European Exploration of Africa

Europeans have been interested in African geography since the time of the Greek and Roman Empires.   Around 150 C.E., Ptolemy created a map of the world that included the Nile and the great lakes of East Africa.   In the Middle Ages, the large Ottoman Empire blocked European access to Africa and its trade goods, but Europeans still learned about Africa from Islamic maps and travelers, like Ibn Battuta. The Catalan Atlas created in 1375, which includes many African coastal cities, the Nile River, and other political and geographical features, shows how much Europe knew about North and West Africa. Portuguese Exploration By the 1400s, Portuguese sailors, backed by Prince Henry the Navigator, began exploring the West coast of Africa looking for a mythical Christian king named Prester John and a way to the wealth of Asia that avoided the Ottomans and the powerful empires of South West Asia.   By 1488, the Portuguese had charted a way around the South African Cape and in 1498, Vasco da Gama reached Mombasa, in what is today Kenya, where he encountered Chinese and Indian merchants. Europeans made few inroads into Africa, though, until the 1800s, due to the strong African states they encountered, tropical diseases, and a relative lack of interest. Europeans instead grew rich trading gold, gum, ivory, and slaves with coastal merchants.   Science, Imperialism, and the Quest for the Nile In the late 1700s, a group of British men, inspired by the Enlightenment ideal of learning, decided that Europe should know much more about Africa. They formed the African Association in 1788 to sponsor expeditions to the continent.   With the abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade in 1808, European interest in the interior of Africa grew quickly.   Geographical Societies were formed and sponsored expeditions. The Parisian Geographical Society offered a 10,000 franc prize to the first explorer who could reach the town of Timbuktu (in present-day Mali) and return alive. The new scientific interest in Africa was never wholly philanthropic, however. Financial and political support for exploration grew out of the desire for wealth and national power. Timbuktu, for instance, was believed to be rich in gold.   By the 1850s, interest in African exploration had become an international race, much like the Space Race between the U.S. and U.S.S.R in the 20th century.   Explorers like David Livingstone, Henry M. Stanley, and Heinrich Barth became national heroes, and the stakes were high. A public debate between Richard Burton and John H. Speke over the source of the Nile led to the suspected suicide of Speke, who was later proven correct.   Explorers’ travels also helped pave the way for European conquest, but the explorers themselves had little to no power in Africa for much of the century. They were deeply dependent on the African men they hired and the assistance of African kings and rulers, who were often interested in acquiring new allies and new markets.   European Madness and African Knowledge Explorers accounts of their travels downplayed the assistance they received from African guides, leaders, and even slave traders. They also presented themselves as calm, cool, and collected leaders masterfully directing their porters across unknown lands.   The reality was that they were often following existing routes and, as Johann Fabian showed, were disoriented by fevers, drugs, and cultural encounters that went against everything they expected to find in so-called savage Africa.   Readers and historians believed explorers accounts, though, and it was not until recent years that people began to recognize the critical role that Africans and African knowledge played in the exploration of Africa. Sources Fabian, Johannes, Out of Our Minds: Reason and Madness in the Exploration of Central Africa. (2000). Kennedy, Dane. The Last Blank Spaces: Exploring Africa and Australia. (2013).

Amy Chuas The Battle Hymn Of Tiger Mother - 1573 Words

Joseph Sandoval Professor Sheftman English 2 23 October 17 Contrasting Leadership Styles The Oxford dictionary defines a leader as â€Å"the position or function of a leader, a person who guides or directs a group of others.† Qualities of a good leader include, but are not limited to: being honest, fair, having good communication skills, having intuition, and so much more. Everyone has a different sense as to how they demonstrate leadership; whether it be within the household, the workplace, or even in politics; we see it everywhere. In Amy Chua’s, The Battle Hymn of Tiger Mother, she demonstrates her leadership qualities throughout her book in to how she chooses to raise her children vs. â€Å"western-style† of parenting. She takes on a very†¦show more content†¦The basics are: rules and more rules, work and more work, produce success and results. Western parents want kids that are happy. Kids who feel good about themselves and work towards achieving their full potential. It’s a model that has its own endeavors. Chua’s critics reject her methods as callous and out of line. Business executives ridicule her approach, stating its stress on individual achievement and reclusive pursuit of perfection hinders leadership abilities and falls short of implanting teamwork. The Tiger Method also smothers ingenuity, independence, and imagination -- qualities highly sought after by Americans. As workers, her children’s potential may be limited. Chua’s socio-economic deduction drew fire as well. Parents note the costs of lessons and tutoring; options unaffordable for several low-income families. Correspondingly, the time commitment is an almost impossible luxury for those such as single parents. Back in mommy world, Chua earns searing criticism for the rough criticisms and insults she fired at her daughters. She r ejected their gifts, homemade birthday cards, because they signified less than the girls’ best efforts. Horrified, her critics wondered how can Chua’s daughters possibly bear with the way sheShow MoreRelatedTiger Mom851 Words   |  4 PagesJohn Abbott College Tiger Parenting: a Mistake By Alexander Haniotis Question Should â€Å"Tiger Parenting† be the norm when raising your children? Thesis Statement I believe â€Å"Tiger Parenting† shouldn’t be tolerated in our society. Tiger Parenting: a Mistake Amy Chua’s provocative Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother has caused great controversy and debate mainly because of her strict parenting philosophy exercised throughout the entire novel. Chua is questioning the traditional Western parentingRead MoreAnalysis Of Battle Hymn Of The Tiger Mom870 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Excerpt of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom† Amy Chua is a mother of two daughters, (Sophia and Lulu). Being brought up in a strict home with her Chinese parents, Chua felt like she owed everything to her parents and has raised her own daughters as she was raised. Chua is a professor at Yale Law School, who is the author of many books and memoirs including â€Å"Excerpt of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom†. This was published in the Wall Street Journal in 2011. The memoir is about the variations between ChineseRead MoreThe Everlasting Bond between a Mother and a Daughter Essay1149 Words   |  5 Pagesmore enduring than a mother- daughter relationship. This bond is specifically explored in the books, The Battle Hymn of a Tiger Mother by Amy Chua and The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. Authors of these books precisely show the complexity of this type of relationship. Chua and Tan show the reader how a mother and daughter can hurt one other but ultimately forgiveness finds its way through. The similarities in these books include th e difficulty of communication between the mother and daughter and theirRead MoreBattle Hymn Of The Tiger Mother2425 Words   |  10 PagesName: Yen Linh Duong Title of Book: Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother AP Lang Summer Homework Worksheet Most answers must be supported with SPECIFIC EXAMPLES from book and provide in-depth explanations in order to get CREDIT! You will complete 2 of these worksheets: one for each book. 1. Explain how the author(s) establish their credibility on the subject matter they are writing about. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, written by Amy Chua, was a story of Chua herself and her encounteranceRead MoreWhy Chinese Mothers Are Superior By Amy Chua1119 Words   |  5 Pagesthemselves this question since the beginning of mankind. Some methods are better than others and some are quite questionable. In â€Å"Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior†, Amy Chua discusses the effectiveness of her parenting style. 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Every person has an opinion on how a child should be raised and disciplined. One woman, with a view agreed upon by many others, is Amy Chua, a professor at the prestigious law school of Yale University. In Amy Chua’s â€Å"Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior,† an excerpt from Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, Chua explains Chinese parenting and how it is effective in her life. She claims that by breaking down a child and pushing them to their full potential, the child willRead MoreThe Type Of Parenting Asso ciated With The Tiger Mother1168 Words   |  5 PagesThe type of parenting associated with the tiger mother has been a subject of intense controversy for a very long time. Even though the term itself only became part of our understanding in 2011 thanks to the very controversial book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, by Amy Chua, there were always questions of how much discipline is healthy and necessary for a child. 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Mother’s play a responsible role in children’s health, education and complete wellbeing. In the article, Mother Inferior? Hanna Rosin, the author talks about her mothering style, which is the complete opposite of Amy Chua from The Battle Hymn of The Tiger Mother. Hanna Rosin would allow everything that Amy Chua wouldn’t allow for her children. Her idea of raising

Bluffing Free Essays

string(34) " additional sources as necessary\." HUMN 330 Values and Ethics Online Course Syllabus Credit Hours: 3 Delivery Method: Online (Internet / Blackboard) Required Textbook Rosenstand, N. (2013). The moral of the story: An introduction to ethics (7th ed. We will write a custom essay sample on Bluffing or any similar topic only for you Order Now ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 978-0078038426 Course Description This course focuses on the process of practical ethics as a way of resolving moral conflict and of understanding professional responsibility in a multi-culturally diverse society without devaluating specific viewpoints of ethical or metaphysical theory, ideology, or religion. Students will use proposals, value judgments, observation statements, assumptions, and alternate-world assumptions in arguing contemporary issues of moral importance. With this basic moral logic, students will resolve issues in terms of rights, responsibilities, and the community of rational beings; in terms of consequences and contingencies; and in terms of habituated virtues and character. Free and unrestricted discourse will be encouraged so as to let students find common ground in diversity. Course Goals This course is designed to help students: 1. Understand the basic vocabulary and fundamental theories of ethics. . Discover life’s values and determine which values are the most worthwhile. 3. Relate the textbook theories to actual life situations. 4. Find greater personal peace by choosing more constructive values. 5. Apply understanding of ethics to personal lives. 6. Understand the relationship between attitudes, values and moral conduct. Learning Outcomes This syllabus was developed for online learning by Dr. Moseby HUMN 330 Online Syllabus 0712 Upon course completion, students will be able to: 1. Judge the role and importance of ethics and evaluate moral behavior based on the criteria of value and self autonomy. . Assess the psychological, sociological, historical, and philosophical background of ethics. 3. Relate the nature and role of reason in understanding values. 4. Relate the nature and characteristics of freedom when responding to values. 5. Distinguish and apply ethical principles in ethical situations. 6. Explain the various arguments for and against the major contemporary ethical issues. 7. Discuss one’s options for identifying and replacing inferior values. 8. Explain the role, nature, and characteristics of responsibility. 9. Defend the value of and the process of foreseeing the consequences of an individual’s conduct. 10. Defend the choice of a viable ethical theory in solving an ethical problem. 11. Utilize the principles of critical thinking to enhance learning skills and to increase intellectual and moral growth. 12. Evaluate their conduct in the light of constructive ethical expectations. Grading Your final grade will be based on the following evaluation items: Grade Scale 90 – 100% 80 – 89% 70 – 79% 60 – 69% 0 – 59% A B C D F Evaluation Items and Weights Weekly Assignments Discussions Midterm Exam Group Project Final Exam Total 5% 30% 15% 15% 15% 100% Activities and Assignments Activities Each module, excluding Module 9, contains various assignments related to the respective module, such as: ? Chapter and Lecture Notes. This activity consists of reading the text and the lecture notes that are posted in each module. ? Reading and Reflection. This activity con tains a reading activity that is assigned to stimulate additional thinking and some discussions within the topic area. This syllabus was developed for online learning by Dr. Moseby HUMN 330 Online Syllabus 0712 ? ? Research and Critical Thinking. This activity varies with each module; however, they are typical outside readings with associated discussion questions of short essay-type answers to the topic area. Application. This activity varies with each module and is integrated into the learning modules to help you apply and reinforce the concepts that each module introduces. Weekly Assignments The assignments vary from module to module and are based on the activities that were contained within the module. Each includes a combination of threaded discussions, short essays, or study questions based on text or outside readings. The weekly assignments comprise 25% of your grade. Discussions The Discussion Board is an integral part of your learning in this course. You are encouraged and expected to participate in online discussions. Regular and meaningful discussion postings are part of your final grade. Each module, excluding Module 9, contain Discussion Board topics or questions that will help sharpen your critical thinking and written communication skills as you study the theories and concepts related to values and ethics. Thirty percent of your course grade will come from your original responses to module discussion prompts and responses to classmates submitted to the appropriate Discussion Board forum in response to these module discussion activities. Please refer to the Checklist for Meaningful Discussions and Discussion Rubric in Module 1. Discussions account for 30% of your grade. Exams Both the Midterm and Final Exams are time-limited online tests. The Midterm will cover Modules 1 through 4 (Chapters 1-6) and is to be taken in Week 4. The Final is comprehensive (Modules 1-4 and 5-9, Chapters 1-13) and is to be taken during Week 9. The Midterm and Final are each worth 15% of your grade. Group Project Module 8 is devoted to the group project. The Instructor will divide the class into four virtual groups to discuss a case involving an ethical issue. ? ? ? ? Group 1: Media Ethics Group 2: Theory of Just War Group 3: Animal Welfare and Animal Rights Group 4: Death Penalty Each group will have its own private group discussion forum. Accessing this private forum is a little different from reaching the public discussion forums. You will need to click the Groups menu item, not the Discussion Board. After clicking Groups, you will see the four groups listed but you will only have access to the group you have been assigned to. Click your group link to see a list of the other members of your group and then the Group Discussion Board link to access the discussion forum. This syllabus was developed for online learning by Dr. Moseby HUMN 330 Online Syllabus 0712 Work with your assigned group members on the ethics case for your group in your private discussion forum. Identify ethical or moral justifications to support your arguments from the text or additional sources as necessary. You read "Bluffing" in category "Essay examples" Use the Internet to research any additional information you would like to use in your group’s discussion. After groups have had time to review and discuss their cases and reach a consensus on the topic, one member of each of group will post its findings to the appropriate thread in the public Module 8 – Group Presentations forum. As individuals, each student will then comment on at least two other group presentations. The group project makes up 15% of your grade. Additional Information Library Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has one of the most complete library collections of aviation-related resources in the world. ? ERAU Libraries: http://library. erau. edu/ Hunt Library Worldwide: Information, Services, Help o Worldwide Library: Basic Training o Worldwide Library: Ask-a-Librarian o Reference: Research Request Contact Information ? Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00 a. m. – 5:00 p. m. Eastern Time ? Telephone: 1-800-678-9428 or 386-226-6947 ? Email: librar y@erau. edu RefWorks RefWorks is an online database tool that can manage references and citations from almost any source. It provides specific guidance in how to collect and use references, create bibliographies, and write research papers. You may access it through this ERAU organizational login link when signed in to ERNIE or directly from the RefWorks website (http://www. refworks. com). A different link must be used for off-campus access (see these instructions). RefWorks requires users to create a RefWorks-specific username and password. Please contact the Hunt Library if you have any questions. Online Sources There are many websites that offer current information on values and ethics and any search engine (Google, etc. ,) will get you to both historic and current information that is relevant to the content of this course. In addition, many links are provided within the online learning modules. APA Format ERAU students should master the American Psychological Association (APA) editorial style format for research papers and other written assignments. Two good websites to bookmark for help citing references used in your assignments and discussion posts are listed below. (See the Academic Resources folder in the Resources area of the course for additional sites on APA style. ) This syllabus was developed for online learning by Dr. Moseby HUMN 330 Online Syllabus 0712 The OWL at Purdue, APA Formatting and Style Guide APA Style. rg Course Policies Academic Integrity Embry-Riddle is committed to maintaining and upholding intellectual integrity. All students, faculty, and staff have obligations to prevent violations of academic integrity and take corrective action when they occur. The adjudication process will involve imposing sanctions which may include, but are not limited to, a failing grade on the assignm ent, a failing grade in a course, suspension or dismissal from the University, upon students who commit the following academic violations: 1. Plagiarism: Presenting the ideas, words, or products of another as one’s own. Plagiarism includes use of any source to complete academic assignments without proper acknowledgement of the source. Reuse or resubmission of a student’s own coursework if previously used or submitted in another course, is considered self-plagiarism, and is also not allowed under University policy. 2. Cheating: A broad term that includes, but is not limited to, the following: a. Giving or receiving help from unauthorized persons or materials during examinations. b. The unauthorized communication of examination questions prior to, during, or following administration of the examination. . Collaboration on examinations or assignments expected to be, or presented as, individual work. d. Fraud and deceit, that include knowingly furnishing false or misleading information or failing to furnish appropriate information when requested, such as when applying for admission to the University. Online Learning This course is offered through ERAU Worldwide Online (Blackboard) and runs nine (9 ) weeks. The first week begins the first day of the term and ends at midnight EDT/EST (as applicable) seven days later. Success in this course requires in-depth study of each module as assigned, timely completion of assignments, and regular participation in forum discussions. Late work should be the exception and not the rule and may be downgraded at the discretion of the Instructor, if accepted at all. Unless all work is submitted, the student could receive a failing grade for the course. Extensions may be granted for extenuating circumstances at the discretion of the Instructor and only for the length of time the Instructor deems appropriate. The most important element of success in an online course is to communicate with your Instructor throughout the term. Conventions of â€Å"online etiquette,† which include courtesy to all users, will be observed. Students should use the Send Email function in Blackboard for private messages to the Instructor and other students. The class Discussion Board forums are for public messages. It is highly recommended that students keep electronic copies of all materials submitted as assignments, discussion board posts and emails, until after the end of the term and a final This syllabus was developed for online learning by Dr. Moseby HUMN 330 Online Syllabus 0712 grade is received. When posting responses in a discussion forum, please confirm that the responses have actually been posted after you submit them. Course Schedule Module Title Understanding Values, Morals, and Ethics Activities / Assignments 1. 1 – Introductions 1. 2 – Read Chapter 1; View Morality Video 1. 3 – Reading and Reflection: Morality and Ethics 1. 4 – Application: Current News Search 1. 5 – Discussion 1: Ethical Behavior 1. 6 – Discussion 2: Moral Issues 2. 1 – Read Chapter 2 and 3 2. 2 – Research and Critical Thinking: Haroun and the Sea of Stories Study Questions 2. – Discussion: Understanding the Past 2. 4 – Application: Moral Dilemma 2. 5 – Discussion: Ethnicity vs National Identity 3. 1 – Read Chapter 4; 3. 2 – Research and Critical Thinking â€Å"The Ethics of Emergencies Study Questions† 3. 3 – Reading and Reflection: Altruistic Behaviors 3. 4 – Application: Essay on Randâ⠂¬â„¢s Ideas 3. 5 – Discussion: Understanding Altruism 4. 1 – Read Chapters 5 and 6 4. 2 – Reading and Reflection: Utilitarianism and Deontology 4. 3 – Research and Critical Thinking: Flight 93 and Utilitarianism in Times of Crisis 4. – Discussion: Ends and Means 5. 1 – Review Modules 1 through 4 Learning Objectives 5. 2 – Discussion: Midterm Q A 5. 3 – Midterm Exam 6. 1 – Read Chapters 7 and 8; Listen to â€Å"I Have a Dream Speech† 6. 2 – Reading and Reflection: Walmart Employment Practices 6. 3 – Application: Education Equity and Social Justice Awareness 6. 4 – Discussion 1: Person vs. Human Being 6. 5 – Discussion 2: Rights and Responsibilities 6. 6 – Research Critical Thinking: The Trial of Socrates 6. 7 – Application: Resolving Ethical Dilemmas 6. 8 – Discussion 3: Socrates’ Trial 7. – Read Chapters 10 and 11 7. 2 – Research and Critical Thinking: â€Å"Either/Or† Study Questions 7. 3 – Reading and Reflection: Philosophers 7. 4 – Application: â€Å"Why Courage Matters: The Way to Braver Life† Study Questions 7. 5 – Discussion: Politics 7. 6 – Group Project Preview 8. 1 – Read Chapters 12 and 13; View Gender and Ethics Video 8. 2 – Reading and Reflection: Group Case 8. 3 – Research and Critical Thinking: Group Case 8. 4 – Application: Group Findings 9. 1 – Review Modules 1 through 8 Learning Objectives 9. 2 – Discussion: Final Q and A 9. – Final Exam 1 2 Moral Lessons Through Time and Ethical Relativism 3 Exploring Psychological and Ethical Egoism 4 Utilitarian Reasoning and Universal Law 5 Midterm Exam Week 6 Human Rights, Justice and the Concept of Virtues 7 The Contemporary Perspectives and Case Studies in Virtue 8 Feminism, Virtue, and the Exploration of Ethics in a Global Context 9 Final Exam Week This syllabus was develo ped for online learning by Dr. Moseby HUMN 330 Online Syllabus 0712 This syllabus was developed for online learning by Dr. Moseby HUMN 330 Online Syllabus 0712 How to cite Bluffing, Essay examples

Image Analysis for Expresses and Transmits Information

Question: Discuss about theImage Analysis. Answer: Introduction: Photography as a media form expresses and transmits information to the viewers through decodable messages Evans Hall (1999). Pictures speak volume and disseminate much information and reaction that differs from one observer to another. People's thoughts and behavior directly affects perception, thereby suggesting the possibility of culture and psychological base in picture interpretation. According to Clarke (1997), photographs both mirrors and creates a discourse with the world, and is never, despite its often-passive way with things, a neutral representation. As viewers observe a photo, it sparks different interpretations and beliefs depending on the culture and ideological differences. Images speak louder in their visual language and disseminate information relating to particular occurrences. Photographs lack neutral representation as viewers have varied interpretation and feelings depending on their cultural and ideological differences. The image of a Jewish woman defying Israeli security forces in the illegal settlers eviction in West Bank offers a practical explanation of Clarkes statement. A look at the photo shows a lone woman standing in the way of soldiers in full riot gear who remains undeterred by their sight. Further, the woman in the picture halts their track preventing them from carrying out the intended eviction action. To the eyes of some observers, the image demonstrates defiance to what is perceived as unjust removal by the government forces. At the same time, the image of a composed lady ready for protest regardless of the overwhelming number of officers explains a valid reason for defense against the action. In most cultures, women stand to defend the society and are in most cases not supposed to be harmed. The image shows the reluctant officers who consider the fact and try to calm down to avoid causing harm. Towards the top, a crowd of people is seen gazing at the woman in protest against the eviction thereby emanating a feeling of compassion among viewers. In drawing Judgment from the nature of the image, the situation is dramatic with the soldiers charging towards the woman who holds them back. It is unknown what might be the next move for the law enforcers should the woman continue insisting on blocking their mission. The state evokes different emotional responses from the viewers, who might give sympathy to the woman in the presence of the soldiers. At the same time, the photo creates a tense image between the two parties involving the heavily armed soldiers ready for eviction and the woman in protest. On the other hand, some might find justification for the soldiers to carry out the eviction based on the reasons underlying the same. In this case, it is evident that pictures bear different responses and evokes conversations, which might fail in similarity due to ideological differences on the matter at hand (Rayner, Wall, and Kruger, 2004). Therefore, the image offers non-uniform representation with viewers deriving a different meaning from the picture. While images evoke dialogues and debates from viewers, the information decoded remains different from one person to another (Lester, 2014). While others may sympathize with the woman opposed to the effects of eviction, others, due to ideological and cultural considerations would find opposing views from the case. In essence, there is so much in the photo for the viewers to find meaning and connect the event. The photograph, therefore, provides a justification for the fact that images create a discourse with the world but do not offer a neutral representation. Clarke is right on his view on photography and its lack of uniform representation to the public for ideological reasons. References Evans, J., Hall, S. (1999). Visual culture: The reader. Sage. Graham Clarke (1997): The Photograph. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 27-33 Lester, P. M. (2014). Visual Communication: Images with messages, Sixth Edition, International Edition. USA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. Rayner, P., Wall, P., Kruger, S. (2004). AS media studies: the essential introduction.Psychology Press

Medical Article Essays - Stem Cells, Cord Blood, Umbilical Cord

Medical Article December 21, 1999 The Hope, and Hype, of Cord Blood By DENISE GRADY Should parents pay a blood bank to store the blood from their newborn baby's umbilical cord and placenta, in case that child or another family member ever needs it to treat cancer or leukemia? Expectant parents are being urged to do so by companies that have sprung up during the past few years to sell cord-blood banking as a form of biological insurance against such dreaded diseases. The pitch is based on reports in medical journals, such as a major study published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine, showing that cord blood can sometimes be used in place of a bone marrow transplant. Like bone marrow, cord blood is rich in stem cells, which can churn out many different types of cells to rebuild a patient's blood supply and immune system after high doses of radiation and chemotherapy. And a patient's own cord blood, or that from a relative, is more likely than cord blood from an unrelated donor to be a good tissue match and to be accepted by the recipient's body. Some experts in bone-marrow transplantation and blood banking frown on the cord-blood business, arguing that people are being frightened into wasting money on a service they will probably never need. Moreover, private companies are growing in tandem with public banks, and some scientists worry that private banking will limit public access to cord blood. They are concerned because the cord blood in private banks remains the property of the donor family and is not available to patients seeking a compatible donor. But the companies say that however remote the possibility that the blood will be needed, people who choose to bank their own cord blood have a right to do so. In most cases their cord blood would be thrown away in the delivery room if they did not pay to bank it. There are only a few cord-blood banks in the United States, and most hospitals do not have specially trained staff members to collect the blood. Like bone marrow, cord blood must be matched to the recipient by tests for six inherited traits that determine an individual's tissue type. Cord blood does not have to be as precisely matched as bone marrow, but still, the closer the match, the better the odds of success. The weaker the match, the more likely it is that the recipient's body will reject the transplant, or the transplant will attack the recipient's tissues, in a life-threatening reaction called graft versus host disease. The companies that freeze cord blood and bank it point out that a person's own cord blood is a perfect match, and a sibling's cord blood a more likely match than a specimen from a stranger. And so, the argument goes, the best way to protect an entire family from the unthinkable is to save the newborns' cord blood. Promotional literature for one company, Cord Blood Registry, in San Bruno, Calif., emphasizes that people with cancer in the family may have a special interest in cord-blood banking, along with those who have the hardest time finding matches, which includes members of racial minorities, especially families in which the parents are of different races. According to a spokeswoman, Scoti Kaesshaefer, the company reaches parents-to-be by promoting itself to doctors, nurses and childbirth educators, and by leaving information at hospitals. Among the promotional materials the company provided to the New York Times were copies of articles from other newspapers suggesting that cancer among children is on the rise. The company also has a Web site and an 800 number with a recorded greeting that instructs callers to have their credit cards ready. The idea of saving one's own cord blood seems to be catching on. Cord Blood Registry, which describes itself as the largest private cord-blood banking firm in the United States, has stored 10,000 samples during the past three years: 1,500 in 1995, 3,000 in 1996 and 6,000 in 1997. The company charges an initial fee of $1,200 to collect a sample and freeze it, and then $95 a year to keep it stored in liquid nitrogen at the blood bank at the University of Arizona. Customers include people with perfectly healthy children, who just want extra peace of mind, as well as some families who have lost a child to leukemia or another disease and fear for the health of their other children. In its three

Free Essays on Government Censorship

Government Censorship Thesis: Government Censorship would damage the atmosphere of the freedom to express ideas on the Internet; therefore, government should not encourage censorship. Introduction I. In the Internet community, there is a large volume of technical terms. For this reason, it is first necessary to examine the terminology specific to Internet. 1.The internet is a world wide computer network. 1.Electronic mail (email), which is one component of the Internet, approximates person to person letters, memoranda, notes and even phone calls. 2.Another term that is often used is electronic news (enews/Usenet), enews is a broadcast, free to the Internet medium. 3.The term FTP is also frequently used. File transfer protocol (FTP) started as an Internet archival and retrieval medium, somewhat analogous to traditional libraries. 4.The world-wide web (WWW), which is another component of the Net, can be used to "publish" material that would traditionally appear in journals, magazines, posters, books, television and even on film. 2.It is also essential to give a brief history on the internet. 3.The U.S. government is now trying to pass bills to prevent misuse of the Net. II. In order to understand the need for the ever-growing body of legislation, it is important to explore the controversy, and the current problems involved with the Net as it exists must be introduced. 1.The problem that concerns most people is offensive materials such as pornography. 2.Another crucial internet crime is the stealing of credit card numbers. III. One reaction to this inapplicability has been the "Censor the Net" approach (the censorship bill), we are now to compare its advantages and disadvantages. 1.First, the meaning of "Censoring the Net" must be explained. 2.However, many experts have pointed out that government censorship is not possible. 1.First, it is not fair to exclude the freedom and damage the atmosphere of... Free Essays on Government Censorship Free Essays on Government Censorship Government Censorship Thesis: Government Censorship would damage the atmosphere of the freedom to express ideas on the Internet; therefore, government should not encourage censorship. Introduction I. In the Internet community, there is a large volume of technical terms. For this reason, it is first necessary to examine the terminology specific to Internet. 1.The internet is a world wide computer network. 1.Electronic mail (email), which is one component of the Internet, approximates person to person letters, memoranda, notes and even phone calls. 2.Another term that is often used is electronic news (enews/Usenet), enews is a broadcast, free to the Internet medium. 3.The term FTP is also frequently used. File transfer protocol (FTP) started as an Internet archival and retrieval medium, somewhat analogous to traditional libraries. 4.The world-wide web (WWW), which is another component of the Net, can be used to "publish" material that would traditionally appear in journals, magazines, posters, books, television and even on film. 2.It is also essential to give a brief history on the internet. 3.The U.S. government is now trying to pass bills to prevent misuse of the Net. II. In order to understand the need for the ever-growing body of legislation, it is important to explore the controversy, and the current problems involved with the Net as it exists must be introduced. 1.The problem that concerns most people is offensive materials such as pornography. 2.Another crucial internet crime is the stealing of credit card numbers. III. One reaction to this inapplicability has been the "Censor the Net" approach (the censorship bill), we are now to compare its advantages and disadvantages. 1.First, the meaning of "Censoring the Net" must be explained. 2.However, many experts have pointed out that government censorship is not possible. 1.First, it is not fair to exclude the freedom and damage the atmosphere of...

Understanding behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Understanding behaviour - Essay Example A specific ‘disturbance’ in children, i.e. ‘temper tantrums’ shall be closely looked at evaluating whether the same derives its roots from ‘nature’ or ‘nurture’ or both. Before concluding we shall consider if the disturbance under our observation can be better explained by ‘transactional model’. The aim of this paper shall be chiefly to identify the factors responsible for shaping social and emotional development in children. I shall argue that not a single factor can shape a child’s development, yet not every theory by its own strength can serve as an explanation for a child’s development. Therefore, it is the amalgamation of the basic ideas of all theories that would best be able to meet our end. Simply understood, the term ‘development’ can be defined as â€Å"changes over time in the child’s understanding of, attitudes towards, and actions with others† (As cited in Smith & Hart 2002 p.3). An essential element inevitable in the process of development of children is ‘change’. Change is not just a forseeable phenomenon in children, they are a prerequisite to development as well. That is because every physical or emotional development entails ‘change’. But what affects this change? Apart from the greater biological mechanism that determine changes in us, certain other factors such as once’s social upbringing and other environmental influences are also responsible. Before we can even start evaluating the causes for the development in children, it is inevitable to find a barrier in having a conclusive take for the same, for, perhaps the biggest debate in the field of psychology, the Nature versus Nurture argument keeps all possible explanation in the state of indeterminacy. Those who supported ‘nature’ claimed that development is essentially the result of the pre-set biological functionings that get encoded from parents to offspring. They argue that â€Å"†¦genetic

The Theory of Conservative Crime Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Theory of Conservative Crime - Assignment Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that the theory of conservative crime states that committing a crime is an individual choice. In an article published in 2013, the case of a female teacher who committed the sexual offense with a 14-year-old in 2004 was made public majorly to highlight the decisions that were made in the court in regard to her case. The cause was presented in a conservative perspective majorly due to the fact that the article indicated the effects of her acts that led to her arrest such as lewd as well as the lascivious battery with the teenager. The female teacher, Mr. Debra Lafava was responsible for committing this crime. The free will of criminal offenders is usually a major issue; a person’s liberty to make certain personal decisions is a great determinant of whether or not they commit a crime. In some cases, individuals may make decisions and act according to their decisions in manners considered legally unethical. In additio n, the definition of criminal acts is considered broad. This is due to the fact that what is considered crime vary from one society to another. Crime entails myriad issues and is described differently from one place to another. Enforcement is pertinent in controlling crime owing to the fact it entails undertaking procedures, specifically geared towards preventing the occurrence of crime i.e. formulation and implementation of legal criminal prevention tools.

What are the pros and cons of applying sterotypes to identify Essay

What are the pros and cons of applying sterotypes to identify potential criminals and do the costs outweigh the benefits, or vice versa - Essay Example Many theories have been put forward to explain the occurrence of criminal acts. Some of these theories include conflict theory, structural-functional theory, symbolic interactions and labeling theory.Criminal behavior is an act that violates the norms of a society according to Sociologists-Criminal act can also be an act that violates the laws of the land in a formal setting according to oxford dictionary of law. Criminology is a violation of socially constituted laws, norms or values. In this paper, I will analyze criminal behavior based on stereotypes as have been put forward by sociological theorists. I will discuss the pros and cons of applying stereotypes to identify the potential criminal. Lombroso had put forward a theory of crime and deviant. Lombroso suggested ways in which society can identify a criminal based on genetic, biological and psychological characteristics. Lombroso had suggested some genetically and biological characteristics which identify a criminal for example, a person with six fingers left-handed eyebrows that meet at the bottom, squinted eye to be criminals (Ashmore and Longo, 22;Hamilton,191) .Based on Lombroso theory it is possible for police or community to victimize individuals based on the characteristics given by Lombroso yet they are innocent. This has been so in the U.S where African Americans are often perceived as criminals as seen in the case that appeared in the Kentucky Supreme Court in 2002. In the court, the police argued that the man, black, must be the one who had sold cocaine to state's informant since he sounded black. The stereotype that it's African Americans who engage in crime has led to increase of crime causes. The young Af rican Americans argue that they are perceived as criminals even when they are innocent (Randall, 88; Irving 63). The occurrence has led to many young African Americans who are potential criminals to engage in crime (Schissel, 71; Thornberry, 14; Duffy and Scotts, 29). Empirical studies have been done by sociologists to verify the truth of the theory and it has been found that there are individuals who possess the given characteristics yet they are morally upright. Media has played a role in strengthening certain stereotypes by highlighting crimes committed by certain group of people and emphasize how police die in line of duty (Gray, Fishman and Gruyter, 21 ;Oliver, 88 ;Weitzer, 11). Lombroso theory of description of criminals formed the basis of development of labeling theory. The theory of labeling focuses on the linguistic tendency of individuals to act in accordance to how society has described them based on norms and stereotype. Howard Becker has put forward ways in which individuals adhere to the labeling and become delinquent or criminals. For example, when a teenage is told by everyone that he resemble a thug; the particular teenager can even begin by picking other people's items like books with the notion "after all everyone perceives me as a thief". Psychologically, the teenager is oriented to criminal behaviors due to labeling and this is an adverse effect on society. When a potential criminal is described or labeled a criminal according to Becker, it becomes very hard to reform the individual through imprisonment and rehabilitation facilities since the individual already perceives that the society already perceive him as criminal so whether he/she changes, whenever a criminal act occurs the society will suspect him first. An empirical study on criminal maniacs or prison maniacs has given data on the theory which verify the theory (Presdee, 44). However, there has been stereotype that women are harmless and this has led to increase in crime since crime happen unnoticed (Daly and Maher, 54)

Determine The Motivation Factors Tourism Essay

Determine The Motivation Factors Tourism Essay 1.0 Introduction This chapter is an introductory chapter. It intend to discuss on background of the study, highlight the problem statement, depict research objectives and questions and explain significance of the study, provide outline of the study and sum up a conclusion of this chapter. 1.1 Background of the Study Before year 1997, the insurance companies in Malaysia are operating as private company complied by the Insurance Act 1963. Yet, followed by the enactment of Insurance Act 1996 which started into force on 1st January 1997, all the insurance companies are converted to public company which licensed by the Ministry of Finance under the Companies Act 1965 (Bank Negara Malaysia [BNM], 2005). The growth of the insurance industry is closely related to the domestic economy of Malaysia. Based on the financial performance, the revenue of insurance industry in Malaysia is increasing gradually year by year. It had shown that an increase of RM 1,110,806 or 7.87% in the income of insurance industry in Malaysia in year 2010 as compared to year 2009. Income of RM 14,114,618 and RM 15,225,424 are recorded respectively for year 2009 and 2010 (Malaysia Insurance Institute, 2010). Meanwhile, the number of registered agents is also growing up year by year. There was a growth from 116,008 agents in year 2009 to 122,399 agents in year 2010, which was increased by 6,391 agents (BNM, 2010). Motivation is the part of commitment and results in achieving the organizational objectives at the appropriate way. Job satisfaction of employees can be motivated by different motivation factors (Balachandar, Panchanatham Subramanian, 2010). According to Tripathi (2001) most of the companies usually motivate their employees by offering economic reward, recognition, promotion, job security, training and authority. When customer comes to buy insurance, very few people contact an insurance company directly, the insurance agent play the role to solicit and sell insurance policies to the general public. No doubt, the revenue of insurance industry is very much depending on the sales gained by the insurance agents. Hence, motivation plays a great role to encourage insurance agents to work professionally in delivering their services to customers. Insurance agents will feel satisfied with their job when companies apply the motivation factors correctly on them. Insurance companies motivate their insurance agents by giving rewards such as extra bonus or company trip to appreciate their effort in getting sales for the insurance company. 1.3 Problem Statement Nowadays, more people want to become insurance agents, which led to the increased of challenges. The statistical report of Bank Negara Malaysia stated that the number of registered insurance agents had increased 5.51% from 2009 to 2010 (BNM, 2010). Normally, insurance agents do not have any basic salary but their pay is based on commission. Insurance agents try to retain and increase their target productivity in order to satisfy their jobs, save their jobs and increase their well-being because the wages of insurance agent depends on a commission basis (Christopher, 2007). According to Bakos (2008) insurance agents retain in the company is highly influenced by commission as remuneration. If the commission to the insurance agents is low, it will de-motivate them and leads to resignation. Past studies showed that motivation and job satisfaction have direct relationship to influence employee retention and performance among various types of organization (Goleman, 1998). According to Cravens, Ingram, LaForge and Young (2010) giving a right tool of training and development can motivate insurance agents more successful in selling life insurance products. Training and development can improve the job skills and knowledge of insurance agents at each level. Therefore, employees should be given more opportunities for advancement to motivate them in order to enhance their job satisfaction level (Feinstein, 2000). Besides, Tripathi (2001) stated that employees can be motivated by job security, recognition, promotion and training to enhance job satisfaction. There are several past researchers Hassan (2010), Salleh, Dzulkifli, Abdullah and Ariffin (2011), Golshan, Kaswuri, Aghashahi, Amin and Ismail (2011) studies on the relationship between motivation factors and job satisfaction among nurses, state Government employees and Gen-Y administrative and diplomatic officers in Malaysia but lack of studies on insurance agents in Malaysia. The objective of this research is to investigate the relationship between motivation factors and job satisfaction among insurance agents in Malaysia. 1.4 Research Questions and Objectives 1.4.1 General Objective The major objective of this research is to identify and determine the motivation factors that influence job satisfaction of insurance agents in Malaysia. 1.4.2 General Question What are the motivation factors that influence job satisfaction of insurance agents in Malaysia? 1.4.3 Specific Objectives To investigate whether commission pay influence insurance agents job satisfaction in Malaysia. To investigate whether job security influence insurance agents job satisfaction in Malaysia. To investigate whether opportunities for advancement and development influence insurance agents job satisfaction in Malaysia. To investigate whether work itself influence insurance agents job satisfaction in Malaysia. 1.4.4 Research Questions Will commission pay influence insurance agents job satisfaction in Malaysia? Will job security influence insurance agents job satisfaction in Malaysia? Will opportunities for advancement and development influence insurance agents job satisfaction in Malaysia? Will work itself influence insurance agents job satisfaction in Malaysia? 1.5 Significance of the Study This research is tending to contribute to the individual and companies. To through this research, the insurance companies will know the importance of the insurance agents job satisfaction and knowing the level of job satisfaction of insurance agents. Meanwhile, individual can also gain a better understanding on motivation factors that can lead them to job satisfaction. The second aim of this research is to narrow the gap with regards to understanding job satisfaction of insurance agents by studying the motivation factors that influence insurance agents job satisfaction. Insurance companies will get to know more about the motivation factors that influence the insurance agents job satisfaction by offer some rewards system to satisfy insurance agents. This enables them to build long-term profitability and retain continuous growth in their businesses to gain competitive advantages in the insurance industry. This research will also expose a new knowledge to the public who has interest on the job of an insurance agent. It assists the public on raising knowledge and awareness of motivation factors that influence the job satisfaction of the insurance agents. 1.6 Outline of the Study Chapter two shows the related literature review that provides the foundation for developing the theoretical framework to proceed with further investigation and hypotheses testing. Chapter three presents the research methodology used to test the research questions. It includes research design, population, sample and sampling procedures, data collection method, variables and measurement, and data analysis techniques. Chapter four is the description of the data analysis. It presents the overall result and findings from the data collection. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) is used to generate results in this research. Chapter five is summaries the research finding and also discusses the major finding. Besides, it also discusses the limitation of the study as well as provides the recommendation for future researchers. 1.7 Conclusion This chapter is about the overview of this study stated on the above. This study aims to determine the motivation factors affecting toward insurance agents job satisfaction so as to contribute for insurance companies and the public. In the following chapter two, it will provide the literature review of this study.

Ebonics :: essays research papers

The use of Ebonics in rap lyrics is becoming more and more apparaent in today's society because there are so many more people of all cultures and age groups beginning to listen to rap. More and more of the younger generations today are imitating the style of their favorite rapper; for example, today there are kids all around the world dressing up with baggy clothes, wearing their hats real low, and changing the way they speak so they can sound like their favorite rappers. The way that the use of Ebonics in rap has effected not only the American culture, but cultures all around the world shows just how popular Ebonics has become in today's society. The lyrics from the rap by Jay-Z entitled "99 problems but a b*tch ain't one" has great lyrics showing the way rap and Ebonics has effected the way African Americans are viewed as today in both a positive and negative aspect. In the first verse Jay-Z gives us a good example how rap with the use of Ebonics has made him rich when he says, "Rap mags try and use my black a** So advertisers can give 'em more cash for ads...f**kers I don't know what you take me as or understand the intelligence that Jay-Z has I'm from rags to ritches n***as i ain't dumb..." However, Jay-Z also shows how rap and Ebonics also shines a negative light when he says, "The year is '94 and my trunk is raw In my rear view mirror is the mother fuckin' law I got two choices y'all pull over the car or (hmmm) Bounce on the devil put the pedal to the floor Now i ain't tryin' to see no highway chase for Jay Plus i got a few dollars i can fight the case So i...pull over to the side of the road i heard "Son do you know what i'm stoppin' you for?" Cause i'm young and i'm black and my hats real low But do i look like a mind reader sir, i don't know Am i under arrest or should i guess some mo'? "Well you was doin fifty-five in a fifty-four"

Tradition Hinders Our Progress

Tradition is the enemy of progress Weather it's religious traditions preventing the study of the dead for better understanding of the living to the churches traditions stopping the progress into the realization that the Earth is not the center of the universe or to take something recent Umbilical cord debates over weather to use them for life saving stem cell research. Tradition is the common enemy among Progress into the future people want the results of science we live our lives due to science but often many of our general populous does not agree with the means we use to get the radical discoveries of science. I can see how traditions can hinder progress:if you subscribe to past ideals it can deter from advancement. If we are going to look back at what Mary and John did in the past to solve a problem every time, then how are we going to move forward? What am saying is that look back once or twice get the formula then learn and apply that knowledge, improve on it then build but we keep going back and back and back and back!! It is in fact the enemy for progress. I think that traditions do prevent progess. The best example of this can be seen rulal areas where knowledge is just passed over from one generation to another and children are not allowed to study more they are just used as a labour. Another example is of early marriage of girls who are married at an age of 10 or 11 which ruin their lives. in the end i would like to conclude that these tradions r blocking our way to new things.

Growing Fungi and Bacteria of Plants

Introduction There are both virulent and non-virulent bacteria and fungi that grow on plants. It is difficult to distinguish between the two without proper inspection and diagnosis of the diseased plant to know whether the bacteria or the fungus in question is the virulent or non-virulent one. Therefore pure cultures need to be isolated to know with absolute certainty which is the causative bacteria or fungus. Potato dextrose agar is a good nutrient agar for mycelia to thrive on which is present in most fungal moulds. Standard nutrient agar is a general utility used for non-fastidious microorganisms. 2 Aim The aim is to isolate fungi and bacteria colonies from diseased and healthy leaves. Materials and Methods Materials used for the experiment was two of each: standard nutrient agar plate and potato dextrose agar plate. To remove any epiphytic or saprophytic microbes from the plant surface the leaf is superficially sterilized with 100% ethanol. A scalpel to cut the leafSterile water for macerating the leaves. To isolate the fungi: Cut 5 pieces of leaf from the diseased leaf around the edges of the diseased area so it contains both healthy and diseased parts, place it on the one potato dextrose agar plate. Then cut 5 pieces from the healthy leaf and place them on the second dextrose agar plates. To isolate bacteria: Macerate both the healthy and diseased leaves separately in the sterile water and streak it onto the two separate standard nutrient agar plate.Incubate all four plates at 25? C for up to 7 days. Discussion There is growth on both the healthy and diseased agar plates for both bacteria and fungi. For the healthy fungal plate there is a single type of growth which suggests that it is a natural non-pathogenic fungus that grows on plants. On the diseased plants there are 5 different colonies of fungus from the 5 different pieces of leaves. The one area has a clear zone where the fungus has inhibited the growth of the other colonies.On the healthy bacteria l plate there is some bacterial growth which can also suggest non-pathogenic bacteria that grows on plants. On the diseased plant bacterial plate there is some bacterial growth but not a lot and still fungal growth. Conclusion The lack of bacterial colonies on the bacterial plate and the fungal growth on the same plate suggests that the disease on the plant is caused by a fungal pathogen and not a bacterial one. There are fungi and bacteria that grow on plants that are not harmful towards the plant. ?

Critically evaluate the contention that the active and effective involvement of stakeholders in sustainable floodplain management is desirable but difficult to achieve in practice. The WritePass Journal

Critically evaluate the contention that the active and effective involvement of stakeholders in sustainable floodplain management is desirable but difficult to achieve in practice. Introduction Critically evaluate the contention that the active and effective involvement of stakeholders in sustainable floodplain management is desirable but difficult to achieve in practice. IntroductionReferencesRelated Introduction Environmental nuisance are usually multifaceted, vague, and have caused a lot of consequence on various places (WMO, 2007). This has called for a transparent process in decision making which is able to fit varying situation and embraces a multiplicity of ideas and principles (Affeltranger, 2001; Simonovic, 2000; Simonovic and Akter, 2006; WMO, 2007).   In achieving this, the involvement of stakeholders is increasingly being used and introduced in environmental decision making process from local to global level (Reed, 2008, 2009). The management of Floodplain comprises of different resource activities which are designed to reduce the effect of flood on people, environment and economy of the country (Simonovic and Akter, 2006). The management of floodplain play a major role in the protection of the socio economic development of a place (WMO, 2007). Achieving sustainable floodplain management, decision-making would involve an integrated reflection on the fiscal, environmental and soci etal consequences of catastrophic flood actions (Wurbs, 1999). Given economic consideration more concern in floodplain management, stakeholder’s involvement needs more attention (Affeltranger, 2001), while local community leaders, government agencies, policy makers, non- governmental organisations (NGO’s), and general public involvement should be encouraged in the making floodplain management choices (Affeltranger, 2001). The involvement of stakeholders exists under various names which include interactive governance, joint up process and participatory process (Healy 1997, Mason 2000, Edelenbos 2000 and Pollitt 2003). Stakeholders involvement is a multi-faceted phenomenon, viewed from hypothetical viewpoint, and is defined as â€Å"the early involvement of individual citizens in public policy making in order to explore policy problems and develop solutions in an open and fair process of debate that has influence on decision making† (Edelenbos, 2003), allowing other actors in a democratic society to participate in certain policy making decision (Chess and Purcell, 1999; Gerrits and Edelenbos, 2004). Floodplain management decisions may be designed and made effective without the involvement of stakeholders, they cannot be effectively implemented without them (Affeltranger, 2001). Good governance as defined by kooiman, (1993) is a broad and present-day strategy, unfolding not mainly to the administration of the state but the method of communication between groups, societal actors, public and private institutions (Benn et al, 2009), and noted that the understanding between different stakeholders and the government does not assume decline of the state but rather, an interactive state, where public and private communication will lead to better organization and harmony amid a range of discipline (Benn et al, 2009; Pierre, 2000). The participation of stakeholders in water management has a very long tradition, stating the change witnessed in the UK, on the increase in stakeholder participation over the last 30 years in water related problems, and has been prompted by public concern (Patel and Stel, 2004). This brought a change in the role played by stakeholders’ participation in management of floodplain with the introduction of the water frame work directive (WFD) (Defra 2003). Orr et al, (2007) noted that the environmental agency in England and Wales relied on the alliance of a large scope of collaborators, making sure that they attain a successful implementation (Orr et al, 2007; Gerrits and Edelenbos, 2004). For example, floodplain management in the Attenborough district tends to be on a large scale and would involve a lagre number of stakeholders, while the red river flood of 1997, which was one of the worst in record in many locations, as described by Simonovic and Akter, (2006), caused a widesprea d damage. The recommendations that resulted during participation could slow down or over-complicate the management process (Simonovic and Akter, 2006). Concerns over the participation of stakeholders, not living up to their claims, are being made (Cooke, 2001; Nelson and Wright, 1995) as opined by (Burton et al, 2004), that consultational fatigue could arise during the process of participation which are not always well organised, having the notion that their influence or participation do not have effect on decision made (Burton et al, 2004; Mazmanian and Nienaber, 1979; Stewart et al., 1984; Chess and Purcell, 1999; Reed et al., 2006). When this happens, there could be decline in the levels of engagement, putting their credibility of participation at risk (Reed, 2008, Reed et al, 2009). These drawbacks implies that the practice of stakeholders participation is not as easy as it may seem (Gerrits and Edelenbos 2004), as the involvement of stakeholders in the management of floodplain is complex and has a lot of dynamic issues (Gerrits and Edelenbos 2004; Baylis and Smith 1999). Consistency in stakeholders participation should move tow ards early engagement, providing an understandable information, transparent attitude, understanding the needs and interest of others by listening to them (Kothari, 2001), offering opportunities for participation with the purpose of making efficient use of time and resources which allows stakeholders to have a valuable contribution (Ludwig, 2001; Gerrits and Edelenbos, 2004). It is no surprise when the European commission (EC) demanded active interaction in the management of water, particularly when dealing with floodplain, and noted that the process should be consolidative through the water frame work directive (WFD), (Van Ast and Boot, 2003). Moreover, participation is seen as crucial in any programme of environmental governance (Bulkeley and Mol, 2003; Burton et al, 2004), especially in flood plain management as arguments in favour of participatory approach are more beneficial in the quality of decisions made and implemented, thereby increasing democratic content, (Bulkeley and Mo l, 2003). Claims regarding the arguments for stakeholder’s involvement in environmental decision-making can be categorized under normative and pragmatic arguments (Reed 2008). Normative claims argue that the participation of stakeholders reduce the likelihood of societal marginalisation where decisions affecting them can be promoted and enhanced for their benefits (Martin and Sherington, 1997), stakeholder empowerment (Greenwood et al, 1993; MacNaughten and Jacobs, 1997; Okali et al., 1994; Wallerstein, 1999), social learning and public trust in civil society in a transparent view as well as more holistic environmental decision (Richards et al., 2004; Blackstock et al., 2007), while pragmatic claims are focused on the excellence and robustness of environmental outputs (Reed 2008). It is also argued that the participation of stakeholders would increase or enhance a more robust research by the provision of inputs (Hansen, 1994; Reed et al., 2006, 2008; Yosie and Herbst, 1998), and that pa rticipation enhances better adaptation of technology to local socio-cultural and environmental conditions by meeting the needs of the locals, and also attaining higher quality decisions based on trust and a sense of ownership over the output of their decision, therefore reducing cost depending on the nature of their initiative (Martin and Sherington, 1997; Reed, 2007; Reed and Dougill 2007; Richards et al., 2004; Stringer et al., 2006; Fischer, 2000; Beierle, 2002; Koontz and Thomas, 2006; Newig, 2007). In spite of these frontlines, there is an expanding concern on the part of the public that the participation of stakeholders on the claims made have not been realised (Kothari, 2001), as the credibility of stakeholders have been questioned in terms of lack of knowledge to engage highly scientific and environmental debates (Fischer and Young, 2007). However, Fritsch and Newig carried out a study to evaluate the environmental policies on participatory processes, framework and environmental outputs of 35 cases of local and regional participation in North America and Western Europe and found out that, the most important goals of participants on environmental effectiveness was high interest in sustainable environmental benefits (Reed, 2008). Similar studies of fisheries management in Bangladesh and the involvement of 239 participants in environmental management decision-making were both noted to have improve the quality of decisions made, adding new analysis, innovation and ideas (Beierle, 2002; Sultana and Abeyasekera, 2007; Reed, 2008), but noted that the quality of decisions obtained from these studies relies on the quality of process that leads to it (Reed, 2007). Meagher and Lyall, (2007), cited the case of stakeholder participation in the development and funding of seed-corn, where the rate at which the collaborators responded was very fast (Meagher and Lyall, 2007). The information given to stakeholders in terms of deliberation in the decision making process would be beneficial in the quality of decided outcomes (Chase et al, 2004; Fischer and Young, 2007; Webler and Tuler, 2006). Stakeholders demonstrate different perceptions and have different relationship to natural hazards, thereby reflecting diverse socio-economic and socio-psychological background (Affeltranger, 2001; Zimmerman, 2001). The participation of stakeholder’s in floodplain management is a unique opportunity for government establishment to measure the possibility of local scheme for flood disaster improvement and management (Affeltranger, 2001), and also a new behaviour by participating stakeholders. In choosing stakeholders for policy decision making in floodplain ma nagement, careful attention must be paid to a diversity of stakeholders as asymmetry indicates the differences between various stakeholders. Therefore, with this in mind, right symmetry is an imaginary state that will not arise in practice, as initiatives achieved on paper often lacked ratification and implementation (Van Ast 2000b). The model laid down by the participation of stakeholders will certainly be different and uneven (Osborne et al, 2002). The level at which uncertainty becomes higher, participating in decision making becomes more complicated while those who make up the institution in the direction of handling uncertainty becomes more technical (Clark, 2002). In a recent study on climate change policy, issues have been raised frequently whether the scope for deliberation and the consensus outcomes from participation is a measure of success (Flyvberg 1998; Owens 2000; Borsuk et al., 2001; Kwok et al., 2001; Bender and Simonovic, 2000; Despic and Simonovic, 2000; Kacprzyk and Nurmi, 1998). Pellizzoni noted the conditions in which radical uncertainty is characterized in the techniques perceived under the risk and environmental issues deliberated by experts and non experts stakeholders may in fact challenge their decisions (Bulkeley and Mol, 2003), and also noted that outcome realised from the participation of stakeholders are not straight forward, stating that their involvement into guiding principle depends on the selection of political factors over which the stakeholders have little influence, (Bulkeley and Mol, 2003). Questions encountered on how participation should be institutionalised and organised and those involved should be taken into consideration, making sure decision made should not paralyse the programme, (Burton, 2003). Participation is not all about representing the people, but the value and ideas they carry (Bulkeley and Mol, 2003; Simonovic and Akter, 2005; Reed, 2008). Early participation from the beginning through conception, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of outcomes should be encouraged as early involvement and transparent information will lead to a certain level of quality and robust decision that could lead to success. References Affeltranger, B. (2001). Public participation in the design of local strategies for flood mitigation and control. International Hydrological programme. UNESCO, Paris. IHP-V, Technical Documents in Hydrology. No. 48. Akter, T., and Simonovic, S. P. (2005). Aggregation of fuzzy views of a large number of stakeholders for multiobjective floodplain management decision making. Journal of Environmental Management, 77 (2005) 133–143. Akter, T., and Simonovic, S. P. (2006). Participatory floodplain management in the Red River Basin, Canada. Annual Reviews in Control 30 (2006) 183–192. Ast J.A.V. (2003). Interactive water management in cross-boundary river system. Delft: Eburon. Ast J.A.V. (2003). Participation in the European water policy. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth 28 12/13, 555-562. Baylis, J. and Smith, S. (Ed.) (1999).   The globalisation of world politics. Oxford / New York: oxford university press Benn, S., Dunphy, D., and Martin, A. (2009). Governance of environmental risk: New approaches to managing stakeholder involvement. Journal of Environmental Management 90(2009) 1567–1575. Bender, M.J., Simonovic, S.P. (2000). A fuzzy compromise approach to water resources systems planning under uncertainty. Fuzzy Sets and Systems 115, 35–44. Beierle, T.C. (2002). The quality of stakeholder-based decisions. Risk Analysis 22, 739–749. Blackstock, K.L., Kelly, G.J., Horsey, B.L. (2007). Developing and applying a framework to evaluate participatory research for sustainability. Ecological Economics 60, 726–742. Borsuk, M., Clemen, R., Maguire, L., and Reckhow, R. (2001). Stakeholder values and scientific modelling in the Neuse river watershed. Group Decision and Negotiation 10, 355–373. Bulkeley, H. and Mol, A.P.J. (2003). Participation and Environmental Governance: Consensus, Ambivalence and Debate Environmental Values 12: 143–54. Burton, P. Goodlad, R. Croft, J. Abbott, J. Hastings, A. Macdonald, G. Slater, T. (2004). What Works in Community Involvement in Area-Based Initiatives? A Systematic Review of the Literature. University of Bristol and University of Glasgow, London. Home Office 2004. homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs04/rdsolr5304.pdf. Burton, P. (2003). Community Involvement in Neighbourhood Regeneration: Stairway to Heaven or road to nowhere? Centre for Neighbourhood Research Paper 13. Available online at neighbourhoodcentre.org.uk/research/cnrpaperspdf/cnr13pap.pdf. Chase, L.C., Decker, D.J., and Lauber, T.B. (2004). Public participation in wildlife management: What do stakeholders want? Society and Natural Resources 17, 629–639. Chess, C. and Purcell, K. (1999). Public participation and the environment – do we know what works. Environmental Science and Technology 33, 2685–2692. Clark, M.J. (2002). Dealing with uncertainty: adaptive approaches to sustainable River management.   Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. Aquatic Conservation: Marine. Freshwater Ecosystem. 12: 347–363 (2002) Cooke, B. (2001). The Social Psychological Limits of Participation? In: Cooke B, Kothari U (Ed.) Participation: the new tyranny? Zed Books, London, pp. 102-121. Defra (Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) (2003). The Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations. HMSO, London Despic, O., and Simonovic, S.P. (2000). Aggregation operators for soft decision making. Fuzzy Sets and Systems 115 (1), 11–33. European Union (EU) (2000). The water framework directive. Establishing a framework for community action in the field of water policy. Fischer, F. (2000). Citizens, experts and the environment. The Politics of Local Knowledge. Duke University Press, London. Fischer, A., and Young, J.C. (2007). Understanding mental constructs of biodiversity: Implications for biodiversity management and conservation. Biological Conservation 136, 271–282. Flyvberg, B. (1998). Rationality and Power. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Gerrits, L. and Edelenbos, J. (2004). Management of sediments through stakeholder involvement: the risks and value of engaging stakeholders when looking for solutions for sediment-related problems. Journal of Soils and Sediments 4 (4) 239-246. Greenwood, D.J., Whyte, W.F., and Harkavy, I. (1993). Participatory action research as a process and as a goal. Human Relations 46, 175–192. Hansen, B. (Ed.), (1994). Report on the Seminar on Integration of Indigenous Peoples and Their Knowledge. Reykjavik. Iceland. Ministry for the Environment (Iceland), Ministry of the Environment (Denmark), and the Home Rule of Greenland (Denmark Office) Copenhagen, Denmark. Healey, P. (1997). Collaborative planning; shaping places in fragmented societies. London: Macmillan Kacprzyk, J., Nurmi, H. (1998). Group Decision Making Under Fuzziness. In: Slowinsky, R. (Ed.), Fuzzy Sets in Decision Analysis, Operation Research and Statistics. Kluwer Academic Publishers. Dordrecht. Kooiman, J. (1993). Modern Governance. Sage Publications, London and Thousand Oaks. Kwok, R.C.W., and Zhou, J. Ma D. (2001). Improving Group Decision Making: A Fuzzy GSS Approach, www.is.cityu.edu.hk/Research/Publication/ paper/9901.pdf. Koontz, T.M., and Thomas, C.W. (2006). What Do We Know and Need to Know about the Environmental Outcomes of Collaborative Management? Public Administration Review 66, 111–121. Kothari, U. (2001). Power, Knowledge and Social Control in Participatory Development. In: Cooke, B., Kothari, U. (Eds.), Participation: the New Tyranny? Zed Books, London, pp. 139–152. MacNaughten, P., and Jacobs, M. (1997). Public identification with sustainable development – investigating cultural barriers to participation. Global Environmental Change: Human and Policy Dimensions 7, 5–24. Martin, A., and Sherington, J. (1997). Participatory research methods: implementation, effectiveness and institutional context. Agricultural Systems 55, 195–216. Mazmanian, D.A., and Nienaber, J. (1979). Can Organizations Change? Brookings Institution, Washington, DC. Mason, M. (2000). Evaluating participative capacity building in environmental policy: provincial fish protection and parks management in British Columbia, Policy studies 21 (2) 77-98. Meagher, L.R., Lyall, C., (2007). Review of the RELU Programme’s Seed-Corn Funding Mechanisms.http:relu.ac.uk/news/RELU%20FINAL%20REPORT%2012%2003%2007 LMEAGHER.doc (accessed 22.12.07). Mostert, E. (2003). The challenge of public participation. Water policy 5 (2) 179-197 Newig, J. (2007). Does public participation in environmental decisions lead to improved environmental quality? Towards an analytical framework. Communication, Cooperation, Participation. Research and Practice for a Sustainable Future 1, 51–71. Nelson, N., and Wright, S. (1995). Power and participatory development: Theory and practice. Intermediate Technology Publications, London. Okali, C., Sumberg, J., and Farrington, J. (1994). Farmer Participatory Research. Intermediate Technology Publications, London. Orr, P., Colvin, J., and King, D. (2007). Involving stakeholders in integrated river basin planning in England and Wales. Water Resource Management 21:331–349. DOI 10.1007/s11269-006-9056-9 Osborne, S. Williamson, A. and Beattie, R. (2002). Community Involvement in Rural Regeneration Partnerships in the UK: Key issues from a three nation study, Regional Studies, 36, (9), 1083-1092. Owens, S. (2000). Engaging the public: information and deliberation in environmental policy’, Environment and Planning A, 32: 1141–8. Patel, M. and Stel, J.H. (2004). Public Participation in River Basin Management in Europe: a national approach and background study synthesising experiences of 9 European countries, www.harmonicop.info. Pellizzoni, L. (2003). Uncertainty and Participatory Democracy Environmental Values 12: 195–224. Pierre, J. (2000). Introduction: understanding governance. In: Pierre, J. (Ed.), Debating Governance. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 1–6. Pollitt, C. (2003). The essential public manager. Midenhead Philadelphia: Open University press. Richards, C., Blackstock, K.L., and Carter, C.E. (2004). Practical Approaches to Participation SERG Policy Brief No. 1. Macauley Land Use Research Institute, Aberdeen. Reed, M.S., Fraser, E.D.G., and Dougill, A.J. (2006). An adaptive learning process for developing and applying sustainability indicators with local communities. Ecological Economics 59, 406–418. Reed, M.S. (2007). Participatory technology development for agroforestry extension: an innovation-decision approach. African Journal of Agricultural Research 2, 334–341. Reed, M.S., Dougill, A.J., and Taylor, M.J. (2007). Integrating local and scientific knowledge for adaptation to land degradation: Kalahari rangeland management options. Land Degradation and Development 18, 249–268. Reed, M.S., Dougill, A.J., and Baker, T. (2008). Participatory indicator development: what can ecologists and local communities learn from each other? Ecological Applications 18, 1253–1269. Reed, M.S. (2008). Stakeholder participation for environmental management: A literature review. Biological conservation 141, 2417-2431. Reed, M.S., Graves, A., Dandy, N., Posthumus, H., Hubacek, K., Morris, J., Prell, C., Quinn, C.H., Stringer, L.C. (2009). Who’s in and why? A typology of stakeholder analysis methods for natural resource management. Journal of Environmental Management 90: 1933–1949 Simonovic, S. P. (2000). Tools for water management: One view of the future. Water International, IWRA, 25(1), 1–8. Stringer, L.C., Prell, C., Reed, M.S., Hubacek, K., Fraser, E.D.G., and Dougill, A.J. (2006). Unpacking ‘participation’ in the adaptive management of socio-ecological systems: A critical review. Ecology and Society 11, 39 Sultana, P., and Abeyasekera, S. (2007). Effectiveness of participatory planning for community management of fisheries in Bangladesh. Journal of Environmental Management 86, 201–213. Stewart, T.R., Dennis, R.L., and Ely, D.W. (1984). Citizen participation and judgment in policy analysis – a case-study of urban air quality policy. Policy Science 17, 67–87. Wallerstein, N. (1999). Power between the evaluator and the community: research relationships within New Mexico’s healthier communities. Social Science and Medicine 49, 39–53. Webler, T., and Tuler, S. (2006). Four perspectives on public participation process in environmental assessment and decision making. Policy Studies Journal 34, 699–722. World Meteorological Organization (2007). Formulating a basin flood management plan. A tool for integrated flood management. Associated programme on flood management. March. Yosie, T. and Herbst, T. (1998). Using stakeholder processes in environmental decision making: An evaluation of lessons learned, key issues, and future challenges. Washington, DC: Ruder Finn Washington. Zimmerman, H.J., (2001). Fuzzy set theory- and its application. Academic Publishers, Boston Dordrecht, London.

Dancing in Yemen Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dancing in Yemen - Essay Example Apparently, Bara is the most important dance that is a tribal marker in Yemen. Its performance is by men only with drumming accompaniment (Adra, 1998). The performance of Bara is similar to the composition of Qabà ¤I poetry. There are tribal characteristics of Bara that differs in the wielding of performer’s daggers, steps and beat. In addition, the performance of Bara takes place outdoors. Occasions like religious holidays, weddings, travelling together of tribesmen, honouring distinguished guests or weddings necessitates the performance of Bara. Bara in conjunction with zà ¤mil has important features for resolving disputes. Interestingly, republic leaders also appreciate the performance of Bara particularly in vital functions (Adra, 1998). The aforementioned features of Bara distinguish it from lub and give it the reference of a unique dance that is entrenched in the culture of native Yemenis. In brief, lub has numerous characteristics of raq and remains regarded as a raq. For instance, the indoor genre is intimate and accompanies love songs. Lub is primarily performed by a couple of women at women gathering and two men where men gathers (Adra, 1998). There is an expectation of constant change of lub with regard to its tempi and new steps. Lub changes with fashion clothing. Such changes begin in Sanaa and take a while before filtering to al-Ahjur. Just like Bara, lub performance varies with village or region. Steps copied from adjacent villages influence the local dancing of lub. Despite the Yemenis agreement and reference of Bara as a dancing behaviour, Bara do not classify as raq. Rags, is a term that generates from Arabic language. The term translates to ‘’ dancing’’ in English is ‘’dancing’’. Raq composes music, light headed paly and flirtation. Interestingly, it is a contrast of the dignified presence of

A Problem in the Field of Finance Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Problem in the Field of Finance - Article Example chases an appropriately customized supporting contract from a backer with an underlying result halfway related with the vulnerability in the item showcase. Therefore, ProQuest demonstrates the agreement impact by detailing the transaction transforming both gatherings in the schema of a Stackelberg diversion and value harmony. For each one diversion theoretic setting, we determine the balance result and present the similar statics. We additionally research the case in which the backer lays off her hazard from one agreement by composing an alternate contract with a second firm, and contrast contract execution and a benchmark case in which two organizations exchange specifically as opposed to through the guarantor. However some state that a comparative marvel might be found in an alternate business sector for private safe holdings, the ABCP market. This wonder does not exist, on the other hand, in business sectors for dangerous obligation, for example, the corporate security market. (Xi e, 2013) ProQuest contemplates an inventory network in which a retailer confronts an excellent newsvendor issue with a monetary demand on his ability to request stock. To offer more items, the maker groups up with a bank to offer a premium free credit program. As indicated by late industry reports give or take 80 percent of retailers and suppliers accept that coordinated effort has developed in the previous three years. Regardless of this development, notwithstanding, the practice is not far reaching, and the profits attained are frequently incremental as opposed to transformational practices. Thus, it’s still not unexpected to discover double stock property inside the same system, underused truck armadas, overabundances of quick moving stock mulling in retailer warehouses, and low on-rack accessibility of a few items in particular or say, special things. ProQuest details the association between the retailer and the producer as a Stackelberg amusement in which the maker has the

Personal development action plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Personal development action plan - Essay Example More importantly, I am adequately knowledgeable about the action of various drugs. This knowledge enables me to determine the allergic reactions which would emanate from the administration of various preparations. Caulfield (2005, p. 43) reflects that a prescriber should be able to understand the possible adverse effects which would result from administration of various drugs to patients. The knowledge that I have on the adverse effects of drug preparations has enabled me to be able to inform the patient accurately of the possible side effects of drugs. Chernecky (2001) illustrates that knowledge of the side effects of various drug preparations is mandatory for nurses and drug prescribers because it enhances decision making in treatment and as a result leads to quality in drug administration and patient care in general. Additionally, I am aware of the toxicity which would result from the administration of specific preparations. This knowledge ahs enabled me to achieve proper and effe ctive management of drug administrations with a view of avoiding possible toxicities. ... Nonetheless, effective application of this knowledge has enabled me to achieve success in drug administration. In addition to my knowledge of the various concepts of drug administration and the ability to apply this knowledge, I am equipped with relevant skills in the administration of medicine to patients. The skills I have include effective communication during drug administration, accuracy in documentation and the ability for effective application of the six rights in drug administration. Nursing and Midwifery Council (2004) stipulates that in the administration of drugs, nurses must apply their communication skills effective to ensure that patients are adequately informed about the administered drugs. Through communication, I am to understand the previous drug history of the patient and matters which would affect the efficacy or potency of drugs in addition to the possible adverse effects which would stem out of the use of specific drug preparations. Additionally, through effecti ve application of my communication skills during administration of medication, I am able to collaborate effectively with other medical professionals to ensure high quality in health care delivery. Bennett (2010, p. 22) stipulates that in the administration of medicine to patients, nurses are mandated to apply their skills and knowledge to ensure that the right medication, dose, route, documentation and time are applied in the administration of drugs to the right patient while respecting the right of the patient in the refusal of the medication (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, & Ovid Technologies, Inc., 2003). Areas of Development Regardless of

Jesus had a way of teaching his disciples Essay Example for Free

Jesus had a way of teaching his disciples Essay Jesus always had a way of teaching his disciples how to be better people. He used events to teach them, he also used small talking sessions to teach them. The disciples were taught many valuable lessons from Jesus. In the modern world some people think that only bishops, priests or vicars are real disciples but every Christian who has been baptised should try to be a follower of Jesus. Christians today work for each other and for the people that they see as the weak in society such as the elderly, alcoholics, drug addicts and one-parent families. There are plenty of schemes run by voluntary Christian organisations for the poor and weak in society. The Salvation Army is well known for its concern of outcasts in society. They practise many different activities including childrens day centres and nurseries and family welfare work and homes for the elderly. The Salvation Army does plenty for the weak of society and other Christian denominations have their charity organisations, which provide similar services. There are international Christian organisations that include the Tear fund and Christian Aid, these groups care for the needs of developing nations. They help third world countries to live life as best as they can by providing clean water, health care and education. Some Christians today choose to become priests or join a religious order as their way of being disciples of Jesus in the modern world.A priest is a servant of Gods people. The Priests job is to proclaim and preach the gospel, to bless the bread and wine offered at mass. to care for the needs of people in the parish, especially by showing his worshippers what they can do for each other and to devote themselfs to God. Some people should use their talents to improve the world, to try and make the world peaceful and loving place. They have a duty to be aware of all the worlds problems such as crime, prejudice and violence. Christians who take part in the Eucharist are sent to serve others at the end of mass. The priest says, Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. We can serve others by donating our clothes to charity shops so that others will benefit. We can visit the lonely, offer shelter, feed the hungry, pray, provide love and comfort, in doing all of these things we are serving the Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength(Marks Gospel 12: 30-31). This is an extract from Marks gospel in the passage of The Great Commandment; it is what Jesus said to be the greatest commandment of all. Jesus explains this to mean that God is the only Lord we have so therefore we need to love him in the best way that we can. The second greatest commandment of them all is to Love your neighbour as yourself(Marks Gospel 12: 31). When Jesus was talking of these two great commandments he wanted us to realise that life does not revolve around ourselves it is about what we can do for others. This message is to show us not to be selfish and be prepared to suffer for our beliefs. We should never contribute to Mickey taking or peer pressure as we would not like that if it was directed at us. We should give our time for other people which many people do as a careers options so they are also giving their life to God at the same time by serving to others such as Nurses, Doctors, teachers, fireman and missionaries all these jobs are for someone elses benefit giving their time up for people like us when we are in danger or ill. we can contribute our ways to discipleship by going to church to pray, prayer in general if it to be at home, personal or within a group in a community at school or in a parish. It is important Christians/disciples have childlike qualities that they are proud to be a Christian, they are honest, faith, enthusiasm everything seem brilliant hope and trust in God at the lowest times in your life.Even when tragic accidents happen such as suffering with cancer, A death of someone you love or such incidents as September 11th the attack on the twin towers New York. We should still have faith and believe they are with God and happy. I think that it is extremely difficult to be a modern day disciple because many people take the modern lifestyle for granted and the mission now has a different meaning to the one in Jesusà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ time. in the modern world because so many people are judged by many different aspects of their lifestyle. They are usually judged in a positive way about their possessions and general lifestyle but they are judged in a negative way about their religion. Religion has become very unfashionableà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ and this is not just because it is considered a waste of time but it is also because Jesusà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ teaching methods were unfashionable. Todayà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s world is so materialistic and people would not judge someone kindly if abandoned their family responsibilities to become a disciple. many people still suffer great persecution and rejection.. A modern day disciple would find it difficult because our world is so materialistic and it would be extremely difficult for a person to give up the wealth gained from a job. Many items in society like drugs can be a barrier between a person and their path towards discipleship. But I do think that some peopleà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s faith is strong enough to enable them to be a modern day disciple. There are many people who have made great sacrifices to follow Jesus and do his work in our world today. Mother Teresa of Calcutta was a strong believer in Christ and she is an example of a disciple in the modern world. Society does hold back a personà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s path towards discipleship but a true disciple should be able to overcome that difficulty. Being a disciple of Jesus has many implications for every area of a personà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s life and this is because their every action is influenced by Jesusà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ example. St Teresa of Avila once said, Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours. This means that we are on earth to represent Jesusà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ and he lives in us and this is another way of us being disciples of Christ. In our lifetime today we are given a very important mission and that is to serve Jesus during our time on earth and be disciples, and also preach the word of Jesus to the people who do not yet know.

State of Banking Before and After Financial Crisis

State of Banking Before and After Financial Crisis Introduction: Banks play a very important role in financial system. Most businesses have a need for a line of credit or other financing with a bank (Editorials, Street directory).  A stable financial system can help a nations economy grow steadily than it would in an unstable financial system. From loans to investments, financial institutions are exposed to all kinds of risks in the market. Risk is universal in the financial industry and everything that a financial institution does requires thorough Risk Management Practices (RMPs). The recent financial crisis has brought out the existing flaw in the banking system which probably no one had forecasted few years before. In the past, first the economy used to slowdown which would result in financial crisis but this time it is other way round. During the current financial crisis, banks and other financial institutions, particularly in the U.S, have collapsed which has resulted in slowdown of global economy. Research Question/Main Problem: This research will try and bring out the changes that have happened in operations of banking, over past 5-6 years, from huge profit making business to managing risks efficiently. Aim and Objective: The dissertation aims to look at the developments in banking sector in both, a developed and developing economy, so that the positive points from both the economies can be brought forward and negative points can be addressed and rectified. The study also aims to highlight some of the key reasons of financial crisis. It is very hard or rather impossible to imagine carrying out business in the absence of banks or financial system. Hence, it is very important to study and conduct a research about the crisis that have impacted the financial industry, so that some lessons can be learnt and in the future, and mistakes can be avoided. If the study is limited to one country, sample might not be large enough and hence the research looks at two different economies of the world (Heffernan, 1996). Therefore two countries i.e. UK and India have been selected for the study. It will help to identify how banks have managed their business during cyclical upturn, peak in crisis. The study also intends to highlight the trend of banking activities. And will also draw attention on how the proportion of risk has changed over the past years. Highlighting changes in key ratios will give a clear picture of what has happened and what can be expected in the future. It would be important to compare the balance sheets of some of the major banks of both the countries from the year 2004 till 2009 to check the percentage increase or decrease in their activities in order to come to a conclusion and provide suggestions/recommendations. Brief Literature Review: Since this study deals developments in banks and their performance over last few years, ratio analysis would be best suited for the study. These ratios are easily available on Bank-scope website (www.bankscope.com). These can also be cross checked from respective banks annual reports which are available on the internet. Heffernans (1996) study on performance of banks in 1980s indicated that some of the banks assets grew faster than nominal GDP, which means that banks were highly profitable. However, in late 1980s and 1990s there were asset quality problems in some of the large banks which had to write off non-performing portfolios. Because of which there was increased regulatory pressure and banks had to move towards fee-earning business i.e. securities underwriting and trading. It was during this time that international business was growing but was not profitable for banks because of high operating costs. However, banks found ways of reducing their costs by issuing their own CDs and introduce new products which were not capital intensive and resulted in fee income. Thus like other sectors, banks too used international trade and globalisation to increase their profits and diversify their risks. But, there have been one financial crisis in at least in every decade. Globalisation has been blamed for some of the previous financial crisis. There have been few economists who have argued that policies of the government resulted in the crisis and not technology. Asian crisis of 1997 is one such example (Krugman, 1998.). International organisations like WTO, World Bank, IMF promote globalisation and international trade for the development and welfare of under developed and developing economies. It has opened up global economy and countries like China and India have grown faster than expected. Globalisation has also reduced the sense of isolation which was felt before in developing countries. But in many countries, like the African nations, globalisation has not been be neficial or has not reached and hence most African nations remain underdeveloped (Stiglitz, 2002). Globalisation resulted in innovation of various risk reducing financial products and strategies like Futures, Options, Derivatives and Securitization. This study will help to understand how some of these products and strategies which were supposed to reduce risk, resulted in downfall of global economy. Sub-problems: The sub problems of this study are: Global economy before financial crisis – this will help to understand how banks were making huge profits; Economic and financial globalization and the expansion of world trade have brought substantial benefits to countries around the world (International Monetary Fund) What led to Crisis? this problem will help to realise what was happening in the banking world which went unnoticed till the time crisis hit some of the major banks; One of the key issue was the rising defaults on subprime mortgages in the US that triggered the global financial crisis (Subprime Fallout, Financial Times) Steps taken by international bodies like World Bank, WTO, UN, etc to rescue Global Economy – Though the most acute phase of the global financial crisis has passed, recovery remains fragile.   Persistent risks to economic health include high unemployment and low growth in developed countries and scarce international financing for developing countries. The poorest countries continue to need assistance to move beyond the crisis (Financial Crisis, World Bank report); World Bank is also expanding its cooperation with IMF, UN to promote inclusiveness, innovation, efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability (World Bank reform, World Bank). Since crisis in the USA impacted all major economies, rescue steps taken by some international organisations are important to take note of; Impact of financial crisis to UK Indian economy and steps taken by govt. central bank individually along the guidelines of Basel, bring out flaws if any. Bank of England and Reserve Bank of India have taken several steps to ensure that respective economies continue to grow and remain stable (BoE and RBI). Research Methodology: Punch (1998) has indicated that quantitative research is concerned with the collection and analysis of data in numeric form. It tends to emphasize relatively large scale and representative sets of data, and is often, falsely in our view, presented or perceived as being about the gathering of facts. Whereas qualitative research is concerned with collecting and analysing information in as many forms, mainly non-numeric, as possible. It tends to focus on as much detail as possible and aims to achieve depth rather than breadth. All qualitative research seeks understanding of data that are complex and need to be approached only in context (Morse et al, 2002). A correlation study, quantitative research method, examines the extent to which differences in one characteristic or variable are related to differences to one or more characteristics or variables. A correlation exists if, when one variable increases, another variable either increases or decreases in a somewhat predictable fashion. This study will collect numbers (data) that reflect specific measurements of the characteristics in question (Leedy, 2009). This type of study will be particularly useful for comparing ratios of different years and it will give out a clear picture of how operations of banks have changed over past few years. The good thing about this type of study is that the results are hard to manipulate as the data used would be a published data. Case study, qualitative research method,  refers to the collection and presentation of detailed information about a particular participant or small group, frequently including the accounts of subjects themselves. The case study is ideally suited to the needs and resources of the small-scale researcher (Loraine, et al. 2001). It is a form of qualitative descriptive research, which looks intensely at an individual or small participant pool, drawing conclusions only about that participant or group and only in that specific context. A case study researcher often begins to analyze the data during the data collection process (Leedy, 2009). As stated by Loraine B, et al. (2001) the drawbacks of case studies are: The very complexity of a case can make analysis difficult because of the holistic nature of the case study. The researcher needs to show connections between various events but not lose sight of the whole picture. While the contextualization of aspects of the case strengthen this form of research, it is difficult to know where context begins and ends. However the advantages of case studies are linked to their disadvantages, which are: They allow the researcher to show the complexity of social life and good case studies build on this to explore alternative meanings and interpretations. This study will be a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methodology. In the past, both studies, qualitative and quantitative, have been conducted in order to determine the main reasons of bank failures (Heffernan, 1996). Since the main research problem deals with key financial ratios, quantitative research method would address it the best. However, the sub problems of this topic would require qualitative research as they are more theoretical involving case studies and previous examples of bank failures to better understand what really went wrong and how things could have been avoided. This study will undertake qualitative research in the form of comparative case study because the study will be looking at various issues that have resulted in the downfall of banks and banking operations in respective countries. Data Collection and Analysis Data will be collected via secondary sources such as websites, annual reports of banks, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Financial articles, Journals. The main quantitative analysis will be focused on the banking sector of the two countries and see if any trends or flaws can be highlighted. The data will be analyzed with the help of tables and graphs which would be explained. On the other hand qualitative analysis of comparative case studies will be mainly focused on sub problems which will lead the researcher in answering the main research problem. Conclusion/Potential Results This study might be able to bring out the current approach of banks towards various risks. The study might also be able to point put the best practices that are followed by the banks in the sample countries. The study will also try to point out flaws, if any, in the existing structure and operation of banks and recommend corrective steps. State of Banking Before and After Financial Crisis State of Banking Before and After Financial Crisis Introduction: Banks play a very important role in financial system. Most businesses have a need for a line of credit or other financing with a bank (Editorials, Street directory).  A stable financial system can help a nations economy grow steadily than it would in an unstable financial system. From loans to investments, financial institutions are exposed to all kinds of risks in the market. Risk is universal in the financial industry and everything that a financial institution does requires thorough Risk Management Practices (RMPs). The recent financial crisis has brought out the existing flaw in the banking system which probably no one had forecasted few years before. In the past, first the economy used to slowdown which would result in financial crisis but this time it is other way round. During the current financial crisis, banks and other financial institutions, particularly in the U.S, have collapsed which has resulted in slowdown of global economy. Research Question/Main Problem: This research will try and bring out the changes that have happened in operations of banking, over past 5-6 years, from huge profit making business to managing risks efficiently. Aim and Objective: The dissertation aims to look at the developments in banking sector in both, a developed and developing economy, so that the positive points from both the economies can be brought forward and negative points can be addressed and rectified. The study also aims to highlight some of the key reasons of financial crisis. It is very hard or rather impossible to imagine carrying out business in the absence of banks or financial system. Hence, it is very important to study and conduct a research about the crisis that have impacted the financial industry, so that some lessons can be learnt and in the future, and mistakes can be avoided. If the study is limited to one country, sample might not be large enough and hence the research looks at two different economies of the world (Heffernan, 1996). Therefore two countries i.e. UK and India have been selected for the study. It will help to identify how banks have managed their business during cyclical upturn, peak in crisis. The study also intends to highlight the trend of banking activities. And will also draw attention on how the proportion of risk has changed over the past years. Highlighting changes in key ratios will give a clear picture of what has happened and what can be expected in the future. It would be important to compare the balance sheets of some of the major banks of both the countries from the year 2004 till 2009 to check the percentage increase or decrease in their activities in order to come to a conclusion and provide suggestions/recommendations. Brief Literature Review: Since this study deals developments in banks and their performance over last few years, ratio analysis would be best suited for the study. These ratios are easily available on Bank-scope website (www.bankscope.com). These can also be cross checked from respective banks annual reports which are available on the internet. Heffernans (1996) study on performance of banks in 1980s indicated that some of the banks assets grew faster than nominal GDP, which means that banks were highly profitable. However, in late 1980s and 1990s there were asset quality problems in some of the large banks which had to write off non-performing portfolios. Because of which there was increased regulatory pressure and banks had to move towards fee-earning business i.e. securities underwriting and trading. It was during this time that international business was growing but was not profitable for banks because of high operating costs. However, banks found ways of reducing their costs by issuing their own CDs and introduce new products which were not capital intensive and resulted in fee income. Thus like other sectors, banks too used international trade and globalisation to increase their profits and diversify their risks. But, there have been one financial crisis in at least in every decade. Globalisation has been blamed for some of the previous financial crisis. There have been few economists who have argued that policies of the government resulted in the crisis and not technology. Asian crisis of 1997 is one such example (Krugman, 1998.). International organisations like WTO, World Bank, IMF promote globalisation and international trade for the development and welfare of under developed and developing economies. It has opened up global economy and countries like China and India have grown faster than expected. Globalisation has also reduced the sense of isolation which was felt before in developing countries. But in many countries, like the African nations, globalisation has not been be neficial or has not reached and hence most African nations remain underdeveloped (Stiglitz, 2002). Globalisation resulted in innovation of various risk reducing financial products and strategies like Futures, Options, Derivatives and Securitization. This study will help to understand how some of these products and strategies which were supposed to reduce risk, resulted in downfall of global economy. Sub-problems: The sub problems of this study are: Global economy before financial crisis – this will help to understand how banks were making huge profits; Economic and financial globalization and the expansion of world trade have brought substantial benefits to countries around the world (International Monetary Fund) What led to Crisis? this problem will help to realise what was happening in the banking world which went unnoticed till the time crisis hit some of the major banks; One of the key issue was the rising defaults on subprime mortgages in the US that triggered the global financial crisis (Subprime Fallout, Financial Times) Steps taken by international bodies like World Bank, WTO, UN, etc to rescue Global Economy – Though the most acute phase of the global financial crisis has passed, recovery remains fragile.   Persistent risks to economic health include high unemployment and low growth in developed countries and scarce international financing for developing countries. The poorest countries continue to need assistance to move beyond the crisis (Financial Crisis, World Bank report); World Bank is also expanding its cooperation with IMF, UN to promote inclusiveness, innovation, efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability (World Bank reform, World Bank). Since crisis in the USA impacted all major economies, rescue steps taken by some international organisations are important to take note of; Impact of financial crisis to UK Indian economy and steps taken by govt. central bank individually along the guidelines of Basel, bring out flaws if any. Bank of England and Reserve Bank of India have taken several steps to ensure that respective economies continue to grow and remain stable (BoE and RBI). Research Methodology: Punch (1998) has indicated that quantitative research is concerned with the collection and analysis of data in numeric form. It tends to emphasize relatively large scale and representative sets of data, and is often, falsely in our view, presented or perceived as being about the gathering of facts. Whereas qualitative research is concerned with collecting and analysing information in as many forms, mainly non-numeric, as possible. It tends to focus on as much detail as possible and aims to achieve depth rather than breadth. All qualitative research seeks understanding of data that are complex and need to be approached only in context (Morse et al, 2002). A correlation study, quantitative research method, examines the extent to which differences in one characteristic or variable are related to differences to one or more characteristics or variables. A correlation exists if, when one variable increases, another variable either increases or decreases in a somewhat predictable fashion. This study will collect numbers (data) that reflect specific measurements of the characteristics in question (Leedy, 2009). This type of study will be particularly useful for comparing ratios of different years and it will give out a clear picture of how operations of banks have changed over past few years. The good thing about this type of study is that the results are hard to manipulate as the data used would be a published data. Case study, qualitative research method,  refers to the collection and presentation of detailed information about a particular participant or small group, frequently including the accounts of subjects themselves. The case study is ideally suited to the needs and resources of the small-scale researcher (Loraine, et al. 2001). It is a form of qualitative descriptive research, which looks intensely at an individual or small participant pool, drawing conclusions only about that participant or group and only in that specific context. A case study researcher often begins to analyze the data during the data collection process (Leedy, 2009). As stated by Loraine B, et al. (2001) the drawbacks of case studies are: The very complexity of a case can make analysis difficult because of the holistic nature of the case study. The researcher needs to show connections between various events but not lose sight of the whole picture. While the contextualization of aspects of the case strengthen this form of research, it is difficult to know where context begins and ends. However the advantages of case studies are linked to their disadvantages, which are: They allow the researcher to show the complexity of social life and good case studies build on this to explore alternative meanings and interpretations. This study will be a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methodology. In the past, both studies, qualitative and quantitative, have been conducted in order to determine the main reasons of bank failures (Heffernan, 1996). Since the main research problem deals with key financial ratios, quantitative research method would address it the best. However, the sub problems of this topic would require qualitative research as they are more theoretical involving case studies and previous examples of bank failures to better understand what really went wrong and how things could have been avoided. This study will undertake qualitative research in the form of comparative case study because the study will be looking at various issues that have resulted in the downfall of banks and banking operations in respective countries. Data Collection and Analysis Data will be collected via secondary sources such as websites, annual reports of banks, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Financial articles, Journals. The main quantitative analysis will be focused on the banking sector of the two countries and see if any trends or flaws can be highlighted. The data will be analyzed with the help of tables and graphs which would be explained. On the other hand qualitative analysis of comparative case studies will be mainly focused on sub problems which will lead the researcher in answering the main research problem. Conclusion/Potential Results This study might be able to bring out the current approach of banks towards various risks. The study might also be able to point put the best practices that are followed by the banks in the sample countries. The study will also try to point out flaws, if any, in the existing structure and operation of banks and recommend corrective steps.