Thursday, October 31, 2019

Contemporary Irish Films Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Contemporary Irish Films - Essay Example This drama implementation on TV has contributed to the widespread and popularity of such true-to-life documentaries appearance in cinema tends to prioritise the creative influence of the film's directors. [Pettitt, 2000] Thus, making their films the tend to deal with the topics of abuse from the past; based on true stories they have their great emotional effect on the viewers, and uncover the real sense of the traditional social political and religious establishments which rules the life of people for a long time. That's why the real historical or fictional characters, or the images of the USA President appear to perceive the reality depicted in the film in a more deeper sense. Drama has also challenged viewers' minds by imagining events that could not be countenanced by factual television. Fictional representations, therefore, have played a major role in the maintenance and reshaping of perceptions about the Troubles and to this extent they have performed a political function. [Pettitt, 2000] The reports stay that the number of screens in Ireland has increased by 68% from 192 screens to 322 screens (during the period of 1991-2001), but the number of cinemas in Ireland has reduced by 15% from 81 cinemas to 69 in the same period. As for the contemporary Irish films, Pettitt who deals with the films after the 1970s, speaks about both the great thread posed by the influence of Hollywood - dubbed 'Californication' by Oliver St. John Gogarty three-quarters of the century ago - and the need for the resources that the American films companies can supply. [Pettitt, 2000] He also points out the fact that Irish cinema, for all its independence, hews fairly closely to the Hollywood formula followed everywhere from West Los Angeles to Bombay. According to Pettitt (2000), drama since the late 1960s has explored some of the deepest fears of those embroiled in conflict, but has not only reflected the political shifts in Northern Ireland. The political, security and legal apparatus of the British establishment has been most effectively critiqued at different junctures in the drama-documentary format. There has been a line of drama that has interrogated the problematic relationship of unionism within Anglo-Irish politics and the increasingly attenuated sense of Ulster loyalism. Fictional representations, therefore, have played a major role in the maintenance and reshaping of perceptions about the Troubles and to this extent they have performed a political function. [Pettitt, 2000] According to Crosson (2003), contemporary Irish film itself reflects the failure of Irish history to excite the imagination of Ireland's youth as effectively as the seductive depictions of America's past as medicated through the Western and gangster films. So that, films made in Ireland today reflect both these genres. The Irish cinema-going experience has come from Hollywood since in independence in 1922. [Rockett, 1991; p.19] The Irish Film Board has attempted to counterpart Ireland's huge dependence on imported film by supporting films made in the country and by Irish people. However, Ireland remains a substantial net importer of images, many of them

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

SKILLS GAPPING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SKILLS GAPPING - Essay Example For example, if the area was customer service focused, skills gapping would look for gaps in areas of service delivery and then try to bridge that gap through training or technology. The health care environment can benefit greatly from skills gapping, especially in areas of patient care in a hospital setting. Nurses and physicians, and many other support staff, are exposed to people of many different cultural, ethnic, or family backgrounds and each have different interpersonal dimensions and personalities. Being able to provide a quality face-to-face interaction with patients, at all staff levels, means being able to be adaptive to their unique cultural values. Skills gapping could recognize all areas which come in contact with patients, assess the goals of each job role, and then assess staff for their ability to provide multi-cultural support at the social level. Gaps in knowledge or experience in these areas would be located in skills gapping process, allowing for the health care analyst to review training programs related to multi-cultural relationships or enhancing patient psychology. Patient care is much more than just the delivery of medicine, it is inter active at multiple staff levels and skills gapping can be a competitive edge. Offers one human resources expert, â€Å"Training and development plans should be regularly reviewed and certainly more than once per year† (Wilson and Western, 2001, p.93). It seems that many companies develop training programs and then continue to allow them to become standardized over the passage of time without upgrading or modernizing them. This would provide ineffective training for the real-time health care environment. Skills gapping can act as a regular auditing tool within the business to improve training delivery and training program development which would be ongoing. For example, if a hospital administrator decided that it would become the organizational mission to

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Strain Gauge Laboratory Exercise

Strain Gauge Laboratory Exercise An investigation into the effects of electronic circuits on the accuracy of weight measurement and how these results relate to material properties Instrumentation systems are necessary in industry to provide accurate and reliable measurements of various quantities, as well as monitoring and controlling processes. In this experiment, strain gauge sensors were attached to a cantilever beam upon which a varying load was applied and the output voltage recorded in order to estimate the mass of an unknown object. This was done for four separate electrical circuits, involving potential dividers and Wheatstone bridges, to compare their respective accuracies in measuring the unknown mass. The obtained results were also used to calculate an estimate for the Youngs Modulus of the steel beam, which was found to be 46.6 GPa. This differed greatly from the expected value of 200 GPa due to the irregular thickness of the beam, which affected the calculated results for the stress and highlighted the need to reduce sources of error before and during experiments. An instrumentation system is a collection of instruments used to measure, monitor and control a process. (1) These systems are regularly used for a variety of measurements in industries including communications, defence and engineering systems. The instrumentation systems involved in these measurement processes usually comprise of a sensor and appropriate electronic circuitry to manipulate and process the signal. Utilisation of these systems in industry is rapidly increasing as they continue to increase productivity and quality through the reduction of human error in the measurements made. The strain gauge is one of the most important sensors regarding the measurement of mechanical quantities. A strain gauge is a sensor whose resistance varies with applied force. (2) The variation in length produced by the force causes a change in electrical resistivity across the gauge which can be measured and used to calculate values of stress and strain. This report investigates the effects of different electronic circuits on the accuracy of weight measurement using strain gauge sensors on a cantilever beam and a comparison between experimental and theoretical results for Youngs Modulus. The different circuits considered are: a potential divider circuit a Wheatstone bridge circuit in quarter bridge configuration a Wheatstone bridge circuit in half bridge configuration a Wheatstone bridge and amplifier circuit A cantilever beam is a beam anchored only at one end, as shown in figure 1 below. As stated in the introduction, the application of a force on the beam alters its length which subsequently changes the strain gauge resistance. This change in resistance is given by:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (equation 1) where R is the resistance of the gauge, à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  R is the change in resistance, is the gauge factor (which is 2 throughout this experiment) and ÃŽ µ is the strain. In the potential divider set up illustrated below in figure 2, the 1.5kÃŽ © resistor is in series with the strain gauge and, as the resistance across the strain gauge varies with the load applied, the voltage across the strain gauge will also change. This voltage can be measured and used to calculate the strain on the beam. Deformation to the strain gauge through the applied force generates a very small change in resistance, causing only a very small change in voltage for the masses added. For this reason, it is more accurate to measure the change in voltage instead of the overall output voltage. This can be achieved through the use of a circuit known as a Wheatstone bridge. A Wheatstone bridge contains two simple series-parallel arrangements of resistances connected between a voltage supply terminal and ground producing zero voltage difference between the two parallel branches when balanced. (3) The arrangement of this is shown in figure 3 below: For this investigation, the bridge is arranged in two different configurations, quarter bridge and half bridge, changing the number of arms made active. The bridge is originally balanced so the resistances in the lower and upper arms of each adjacent sides are equal, giving a 0V output. Therefore, a change in resistance of one of the active arms as the beam deforms gives rise to a voltage output à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  V which can be measured through equation 2:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (equation 2) where V is the bridge excitation voltage, R is the gauge resistance, à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  R is the change in resistance and K = for a quarter bridge set up and for a half bridge set up. Equation 1 and equation 2 can then be combined to produce an equation for calculating the induced stress in the material:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (equation 3) When a load W is applied to the beam, the stress at the strain gauge at distance L is given by the equation:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (equation 4) where ÏÆ' is the surface stress, W is the applied force, L is the distance between the load and the strain gauge sensors, b is the width of the beam and t is the thickness of the beam (see figure 4). Youngs modulus can then be calculated through Hookes Law:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (equation 5) 4.1 Apparatus The experiment was conducted using the apparatus illustrated in figure 5, as well as utilising measuring equipment described below: Cantilever beam set up as shown in figure 5, with a pair of 120kÃŽ © strain gauges attached at a distance from the free end, one above the beam and one below. Cantilever beam casing containing 2 switches to alternate between the potential divider and Wheatstone bridge circuits and then, for the latter, between quarter bridge and half bridge configuration. Masses, 100g each, to vary the load applied to the free end. Circuit board with potential divider, Wheatstone bridge and amplifier circuits set up containing potentiometers and pins to allow voltage to be measured across components. Digital Multimeter to record the output voltages of the circuit, measuring with an uncertainty of  ±0.5mV for the potential divider and  ±0.05mV for the Wheatstone bridges. Vernier caliper to measure the width and thickness of the beam, as well as the distance from the strain gauges to the load, measuring with an uncertainty of  ±0.005cm. Digital scales to calculate the actual mass of the unknown object, measuring with an accuracy of  ±0.05g. 4.2 Procedure The first electric circuit to be tested was the potential divider and therefore the switch on the cantilever beam casing was set to the corresponding place. With no load applied, the voltage across the strain gauge,, was measured. The minimum weight, 100g, was then loaded onto the beam and both the total weight and voltage across the strain gauge, , were recorded. The weight was then increased in 100g increments up to a maximum of 500g with the total weight and recorded after each mass was added. Finally, the load was removed and replaced with an unknown weight for which the voltage reading was recorded. The first switch was then changed to select the Wheatstone bridge circuit, and the second switch to choose the quarter bridge configuration. With no load applied to the beam, the excitation voltage, V, for the bridge was then measured and recorded.   This circuit contained a potentiometer which was then altered to change the resistance and ensure the initial output read 0V on the multimeter. The same procedure as for the potential divider was then carried out and the results recorded for the same differentials. The second switch was then changed to select the half bridge configuration and an identical procedure to the quarter bridge was carried out. The second switch was then changed back to the quarter bridge configuration while the circuit was changed to include a differential amplifier to increase the output voltage. The circuit is shown in figure 5 below: The same method was then followed as used for the previous Wheatstone bridge without the amplifier; however, this time, the amplified voltage was measured and recorded as opposed to the actual output voltage . Finally, after all the necessary measurements using the equipment were recorded, the unknown weight and dimensions for the beam needed to be measured in order for the results outlined in the theory section to be calculated. The digital scale was used to give a value for the unknown weight while the vernier calipers were used to measure the width, b, and thickness, t, of the beam, as well as the distance between the load and the strain gauge, L. The mass, W, added and the voltmeter measurement, V, were recorded for each circuit and collected in four tables which can be found in Appendix A. The mass values were converted from g to N and graphs of the strain gauge voltage against applied load were drawn for the four circuits. The measured voltage for the unknown mass is also included alongside the appropriate tables. 5.1 Potential Divider The unknown mass gave a reading of 1.130V. 5.2 Wheatstone Bridge The unknown mass gave a reading of 0.4mV for the quarter bridge and 0.8mV for the half bridge. 5.3 Wheatstone Bridge with Differential Amplifier The amplifier circuit increased the values recorded in figure 7 by a factor of 50. The unknown mass gave a reading of 24.2mV. 5.4 Stress against strain for the beam Using the measured values from above and inputting them into equation 4 and equation 5 respectively, a graph of stress against strain can then be plotted. Referring to equation 3, the gradient of this graph then corresponds to Youngs Modulus, which is calculated to be 46.6 GPa. 5.5 Calibration Values Weight resolution is defined as the smallest increment of weight which the numeric display, in this case the voltmeter, can indicate. (4) Each circuit used during this investigation had a different weight resolution, which was calculated by measuring the initial voltage change from no load to 100g load and comparing this to the resolution of the measuring equipment: for the potential divider, this was  ±1mV, and for the other circuits this was  ±0.1mV. For example, when the voltage in the potential divider circuit increased by 1mV, the weight increased by either 100g or 200g the potential divider does not have an absolute weight resolution as multiple load values produced the same voltage reading and therefore the weight resolution is given through a range rather than a definite value. The weight resolutions increased as expected, with the potential divider providing the least accurate measurements and the quarter bridge with differential amplifier providing the most accurate measurements. These weight measurements can be used to estimate the weight of unknown mass by multiplying the recorded voltage for the unknown mass by the weight resolution calculated. This is shown in Table 1 below: Electrical Circuit Weight Resolution Estimate for unknown mass value Potential Divider 100g-200g 113g-226g Quarter Bridge 50.0g 200g Half Bridge 25.7g 205.6g Quarter Bridge with amplifier 0.994g 241.9 g The unknown mass was measured to be 236.4g using the digital scales. As can be seen from figure 1 and figure 2 from the theory section, both the potential divider and Wheatstone bridge circuits are fitted with additional resistors, 1.5kÃŽ © and 680ÃŽ © respectively. Known as current limiting resistors, these are necessary to stop the current rising above a certain value in these circuits it is necessary to limit the current to less than 10mA, calculated by dividing the source voltage of 15V by the circuit resistance of 1.5kÃŽ © (resistor) + 240ÃŽ © (strain gauges) in the potential divider circuit, giving a current of 8.6mA. This reduces any measurement errors which could arise from an increase of the strain gauges temperature through the Joule effect, where the energy of an electric current is converted into heat as it passes through a resistive material. (5) As the circuits change from potential divider through to quarter bridge with differential amplifier, the accuracy of the measured voltages increases. This can be demonstrated through the graphs in figures 7, 8 and 9 where it can be seen that the plotted values lie progressively closer to the line of best fit with the graph for the amplifier circuit, shown in figure 9, demonstrating the least deviation from the line. Although this progression agrees with the theory, the actual values obtained differ slightly from the values expected; this is shown through the estimated values of the unknown mass recorded in Table 1. This difference could be the result of a number of factors: uncertainties in the values for the 100g masses used; the fact we are assuming a point load even though the masses provide a distribution of the weight and interference. The use of an AC current produces a small magnetic field which can cause an electromotive force in any wires that are not shielded properly. This small voltage change could be picked up by the voltmeter and slightly alter the measurements. The unknown mass was measured to be 236.4g by the digital scale. The most accurate estimate calculated by an electrical circuit was 241.9g by the Wheatstone quarter bridge with differential amplifier. The possible reasons for discrepancies between values can include the limitation of the amplifier gain due to electrical noise and temperature changes in the wire. The latter can be a problem as an increase in temperature corresponds to an increase in resistance which can affect measured values. However, this error is reduced in the half bridge configuration as, with a strain gauge sensor on both the top and bottom of the bar, the effect of temperature change cancels itself out. Finally, the Youngs Modulus value obtained through this experiment is significantly outside the expected range of 190-210 GPa, at 46.6 GPa. This can mainly be attributed to irregularities in the dimensions of the steel beam used the section of the beam where the gauges were installed was slightly smaller than the rest of the beam to allow for the necessary preparation. Referring back to equation 4 in the introduction section, the inclusion of a term shows that the thickness of the beam has the greatest effect on the calculated stress, and therefore this discrepancy in values has a significant effect on the value of Youngs Modulus calculated. To achieve a value for Youngs Modulus of 200 GPa, a thickness of 0.47cm would be required. To conclude, the experiment outlined in this report was useful in demonstrating the varying levels of accuracy of measurements which can be achieved through different forms of electrical circuits, validating the expectation that weight resolution, and therefore accuracy, would increase as the circuits progressed from a potential divider to a Wheatstone quarter bridge with differential amplifier, with the latter providing the most reliable output voltage results and the highest weight resolution. However, the result obtained for the Youngs Modulus of steel, of 46.6 GPa, through the measurements recorded in this experiment, highlights how many of the variables associated with electrical circuits have large uncertainties which can lead to extreme unreliability in the data measured and consequently the final results. The findings of this experiment are statistically insignificant due to the nature of the apparatus used compared to that used in industry. However, it does effectively illustrate the importance of reducing the effect of possible sources of error before an experiment is performed, as well as taking the time to precisely measure all of the necessary results throughout, as a slight inaccuracy in one measurement can significantly affect the final values. Mass (g) Weight (N) Voltage across Strain Gauge (V) 0 0 1.128 100 0.981 1.129 200 1.962 1.129 300 2.943 1.130 400 3.924 1.130 500 4.905 1.131 Unknown 1.130 Potential Divider Wheatstone Quarter Bridge Mass (g) Weight (N) Output Voltage (mV) 100 0.981 0.2 200 1.962 0.4 300 2.943 0.6 400 3.924 0.8 500 4.905 1 Unknown 0.4 Wheatstone Half Bridge Mass (g) Weight (N) Output Voltage (mV) 100 0.981 0.3 200 1.962 0.7 300 2.943 1.1 400 3.924 1.5 500 4.905 2.0 Unknown 0.8 Wheatstone Quarter Bridge with Amplifier Mass (g) Weight (N) Amplified Voltage (mV) 100 0.981 9.8 200 1.962 19.9 300 2.943 30.1 400 3.924 40.2 500 4.905 50.3 Unknown 24.2 [1] H. Eren and C. C. Fung, Electrical Engineering Vol.II Instrumentation Systems, Perth. [2] Omega, What is a strain gauge?, [Online]. Available: http://www.omega.co.uk/prodinfo/straingauges.html. [Accessed 17 April 2016]. [3] Electronics Tutorials Staff, Wheatstone Bridge, [Online]. Available: http://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/blog/wheatstone-bridge.html. [Accessed 17 April 2016]. [4] Precision Weighing Balances, Scale and Balance Definitions in Simple Terms, [Online]. Available: http://www.scalenet.com/applications/glossary.html. [Accessed 17 April 2016]. [5] Comsol, The Joule Heating Effect, [Online]. Available: https://www.comsol.com/multiphysics/the-joule-heating-effect. [Accessed 17 April 2016]. [6] D. R. Ngwompo, Measurements Using Strain Gauge Lab Sheet, Bath, 2016.

Friday, October 25, 2019

college tuition :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Public college tuition fees need to increase and not have a ceiling set on them because over time instructional costs increase due to rising wages, salaries and inflation. If there were a ceiling government taxes would increase, and last many amenities would have to be subtracted.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First, over time instructional costs increase due to rising wages, salaries and inflation. If tuition does not increase the salary of employees will decrease and jobs will have to be cut, because there will not be enough money. Along with a smaller faculty there will also be less class choice and increase in class size. Both of these things will result in a lower quality of education because there would not be enough money due to a tuition ceiling. The tuition that students and families pay goes towards the students education. According to Karen Arenson of the New York Times some colleges are already cutting back, taking such steps as eliminating faculty positions and reducing class sizes. These things are already happening without a tuition ceiling. Just think that all colleges would have to do this instead of some if there was a tuition ceiling.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If a ceiling was set on tuition at all public colleges in the united states there would be a drastic increase in government taxes. Tuition at public universities is usually shared between the government or taxpayers, and the parents and student. As student costs increase such as maintenance, room, board, travel, laundry, and entertainment taxes would have to increase to cover the additional expenses. The failure of tuition to increase at the same rate as the increases of wages and salaries in the economy will require additional government revenues.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  College isn’t all about bookwork. College is a place to have and experience new things. If a ceiling was set on tuition there would be almost no money to fund extracurricular activities such athletic and cultural facilities and other programs. Also colleges would not be able to pay for extensive libraries and new technology for students without tuition.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

How to Choose a Good Book Essay

When adults select books for children, we want to pick out good ones. The problem is, we’re not always sure what a â€Å"good book† means and just tend to choose be beneficial and desirable for young readers. We forge ahead, sometimes unaware of how we use to determine what is â€Å"good.† Adults choose the books according to a standard- a criteria that we may not be aware exactly why we make our choices, considering the biases we respond to most: The lessons the books teach, those large colorful illustrations, the absence of harshness, scariness and swearing, the simple vocabulary used, the familiar content presented to the schema of the child and the political correctness it has to offer in which are sometimes narrow and misguided, a reason to be a problem within how they choose. For some people however, it is a necessary thing to consider on how readers respond to a certain book in order to recognize whether it is â€Å"good† or â€Å"not†. However this raises the different perspectives presented upon the books since all people think in different ways. How the readers are attracted to a book depends on the rationalizing ability of their minds regarding a topic. Therefore considering a fact that the â€Å"goodness† of a book depends on how the reader comments upon it. The quality of the book is reflected from how a critical analysis evaluates the book’s style and language, character, plot, setting, theme, tone, point of view, illustrations, mood, pacing, design and layout, and accuracy. All of which are important to consider. Critics focus mostly on how words are chosen and arranged, unique and believable techniques of characterizations, the total outcome of the story as the conflict takes place, and how the author strategizes upon the manipulation of the readers’ imagination to make the emotional reality true. The taste of how readers choose a genre of a story is also varied. For one thing, the multi-awarded Wind in Willows is judged to be quality literature  for children as it delineates the four main characters, contains satisfying action sequences and is told in a rich, varied language. However, some children tend to not find themselves engrossed in the story when they tried to read it. Goosebumps books on the other hand had won no literary awards and yet thousands of children sail through the series and report that each Goosebumps story is a good book, disregarding also the fact that some adults may think that children that read such formulaic, shallow stories should at least feel shame for doing so. In the end, the question of â€Å"good book† does not depend on awards it claimed, titles that have proven themselves overtime and the highest sale figures. The only list we can trust without reservation is our own.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Being a Man

Being a Man in the male perspective may be projected with ease as it seems, however, masculinity or the concept of being a man in a strict sense is a trait that has an offending nature. Much of this can be attributed to the fact that the social conditions throughout history suggest that men are commonly compelled to show their masculinity in every domain of endeavor. As such, the framework from where the concept of manliness is based has created an almost irreversible plague that has gone hand in hand with history.Manly concepts belittle the core of their female counterparts due to the fact that the masculinity rouses a sense of self-glorification. In sports, in all fields of life, men have become triumphant at the expense of women. This is because of how boys are bred and raised to become â€Å"men† (Theroux 411), up and coming men become totally obsessed with the idea of proving their manhood through their chosen field. Therefore, the enthusiastic individual will do what he deems necessary to achieve such goal.Femininity plays a vital role in belittling their sexuality because of the female species' vane nature and alertness to man's inadequacy (Theroux 411). Alfonsina Storni's blatant aversion to manliness appears to be a of how manliness is being glorified objectively over and over. It is a good argument that men and women are equal beings each with distinct qualities, and given the distinction, it is also plausible to think that both genders have their set of issues to deal with.However, social constructs, media presentations, and cultures across the world suggest that the nature of manhood demean women in every way. Superhero archetypes for instance are all modeled after men, the earliest superhero characters Superman and Batman are patterned to the typical male image. Likewise, other heroes such as Supergirl and Batgirl are female characters influenced by male characters. Masculinity is not a written law obliging every male person to conform to so ciety's traditional standards.However collective social opinion backed by media sensationalizing and cultural practice dictates the concept of manhood. Furthermore, the dictated solidarity in the concept of being a man eliminates the concept of individuality and the true precept of manliness. Works Cited Theroux, Paul. Being a Man. Reading and Writing about Gender in The World is a Text: The Writing, Reading, and Thinking About Culture and Its Contexts (2nd Edition). by

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Smoking During Pregnancy Essays

Smoking During Pregnancy Essays Smoking During Pregnancy Essay Smoking During Pregnancy Essay A pregnant women and her unborn baby are sensitive to the effects of our environment, this include drugs, disease and stress. One of the legal drugs that exist is nicotine. Through smoking, nicotine is readily absorbed from tobacco smoke in the mouth, upper respiratory tract and lungs into the blood stream in which they are carried to all parts of the body (Fried Oxorn 1980, p. 26). Nicotine, carbon monoxide and other toxic substance of tobacco smoke is dangerous during pregnancy. Smoking during pregnancy is one of the bad habits that can bring complications to the baby.During the pregnancy there are potential problems associated with smoking such as increased the chances of miscarriage and stillbirth, having high risk premature baby and low birth weight infants. According to US Department Health and Human Services 1980 study (cited in Wakefield Wilson 1988, p. 5) that aside from birth weight, the risk of spontaneous abortion, fetal death and neonatal death rises directly with incr easing levels of maternal smoking during pregnancy. It is also know the increased risk of abruption placentae, placenta previa and bleeding early in pregnancy or late pregnancy is also related to smoking.In addition, there is evidence that smoking have long term effects to the child such as reduced physical growth, slightly poor performance on intelligence test, and some behavioural disorders in the child of school age (Fried Oxon 1980, p. 111). If the pregnancy is planned it is important to a mother-to-be to know how harmful smoking to the foetus is. There are studies that the women do not have the clear perception of the effects that smoking might have on the foetus and the risks involved.The best way to minimize the risk and complications of smoking is through quitting smoking cigarettes before becoming pregnant. However, if smoking cannot be given up entirely the pregnant women should at least decrease the amount of cigarettes smoked to decrease the severity of effects to the f oetus. Quitting smoking is beneficial to the mother-to-be and to the baby. Activities such as sports, exercise and listening music can divert the mind away from smoking. There are no harm of trying to quit smoking but if this will not working there are support strategies to help quitting effectively.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Microsoft Word Tips Adding Chapter Headers - Proofed

Microsoft Word Tips Adding Chapter Headers - Proofed Microsoft Word Tips: Adding Chapter Headers Breaking up a longer document, such as a dissertation or manuscript, into chapters will make it much easier to read. And if you do this, adding chapter headers will help your reader navigate the document quickly and easily. But how does this work in Microsoft Word? Let us explain. Chapter Headers in Microsoft Word Adding chapter headers to a Microsoft Word document requires three things: Using a Heading style for your chapter headings Adding section breaks between chapters Generating the chapter headers This might seem complex, but each step is simple. Read on to find out more. Step One: Applying Heading Styles The Heading styles in Word are used for headings and subheadings. Chapter titles are the main headings in a document, so they would usually be formatted with Heading 1. Whichever style you use, though, to prepare for applying chapter headers you should: Select a style and customize it as required Go through your work applying the chosen style to all chapter headings Heading styles. Make sure to only use this style for chapter titles (you can use the other Heading styles for subheadings within chapters). This will let Microsoft Word tell the chapter titles apart from other text. Step Two: Adding Section Breaks Next, we need to add section breaks between chapters. Usually, you will want each chapter to start on a new page. You can do this throughout your document as follows: Find the first chapter title Place the cursor before the heading Go to Layout Page Setup on the main ribbon Click Breaks and select Next Page from the dropdown menu Repeat for each chapter in the document Adding a section break. Doing this will tell Microsoft Word where each chapter starts and ends. Step Three: Creating Chapter Headers All we need to do now is tell Microsoft Word what goes in each header. To do this, we first need to make sure that the headers in each section are separated from one another. To do this: Go to the first chapter in your document Open the header by going to Insert Header Footer Header Edit Header on the ribbon With the header selected, go to Design Navigation Deselect Link to Previous Repeat for each section of the document Unlinking sections. And finally, to create the chapter headers themselves, all you need to do is: Open the header in the first chapter Go to References Captions Cross-reference Select Heading from the menu as your reference type Pick the relevant chapter title and click Insert Repeat for each chapter of your document Adding chapter headers. This will insert the text formatted with the selected Heading style at the top of each page in each section. You can also apply the same header throughout multiple sections by leaving the Link to Previous option selected for each section after the first. If you later update your chapter titles, don’t forget to update your chapter headers! Getting your work proofread is a great way of making sure you don’t miss issues like this, so get in touch today.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

An Analysis of H.G. Wells The Invisible Man Invisible Man Essays

"The stranger came early in February, one wintry day, through a biting wind and a driving snow. He was wrapped from head to foot, and the brim of his soft felt hat hid every inch of his face but the shiny tip of his nose. He staggered into the Coach and Horses (an Inn in Ipling), more dead than alive"(p.11) The stranger was the invisible man. The Invisible Man was written by H.G. Wells, and published in 1964. The invisible man is a dynamic character who was changed by society. He seemed to start out as a quiet man who didn't like to be disturbed. Things that some of the people did made him angry to the point that at the end he was killing people for no apparent reason. In the beginning I wanted the people to leave the Invisible Man alone, but by the end he needed to be killed. Before he made himself invisible, he was an albino. His name was Griffen, and he was living in a rented place, where he would conduct his experiments. He kept getting pissed off at his landlord, who was constantly bothering Griffen. With the landlord always around, Griffen was always afraid that someone would figure out how he was making things transparent. He thought that becoming invisible was a utopian idea, and he didn't want someone stealing his idea. Griffen was so stuck on his invention that he didn't take the time to think the whole thing out. He comes across as a nervous character at this point in the story. The landlord made him very angry and he decided to run the experiment on himself. Once he was invisible, he destroyed his machine, and because he was so angry he burned the house down. As he walked the streets he was leaving muddy footprints. Some boys saw the footprints and the ghostly feet that made them. Immediately, the boys drew a crowd and started chasing the feet. This made him cautious, and he realized that it wasn't going to be easy to stay invisible. He needed clothes and shelter, so he went to a department store where he thought he could steal clothes after they closed. He needed to be visible to get his money and his books. His plan didn't work so well and he had to leave with nothing. He finally got some clothes by knocking out the owner of a costume shop and stealing what he needed.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Organizational Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Organizational Leadership - Essay Example This argument further leads us to the role of emotions in leading the organizations and how leadership, coping with the emotions, can carve out success for the organization on the competitive arena. This also important because of the fact that following shame and other emotions, leadership can effectively help organizations to the face the reality not about themselves but of their competition too. The argument regarding the shame within the organizational context is also important in the sense that shame has the tendency to motivate organizations to hide their vulnerabilities therefore making them weaker by avoiding truth about themselves. A good leader therefore needs to have the guts and the courage to face reality about the present circumstances of the organization which he or she is leading. The role of emotions and shame within the context of leadership therefore encompasses many different variables such as the role of the leader in organization and the personality of the leader and how the leadership can help achieve the realization for the organization to face the reality about itself. In order to explore the question of where does the leadership come from, it is necessary to understand the actual meaning and structure of leadership. In psychology the phenomenon of leadership has traditionally been associated with in-group dynamics of social interactions. In any group, regardless of its size, members differ in their degree of social influence over one another: " the person who exerts the most influence on the rest of the group thus affecting group beliefs and behaviour is usually addressed as leader" (Hollander, 1985: 14). This definition of leadership allows the reader to grasp the essence of leadership, but it is only one of the numerous of definitions that have been proposed in the literature. Thus, the second edition of The Handbook of Leadership by Bass lists more than 130 definitions of leadership (Bass, 1985: 12). Absence of agreement amongst the scholars is partially due to different methods employed to explore the phenomenon, partially due to the different objectives pursued by scholars who define leadership, and partially due to the variations in theoretical approaches. Thus, Bass (1985) specifies 13 major approaches: leadership as the focus of group processes, as personality attribute, as the art of inducing compliance, as an exercise of influence, as a particular kind of act or behaviour, as a form of persuasion, as a power relationship, as an instrument of goal achievement, as an emerging effect of group interaction ('leadership exists when it is acknowledged or conferred by other members of the group), as a differentiated role, as the initiation or maintenance of role structure, or as some combination of all these approaches (pp. 6-10). One of the earliest approaches to understanding leadership was to search for personality traits that caused some people and not others to become leaders. As a result, early definitions (beginning and first half of the 20th century) tended to view leadership as an innate personal quality of the leader, in line with such highly individual qualities as sense of humour, persistence, or piety. Following this tradition, researchers specified certain traits that made leaders. Some of these were

Marketing Environment Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marketing Environment - Case Study Example (netMBA.com,n.d.) My company Sainsbury is a "UK based food retailer with vested interest in financial services. The company comprises Sainsbury supermarkets, convenience stores,an internet based home delivery shopping service and Sainsbury Bank. The group is headquartered in Holborn, London and it recorded revenues worth pounds 17151 million during the fiscal year 2006-2007, an increase of 6.8% over 2006." (Data monitor plc.,2007) This essentially implies that the factors impacting any one of it's strengths such as it's internet based home delivery shopping facility, changes in demand/supply or organic foods that form the most profitable component. Even factors that impact it's banking service i.e. Sainsbury Bank may impact Sainsbury plc on the whole. There are several internal as well as external factors. The internal factors help the internal analysis part of the equation since they focus to provide a detailed evaluation of the internal analysis part of the equation since they focus to provide a detailed evaluation of the internal environment's strengths/weaknesses. These factors include several such as "company culture, market share, brand awareness,financial resources.." (netMBA,n.d.).These will be internal to the organization; whilst external factors include competitors, in this case ASDA and TESCO that are leading supermarkets in the UK as well. However, the last four mentioned factors are mainly the macro environmental factors and maybe employed in a PEST analysis. PEST stands for political, economic, social and technological factors that have an impact on the economy. In Sainsbury's case these may be sanctions on the import of a certain kind of fertilizer used for growing organic foods that ends up affecting it's organic food sales and hence, it's profitability. Interest rate fluctuations due to an over all economic downturn may lead to lower profits as well. Apart from this, several other macro environmental variables that have an impact include: "pricing regulations. industrial safety regulations,labor costs,inflation rates, interest rates,education, culture, technology's impact on product offerings, like Internet selling etc."(netMBA, n.d.) Three Opportunities The three main opportunities that are basically the outcome of the environmental factors that impact it and that Sainsbury can make use of in the future and convert into it's strengths are the following: Increasing demand for it's organic based products According to the Data monitor, "increasing consumer awareness of health and environmental issues along with an increasing resistance towards genetically modified (gm) food products and GM farming, has led to the rapid increase in the demand for organic food."(Data monitor plc, 2007). According to the UK Telegraph, "Sainsbury's sales have risen once again thanks to the growing popularity of it's organic and premium food ranges. The company which had come under pressure from investors to sell off its property assets is pushing ahead to recovery and it's strong quality food offer has helped it take customers away from rivals such as TESCO and ASDA"(UK Telegraph,2007) This clearly indicates that organic foods have become a Sainsbury trademark with more and more of the supermarket outlets being revamped to include the greens section equipped with quality based organic food supplies. Online market Nowadays, more and more

MacAskills Strong Claim Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

MacAskills Strong Claim - Essay Example The argument is generally based on the charity sector as compared to the paradigm ethical careers, reasons why charity work is viewed as the most ethical career choice. This is therefore justified by the positive effect one has on the world and the community by pursuing such a career and also if the career can make a difference and if it can make the world a better place when it is pursued. Morally controversial careers can sometimes be very lucrative than a morally innocuous career but very few people will wish to pursue such a career-making their wages to be great high. These morally controversial careers differ from reprehensible careers and they include careers such as working for a company involved in the arms industry, working for the petrochemical company, some careers within the finance sector like the ones involved in the speculating on wheat thereby increasing price volatility and disrupting the livelihood of the global poor. Also, there is the reprehensible career which in cludes working as a hit man, drug dealer or a child trafficker and the non-consequentialists tend to reason typically much stronger against this reprehensible career and for this reason they are considered typically illegal whereas the morally controversial careers are not. On pure consequentialists grounds it is most unlikely that a moral sensitive individual could actually bring themselves to pursue such a career and by doing so could impair their ability to influence others to also pursue philanthropy.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

External Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

External Analysis - Essay Example The external analysis allows the company to keep up to date with the changes in the industry. It helps the organization in keeping track of the stakeholders in the market including the customers and competitors. The outcome of the external analysis comes through the development and implementation of strategies. There are factors that affect the way that organizations perform these factors can be internal environmental factors and external environmental factors. The internal environment encompasses the strenghths and weaknesses of the company and covers the internal factors that can be the resources including the profitability, sales or can be the capabilities. Factors such as the corporate culture and employees also constitute to the internal environment. One the contrary, external factors are outside of the company. Advancements in technology and changes in government regulations and social policies can be characterized as opportunities or threats for the company. The opportunities for the firm include the changes in the trends, changes in the competition, analysis of new markets as well as segments, advancements in information technology and the alterations in government regulations. ... rs to entry and hence, emergence of competitors, low growth of the market, unfavorable changes in the regulation and advancements in technology that are difficult to keep up with. StilSim: Threats and the Opportunities: An external analysis of Stilsim would give a detailed view of the opportunities and threats that the company deals with. Opportunities: The analysis revealed that among the opportunities is the prospects of expansion and the advancements in technology. One of the vital aspects for an organization is its prospects for expansion. An attractive opportunity for Stilsim is the choice of spreading to other areas and expanding operations beyond the current region of work. Despite the condition of the markets, businesses of the employment firms and recruitment agencies are always in demand. This opportunity for Stilsim can enable it to capitalize over its experience and contacts in the industry and expand the operations to various cities. another opportunity that was recogniz ed was the technological opportunities. With the passage of time and the advancements in information technology, there has been an evolution in the way businesses conduct themselves. Technologies that were once seen as far sighted notion are now household commodities. This advancement in technology has provided more opportunities for businesses. Stilsim can reach its potential customers through its web presence. It could mould its website according to the needs of the customer and current trends. The internet could be exploited to communicate the core values of business and use it for E-marketing. Threats: The threats in the external environment include the company's its incompetence regarding technology and the use of state of the art systems. Stilsim is still dependent upon the use of

Jerusalem Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Jerusalem - Movie Review Example the Jews believe that the Western Wall is the holiest site on Earth and they hold the city of Jerusalem dear to their heart and would do anything to protect the city against invaders. The video also explains the relevance of Jerusalem to the Muslims with historical evidence on the exploits of Muhammad (the central figure in Islam) in the city as he was believed to have ascended to heaven from the Dome of the Rock. Thus, it could be argued that the video provided a balanced view on all three Abrahamic faiths (Jennings). Jennings presented the three principal perspectives of Jerusalem. He critically analyzed the perspectives of the Jews, Christians and Muslims on the significance of Jerusalem. Peter Jennings takes his time out to get the different views about the story of Abraham, who the Muslims and the Jews take as their ancestor. The opinion of the Christians about Abraham was also sought by Jennings as the Christians believe that he was a man of faith. Jennings interviewed a Jewish couple, Muslim family and a Catholic priest to hear what they had to say about the significance of Jerusalem to their individual religions. Jennings learnt the actual Way of the Cross (pictures that represent the passage of Jesus Christ to Calvary) from the Catholic priest; he also learnt of the roots of the Muslims that spanned eight centuries. The Jewish couple helped Jennings to excavate a primordial Jewish home under their home in order to establish some truth about the history of their religion. The video shows that Christians all over the world come to Jerusalem for pilgrimage yearly, while Muslims also visit the Temple Mount to honor God and remember the deeds of the ‘holy prophet’ Muhammad in the city. B. Religion plays a very important role in the Middle East. Countries relate with themselves based on their religious affiliations. Islam is the predominant religion of the people in the Middle East. In these Islamic countries, one must be a Muslim in order to hold a

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

MacAskills Strong Claim Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

MacAskills Strong Claim - Essay Example The argument is generally based on the charity sector as compared to the paradigm ethical careers, reasons why charity work is viewed as the most ethical career choice. This is therefore justified by the positive effect one has on the world and the community by pursuing such a career and also if the career can make a difference and if it can make the world a better place when it is pursued. Morally controversial careers can sometimes be very lucrative than a morally innocuous career but very few people will wish to pursue such a career-making their wages to be great high. These morally controversial careers differ from reprehensible careers and they include careers such as working for a company involved in the arms industry, working for the petrochemical company, some careers within the finance sector like the ones involved in the speculating on wheat thereby increasing price volatility and disrupting the livelihood of the global poor. Also, there is the reprehensible career which in cludes working as a hit man, drug dealer or a child trafficker and the non-consequentialists tend to reason typically much stronger against this reprehensible career and for this reason they are considered typically illegal whereas the morally controversial careers are not. On pure consequentialists grounds it is most unlikely that a moral sensitive individual could actually bring themselves to pursue such a career and by doing so could impair their ability to influence others to also pursue philanthropy.

Jerusalem Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Jerusalem - Movie Review Example the Jews believe that the Western Wall is the holiest site on Earth and they hold the city of Jerusalem dear to their heart and would do anything to protect the city against invaders. The video also explains the relevance of Jerusalem to the Muslims with historical evidence on the exploits of Muhammad (the central figure in Islam) in the city as he was believed to have ascended to heaven from the Dome of the Rock. Thus, it could be argued that the video provided a balanced view on all three Abrahamic faiths (Jennings). Jennings presented the three principal perspectives of Jerusalem. He critically analyzed the perspectives of the Jews, Christians and Muslims on the significance of Jerusalem. Peter Jennings takes his time out to get the different views about the story of Abraham, who the Muslims and the Jews take as their ancestor. The opinion of the Christians about Abraham was also sought by Jennings as the Christians believe that he was a man of faith. Jennings interviewed a Jewish couple, Muslim family and a Catholic priest to hear what they had to say about the significance of Jerusalem to their individual religions. Jennings learnt the actual Way of the Cross (pictures that represent the passage of Jesus Christ to Calvary) from the Catholic priest; he also learnt of the roots of the Muslims that spanned eight centuries. The Jewish couple helped Jennings to excavate a primordial Jewish home under their home in order to establish some truth about the history of their religion. The video shows that Christians all over the world come to Jerusalem for pilgrimage yearly, while Muslims also visit the Temple Mount to honor God and remember the deeds of the ‘holy prophet’ Muhammad in the city. B. Religion plays a very important role in the Middle East. Countries relate with themselves based on their religious affiliations. Islam is the predominant religion of the people in the Middle East. In these Islamic countries, one must be a Muslim in order to hold a

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Reforms in China Essay Example for Free

Reforms in China Essay Many reforms have been introduced in China since it attained its independence but the most significant ones took place after 1978. These reforms are very popular in the history of China as the economic transformation is all attributed to them. The need to introduce the reforms was the urgent political as well as economic urgency to revive the Chinese economy which was headed for doom. Communism failed to see the country realize its goals of industrialization. Instead it had seen the country compromise its food security and it was clear that development would not be realized self sufficiently. There was need to introduce new and different policies to help change the country’s economy. The reforms were successful in the sense that they liberalized prices, diversified the banking systems and promoted the development of the private sector which was almost inexistent. The state sectors would gain increased autonomy and would operate in a free economy as a way of increasing their efficiency. Despite all these positive effects of the reforms, important issues that emerge calling for serious or vital considerations if they are to be addressed effectively. This paper aims at classifying the CPS reform strategy and establishing if it is a sinified socialist or an authoritarian developmentalist. CPS reform strategy is authoritarian developmentalistic in nature. The reforms have been successful in improving the people’s standards of living and as Randall explain in his book China Modernizes Threat to the West or model to the rest? the life expectancy rate has risen. (Peerenboom, 2007). China has been registering economic growth year after year and this is expected to go on for quite a long time. It has promoted trade liberalization and embraced capitalism but the role of the state is also significant and cannot be undermined. The state is responsible for the regulation as well as the control of important sectors of the economy. It also ensures that the conditions are effective for the effective operations of business. Privatization was to be encouraged with the introduction of the reforms. It strengthened the private sector which was almost inexistent during the era of communism. The reforms have brought about mixed feelings to the Chinese people. Despite the economic benefits that came with the reforms it is argued that they brought about separation or segregation among the Chinese people. China introduced the reform as it wanted to revive the economy as well as to increase its independence where the aspect of foreign dominance would be eliminated. The political leaders at the time internalized the need for intensive economic development and there were focused to enhancing industrialization. A socialist nation is one where the state has much control over almost all aspects. Such systems are condemned in the sense that they create minimal incentives to encourage innovation. In general, the issue of efficiency is one that raises much concern in as far as such states are concerned. With the reforms the government control on prices would be minimized and consequently the market distortions that were caused would be eliminated. If power is decentralized the various levels of government would have the autonomy necessarily to enable them work effectively and efficiently. Allowing state corporations to operate within the limits of the market forces of demand and supply would see to it that prices reflected the actual prices. It is this ideology that would enhance the effectiveness of such bodies. As China moved away from the initially practiced socialism it continued to undermine nationalism and the economic aspect was placed above the other aspects. The resultant effect of this practice was the intensive distortions in the economy as well as in the political arena. The popular values that ensured that the people’s interests remained the government’s major role were replaced by the need to develop. As Randall explains in his book China Modernizes Threat to the West or model to the rest? chapter four democracy in the Asian countries remains a highly debatable issue and it creates mixed reactions in people. The real sense of democracy does not seem to be felt as can be seen in the manner in which elections are carried out. In any democratic nations elections are carried out to let the people have a say in the matters concerning their nation. They act as a measure that checks on how a country is run. Good leaders are generally elected or re-elected to continue with the projects they have established. However, the manner in which most Asian countries conduct their elections is quite questionable and it raises concerns as to whether the main reason for the elections is to ensure that democracy prevails. They are characterized by chaos and people would go the extra mile of disrespecting the rule of law to secure their position in power. The response of the common man as regards to this issue is hostile in nature. If people are denied the right to freely and fairly participate in the running of their own nation then they end up opting for harsh measures. (Peerenboom, 2007). Tun-jen, Jacques and Deborah argue there is need to reform the political organization too. Power in China has not been reformed and the same powers that the first generation had are the same powers that the four generation has. (Huang, 2005). A good illustration to prove the reality of this statement is the fact that just as the earlier leaders had much power in as far as the military was concerned so are the current leaders. There is need to change the political system especially the party organizations. This would lead to their effectiveness in addressing issues as they emerge. The political leadership should move with the times as different times are characterized by different and unique issues. Tun-jen, Jacques and Deborah suggest that if the government is to regain its lost glory tarnished by the rampant corruption that jeopardizes its very legitimacy then the political leadership must be reformed. It must change in a manner that makes it relevant to the newly emerging situation. (Amin, 2005). The reforms can be explained as ‘authoritarian developmentalistic in nature. The political elite who form the government are committed to ensuring that development remains a highly valued national goal. To attain this goal they have set necessary institutions to design, implement the state led development projects. Although capitalism is embraced in such a state this is not without some restrictions. The institutions with the role of ensuring that policies set in place are geared towards the economic development of the nation makes it hard for other parties to make their contribution. This exclusivity of some institutions at that expense of the majority causes much conflicts or tension. The capitalism exercised in China is limited to the extent at which the state intervention is ensured. Policies that are allowed are those that pave way for rapid industrialization and more preference is given to the structures or institutions that would be of a positive impact in as far as economic development is concerned. The reforms failed to let the market operate effectively as with the mixed economy government control in market was inevitable. As Randall explains in his book China Modernizes Threat to the West or model to the rest? chapter four, bureaucratic privileges were not effectively addressed and the country’s power structure was not effectively addressed thus undermining democracy. As a result of this the common man feels detached from the same system that is supposed to ensure that his interests are amicably dealt with. The government has failed in fulfilling its responsibilities effectively as can be seen in the way it exhibits laxity in the implementation of laws that ensure the protection of its citizens. Public participation is highly disregarded in as far as policy making is concerned. The reforms were to bring about significant changes which should be felt by the entire system. (Peerenboom, 2007). Consequently there is need to implement changes in the legal as well as the political institutions. Some aspects of socialism should be adopted to ensure that economic development is not at the expense of the common man. For there to be effective development it is important that countries must embrace democracy. Whenever democracy is undermined then the chances for intensive demonstrations are increased and this is not good for the economy. If people are not allowed to have a say in their affairs they may opt for the harsh ways of expressing their views. Again, if consultation is not done the policies to be implemented may not necessarily the best for the people. Democracy invokes varying or rather conflicting views as some argue that its efficiency is correlated to state of the country in question. To this regard they argue that its effectiveness would be felt in the developed countries. (Peerenboom, 2007). However, in some developing countries with many groups where there is minimal chance of one group dominating the others it can well exercised. In the current position, democracy only works to benefit a few people in the society. The elite who stand a better position in society whether in the aspects of power or money tend to benefit at the expense of the majority poor. Democracy does not address the same issues it was introduced to deal with. In any cases it only works to perpetuate conflicts as the commoners will strive to use whichever means at their disposal to have their voice heard. The inefficiencies that ‘democracy’ is characterized with include the lack of transparency by the elite n society. This paves way for irregularities in the system as the political elites are not answerable to anyone. They are reluctant to meet the needs or interests of the people even though that is their major role. Another important characteristic of this democracy as explained by Randall in China Modernizes Threat to the West or model to the rest? is the poor dissemination of information. The reason behind such practice is the need to keep the people in the dark in the running of the state. As the saying goes, ‘what you do not know does not bother you’, if people are not aware of the actual evils of their systems then they would not air their views on the same. Again, if only the positive information is disseminated then the people are less likely to condemn the system or even make contributions in the running of the system. (Peerenboom, 2007). In chapter four of his book, China Modernizes Threat to the West or model to the rest? , Randall explains how China prides in the way it has successfully alleviated millions from poverty. However their efforts can be countered by the fact that it has not dealt with the issue of inequalities effectively as the gap between the haves and the have-nots is very wide. (Peerenboom, 2007). The government is however committed to ensuring that education and healthcare are given much priority and this can be seen in the introduction of free schooling and subsidized medical care in the rural areas. There exist significant disparities in as gender is concerned and women tend to for instance register higher illiteracy rates compared to men. The minorities also seems to have been neglected by the current system and thus there is need to address their interests. Although the Chinese people need to address the main issues affecting them especially the inequality and corruption such efforts are hindered by the lack of sufficient resources. The social groups that would have come in handy in enhancing this lack the financial power to operate effectively and efficiently. Randall in China Modernizes Threat to the West or model to the rest? describes the civil societies as too weak to meet their challenge. Jianfu Shen in his article, Population Growth, Ecological Degradation and Construction in the Western Region of China, the population growth is also an issue that the Chinese government should address. (Shen, 2004). It is critical for it to promote equality among its citizen so that it has a unified growth. The issue of inequality is also cited as one that calls for urgent redress by Tun-jen Cheng and others in China Under Hu Jintao: Opportunities, Dangers and Dilemmas, (Friedman, 2005). The issue of environmental degradation is also highlighted and it has intensified as industrialization continues to be embraced. In China the elections do not address the people’s problems. (Peerenboom, 2007). This is evident in the sense that the problems of inequality, corruption, poverty and human suffering are not resolved after elections. The elected government seems to forfeit its role in addressing the problems at hand. Politics is dominated by the political elite who are in close links with the business elite or are themselves in business. Money also plays an important role in influencing the elections as the affluent give money to attract more votes. The authoritarian developmentalistic reform strategy gives room for social evils like political violence as well as rampant corruption. Corruption is a major setback in China as Randall explains in chapter five of his book, China Modernizes Threat to the West or model to the rest? There is need to ensure that the existing institution especially the legal system reform so that they can effectively deal with it. The role of the legal system cannot be underestimated in as far as economic development is concerned. Law and order must be maintained to create conducive environments for the people. If the rule of law is well adhered to then the chances for corrupt dealings will be minimized to a large extent. The legal systems would ensure that property rights are respected and this will be effective in ensuring that businesses flourish. (Peerenboom, 2007). This paper has by and large explained the aftermath of the reforms as a way of defining the strategy’s position. The reforms produced varying effects as some benefited at the expense of others. Whether the reforms brought about economic growth is undisputable given the fact that they saw the country emerge from just another developing country to register an increment in the country’s GDP year after the other. Many people were relieved from poverty as their incomes rose and so did their standards of living. However there is another aspect of the reforms that is not only worrying but needs to be addressed. The reasons that make the reform strategy take the form of an authoritarian developmentalist by limiting the people’s voice or say is irrelevant need to be well addressed. Lack of effective democracy where important human rights are not respected makes the reform strategy a failure in the sense that it undermines important issues that it ought to be addressing. References Randall Peerenboom. 2007. China Modernizes Threat to the West or model to the rest? ` Oxford University Press Yanghong Huang, 2005. `Is the Chinese State Apparatus Being Revamped? ` in Tun-jen Cheng, et. al. ,eds. , China Under Hu Jintao: Opportunities, Dangers and Dilemmas, River Edge, N. J. : World Scientific Publishing Company, Samir Amin, 2005. `Theory and Practice of the Chinese Market Socialism Project: Is Market Socialism an Alternative to Liberal Globalization? ` in Tian Yu Cao, ed. , The Chinese Model of Development, London and New York: Routledge,. Edward Friedman. 2005. `Jiang Zemins Successors and Chinas Growing Rich-Poor Gap,` in Tun-jen Cheng, et. al. ,eds. , China Under Hu Jintao: Opportunities, Dangers and Dilemmas, River Edge, N. J. : World Scientific Publishing Company Jianfu Shen, 2004. `Population Growth, Ecological Degradation and Construction in the Western Region of China,` Journal of Contemporary China, 13, 41 (November 2004): 637-661

Monday, October 14, 2019

Understanding If The Iraq Wars Justified Politics Essay

Understanding If The Iraq Wars Justified Politics Essay The American war campaign against the military troops of Iraq began on 20th March 2003 with the invasion of Iraq by international troops led by United States of America and the United Kingdom. Then, the governments of the United States and United Kingdom and other European countries claimed that the possession of weapons of mass destruction by Iraq posed a threat to the international security. This assertion informed the invasion of Saddam Husseins Iraq by the United States and its allies. This invasion has proven to be an unjustified act after it was confirmed that the regime of Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction. In fact it was alleged that Saddam Hussein only bragged of possessing weapons of mass destruction so he could prevent the neighbouring Iran from ever considering invading his country. Why would the United States invade Saddam Husseins Iraq instead of going after the Taliban and the Al Qaeda terrorists groups? After the 2001 September 11 terrorist attacks, the Al Qaeda extremists admitted to being responsible for the bombings and Osama Bin Laden himself admitted to giving the directive for the bombing. It was only logical that the United States of America would pursue the extremists groups directly and swiftly. However, President Bushs advisers were wrong in going after Saddam Hussein instead of Osama Bin Laden. By then, Osama was still at large and offering more threats and so it would have been easier to find him and bring him to book for atrocious mass killing, than going against Saddam Hussein. Saddam Hussein in fact had no direct ties to the Al Qaeda or Taliban. The war in Iraq was pushed by the general objective of making the world a better place. The objective of the war was to convey a warning to other axis of evil nations to stop their uranium enrichment programs. The United States feared that if the Islamic Republic of Iraq enriched itself with uranium, this would spark a nuclear arms race. President George W Bush coined the term axis of evil, in January 2002 State of the Union Address in an apparent reference to nations that were sympathetic to the Al Qaeda terrorist group and other international terrorist organizations. After that address, the United States embarked on a war campaign that as at 22 August this year has cost the administration 743 billion dollars  [1]  . The cost of the war has been especially difficult to manage given the existent global economic climate. The effect of the Iraq war on the economy needs no advertising. The United States spends at least 200 million dollars on the Iraq war daily. In 2002, when President George W. Bushs economic adviser Larry Lindsey inferred that the war would cost approximately 200 billion dollars in the long run, people thought he had overestimated the costs. It is now clear that his estimation was a gross underestimation. The Iraq war has costs the United States taxpayer a whooping 730 billion dollars as at August 2010. President Bushs economical advisers anticipated a quick and reasonably inexpensive war, but instead the war dragged on and resulted in the deployment of more than 125,000 American soldiers. These American soldiers need food, shelter and at time entertainment and the only place they can derive these human wants is from Iraq. These soldiers have therefore been supplied by products made in Iraq and this has only helped build the Iraq economy while the United States economy continues to la nguish in budget deficits. Sustaining the large troop base in Iraq has meant the United States spent more and thereby accruing more debts. The major casualties of the Iraq war have been the innocent civilians caught in the cross fire between American forces and its allies against the insurgent. Data available indicating the death toll from the invasion is varied, but critically indicting of the war. Different groups have given different information regarding the actual or even projected figure of Iraqi casualties. The Associated Press gave its figure of civilian casualties at approximately 110, 500 deaths as at April of last year. Another organization called the Iraq Body Count, which collects a database of Iraqi civilian casualties, released a report in April this year indicating that around 105, 000 innocent residents lost their lives from the American offensive  [2]  . War, if absolutely necessary, is meant to deliver humans from suffering and not create suffering instead. The staggering number of civilian casualties makes the war in Iraq more harmful than helpful. This war has ravaged family units, displaced per sons from their homes and left millions living in perpetual fear of imminent death. In the aftermath of the war, America attempted to assist Iraq in managing their country and fighting insurgents, but this caused more harm than good to the general stability of the United States. There are growing doubts in the mainstream America about the administrations capability of winning the war. It is clearly known that the United States of America miserably failed in the Vietnam War three decades ago, and that severely affected the confidence the Americans had on their government ability to successfully complete an overseas mission. The Iraq war is having similar effects on the American psyche. Vietnam made Americans to doubt the governments stand on issues of foreign policy. This confidence by the citizens is further is crushed by realization that their government could wage war on a country based on false intelligence reports  [3]  . When the environmental or ecological effects of the war are assessed, more harm can be seen. The weapons used excreted chemical substances that polluted air, soil and water. These substances contained toxic materials such as hydrochloric acid, asbestos, dioxins and other harmful metals. This polluted the soil as the uranium released by combat troops killed some plant species. During the shock and awe, in the initial launch of attacks, there was thermal radiation excreted by heavy artillery. This thermal radiation caused death by ionising the body of Iraq civilians and American soldiers. In the course of the protracted war, many innocent civilians and soldiers suffered mechanical injuries that left them without limbs. A lot of complications arose due to the mechanical and ionising radiation such as infertility, blood disorders like blood cancer, and cataracts formation. It caused adverse effects on body organs and tissues formation i.e. radiation poisoning. It also caused genetic effe cts and birth defects that might subsequently be passed from current Iraq generation to the next generations. Pressure from heavy artillery employed in the war meant Iraqi civilians chances of survival depended on buildings they were staying in as the buildings can survive 0.8 bar of the heavy blasts, while a human can only withstand 2.0 bar of blast. The increased pressure caused by the blast caused burns of different types to the innocent casualties of the war. Examples are thermal burns from infrared radiation, beta burns from beta radiation and gamma burns from gamma radiation. Radiation also caused hair loss, other effects on the skin like ulceration, itching, flaking, inflammation and blistering. The war in Iraq is associated with other grave ills in the society. There has been significant movement of refugee populations from Iraq to its neighbouring countries of Syria and Jordan. The war has intensified terrorism across the borders of Syria-Iraq and Jordan-Iraq instead of curtailing it. The overthrowing of Saddam Hussein from the Iraqi presidency has intensified separatism in the country and propelled sectarian violence pitting the Sunni and Shiite Muslims to another level. Prior to invasion of Iraq, Saddam had managed to keep the two factions in harmonious coexistence. With the withdrawal of the allied forces from Iraq, it will be interesting to see whether the sectarian violence, transnational criminal activities in the Middle East and the cross-border terrorism will subside or intensify. A safe bet would be on deterioration of stability and security standards. The seven year war in Iraq has damaged the overall credibility of the United States as a world leader. Images of roadside civilian bombings, video footages of American soldiers torturing suspected terrorists and shipment of the suspected terrorist to Guantanamo bay has compounded the already bad image of the United States abroad. It can be recalled that the United States made a unilateral Iraqi invasion decision, in total disregard of the United Security Council opposition to the war and this has installed the perception of arrogance from the Americans in dealing with diplomatic issues  [4]  . These and other reasons make the United States Iraq war completely unjustified.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Philosophy of Money Essay -- Economics Science Papers

Philosophy of Money This article is an attempt to sketch a philosophical view of money as a social phenomenon. I show that the way to understand the substance of money is to analyze its meaning as a medium of exchange in connection with its meaning as a purpose of exchange, thereby providing an investigation of its social value. This approach has been used by many of the great philosophers and economists of the past, but not today. Modern economics is a policy oriented theoretical discipline and concentrates its efforts on solving practical tasks. I hope to contribute a philosophical approach to economic research. Money is a reality, a permanent feature of our everyday lives. It gives our lives a particular rhythm, a particular  «charm », a particular perception of the world and our place in it. Money creates problems when we do not have it, and yet more problems when we do have it. But it is only an illusion that we are in control of our money: in actual fact we do not notice how subtly and intensively it exercises control over us. Money makes us both master and slave. Our power over money is real only inasmuch as we are able to understand its power over us. Man has sought to understand the essence of money for many centuries. Philosophers and economists, statesmen, writers, even poets have written about money. (1) Money has been lauded and cursed, it has been dreamed of and disdained. What is money - good or evil? It brings stability and instability and makes people looking for and running away from it. Money is capable of creating and destroying, of uniting and disuniting. It makes people partners and rivals and can influence the fate of individuals and whole nations. But what does money bring - freedom or depende... ... (13)  «The ideal purpose of money, as well as of the law, is to be a measure of things without being measured itself, a purpose that can be realized fully only by an endless development ». (G.Simmel. The Philosophy of Money/ Ed. by D.Frisby.- L., N.Y.: Routledge. 1995, p.511) (14)  «Exchange » is here treated in its broadest sense as the alienation of all that man gives to society and the appropriation of all that he receives from society. (15) G.Simmel. The Philosophy of Money./ Ed. By D.Frisby.- L.., N.Y.: Routledge, 1995 (16) We agree that fundamental theoretical research in economics cannot be effective without philosophy.  «What are the prospects for bridging disciplinary boundaries and for strengthening the collaboration between economists and philosophers? » (D.Hausman.Essays on philosophy and economic methodology.-Cambridge University Press.1992, p.230)

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Essay --

In 2006, Felipe Calderà ³n- former president of Mexico launched a joint operation with the United States in an effort to massively crackdown against drug trafficking and their organizations. According to the LA Times, upwards of forty thousand people have been killed in drug-related violence as of June 2011 since it’s meager beginnings in 2006. While the United States has supplied funding and labor in order to support Mexico in undertaking the war on drug trafficking, their primary focus has been more closely focused on increase border patrolling. For decades and decades drug trafficking organizations, henceforth known as cartels, have been using their strong and dangerous influence in order to transform Mexico’s tight-knit government and groups of citizens into a state of country-wide corruption that has ensured protection for cartels doing illegal practices. Since the time President Calderà ³n took his oath for office in 2006 with a pledge to eliminate these traffic king institutions, drug violence has rose quickly and it is moving extremely aggressively, but Calderà ³n and his administration worked quickly in order to promote laws that were part of a strategy made specific in order to handle the situation. This trafficking from Mexico to the United States is starting to become a major player in the role that drugs are playing in America. Mexico is one of the prime contributors of heroin to the U.S. market, and undoubtedly the largest foreign supplier of methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana. Mexican production of all three of these drugs have increased alarmingly since 2005, proportionately with the total of all drugs seized at the border between both countries, according to a 2011 report from the U.S. Department of Justice. While ma... ...s number is growing as territories expand across the world and as the success of the drug trafficking means better money to many of the citizens the poverty-stricken Mexican towns who make the bare minimum (if that) wages. Usually those that are electing to participate in these trafficking jobs are young men with hardly any education, most are drop-outs that come from under privileged economic backgrounds with an average age of eighteen with higher social and monetary aspirations than they can satisfy by working legally and morally. Drug trafficking creates an annual revenue of four hundred billion, and in turn represents eight percent of the world's trade. With a problem so massive that it affects two continents and billions of people, it comes as no surprise that coming to a place of peace and understanding is one of the most difficult things about this situation. Essay -- In 2006, Felipe Calderà ³n- former president of Mexico launched a joint operation with the United States in an effort to massively crackdown against drug trafficking and their organizations. According to the LA Times, upwards of forty thousand people have been killed in drug-related violence as of June 2011 since it’s meager beginnings in 2006. While the United States has supplied funding and labor in order to support Mexico in undertaking the war on drug trafficking, their primary focus has been more closely focused on increase border patrolling. For decades and decades drug trafficking organizations, henceforth known as cartels, have been using their strong and dangerous influence in order to transform Mexico’s tight-knit government and groups of citizens into a state of country-wide corruption that has ensured protection for cartels doing illegal practices. Since the time President Calderà ³n took his oath for office in 2006 with a pledge to eliminate these traffic king institutions, drug violence has rose quickly and it is moving extremely aggressively, but Calderà ³n and his administration worked quickly in order to promote laws that were part of a strategy made specific in order to handle the situation. This trafficking from Mexico to the United States is starting to become a major player in the role that drugs are playing in America. Mexico is one of the prime contributors of heroin to the U.S. market, and undoubtedly the largest foreign supplier of methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana. Mexican production of all three of these drugs have increased alarmingly since 2005, proportionately with the total of all drugs seized at the border between both countries, according to a 2011 report from the U.S. Department of Justice. While ma... ...s number is growing as territories expand across the world and as the success of the drug trafficking means better money to many of the citizens the poverty-stricken Mexican towns who make the bare minimum (if that) wages. Usually those that are electing to participate in these trafficking jobs are young men with hardly any education, most are drop-outs that come from under privileged economic backgrounds with an average age of eighteen with higher social and monetary aspirations than they can satisfy by working legally and morally. Drug trafficking creates an annual revenue of four hundred billion, and in turn represents eight percent of the world's trade. With a problem so massive that it affects two continents and billions of people, it comes as no surprise that coming to a place of peace and understanding is one of the most difficult things about this situation.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Random Sampling Techniques

There are many ways to select a random sample. Four of them are discussed below: Simple Random Sampling: In this sampling technique, each sample of the same size has the same probability of being selected. Such a sample is called a simple random sample. One way to select a simple random sample is by a lottery or drawing. For example, if we need to select 5 students from a class of 50, we write each of the 50 names on a separate piece of paper. Then, we place all 50 names in a hat and mix them thoroughly.Next, we draw 1 name randomly from the hat. We repeat this experiment four more times. The 5 drawn names make up a simple random sample. The second procedure to select a simple random sample is to use a table of random numbers, which has become an outdated procedure. In this age of technology, it is much easier to use a statistical package, such as Minitab, to select a simple random sample. Systematic Random Sampling: The simple random sampling procedure becomes very tedious if the si ze of the population is large.For example, if we need to select 150 households from a list of 45,000, it is very time consuming either to write the 45,000 names on pieces of paper or then select 150 households or to use a table of random numbers. In such cases, it is more convenient to use systematic random sampling. Stratified Random Sampling: Suppose we need to select a sample from the population of a city, and we want households with different income levels to be proportionately represented in the sample.In this case, instead of selecting a simple random sample or a systematic random sample, we may prefer to apply a different technique. First, we divide the whole population into different groups based on income levels. Thus, whenever we observe that a population differs widely in the possession of a characteristic, we may prefer to divide it into different strata and then select one sample from each stratum. We can divide the population on the basis of any characteristic, such as income, expenditure, sex, education, race, employment, or family size.Cluster Sampling: Sometimes the target population is scattered over a wide geographical area. Consequently, if a simple random sample is selected, it may be costly to contact each member of the sample. In such a case, we divide the population into different geographical groups or clusters and as a first step select a random sample of certain clusters from all clusters. We then take a random sample of certain elements from each selected cluster. For example, suppose we are to conduct a survey of households in the state f New York. First, we divide the whole state of New York into, say, 40 regions, which are called clusters or primary units. We make sure that all clusters are similar and, hence, representative of the population. We then select at random, say, 5 clusters from 40. Next, we randomly select certain households from each of these 5 clusters and conduct a survey of these selected households. This is calle d cluster sampling. Note that all clusters must be representative of the population. Random Sampling Techniques There are many ways to select a random sample. Four of them are discussed below: Simple Random Sampling: In this sampling technique, each sample of the same size has the same probability of being selected. Such a sample is called a simple random sample. One way to select a simple random sample is by a lottery or drawing. For example, if we need to select 5 students from a class of 50, we write each of the 50 names on a separate piece of paper. Then, we place all 50 names in a hat and mix them thoroughly.Next, we draw 1 name randomly from the hat. We repeat this experiment four more times. The 5 drawn names make up a simple random sample. The second procedure to select a simple random sample is to use a table of random numbers, which has become an outdated procedure. In this age of technology, it is much easier to use a statistical package, such as Minitab, to select a simple random sample. Systematic Random Sampling: The simple random sampling procedure becomes very tedious if the si ze of the population is large.For example, if we need to select 150 households from a list of 45,000, it is very time consuming either to write the 45,000 names on pieces of paper or then select 150 households or to use a table of random numbers. In such cases, it is more convenient to use systematic random sampling. Stratified Random Sampling: Suppose we need to select a sample from the population of a city, and we want households with different income levels to be proportionately represented in the sample.In this case, instead of selecting a simple random sample or a systematic random sample, we may prefer to apply a different technique. First, we divide the whole population into different groups based on income levels. Thus, whenever we observe that a population differs widely in the possession of a characteristic, we may prefer to divide it into different strata and then select one sample from each stratum. We can divide the population on the basis of any characteristic, such as income, expenditure, sex, education, race, employment, or family size.Cluster Sampling: Sometimes the target population is scattered over a wide geographical area. Consequently, if a simple random sample is selected, it may be costly to contact each member of the sample. In such a case, we divide the population into different geographical groups or clusters and as a first step select a random sample of certain clusters from all clusters. We then take a random sample of certain elements from each selected cluster. For example, suppose we are to conduct a survey of households in the state f New York. First, we divide the whole state of New York into, say, 40 regions, which are called clusters or primary units. We make sure that all clusters are similar and, hence, representative of the population. We then select at random, say, 5 clusters from 40. Next, we randomly select certain households from each of these 5 clusters and conduct a survey of these selected households. This is calle d cluster sampling. Note that all clusters must be representative of the population.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Europe and the New World: New Encounters

Europe and the World: New Encounters, 1500-1800 On the Brink of a New World ? By the 16th century, the Atlantic seaboard had become the center of a commercial activity that raised Portugal and Spain and later the Dutch Republic, England, and France to prominence ? the age of expansion was a crucial factor in the European transition from the agrarian economy of the MA to a commercial and industrial capitalistic system. The Motives ? Contact w/non-Europeans remained limited until the end of the 15th century Fantastic Lands ? Europeans had always been curious about lands outside of Europe Economic Motives Although Muslim control of Central Asia cut Europe off from the countries farther east, the Mongol conquests in the 13thc reopened the doors ? Marco Polo went to the court of Kublai Kahn in 1271 ? His account of his experiences, the Travels was the most informative of all descriptions of Asia by ME travelers ? In the 14th, the conquests of the Ottoman Turks and then the breakup of the Mongol Empire reduced Western traffic to the East ? A number of people became interested in reaching Asia by sea ? Merchants, adventurers, and government officials had high hopes of finding precious metals and new areas of trade Religious zeal A crusading mentality was strong in Portugal and Spain The Mean ? The expansion of Europe was connected to the growth of centralized monarchies during the Ren. ? Ren. Expansion was a state enterprise ? By the 2nd ? of the 15th century, European monarchies had increased both their authority and their resources and were in a position to look beyond their borders Maps ? Europeans had achieved a level of wealth and technology that enabled them to make a regular series of voyages beyond Europe. ? Potlolani – charts made by medieval navigators and mathematicians in the 13th and 14th which were more useful than their predecessors.They took no account for the curvature of the earth so were of little use for oversea voyages ? By the end of the 15thcentury, cartography had developed to the point that Europeans had accurate maps of the rest of the known world ? One of the most important world maps available was that of Ptolemy, who wrote Geography. It was available from 1477 on. It drastically underestimated the circumference of the earth, leading expl orers such as Columbus to believe that he could sail to Asia Ships and sailing ? Europeans developed seaworthy ships as well as new navigational techniques ?They mastered the axial rudder and learned to combine lateen sails with a square rig. They could then construct ships mobile enough to sail against the wind and engage in naval warfare and heavy enough to carry goods over long distances ? Only w/the assistance of the compass and the astrolabe they were able to sail w/confidence ? They gained knowledge of the wind patterns of the Atlantic Ocean New Horizons: Portuguese and Spanish Empires ? Portugal took the lead in the European AOE when it began to explore the coastof Africa under the sponsorship of Henry the Navigator. ? His motivations were a blend of seeking a Ch.Kingdom as an ally for against the Muslims, acquiring trade opportunities, and extending chr. The Development of a Portuguese Maritime Empire ? In 1419, p. Henry founded a school for navigation. Shortly after, P. fle ets probed southward along the west coast of Africa looking for gold ? In 1441, p. ships reached the Senegal River and brought back slaves ? they gradually went down the coast and in 1471 they discovered a new source of gold along the southern coast of the hump of West Africa—the Gold Coast ? They leased land from local rulers and built stone forts along the coastThe Portuguese in India In 1488, Bartholomeu Dias was the 1st to round the Cape of Good Hope ? 10 years later, Vasco da Gama rounded the cape then stopped at several ports controlled by Muslim merchants. They then crossed the Arabian Sea and reached the port of Calicut in India ? p. fleets returned regularly, seeking to destroy Arabic shipping and establish a monopoly in the spice trade ? in 1509, a p. armada defeated a combined fleet of Turkish and Indian ships and began to impose a blockade on the entrance to the Red Sea to cut off the flow of spices to Egypt and the Ottoman Empire ?Goa became the headquarters for p. operations throughout the entire region ? The p. conducted raids against Arab shippers In Search of Spices ? In 1511, Albuquerque sailed into the harbor of Malacca on the Malay peninsula ? He thought it would help destroy the Arab spice trade and provide the pw/a way station on the route to the Moluccas, aka the Spice Islands ? Their attempted takeover of the area resulted in a struggle b/w the p and ms ? From Malacca, the p launched expeditions further east, to China and the SI ? there they signed a treaty w/local rulers for trade Within a few years, the p seized control of the spice trade from ms and got profits for the p monarchy ?The p empire remained limited b/c they lacked the power, population, and desire to colonize Asian regions ? Their success was mainly due to guns and seamanship Voyages to the New World ? the sp attempted to reach the same destination by sailing across the Atlantic. Their resources enabled them to establish a bigger empire than the p The Voyages of Co lumbus ? He felt that Asia could be reached by sailing west instead of east New Voyages John Cabot explored the New England coastline under a license from Henry VIII. Pedro Cabral found South America on accident in 1500. Amerigo Vespucci wrote letters describing the NW ? The 1st 2 decades of the 16thc witnessed oversea voyages that explored the eastern coasts of NA and SA ?Vasco Nunez be Balboa led an expedition across the Isthmus of Panama and reached the PO in 1513 ? Ferdinand Magellan went around the world in 1519 ? The sp were interested in the NW b/c the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas had divided the NW into separate p and sp spheres of influence and most of SA fell into the sp sphere. The route east around the COGH was p while the route across the Atlantic belonged to s The Spanish Empire in the New World ? Conquistadors – individuals motivated by a blend of glory, greed, and religious crusading zeal. Although authorized by the Castilian crown the groups were financed and o utfitted privately. Their superior weapons, organizational skills, and determination brought them incredible success. They also benefited from conflicts b/w the native people and diseases. Spanish Conquest of the Aztec Empire ? In 1519, a S expedition under the command of Hernan Cortes landed at Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico.He marched to the city of Tenochtitlan, making alliances w/city states that had tired of Aztec rule. ? Especially important was Tlaxcala, a state that the Aztecs had been unable to conquer. ? When Cortes arrived at T he received a friendly welcome from Moctezuma who believed that he represented the god Quetzalcoatl ? They took M hostage and pillaged the city ? in the fall of 1520 the local population revolted against C and drove the invaders from their city ? Shortly afterward the Aztecs suffered from many E diseases from which they had no immunity. The S then destroyed pyramids, temples, and palaces. B/w 1531 and1550, the S gained control of northern Mexico Sp anish Conquest of the Inca Empire ? In 1530, Francisco Pizarro landed on the PC of SA w/steel, gunpowder, and horses ?Soon, smallpox was devastating villages, killing the Incan emperor and leaving a disagreement over who would take his place, leading to civil war ? P and his soldiers marched on Cuzco and captured the Incan capital. By1535, P established a capital at Lima for a new colony Administration of the Spanish Empire Whereas the conquistadors made decisions based on expediency and their own interests, Queen Isabella declared the natives subjects of Castile and instituted the S encomienda, a system that permitted the conquering s to collect tribute from the natives and use them as laborers. In return, they were supposed to protect the I, pay them wages, and supervise their spiritual needs. ? S settlers brutally used the I to pursue their own economic interests. They worked on plantations and in mines ? the I suffered from many European diseases ? Dominican friars protested aga inst the harsh I treatment ?In 1510 Anton Montecino spoke against it. In 1542, largely in response to the publications of Bartolome de las Casas, the government abolished the encomienda system and provided more protection for the I ? In the NW, the S developed an administrative system based on viceroys. ? S possessions were divided into 2 major units: New Spain (Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean) w/a center in Mexico city, and Peru(western South America) governed by a viceroy in Lima ? Each viceroy served as the king’s chief civil and military officer and was aided by advisory groups called audiencias, which also functioned as judicial bodies.By papal agreement, the Catholic monarchs of S were given extensive rights over ecclesiastical affairs in the NW. They could appoint bishops and clergy, build churches, collect fees, and supervise religious orders ? Missionaries fanned out across the SE where they converted hundreds of thousands ? The mass conversions brought th e institutions of the CC to the NW New Rivals on the World Stage ? In the 17th century, northern E countries—1st the Dutch and then the French and British—moved to replace the P and S and create their own colonial empires ?The new rivalry soon had an impact on the rest of the world. Africa: The Slave Trade ? The P built forts the east and west coasts of Africa and tried to dominate the trade in gold. However, during the mid 17thc the D seized and number of P forts along the WA coast and took control over much of the P trade across the Indian Ocean ? The Dutch East India Company, a trading company established under government sponsorship, also set up in Africa at the COGH which soon became a permanent colony ?European explorations of the A coastline did not affect most people on the interior Growth of the Slave Trade Over the next 2c, the slave trade grew drastically and became part of the triangular trade connecting E, A, and Am ? The journey of slaves from A to Am bec ame known as the Middle Passage ? At 1st, local slave traders obtained their supply from regions nearby, but as demand increased, they had to move further inland ? In a few cases, local rulers became concerned about the impact of the slave trade on their societies ? Protests from A were generally ignored by everyone ? As a rule, local rulers viewed the slave trade as a source of income and some sent raiders to unsuspecting villagesEffects of the Slave Trade ? The importation of cheap manufactured goods from E undermined local cottage industry and forced families into poverty ? Led to depletion in some areas and deprived many African communities of their youngest and strongest ? the need to maintain a constant supply of slaves led to increased warfare and violence as A chiefs increased their raids on neighboring people The West in Southeast Asia ? P efforts to dominate trade in SEA were never totally successful. P lacked the numbers and wealth to overcome local resistance and coloniz e local regions.P empire was too large and P too small to maintain it ? S established itself in SEA when Mag landed in the PHL, enabling the S to gain control there and it became a base of trade for luxury goods ? The biggest threat to P came w/the arrival of the D and E, who were better financed ? the shift in power began in the early 17thc when the D seized a P fort in the Moluccas and then gradually pushed the P out of the spice trade, then the E later ? The D also began to consolidate their political and military control over the area.By the end of the 18thc, the D had succeeded in bringing almost the entire Indonesian archipelago under their control ? The arrival of the E had less impact on mainland SEA, where strong monarchies in Burma, Thailand, and Vietnam resisted foreign encroachment. ? To obtain economic advantages, the E became involved in factional disputes, though in general the states united and drove the E out ? In Vietnam, the arrival of Western merchants coincided w/a period of internal conflict among ruling groups in the country. Expansion had brought a civil war that temporarily divided the country into 2 separate states.The E powers began to take sides in local politics, w/the P and D supporting rival factions. ? the mainland states in Burma, Thailand, and Vietnam had begun to define themselves as distinct political entities. The Malay states had less cohesion and were victims of their own resources. The French and British in India The Mughal Empire ? Babur’s grandson brought Mughal rule to most of India, creating the greatestIndian empire since the Mauryan dynasty The Impact of the Western Powers ? At 1st , P dominated regional trade in the Indian Ocean, but at the end of the16thc, the B and D arrived on the scene.Soon both powers were competing w/Pand w/each other ? During the 1st ? of the 17th century, the B presence in India steadily increased. By1650, B trading posts had been established at Surat, Fort William, near the Bay of Bengal, and Madras on the southern coast. ? B success attracted rivals, including the D and F, but the B were saved by Sir. Robert Clive, who eventually became the chief representative of the East India Company in India. They were also aided by the refusal of the F government to provide finances to their people in India ?After defeating a Mughal army in 1757 at the Battle of Plassey, the BEIC received the authority to collect taxes from lands surrounding Calcutta. During the seven years’ war, the B forced the F to withdraw completely from India ? This marks a major step in the gradual transfer of the entire Indian subcontinent to the BEIC and later to the B as a colony China Western Inroads ? Although China was at the height of its power and glory in the mid 18thc, the 1st signs of internal decay in the Manchu dynasty were beginning to appear.Qing military campaigns along the frontier cost money and placed heavy demands on the treasury. At the same time, growing pressure on t he land b/c of population growth led to economic hardship and rebellion. ? the decline in the QD occurred just as E was increasing pressure for more trade. The 1st conflict came from the north, where Russian traders sought skins and furs ? To limit contacts b/w E and C, the Q government confined all E traders to a small island outside the city walls of Canton and allowed them to stay only part of the year ?In 1793, a B mission led by Lord Macartney visited Beijing to press for liberalization from trade restrictions, but emperor Qianlong expressed no interest in B products Japan Opening to the West ? P traders had landed on the islands of J in 1543, and began stopping there on a regular basis to take part in trade b/w J, C, and SEAII. They were initially welcomed, the success of Cath missionaries however, created a strong reaction against the presence of Westerners ? When the missionaries interfered w/local politics, Tokugawa Ieyasu expelled all missionaries and J Chris were now pros ecuted.The E merchants were next to go, the government closed 2 major trading post sand only a small D community was allowed to remain The Americas ? In the 16thc, S and P had established large colonial empires in the As. P continued to profit from Brazil and S had a SA empire, but S importance as a commercial power declined rapidly in the 17thc b/c of a drop in the output of the silver mines and poverty of the S monarchy ? By the beginning of the 17thc, P and S found themselves w/new challenges to their A empires from the D, B, and F West Indies The B held Barbados, Jamaica, and Bermuda, and the F had Saint Domingue, Martinique, and Guadeloupe. Both developed plantation economies worked by slaves which made cotton, tobacco, coffee, and sugar British North America ? The D were among the 1st to establish settlements on the NA continent after Henry Hudson discovered in 1609 the Hudson river. A. W/I a few years the D had established the mainland colony of New Netherland B. In the 2nd ? of the 17th century, competition from the E and F and years of warfare w/those rivals led to the decline of the D commercial empire. C.In 1664, the E seized the colony of NN and renamed it NY, shortly afterward the DWIC went bankrupt ? The E had begun to establish their own colonies in NA. The desire to practice religion, combined w/economic interests, led to colonization ? Both the NA and WI colonies of B were assigned roles in keeping w/mercantilist theory. They provided raw materials for their mother country while buying good from the latter. Navigation acts regulated what could be taken from and sold to colonies French North America ? In 1534 Jacques Cartier discovered the Saint Lawrence River and laid claim to Canada as a F possession ?It wasn’t until Samuel de Champlain established a settlement at Quebecin 1608 that F began to take interest in Canada as a colony ? In 1663 Canada was made the property of the F crown and administered by a F governor like a F province ? I t was run like a vast trading area. The F state could not its people to emigrate there so the population stayed small. They also allowed their Continental wars to take precedence over the conquest of the NA continent. ? In 1713 in the Treaty of Utrecht, the F began to cede some of their A possessions to the E ?The decline of S and P led those 2 states to depend even more on their colonies, and they imposed strict mercantilist rules to keep others out. ? S tried to limit trade w/its colonies to S ships Toward A World Economy ? During the High Middle Ages, E had engaged in a commercial revolution that created new opportunities for townspeople in a basically agrarian economy ? The beginning of E discovery of the world outside in the 15thc led to an even greater burst of commercial activity and the inception of a world market Economic Conditions in the 16th Century Inflation was a major problem in the 16th and early 17th century ? This price revolution was a E wide phenomenon, although different areas were affected at different times ? Food was most subject to price increases, especially evident in the price of wheat ? Wages failed to keep up with price increases. Wage earners, especially agricultural laborers and salaried workers in urban areas saw their standard of living drop ? Commercial and industrial entrepreneurs also benefited from the price revolution because of rising prices, expanding markets, and cheap labor costs ?Governments borrows heavily from bankers and imposed new tax burdens on their subjects, often stirring additional discontent The Growth of Commercial Capitalism ? The E trade of the 16thc revolved around the Med in the south, the Low Countries and the Baltic region in the north, and central E, whose inland trade depended on the Rhine and Danube rivers ? As overseas trade expanded, the Atlantic seaboard began to play a more important role, linking the Med, Baltic, and CE trading areas together and making E a more integrated market that was mo re vulnerable to price shifts ?W/cheaper and faster ships, the D came to monopolize both E and world trade, although they were challenged by the E and F in the 16thc ? The commercial expansion of the 16th and 17th century was made easier by new forms of commercial organization, especially the joint-stock company ? Individuals bought shares in a company and received dividends on their investment while a board of directors ran the company and made business decisions ? Made it easier to raise large amounts of capital for world trading ventures ?Enormous profits were also being made in shipbuilding and in mining and metal lurgy, where technological innovations, such as the use of pumps and new methods of extracting metals from ores proved highly successful ? The mining industry was closely tied to family banking firms. In exchange for arranging large loans for Charles V, Jacob Fugger was given a monopoly over silver, copper, and mercury mines in the Habsburg possessions of CE ? These cl ose relationships b/w governments and entrepreneurs could lead to success but also be precarious[pic][pic] ?The House of Fugger went bankrupt at the end of the 16thc when the Habsburg defaulted on their loans ? By the 17thc, the traditional family banking firms were no longer able to supply the numerous services needed for the commercial capitalism of the 17thc ? the city of Amsterdam created the Bank of Amsterdam in 1609 as both a deposit and a transfer institution and the Amsterdam Bourse, where the trading of stocks replaced the exchange of goods ? Most of the E economy still depended on an agricultural system that had changed little since the 13th century ?In eastern E, the peasants’ position even worsened as they were increasingly tied to the land in a new serfdom enforced by powerful land owners Mercantilism ? Mercantilism – the name historians use to identify a set of economic tendencies that came to dominate economic practices in the 17th century ? one of its f undamentals was a belief that the total volume of trade was unchangeable. Since one nation could expand its trade only at the expense of others, to mercantilists economic activity was war carried on by peaceful means ?According to mercantilists, the prosperity of a nation depended on a plentiful supply of bullion (gold and silver). For this reason, it was desirable to achieve a favorable balance of trade in which goods exported were of greater value than those imported, promoting an influx of gold and silver payments that would increase the currency of bullion ? They believed that governments should stimulate and protect export industries and trade by granting trade monopolies, encouraging investment in new industries through subsidies, importing foreign artisans, and improving transportation systems.By placing high tariffs on foreign goods, they could be kept out of the country and prevented from competing w/domestic industry ? colonies were deemed valuable sources of raw materials and markets for finished goods ? Mercantilism focused on the role of the state, believing that state intervention in some aspects of the economy were desirable for national good. Government regulations to ensure the superiority of export goods, the construction of roads and canals, and the granting of subsidies to create trade companies were all predicated to government involvement in economic affairsOverseas Trade and Colonies: Movement toward Globalization ? W/the development of colonies and trading posts in the Am and the East, Embarked on an adventure in international commerce of the 17th century ? What made transoceanic trade rewarding was not the volume but the value of its goods ? Trade w/i E remained strong throughout the 18thc as wheat, timber, and naval stores from the Baltic, wines from F, wool and fruit from S, and silk from Italy were exchanged ? [pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic]However, this trade increased only slightly as overseas trade boomed.From 1716 to 1789, total F exports quadrupled The Impact of European Expansion ? By the end of the 18thc, it appeared that GB would become the great E imperial power The Conquered ? The NA civilizations were virtually destroyed. Ancient social and political structures were ripped up and replaced by E institutions, religion, language, and culture ? In Africa, E involvement in the slave trade led to devastating effects, especially in coastal areas ? P trading posts in the east had little impact on native Asian civilizations, although D control of the Indonesian archipelago was more pervasive ?In C and SA, a ew civilization arose called Latin Am ? It was a multiracial society—Africans, natives, and E. It had less rigid attitudes about race ? E brought horses and cattle to the Americas. Horses revolutionized the life of the Plains Indians. The two civilizations also exchanged plants Catholic Missionaries ? S and P rulers were determined to Chr the native people ? this policy gave the CC an d important role to play in the NW, one that added to church power ? Chr missionaries also went to China, the Jesuits were the most active ? they tried to point out the similarities b/w Chr and Confucian ethics ?Several hundred C officials became Catholics, but the Chr effort was ultimately undermined by squabbling w/i religious orders ? Soon Chinese authorities began to suppress Chr ideas throughout China ? They also went to Japan, where they converted some nobles ? the Jesuit practice of destroying idols and shrines and turning temples into Chr schools or churches caused a severe reaction ? The government ordered the execution of nine missionaries and a number of J converts. They were all eventually persecuted. The Conquerors ? Many E women found new opportunities for marriage in the NW b/c of the lack of women.A number of women also found themselves rich after their husbands were killed unexpectedly. ? When the mines at Potosi in Peru were opened in 1545, the value of precious me tals imported into E quadrupled ? The 185,000 pounds of gold that entered the port of Seville set off a price revolution that affected the S economy ? Columbian Exchange- the reciprocal importation and exportation of plant sand animals b/w E and the Am ? E expansion, which was in part a product of E rivalries, deepened those rivalries and increased tension among E states ? Bitter conflicts arose over the cargoes coming from the NW and Asia.The Anglo-D trade wars and the B-F rivalry over India and Nam became part of a new pattern of worldwide warfare in the 18thc. Rivalry also led to state-sponsored piracy ? E came to have a new view of the world. They created better maps and new techniques, one of which was the Mercator projection, which tried to show the true shapes of landmasses, but only in a limited area ? E were initially startled by the discovery of new people. There were differing opinions, but most felt that the natives should be converted. Their relatively easy success in d ominating native people enforced their feelings of superiority Top of Form