zone is generally fair and cool. An approaching high-pressure zone doesn’t cause the stormy weather associated with low-pressure zones.Winds blow away from a high-pressure zone. If you think of the wind like a squeezed balloon, you can imagine that the more pressure you put on the balloon, the more air will be pushed away from the source of the pressure. In fact, wind speeds are calculated based on the pressure gradient produced when air pressure l ines called isobars are drawn on a weather map. The closer the isobar lines, the higher the wind speed. The column of air above a high-pressure zone is moving downwards. Because the air above the high-pressure zone is cooler higher in the atmosphere, as the air moves downward, a lot of the clouds in the air will dissipate.Due to the Coriolis effect, winds in a high-pressure zone blow clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. In the United States, the prevailing winds move from West to East. Looking on a weather map, you can generally predict the type of weather heading your way by looking towards the west.Weather in a high-pressure system is usually drier. As the sinking air increases in pressure and temperature, the number of clouds in the sky decreases leaving less chance for precipitation. Some avid fishermen even swear by a rising barometer to get their best catches! Although the scientific community has had no luck in proving this tidbit of weather folklore many people still believe fish will bite better in a high-pressure system. Still, other fishermen think fish bite better in stormy weather, which is why a fishing barometer is a popular addition to a tackle box. The speed at which air pressure increases will determine the type of weather an area can expect. If the air pressure rises very quickly, the calm weather and clear skies will generally be over as quickly as they came. An abrupt rise in pressure can indicate a short-lived high-pressure zone with a stormy low-pressure zone behind it. That means you can expect clear skies followed by a storm. (Think: What goes up, must come down) If the rise in pressure is more gradual, a persistent period of calm may be seen for several days. The speed at which the pressure changes over time is called the pressure tendency.Reduced air quality is common in a high-pressure zone. The wind speeds in a high-pressure zone tend to decrease because, as discussed above, the winds move away from a high-pressure zone. This can cause pollutants to build up near the area of the high-pressure zone. Temperatures will often increase leaving behind favorable conditions for chemical reactions to occur. The presence of f ewer clouds and warmer temperatures make the perfect ingredients for the formation of smog or ground-level ozone. Ozone Action Days are also often common during periods of high pressure. Visibility will often decrease in an area as a result of increased particulate pollution. High-pressure systems are usually called Fair Weather Systems because the 7 types of weather in a high-pressure zone are generally comfortable and clear. Keep in mind that high and low pressures mean the air is under higher or lower pressure relative to the surrounding air. A high-pressure zone can have a reading of 960 millibars (mb). And a low-pressure zone can have a reading of 980 millibars for example. The 980 mb is clearly a greater pressure than the 960 mb, but it is still labeled a low when stated in comparison to the surrounding air. So, when the barometer is rising expect fair weather, decreased cloudiness, possible reduced visibility, reduced air quality, calmer winds, and clear skies. You may also want to learn more by checking out how to read a barometer. Sources Newton BBS Ask-a-Scientist ProgramThe Environmental Protection Agency

Security Analysis and Portfolio Management Assignment

Security Analysis and Portfolio Management - Assignment Example It was originated in USA and the first credit rating agency was set up in New York. Credit rating can be defined as the way of evaluating the credit worth of a debtor. According to Moody’s a rating is an opinion on the future ability and legal obligation of the issuer to make timely payments of principal and interest on a specific fixed income security (Gurusamy, 2009, p.88-89). In general, the evaluation of the various securities is done by the credit rating agencies regarding the ability of the debtor to pay back the financial obligations and the probability of becoming a defaulter. In addition, credit rating is also used by the individuals and business ventures that purchase bonds which are issued by the government and companies in order to determine the possibility that company or the government will fulfill its bond obligations. The credit rating is based on the records of earlier repayment and borrowing. Apart from that, the credit rating is also done on the basis of the company’s availability of assets and liabilities. ... Some of the factors are convenient and some are inconvenient. A poor credit rating of the companies or the government indicates that they have high chances of not fulfilling the obligations. A credit rating also highlights about the credit quality and credit risk. The desirable characteristics of a credit rating are as follows: - Specificity: - The rating is in accordance with or specific to the debt instrument. Relativity: - The rating is based on the willingness and the relative capability of the instrument issuer to service the obligations of the debt specific to the terms of the contract. Guidance: - The credit rating is aimed to provide guidance to the investors regarding the credit risk associated with an investment. Qualitative and Quantitative: - In order to determine the credit grade, both qualitative as well as quantitative factors are used. The judgment made is however qualitative in nature. Not a Recommendation: - The rating does not provide any kind of recommendations to hold, buy or sell the instruments. This is because of the fact that credit rating does not take into consideration factors such as personal risk preferences, market prices and other factors that may impact the investment decision. Broad Parameters: - The credit rating is based on some of the parameters of information provided by the issuer and information collected from other sources. No Guarantee: - The rating as provided by the agency does not provide any assurance for the accuracy and completeness of the information regarding the factors of rating. The increasing importance and stupendous growth of crediting rating system has been mainly due to the globalization of the credit market, moving trends towards the privatization, due to the withdrawal

An Evaluation of Sun Microsystems Consolidated Balance Sheet Essay

An Evaluation of Sun Microsystems Consolidated Balance Sheet - Essay Example On one hand this shows a healthy sign. However the lower profitability has offset the advantage resulting from the reduced debts. This trend indicates that the company will face liquidity problem in the near future if necessary steps are not taken to improve the profitability. The current ratio for the year 2001 is showing an increasing trend. This is due to the increased inventory level the company is holding. When the quick ratios is compared between the years 2000 and 2001 it can be observed that there is a sharp decline in this ratio implying that the short term liquidity position of the company has deteriorated over the year as most of the funds are locked up in inventory. This can also be seen from the reduction in the inventory turnover ratio which has decline from 28.22 in the year 2000 to 17.40 in the year 2001. This means that the company has locked up more liquid funds in inventory which is affecting the liquidity of the company. It is observed that there is a sharp decline in all the profitability ratios. The operating income of the company has declined from 15.22% in the year2000 to 7.18% in the year 2001. This is due to the increase in the cost of sales which is at 55% for the year 2001 (48% for 2000). Further the increase in the expenses like amortization of goodwill and research and development expenses have also contributed to the lower operating and net income. Since the profitability of the company is less during the year 2001 it has resulted in a lower ROA and ROE. The company has issued additional common stock in the year 2001 which has increased the equity and when the lower profitability applied on higher shareholder equity the ROE has shown a sharp decline from 25.37% in the year 2000 to 8.76% in the year 2001. There is no decrease in the long term liabilities of the company in the year 2001. This implies the company has

Electronic Wastes Essay Example for Free

Electronic Wastes Essay E-Waste or Waste Of Electronic and Electrical Equipment has been known to contain more than 20 hazardous substances including lead, mercury and PCB’s (Polychlorobiphenyls). In the recent times e-waste has risen through the ranks of most harmful and destructive materials and has become the cause of worry for the entire world. With technology always a blink of an eye away there is always something swankier, better, and fancier than our present monitor, mobile set, and television. Just spare a thought to where all our discarded electronics go to and the mind goes boggling. Well, at the time of manufacturing some precious metals as well as toxic materials are used to prepare most of the flashy gadgets that we use. While during recycling the precious metals are refurbished and reused, the toxic materials on the other hand like lead, mercury and plastic are disposed or burnt. These substances when burned or disposed incorrectly release carcinogenic substances into air which have their own dire consequences. As e-waste is presently concentrated in the informal (unorganized) sector therefore it also results in occupational hazards and loss of resources due to inefficient processes. In Asia alone millions of computers are disposed each month, and add to this some other micro electronics like tube lights, electric bulbs, lightening equipments and the list grows quite fat but what percent of them are disposed properly to facilitate complete recycling or in a way the environment, well, the numbers aren’t very encouraging. Though there are certain plastics which can be recycled up to eight times but they require certain machineries to initiate the process and finish it neatly and completely. Those machineries are quite sophisticated and expensive and are mainly manufactured in china and Japan. Due to these blockages e-waste has become quite an important and at the same time a problematic issue. E-waste as such is not hazardous waste per-se. However, the hazardous constituents present in the e-waste render it hazardous when such wastes are dismantled and processed, since it is only at this stage that they pose hazard to health and environment. Some important constituents of e-waste are given below- ELECTRONIC ITEM CONSTITUENTS 1. Printed circuit boards Lead and Cadmium 2. Cathode ray tubes Lead oxide and Cadmium 3. Switches and flat screen monitors Mercury 4. Computer batteries Cadmium 5. Capacitors and transformers Poly-chlorinated-bi-phenyls 6. Cable insulation/coating Poly vinyl chloride 7. Plastic casings cable Retardant (Source: Power Systems By J. B. Gupta) Most of the constituents stated in the above list are non-recyclable but through efficient use of technology they can be reused up to a certain extent. In today’s hi-tech world one can’t really alienate himself to the latest technology especially in the field of electronics and as it is said, that today’s world is moving at a supersonic speed and if you can’t update yourself to its demands then it is bound to leave you light years away, and also one can’t shy away from the fact that if the waste recycling system works at its present pace then the entire world might soon have to face the fierce fury of the mother nature. Though e-waste recycling is expected to rapidly change with formal recyclers setting up operations but a lot of work needs to be done at the ground level. Recycling operations should engage in dismantling, sale of dismantled parts, valuable resource recovery and export of processed waste for precious metal recovery to countries like Japan and China. But one thing that must be kept in mind during recycling is that the main work is to be done during processing as e-waste is distinct as it is an end of consumption waste while hazardous waste results from a distant industrial process. The e-waste chain is rather complex as it involves multiple players-producers, distributors, retailers, end consumers, collection system and recyclers while hazardous waste chain involves only the occupier/generator and the operator. From the word operator I hazily remember a story I heard in high school about an e-junkyard owner and a chief operational head of an electronics company who handled recycled components department. The owner and the chief had met through an old acquaintance and had kept in touch following their common interests in cricket and chess. The owner was well known in his circle for his sharpness of repartee and tricky common sense something which the chief was unaware of. Once while playing chess with the chief the owner commented that the sales have nose-dived in the recent times due to less number of people now opting for recycling their e-wastes. The chief in turn replied that since he and the owner were good friends so he could help him bag some contracts from his company to recycle the e-waste if only he could beat him at the game of chess. The owner obliged but put forward a small demand that was to be completed if he won. There were no surprises when the owner won but after the game when the chief came to terms with the gravity of the loss he almost fainted. The so called small demand of the owner spilled like hot volcano magma on the face of the chief. The demand was as follows: The owner agreed to play the game of chess but only on one condition that the contract with the company should include a clause indicating the number of e-wastes he would acquire to recycle and then he devised a method to calculate the thus required number. This method involved a chess board on which the number of e-wastes that should be given to him were to be counted. He demanded that firstly he be given only two e-components to be placed on the first square of the chess board. The second lot was to be placed on the second square and the number of e-components he be given, doubled. Therefore on each subsequent square of the chess board the number doubled and at the half way mark the number of e-components reached an astonishingly high figure of fifty million. Fifty million and still counting, the chief has till date not been able to pay for the contracts he had promised to the owner in a light mood. So, what we conclude from above is that there’s no need to panic even in the worst of times. Even if we start investing in e-recycling today we can leave a better future for our coming generations. Also, the governments around the world must ensure that their industries adhere to e-waste (Management and Handling) rules under the environment protection act and put in place an effective mechanism to regulate the generation, collection, storage, transportation, import, export, environmentally sound recycling, treatment and disposal of e-waste. This includes refurbishment, collection system and producer responsibility thereby reducing the wastes destined for final disposal. The different e-waste fractions are processed to directly useable components and to secondary raw materials in a variety of refining and conditioning processes. Solid waste is deposited in a municipal landfill. Systematic gas and water collecting systems are not installed; hence significant emissions to water and air are caused. The site is crowded with informal waste pickers. Works Cited Theraja, B. L. â€Å"Electrical Technology† Volume II. Gupta, J. B. â€Å"Electronic Devices And Circuits† , Katson Books. Gupta, J. B. â€Å"Power Systems† , Katson Books. Technologies Applied in New Delhi. http://ewasteguide. info/technologies_applied_in_new_delh

Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Oedipus the King - Oracles and Prophecy :: Oedipus the King Oedipus Rex

Oedipus:   Oracles and Uncontrollable Fate  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   King Laios the ruler of Thebes, has a son with his wife Queen Iocoste. His name is Oedipus. The soothsayer Teiresias, a loyal servant to the King and Queen tells them some disturbing news. Teiresias tells King Laios and Queen Iocoste that their son, Oedipus will kill his father and marry his mother. The king and queen make a decision to take the baby boy up to a mountain far away from the town. King Laios gives the baby to a servant and instructs him to bind the babies ankles and leave him on the mountain side to perish. The servant follows his instructions but instead of leaving the boy on the mountain side he gives him to a shepherd and makes him promise to take the boy to a far away place. This is how King Laios and Queen Iocaste try to avoid their fate. They are threatened by the existence of their son so they try to have him killed, to end their problem. However this plan, almost foolproof does not work. The shepherd brings the baby boy back to his city and gives him to King Polybus because the King and Queen could not have a child. Oedipus grows up as the son of Polybus and Merope. When Oedipus was a young man he was told that he was not his father’s son. He tires to dismiss this horrible accusation as that of a drunken man, but it always bothered him. One day Oedipus decides to go to the Oracle to see his knowledge of Oedipus’ birth. The oracle tells Oedipus his fate is the death of his father by his own hands and that he will marry his mother. He does not answer the original question Oedipus asked as to who his true parents are. Upon hearing this Oedipus decides to leave the city and never return as long as his parents (Polybus, Merope) are still alive. Oedipus is running from his fate as he leaves the city and heads far from there. On his travel down the road he encounters a chariot drawn by horses and they force him off the road, and as the charioteer went by Oedipus hits him, the man swings back. Oedipus hits him with a blow that knocks him out of the chariot, and the man falls dead to the ground.

Behavior List

Sternberg’s theory of intelligence states that intelligence is made up of three components; analytical intelligence refers to the ability for understanding and assessing ideas and for problem-solving and decisions making. Creative intelligence refers to the person’s ability to create new and interesting ideas and practical intelligence is the ability of individuals to transform their environment or themselves to realize their goals.These three intelligences is what Sternberg refer to as successful intelligence, which means that this intelligences can ensure that a person will become successful in his/her life within his/her sociocultural context (Sternberg, 1999). Sternberg’s theory has been borne out of his researches on intelligence wherein he found that most people had the capacity to work with math problems, number equations and to reason logically in practical situations but failed in traditional intelligence tests (Sternberg, 2000).He also reported that the context at which intelligence is viewed is an important determining factor for measuring intelligence (Sternberg, 2004); he found that Kenyan children scored well on indigenous intelligence tests but did poorly in western intelligence tests. Lastly, he also observed that when creative and practical intelligence is integrated into the definition of intelligence, the group of Yale students corresponding to these intelligences became more diverse in terms of race, background, sex and socioeconomic status than the traditional concept of intelligence (Sternberg, 2004).Taking into consideration Sternberg’s theory of intelligence, I found that my list of everyday intelligence did correspond to his definition of intelligence. My everyday intelligence list includes doing the laundry, cooking, and gardening, following directions and bargaining. People who cook well seem to know the correct amount of ingredients to put in the dish and yet might not get good scores in tests of fractions and ratios, then those who are excellent gardeners know when the weather is just right for sowing or when to transfer the seedlings to the pots but cannot actually explain humidity and soil content.Doing the laundry also takes the ability to know how much soap goes with what type of cloth and the temperature of the water, but I am sure that they would not answer a math problem of the same variables. Following directions is also an everyday intelligence because it involves abstract thinking and imagery and a sense of direction.Now most people could find an address based on landmarks and street names but the same person would have difficulty working on pattern recognition and sequencing and bargaining is an ability that takes rapid computational skills to calculate the discount of the item or to assess how much one is willing to pay for an item. When intelligence is defined according to Sternberg’s concepts I then realize that intelligence is not just about perceiving relation ships and analogies but it is being able to make use of ones strengths and abilities to become successful at life.Practically speaking, the person who knows how to cross the street safely arrives at their destinations and is more able to achieve their goals. Sternberg also emphasized that intelligence is defined in terms of the sociocultural context of the individual thus a fisherman who knows the ocean and the types and behaviors of fishes cannot be called unintelligent if he fails in an intelligence test because as a fisherman those are what constitute intelligence.References Sternberg, R. (1996). Successful Intelligence. New York: Simon & Schuster. Sternberg, R. , Forsythe, G. & Hedlund, J. (2000). Practical Intelligence in Everyday Life. New York: Cambridge University Press. Sternberg, R. (2004). Why we need to explore development in its cultural context. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly 50; 3, pp. 369-386. Sternberg, R. (2004). Successful intelligence in the classroom. Theory Into Prac tice 43; 4, pp. 274-280

History of Psychology and concepts of human nature Essay

Since the beginning of the human civilization, there have been continuous efforts to explore the various complexities confounded in the human nature by our various philosophers. They have tried to bring out the various notions like fusion, interactions, integration or systems in relation to their environment and society. The study of the human nature began with various theories formulated by our classical economists like Sophists, and their contemporaries Socrates and Plato and then Aristotle. But before that, Thabes of Miletus of Greek (600 BC) studied the nature of Universe to predict solar eclipse. It is ardently clear that before the philosophical disposition towards the study of human beings started, philosophers were more delving into the mysteries of nature. Sophists were the first to fully formulate the study of human nature. Between 430 to 420, Antiphone in his essay â€Å"On Truth†, said that all men belong to human race, they are all fixed and in nature, they are all same whether they are non Hellenes or Hellenes. Other Sophists too described human nature as a â€Å"static essence†. (Reinhold 2002) They developed their concept while explaining their self -interestedness as the main essence of their human nature. Hippias too stated that, â€Å"it is human nature for the stronger to rule the weaker and to lead, and for the weaker to submit and follow†. (Reinhold 2002) Plato disagreed with this and stated that this law did not take into consideration the law for creation of humans, which they called nomos. He also always criticized relativism of knowledge and skepticism of Sophists. For Sophists, nothing existed and if there was something then, it was impossible for us to know it and if we knew it, we could not explain it. Plato explaining Sophists believed that â€Å"Man is the measure of all things, of those that are in so far as they are, and those that are not in so far as they are†. (Dillon 2003) He also did not agree on their conception of self-interestedness. He said that by understanding the man as self interested, Sophists had undermined morality, which is as much part of the human endeavors. All knowledge is based on contingent facts based on specific situation. Plato saw man’s nature as rational and civilized society must follow rational principles. Plato and Socrates both said that irrational desire should not over power reason. Following on the steps of Plato and Socrates, Aristotle too believed human as possession of two souls: the philosophical/ theoretical and the rational. Aristotle further stated that human nature could be divided into two parts: firstly â€Å"drives† and secondly â€Å"capacities†. (Leahy 2000) Human Nature cannot be defined as a nature of one person but for all human races on this Earth. There are some elements in human behavior which are common to all human beings, and by closely observing the actions of the people, one can see the reflection of this combined element of human behavior. Many philosophers consider this human nature as consisting of element which they called ‘power’ and it is this power that makes the humans behave in a way they ought to behave. For e. g. All human beings eat and it is hunger that induces humans to eat therefore hunger is a power and is common behavior in all human beings. There are two types of Powers- basic and secondary, for instance aggressive power is a basic power in humans, which might lead to aggressive conduct in normal situations. All living things Aristotle said are imbibed with inbuilt potentialities and it is natural among human beings to develop that potentialities to the full and from here arises the another question: what, however, is the potentiality of human beings? And the obvious answer to this question is the capacity to reason and to always strive to develop their power of reason is the ultimate aim of humans. The ability to reason is the best capacity and the power given to humans by nature and they should use it to the full capacity to make their life better. This power of reasoning enables humans to grasp their world around and this reasoning power starts with the children at young age. From the young age, they see in their behavior both the stability and change. Stability in the sense that they adopt themselves according to their environment yet see themselves modifying the environment and their behavior on the basis of their reasoning power which allows them to grow morally and physically. As compared to it, Jean Piaget of Switzerland born in 1896 studied the cognitive development of children in his what is known as Piaget’s theory to come up with the conclusion that children are not less intelligent than elders are. Children establish around themselves cognitive structures like mental maps, schemes, or networked concepts to better understand and reciprocate to his physical surroundings. With their most established inherent abilities, they try to modify themselves with their environment. But centuries later Freud contradicted this theory into notion that development takes place in the individual in the same way as in the other species like psychosexual changes in biological terms. Thomas Hobbes had been adequately presumed as most intricate materialistic philosopher who disbelieved in the concept that children are adoptable naturally to their surroundings. He believed that human beings are not free and they have to follow the pattern of this materialistic world of today. In Levathian in 1651, he said that, â€Å"Man is not naturally good but naturally a selfish hedonist —of the voluntary acts of every man, the object is some good to himself. † (Fonseca Online) All human beings are inherently selfish. Rene Descartes was a French philosopher and a mathematician (1596 to 1650) who delivered his voice on human nature when Renaissance was at its peak. He was the father of modern philosophy and believed that the essence of human nature lies in thought process and all things that we see or perceive are ultimately true. He had an ardent belief that it is the human reason or the power of reasoning that induces humans to entertain the certain knowledge and truth. Thomas Hobbes discovered the human nature more from his philosophical eyes and through his study on child development whereas Rene Descartes adopted scientific approach. As compared to Thomas, Descartes believed that truth could only be discovered through the process called as radical skepticism and analytical reasoning. He further said that the â€Å"Essence of human nature lies in thought, and that all the things we conceive clearly and distinctly are true. † (Cottingham 1986) Centuries later Karl Marx conveyed the society having a concrete definite pattern with a social formation, but with an interdependent economic, political, legal and cultural levels with several parts of modes of production and it is the relationship between these different modes of production that runs the society. Both Thomas and Karl Marx believed the nature and human behavior surrounding the concept of materialist wealth. During the Renaissance period, the scientific and technological developments lured the intricate selfish nature of human beings with the abundance of materialistic wealth at their disposal. Human behavior is not fixed but fluctuating and since centuries human beings have been cultivating their behavior according to the changes in the society and in the global world. Man is a social animal and it is ultimately the interaction between the man and his economical, social and political position on which his behavior depends. All the theories and studies on the human nature since the Greek time had been adopted and materialized looking at the adaptive nature of man to its surroundings and in the society in which he or she is living. Whether it is Sophists visualization of man as static personalities or Plato’s concept of man as rational or civilized or Aristotle’s man with great inherent capabilities, or Thomas Hobbes’s conception of man as selfish hedonistic or Descartes rational man and Karl Marx’s man as inherently and inborn social animal interdependent on society, all philosophers were the mouth pieces of their contemporary societies. And the study of the human nature has always been the study of society at large in context to the study of their relationships with their surroundings.

Most Fun Classes to Take in College

Most Fun Classes to Take in College Certain college courses have a bad rap. You know the ones: Organic Chemistry, Quantum Mechanics, Calculus III. Not to say that college students are lazy or that doing something difficult isn’t worthwhile but, with these classes, you’ve really got to want it. Take many of the same topics that make upper level Sociology (or Literature or Math) so unappealing and approach them from a different angle and you’ve got students lining up around the block to sign up. You have to admit that The Sociological Implications of Tattoos in American Popular Culture makes sociology sound down-right interesting. Below are eight more classes we’d stand in line for. The Art of Walking The Art of Walking is about more than just walking – although ambulation does play a major role in the course work. The Art of Walking weaves together pedestrian travel, history, philosophy, and sight-seeing into a course that’s about more than the sum of its parts. Tree Climbing This course teaches students how to get into the canopy of a tree, climb around, even to move from one tree to another without getting back to the ground. Students will also learn how to use technical climbing gear and ropes to reach the top of any tree. At the end of the course you will be able to reach any heights! Age of Piracy For those interested in learning more about the art of pirating, this course offers a detailed examination into the real, often unappealing, lives of pirates. Not all of them were as exciting and romantic, as the life of Captain Jack Sparrow. Lego Robotics Children all over the world are familiar with Legos and all the wonderful things they can build with the plastic toy. Now, a college course investigates how these bricks can be used to build real robots. What robot would YOU like to build? Game of Thrones The immensely popular television show based on George R.R. Martin’s popular books is now a college class. This course aims to teach students how the skills that are used to study literature can be put to use examining television as well. Also find out what the book-to-screenplay adaptation process is like. Nuthin’ but a â€Å"G† Thang This course examines hip-hop masters such as Run DMC, Nas, TuPac, Biggie, Snoop, Dre, Scarface, Wu-Tang Clan, DJ Screw, A Tribe Called Quest, and Grandmaster Flash in an attempt to learn about the history and variety of the genre and its effect on the music industry and culture. The class covers artists from all periods and the major genres within hip hop beginning with its roots with the Grandmaster Flash and Sugar Hill Gang all the way to Lil Wayne, and everything in between. Ice Cream Short Course Learn all the small details of ice cream manufacturing and witness the creation of this delicious treat as it goes from cow to cone. The program instructs students in the fine points of ice cream making on a commercial level. There might also be some practical studies where you can actually take a bite! Feminist Perspectives: Politicizing Beyonce This course focuses on how Beyonce has used her lyrics and celebrity status to illustrate issues regarding sexuality, female empowerment and gender. The course includes readings by prominent black feminists including Bell Hooks and Octavia Butler. The Science of Superheroes Comic book readers around the world are already familiar with discussing the finer points of Superman’s flight. The reality of the Silver Surfer has been debated for decades and Wolverine’s claws is always a popular topic at parties. Now the discussion and debate has moved from basement to college classroom and students can do it for college credit. The Science of Superheroes uses the popular genre to teach real lessons about physics. Though you probably wouldn’t want to pursue a Ph.D. in the art of walking, it certainly could make for a fun way to satisfy you physical education requirement. And though you might not major in Game of Thrones, it could be an interesting way to fulfill the Literature part of your degree. Keep an eye out for these interesting classes, give them a try, and you might learn more than you think.

How to Write A Bestselling Novel From a Characters Viewpoint

How to Write A Bestselling Novel From a Characters Viewpoint Show Don’t Tell: Write from Your Character's Viewpoint Last updated: 07/10/2017This is a guest post by Kristen Stieffel, a writing coach specializing in speculative fiction. She has edited nonfiction, Bible studies, and novels for the general market and the Christian submarket and teaches at writers conferences.Last time, we looked at narrators in fiction and likened viewpoint to a camera. The narrator is like a cameraman, recording events. His voice is distinct from those of the characters. The narrator acts as an intermediary between reader and character. If we give the viewpoint â€Å"camera† to the characters, we eliminate the middleman, producing a deeper bond with readers.Follow Reedsy and Kristen Stieffel on Twitter: @ReedsyHQ and @KristenStieffelWhat viewpoint do you use for your fiction? Have you tried writing from your characters' point of view? Leave us your thoughts, or any questions for Kristen, in the comments below!

National Romanticism in Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

National Romanticism in Music - Essay Example Nationalism occurred in the nineteenth century and there was an interesting integration of Romanticism and Nationalism (Miles, 1985). On the one hand, this weird conglomerate is beyond music, but on the other hand, the glimpses of these two trends concerned music as well as other spheres of human activities. The oppressed nations needed inspiration, but they were looking for a place of sentiments. Nationalism can be interpreted as the leading idea of people’s spirit. A feeling of elevation and progress can be heard in the musical developments of the composers around the world. Nationalism and Romanticism in Music Gradually, nationalists were transformed into the â€Å"citizens of the world†. Nationalism was more aggressive and the oppressed nations wanted to have some changes. The change in music was obvious. After 1860 the leading world’s composers managed to reflect their feelings and emotions, combined them with inspirations of their nations and create musical masterpieces. National music in different countries always reflects peculiarities and specific features of nations. For example, the Italian composers have been always recognized as opera creators. Puccini is a great opera composer. The greatest oriental motifs of Madam Butterfly, the comedy of Gianni Schicci and the Romance of La Boheme reflect the uniqueness of the composer (Miles, 1985). He composed his operas with the greatest inspiration and he showed his outstanding masterful skills. The period of national Romanticism flourished in Italy, but there were not outstanding talents of this period in England. The personality of the Baroque composer Henry Purcell can be mentioned as the creator of unique melodies and authentic music.  

Amnesia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Amnesia - Essay Example There are other details of amnesia of this kind which vary according to different conditions. In contrast functional or psychological amnesia has been classically retrograde meaning the person is not able to recollect past experience. With the recent surge in awareness of relation between body, cognition, intellect, and mind, a newer branch of science, namely, cognitive neuropsychiatry examines this psychic disease process more intensely. In this assignment two articles, one from the news or popular lay media and the other from scientific experimental literature will be examined critically in order to find out the scientific information and knowledge update related to psychological amnesia with the basic research hypothesis, although no organic brain lesion has been demonstrated in functional amnesia, there is a solid scientific basis and cause effect relationship for this type of amnesia. Killian (2009) in his article titled "Amnesia put her life on hold; now, she's graduating" in May 15, 2009, NewsRecord describes the case of Marshall, who following a bout of viral encephalitis in the senior year of her high school had amnesia. This followed an illness of high fever, followed by loss of memories. The author quotes Marshall's experience of sudden loss of memory, which led to loss of all touch to her old and acquainted environment, and following this incident, she could not remember anything of her past life, and it was something like "first memory of the world" at all. She could not recognize any one in her family, but she could remember habitual works such as "tying the lace of my shoes." This illness led to her admission to the hospital where her stay lasted for 7 days. During this time, it was diagnosed that the infection involved certain areas of brain where certain types of memories and skills were affected. After coming back home, the previously used practiced tasks were difficult to do, and she needed help in her household chores. There was obviously an identity crises where she failed to recognize herself, family, or even personal things as her own. Her academic achievements in the school before this incident were outstanding, both in studies and extracurricular activities. She had been a outgoing student at North Iredell High School. She was a musician and a drum major in the school band. After this incident, she was withdrawn and shy, and her former friends appeared to her as strangers, and this led to considerable alienation. There was obviously a change in her personality, but her amnesia contributed to it in a greater extent. Her mother pursued her educations, and since she had enough credits from her school, with her grades she was accepted in many schools. On the day of her high school graduation she could not make out what is graduation, and how it was important for her, although her family was very happy for her. A break came while she followed a program Starting Over, when she decided not to join college and decided that she will have to rebuild her connections with the real world. She was growing but very slowly, and in this reality TV show, she came to realize what she had lost and how she can progress in her life with new goals. Meanwhile, she joined college with her brother, and she decided to major in communications. She is expected to graduate soon. This news is a report of an incident where the author has taken poetic license.

Compare my experience in taking an online course versus that of a Essay

Compare my experience in taking an online course versus that of a traditional classroom course - Essay Example , weigh the facts, make connections and use this information to achieve a wide variety of outputs, the â€Å"acquisition of skills, knowledge and attitudes† (Boradbent, 2002: 111) that makes a successful learner. For me, a rich learning experience is found whenever it becomes possible for students to be actively engaged in the learning process. This happens when the knowledge to be gained is transmitted in a way that encourages students to apply various learning techniques to the material thus making it possible for them to achieve lifelong learning in whatever area they choose. However, as more and more colleges begin to offer online courses, it is important to compare the level of learning that can be achieved in these classes as compared with more traditional environments. Before it is possible to determine which learning environment would be best for me, I first underwent a process of discovering my own personal learning style. This was a difficult process because I didn’t seem to have any one way in which I learned best. David Kolb suggested that there are basically four different types of learning styles used by the majority of students to differing degrees. Within his classification system, I recognized two methods that particularly applied to my individual learning style including the diverger and the accommodator (Kolb, 2002: 114). What helps me to learn best is when I find myself in an open environment where discussions can take place without being afraid of offending and where ideas can be explored. However, there are times when even this is not exactly the best option for me as I just need to engage in some passive activity, learning from other people’s ideas. This is not unusual as Boradbent indicates, â€Å"learning styles ar e not cast in concrete. Learners are not always hooked on one style† (2002: 115). At the most basic level, I agree with Mel Silberman (cited in Boradbent, 2002: 115) who says that the most effective learning

The benefits of trade openness to developing countries

The benefits of trade openness to developing countries Trade openness is beneficial to a developing country not only to foster foreign investment and technology transfer, but also to reduce poverty and child labour and to encourage human capital accumulation Introduction Trade liberalisation and integration of domestic economy to the world economy (although widely debated) has long been touted as one of the most suitable ways of inclusive economic development of third world countries. The proponents of globalisation often cite the stupendous economic growth of Asian countries like Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and Singapore and emerging economies like China and India as success stories of globalisation. Moreover, the initial notion of trade openness of developing countries, largely motivated by access to FDI and technology transfers from developed countries, has also been linked to rapid economic growth and in turn to reduction in poverty and child labour in those countries. The issues of poverty, child labour, education and employability, health and housing, and basic infrastructure development are central challenges to all developing countries; however, the issue of poverty and child labour is most appalling. Chen and Ravallion (2004) reported tha t as per estimates in 2001 about half of the developing world population (approx. 2.7 billion) survive on US$2 or less per day and a fifth of the total population (approx 1.2 billion) survive on a dollar or less per day. ILO (2002a) estimated that approximately 211 million children in the age group of 5-14, in 2000, were involved in some form of employment worldwide. There has been no disagreement that poverty alleviation is the ultimate aim of economic policies but the more suitable way to achieve this goal is ardently argued and there seems no agreement on that. One of the important questions that have been consistently raised in development economics is Does poor gain from high economic growth irrespective of its characteristics? There are two opinions on that. The opponents of globalisation argue that trade-led economic growth of developing countries have helped only middle and upper classes and have caused further income inequity. Moreover, trade openness has caused severe dama ges to the world environment. On the other hand, many scholars believe in the so-called Bhagawati Hypothesis according to which high rate of economic growth can help reduce poverty and what drives the economic growth of a given economy is of less significance (Tsai and Huang, 2007; Bhagwati, 2005; Bhagwati and Srinivasan, 2002; Dollar and Kraay, 2002, 2004). Tsai and Huang (2007) studied economic progress of Taiwan for the period 1964- 2003 suggested that distributional and growth effect of trade-led sustained economic growth had been the major driving factor for poverty alleviation in Taiwan over the period. Similarly a number of empirical studies done by Agenor (2004), Sharma (2003), and Winter et al (2004) have suggested a close linkage between the fast economic growth and poverty alleviation leading to an agreement among scholars that participation in international trade can be the useful way for tackling poverty in developing countries. However, Tsai and Huang (2007) argue that there is no straightforward linkage between the trade openness and poverty. In addition to the two strands on the benefits of trade openness to developing economies there is another perspective to the argument which is the benefits of trade openness to developed economies. Dowrick and Golley (2004) in their study of dynamic benefits of trade openness suggested that the benefits of trade liberalisation were substantially greater for developed economies as compared to benefits to the least developed countries. The brief examines the role of trade openness in the reduction of poverty and child labour incidences, and development of human capital in developing economies. Firstly, the phenomenon of trade openness has been discussed. In the subsequent sections the effects (both positive and negative) of trade openness on poverty, child labour and human capital accumulations has been assessed in the light of empirical studies. In the end concluding remarks on trade openness as means of poverty and child labour reduction and human capital accumulation is presented. Trade Openness Trade openness may be defined as the extent of which a country partakes in the global trade and allow foreign firms to do business in its domestic market. It is of two types revealed openness and policy openness. Revealed openness is measured in terms of ratio of total foreign trade to GDP. It is clearly defined and well measured; however, use of prices (domestic or international) to value the trade ratio has been a cause of disagreement among economists. Studies that focus on revealed openness always attempt to understand the linkage between trade openness and economic performance. In other words, deals with finding about the fact that whether economies (and particularly developing) who partake more in global trade have high rate of economic growth that those who abstain from it. This approach has several disadvantages such as it does not explain why some countries might trade more as the high trade openness of a country may be the result of small domestic market, easy access to fo reign market and policy openness. Policy openness, as the name suggest, is measured in various ways such as 1) in terms of incidence measures of trade barriers; 2) trade flow measures adjusted for structural characteristics such as size and factor endowments; and 3) price distortions. However, policy openness is difficult to measure and all these measures discussed above have their limitations and reliability issues. The policy openness measure by Sachs and Warner (1995) is considered as the most influential and useful in estimating its effects on economic performance. They classified a country as having policy openness if it does not exhibited characteristics such as 1) typical tariff rates of 40 percent or above on imported goods; 2) non-tariff barriers amounting to 40 percent or more on imported goods; 3) a black market exchange rate premium of 20% or more; 4) an economic system based on socialist vision; and 5) state monopoly on major exports. However, the model has been critici sed by Rodriguez and Rodrik (2001) (cited in Dowrick and Golley; 2004) for many reasons. They argued that the crucial components of the model export monopoly and black market premium are hard to analyse for some Latin American and African economies due to their macroeconomic and political difficulties. Frankel and Romer (1999) (cited in Dowrick and Golley; 2004) produced a measure of constructed openness to trade by obtaining predicted value from regression of bilateral trade relations on geographic variables and created national constructed trade shares by aggregating it. The method has been used by various studies in determining the effects of trade openness on economic development (Dowrick and Golley, 2004). As far as the empirical studies on impact of trade liberalisation on economic development are concerned, it has been found that trade openness positively correlates with economic development. However, the measurement issues in those studies are highly debated. The studies by Sachs and Warner (1995), Frankel and Romer (1999) and Dollar and Kraay (2003) have been most influential. Sachs and Warner found that open economies experienced high GDP per capita (over the study period) and it promoted convergence in incomes in poor countries. Frankel and Romer analysed differences in levels of development of 150 countries and found that 10% points increase in trade integration resulted in 20% points increase in income per person (Dollar and Kraay, 2001). Dollar and Kraay, by using Frabkel-Romer measure, analysed decadal growth of per capita GDP of countries open to trade and reported that doubling of trade integration raised annual growth by 2.5% points (Dowrick and Golley, 2004). Impact of trade openness on poverty reduction Trade liberalisation can affect poverty in two ways through economic growth gains and income distribution effect. Tsai and Huang (2007, p. 1861) argued that countries open to international trade grow relatively faster than the closed economies because an open trade regime facilitates efficient transmission of price signals from the international market to the national economy, enhances diffusion of production and management knowledge, and improves domestic efficiency as a result of intensive international competition. The accurate price indicator from international market results in efficient distribution of resources in national economy based on its comparative advantage that leads to faster growth. The gains accrued through high economic growth rate further absorb in the economy and indirectly contribute to poverty reduction. In addition, higher economic growth also results in improved government earnings through direct and indirect taxes providing government sufficient fund for i nvestments in education, infrastructure, employment creation and other social needs of the poor section of society (Dollar and Kraay, 2004; Todaro and Smith, 2009). However, Tsai and Huang (2007) argued that in trade-led growing economies, the degree of poverty reduction largely depend on the efficient distribution of dynamic gains of economic growth or on the comparative advantage of the country. They suggested as most of the poor live in developing world and most of these developing economies have comparative advantages in labour intensive sectors, trade openness result in expansion of labour-intensive exports and thereby higher rate of real wage for labour. The effects of trade policies and liberalisation on economic performance have been studied by economists since 1970s. The main motivation behind the growing body of theoretical and empirical study on the subject has been the unusual growth patterns of some of the Asian, Latin American and African countries during the second half of 20th century. The observed differences in growth rate is assumed to be due to adoption of different strategies by these developing countries such as import substitution industrialisation (ISI) (by majority of Latin American and Sub-Saharan African economies) and export-promotion policies by East Asian economies. The empirical evidence shows that East Asian economies outperformed the growth rate of other developing economies who adopted ISI strategies (Yanikkaya, 2003). Dollar and Kraay (2001) identified two groups of developing countries termed as globalisers (who participated in international trade) and non globalisers (who did not participated in interna tional trade) and studied their economic growth post-1980s. They reported the fall in income inequality in half of the globaliser countries such as India, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand among others while income distribution of Costa Rica and Ecuador remained stable over a period of 20 years since 1980s. They further concluded that as changes in income inequality in most of the globaliser countries remained low the income of poor grew at an average of 3% (equal to per capita GDP growth rate) per year in China, India, Malaysia, Thailand and other developing countries. In addition, all globalisers grew faster economically and socially during the period 1980 2000. This suggests that trade liberalisation leads to decline in income inequality between the countries and reduction in poverty. The developing countries that participated in international trade grew fast during 1980s and 1990s and even faster than the rich countries during 1990s. The rapid growth led to the decline in poverty levels in most of these countries. On the other hand, countries that did not participated in international trade could not catch up with the world growth and fell further behind (Dollar and Kraay, 2001). Impact of trade openness on child labour The impact of globalisation on the incidence of child labour has recently gained much attention from researchers and scholars, primarily due to ethical concerns on exploitation of child and interest of organised labour in protecting jobs. Globalisation is defined as the active participation of countries in global trade and increased geographical spread of foreign direct investments (FDI). It is argued to have both positive and negative influences on child labour particularly in poor economies. However, the more globalised developing country have lower incidence of child labour. It is widely agreed that poverty is the main reason (if not the only) of child labour as poor parents living in extreme poverty often employ their children in full-time work for a living. Initially, in developing economies, a child engages in employment to fulfil the basic needs of the family but soon this temporary arrangement becomes permanent as children either cannot afford education due to financial const raints or lose their interest in education (Basu, 1997 and 1999; Neumayer and Soysa, 2005). The impact of trade openness and penetration of FDI on the child labour incidence in developing country has been explained from both the perspectives. The most compelling argument that shows that globalisation promote child labour is that trade openness increases the demand for unskilled labour in developing economies thereby raising the relative rate of returns to unskilled labour. As a result, incentives to invest in education and skills diminish causing increase in rate of returns to child labour which in turn forces parents to engage their children in child employment (Grootaert and Kanbur, 1995). It is also argued that free trade forces countries to gain competitive advantages through becoming cost-effective and a higher level of child labour can cut the cost significantly. Hence, trade openness could result in increase in child labour in developing countries with lax child labour laws. The recent cases of Nike, Reebok and Adidas are proofs that MNCs occasionally subcontract to enterprises that employ child labour (Palley, 2002; Neumayer and Soysa, 2005). Conversely, the proponents of globalisation argue that trade liberalisation will not only have the substitution effect but also income effect as well. The relative increase in the rate of return on unskilled labour will increase the income level of impoverished parents. Consequently, less number of parents would see need to send their children to work (Basu, 1997). It is also argued that in the long run, trade liberalisation may cause sectoral shift from low-skilled labour -abundant production to high-skilled capital intensive manufacturing due to development of technological capability making employment of children less attractive. The countries more open to trade often invest in education (primary and secondary) and skill development to increase their global competitiveness that indirectly minimises the incidence of child labour. Jafarey and Lahiri (2002) suggest that more open countries will have lower interest rate and provide better access to credit which will lower opportunity cost for education and subsequently incidence of child labour. There have been various empirical studies to analyse the correlation of trade openness with child labour. Neumayer and Soysa (2005) showed that economies that are more engaged in international trade and FDI have a lower incidence of child labour. Edmonds and Pavcnik (2002) in their study reported that a liberalised trade policy in Vietnam increased rice prices and causes reduction in child labour. They found that 30% price increase in rice resulted in 9% decrease in child labour incidence and in total the price increase caused reduction of 47% in child labour during the period 1993-1998 (Todaro and Smith, 2009). Impact of trade openness on human capital accumulation It is argued that a developing economy with a low income and low human capital accumulation can advance in a high income (and high human capital) economy by engaging in trade with a developed economy rich in human capital (Ranjan, 2003). In order to support the argument, examples of human capital accumulation, post trade liberalisation, of countries such as Japan, Italy, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, India, South Korea and Taiwan are often cited. Ranjan (2003) suggested that trade openness results in the rise of unskilled wage that further cast aside the existing constraints on investments in human capital which initiate the human capital accumulation process in developing countries. This eventually allows the developing economy to converge in to high-income and high-skilled economic state. The recent growth of East Asian economies further supports the argument which is considered as a result of rapid accumulation of physical and human capital due to increasing focus on international trade (Young, 1995). Bergin and Kearney (2007) suggested that turnaround in economic performance of Ireland during mid-1980s and even faster growth during 1990s resulted in the large scale investment in education and human capital development. The human capital accumulation in Ireland was partly due to high-demand of skilled labour as it attracted skill-intensive and high productive FDI industries through free trade policies. Ireland maintained its competiveness in international market through the combination of rising levels of education and open labour market that meant increased employment and stable unit labour cost (Tsai and Huang, 2007). The growth literature also suggests that to support high economic growth in a developing country the rise in education level and human capital accumulation is very critical (Bergin and Kearney, 2007). However, Ranjan (2003) stated that in spite the availability of substantial literature and empirical evidence showing positive relation of trade openness and human capital accumulation, earlier empirical studies (Stiglitz, 1970; Findlay and Kierzkowski, 1983) (cited in Ranjan, 2003) suggested that trade openness rather leads to widening of differences in factor endowments of more open economies instead of highly argued convergence. These studies are criticised for not taking in to account the possible influence of credit constraints on physical and human capital accumulation (Ranjan, 2003). Cartiglia (1997) suggested that as economies engage in international trade the prices of high-tech goods falls in domestic economy and demand for low-skilled labour picks up due to expansion of low-tech industries. This increased demand of low-skilled labour decreases the real wages of skilled labour in developing economies. He further argued as education sector employs skilled worker this result in the fall in cost of education making it more affordable to people. Consequently, in the long term the overall supply of skilled workers increases. On the other hand, availability of cheap high-tech goods due to trade allows developing economies to devote more of their skilled labour in the training and development of next generation skilled workers. Conclusion The assessment of various empirical studies done on the linkages of trade openness to economic development revealed that trade openness is positively correlated to the reduction of poverty and child labour, and human capital accumulation in developing countries. The economic success of East Asian studies and other developing economies such as India and China during the last two decades are testimony to that fact that integration to the world economy accelerates economic growth. It is found that higher economic growth causes reduction in poverty and child labour through income and distribution effects. Trade openness not only generates employment for unskilled labour but causes a rise in unskilled wage and improves income level of the poor. It provides higher tax revenue to government a part of which is invested in education, employment creation, infrastructure and other social projects that directly or indirectly supports poverty reduction. The reduced poverty further helps in reduct ion of child labour incidences as a result of distributional effect of economic growth. Moreover, the increased government investments in education make schooling more affordable to children and results in reduction in child labour incidences. As far as the effect of trade openness on human capital accumulation is concerned, as argued by Ranjan (2003), trade openness results in the rise of unskilled wage that further relaxes constraints on human capital investment and initiates the process of human capital development. This eventually allows the developing economy to emerge in to a wealthy and high- skilled economic state. Overall, despite the criticism of trade openness to be largely beneficial to developed economies, growing body of empirical evidence suggest that it does help the reduction of poverty and child labour and human capital accumulation in developing countries.

Anti-Death Penalty Essay -- Papers Against Capital Punishment Essays

Anti-Death Penalty History: The death penalty is not a new idea in our world. Its origins date back 3,700 years to the Babylonian civilization, where it was prescribed for a variety of crimes (Kronenwetter p.10). It was also greatly used in the Greek and Roman empires. In ancient Roman and Mosaic Law they believed in the rule of â€Å"eye for and eye.† The most famous executions of the past included Socrates and Jesus (Wilson p.13). It continued into England during the Middle Ages and then to the American colonies where it exist still today. In the colonies, death was a punishment for crimes of murder, arson, and perjury. Although today the death penalty is used for murder. Common ways of execution in the past where stoning, crucifixion, burning, breaking of the wheel, draw and quartering, beheading, garroting, shooting, and hanging (Wilson p.89). Today these styles of execution are thought to be cruel and unusual. Today in the United States, the death penalty is used in five different ways. These five ways are the firing squad, hanging, gas chamber, electric chair, and lethal injection. The United States applies these styles of execution because they are thought to be not torturous for execution. The death penalty has been accepted in the United States, but was not always approved by the people. In the late eighteen hundreds there was enough attention gathered to the death penalty to lead to restrictions. Many northern states abolished the practice all together like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Rhode Island (Wilson p.45). Pennsylvania in 1794 decided to revises its laws on the death penalty. The state decided to use the penalty mainly for first-degree murder. Around this time many states where deciding t... ...ald J. â€Å"Reports: Ineffective Assistance of Counsel and Lack of Due Process in Death Penalty Cases.† Human Rights Winter 1995. Whittier, Charles H. â€Å"Moral Arguments For and Against Capital Punishment.† CRS Report For Congress 1996 Wilson, Josh, M. â€Å"Death Penalty History†. New York: Fletcher Press. 1998 http://www.time.com/time/magagzine/archive/1994/940523.crime.html http://listserv.american.edu/catholic/church/us/nybish.death http://www2.law.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/foliocgi.exe/historic/query=[group+†¦/pageitems=[body] http://mtsd.k12.wi.us/mtsd/district/whacked.sites/anatomy.of.a.murder/gregg.htm http://mtsd.k12.we.us/mtsd/district/whacked.sites/anatomy.of.a.murder/furman.htm http://mtsd.k.12.wi.us/mtsd/district/whacked.sites/anatomy.of.a.murder/thompson.htm Http://www2.law.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/foliocgi.exe/historic/query=[group+†¦pageitems=[body]

Wellness Plan

Well I started to e myself gaining weight, I told myself that I was not happy with the way I looked and I was going to do something about It, I Joined Ballsy Fitness. That did not last very long, I was going to the gym two times a week for at least 2 months and did not see much of a change so I gave up going and Just decided to start eating right, that helped a bit, I was doing k I told myself and then shortly after that I got divorced and the stress from all the consequences of getting divorced made me loose a lot of weight, which was great but I lost it in an unhealthy way.I was able to keep the weight off, until I got involved in a relationship which after a couple of years went downhill and I became very depressed, which led to another eating binge and the weight gain came back in no time. With the positive influence from friends I was able to join a group at work in which we walked 3 times a day, 15 miss for both our morning and afternoon break and about 20-25 miss during our lu nch, we did this everyday we were at work. You are probably wondering what was the purpose behind this first paragraph? I Just wanted to give you a bit of my background with my challenges due to my weight.Now at the age of 33 1 am a mom again and so far I am lucky to have lost just about all the weight I gained during pregnancy. I have decided to keep up the healthy eating habit I adapted while being pregnant but I have now also added a 30 min walk each evening around the Jogging track at the community center. I plan on doing this until my baby is at least 3 months old where he can be a stroller for a longer period of time without a head support. I believe by starting off with the 30 minute walk I have had a little bit more energy during the day, instead of feeling like I have to sleep all day long as my baby slept.Together with breast feeding, the 30 minute of walking will help me burn more calories which assist with the weight loss and help eliminate the possibility of diabetes or heart disease by not being overweight. I know by not sticking to my plan, It could lead to negative results such as, continuous weight gain which can potentially lead to serious health conditions such as heart disease or diabetes, less energy to spend time with my family, also lack f motivation to get my school work done, resulting In poor grades, and which can eventually lead to me being unhappy and unhappiness can affect you In many ways.In order to make sure that I suck to my plan of choice I need to make sure that I make the time everyday like I have been doing to vaults the community center to put In the 30 miss to get my walking done. As my little one gets older I plan to Increase that 30 miss to at least an hour or even try to incorporate some other form of exercise at least two toner clays out AT ten week. As I make tense plans to lead a enameller Tie ten only obstacles I see that could prevent this is myself.I need to make sure I stay as discipline as I am now to follow th ru. Also I need to make sure that throughout my busy schedule I do find the time to get these activities done. I plan on sticking with this plan for at least a year, by the end of that year I plan to be at least boss as compared to the 159 lbs I am at now. If this is achieved, I will not only be a happier person but will be able to do more with my family, especially with my kids. My reward will be a long awaited shopping spree!

“Is Racism a Permanent Feature of American Society?” Essay

The situation dealing with racism became alive at the start of slavery. The whites controlled the blacks years ago and today in some parts of America it is still happening. Racism had split today’s society into two parts. One side is the blacks and the other side is the whites. If you are not African American or Caucasian, then whatever the color of your skin is, that determined what side you was placed on. Some say that in the twenty-first century, racism is still in Americans Society. Those people are totally right, but the question is will racism be a permanent feature of Americans society. After reading Dinesh D’Souza’s response to the previous question, there is more than enough evidence to say that racism will not be a permanent feature in America’s society. Black people do crime and white people see it on television. White people do everything and anything that they can to keep blacks out of sight. If that’s following a black man around the store, or not hiring any black people to work for the whites, but a white person is always going to think twice about associating with blacks. A black man walks into a shoe and he is followed all around the store by a white man. The white man is not too close the black man but he is close enough that the black man knows that he is getting followed. All the way until the black man gets to the register and pays for his items. Then the white man says to the black man, â€Å"Have a nice day and come back soon.† The first thing that this black man thinks is that the white man was a racists person. But he was unaware about the other black man that came in before him that stole five pairs of shoes, and just walked right out the front door without paying. The only reason the white man was following the black man was because he did not want to get robbed again. The black man did not know that, so that’s why he felt as though the white man was racists. All whites are not racist but it’s just the bad things that some blacks do that hurt the whole race. A black lady comes to an interview to be a greeter at a restaurant. She has all the certification and experience that is need for the job. She answered all the questions correctly and gave great reasons why she should be hired. But for some reason she does not get the job and they tell her that she needs more work before they hire her. She feels that the company is being racist because she is a black woman. What she doesn’t know is that a black women before her got that same position and almost got their business shut down. The company made an agreement that no more black  would be allowed to work in that company. The black women had everything that she need for the job but because of the black lady before, she was not hired. That is another example of how some black people mess things up for the whole race and because of that blacks call white people racist. Derrick Bell believes that because the whites are in control of the education, they make it too hard for blacks to pass. Well black families are way different than white families, and they also have different beliefs. Some white families push their kids to do good and set high standards for them to reach. On the other hand, some black families just make sure their kids are making average grades and they are not being bad in school. While the whites children are on the right level or even above the grade level, the black kids are just barley pass their classes. When open house comes alone and the black parents find out that their child is not doing well in school, the first thing the black parents say is their child’s teacher is racist and the teacher is giving their child bad grades. But the whole situation is the difference between how black children are raised and how white children are raised. That does not have anything to do with any kind of racism. According to D’Souza it is just as excuses to not have to deal with the situation. To sum it up, racism is not a permanent feature of American society. Some blacks will tell you that it is but, those are the same blacks that make it hard for white people to trust them. Racism was very big at some point but after it died down, it all came to what race was going to rise to the top. The whites did their job and now because of they have biggest business in the United States. Black people are not determined to do a lot of different things. They just want everything to fall in their laps or they want someone else to do things they want for them. If some people didn’t mess it up for the whole race then we could be at the top of businesses and have our faces on build boards, but that chance was messed up long time ago. Racism does not have to continue in today’s society.