William Shakespeare s The Markopoulos - 1762 Words

Bernard William’s The Markopoulos Case focuses on the topic of immortality, and the issues that arise from the status of being immortal. William’s uses the concept of the play to refute the idea of immortality. This is due to the end of the Markopoulos play, where the immortal protagonist kills themselves out of the unbearable boredom of exhausting their categorical desires. Whereas Fischer rejects William’s view of immortality, due to the limiting constraints of his argument. Fischer asserts the immortal life would be livable, because it reflects a mortal life. In effect, I will further Fischer’s argument on the basis that an immortal life would be livable, on the account of packaged and repeatable goods. Therefore, this essay will†¦show more content†¦This is due to the consistency of their individual characteristics remaining the same for so many years. Problematically, William’s asserts, the immortal life would be undesirable, or unliva ble since we will inevitably exhaust our categorical desires. Whereas, Fischer denies William’s Attractiveness dilemma, asserting his argument is too narrow in thinking, due to the belief that the agent could only pursue one categorical desire. Insofar, as William asserts for X to remain immortal, X’s defining behaviors/characteristics/ (categorical desires) cannot change. Fischer refutes William’s argument of boredom, and coins it as the Attractiveness condition. However, a further dilemma that arises is that the individual cannot fathom, nor succumb to boredom in their future. (Fischer 260). William’s argues, if the agent has a fixed set of characteristics, overtime the individual will inevitably succumb to boredom, and consequently adopt new interests alien to the individual. However, Fischer denies William’s assertion, because the immortal agent will not only have ‘one’ interest, arguably Fischer asserts they will possess a package of categorical desires (261). Fischer denies the idea that the agent will only possess a single categorical desire that propels them in to the future, rather there is a conjunction of goods/interests. However, William’s asserts the

School Garden A Teaching Mechanism For Patriotism,...

Introduction The first American school garden was created in 1891, and by 1919 the emergence of the United States School Garden Army involved the participation of thousands of children for producing food for the war effort, moreover, advocates utilized school gardens as a teaching mechanism for patriotism, ethics, and nature (Trelstad, 1997). Today’s youth lack real life experience with the ecosystem. School gardens provide students with the opportunity to learn hands-on, even in a school with limited resources (Bucklin-Sporer Pringle, 2010). Children spend most of their time in a school setting, which makes schools the main target for programs that encourage fruit and vegetable consumption (Hazzard, Moreno, Beall Zidenberg-Cherr, 2011). Identifying the purpose of having a school garden can help shape what is expected from support staff, school administrators, teachers, and community. School garden programs vary in purpose, involvement, and each has its own unique curriculum. While other school gardens have raised beds, others may have sunken beds. The design of a garden can also be for focused learning, on fruits and vegetables, nutrition, or local habitat of native plants (Bucklin-Sporer Pringle, 2010). Each garden is distinctive to its own program based on factors such as (but not limited to), space availability, funding, and the people involved in the maintenance of the garden. Schools are faced with many challenges during the implementation phase of a schoolShow MoreRelatedDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Whetten, David A. (David Allred) Developing management skills /David A. Whetten, Kim S. Cameron.—8th ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-13-612100-8 1. Management—-Study and teaching. 2. Management—Problems, exercises, etc. Kim S. II. Tit le. HD30.4.W46 2011 658.40071 173—dc22 I. Cameron, 2009040522 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 ISBN 10: 0-13-612100-4 ISBN 13: 978-0-13-612100-8 B R I E F TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S PrefaceRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesFireweed: A Political Autobiography Allida M. Black, ed., Modern American Queer History Eric Sandweiss, St. Louis: The Evolution of an American Urban Landscape Sam Wineburg, Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts: Charting the Future of Teaching the Past Sharon Hartman Strom, Political Woman: Florence Luscomb and the Legacy of Radical Reform Michael Adas, ed., Agricultural and Pastoral Societies in Ancient and Classical History Jack Metzgar, Striking Steel: Solidarity Remembered JanisRead MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 Pagesmanagement, organizational behavior, and leadership. His research and consulting activities focus on project management. He has published numerous articles on matrix management, product development, and project partnering. He has been honored with teaching awards from both the Oregon State University MBA program and the University of Oregon Executive MBA program. He has been a member of the Portland, Oregon, chapter of the Project Management Institute since 1984. In 1995 he worked as a Fulbright scholar

Pros and Cons On School Uniform Free Essays

A crucial form of self expressions would be t o abolish school uniform. Ralph Wald Emerson stated the quote â€Å"None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to this whisper which is heard by him alone. † Selfishness is crucial because each student has their own clothing identification. We will write a custom essay sample on Pros and Cons On School Uniform or any similar topic only for you Order Now It is to be announced that school uniform may del ay the transition into adulthood. â€Å"Life is full of transactions, and one of the more re marketable one occurs when we get ready to leave high school and go out in the world as young adults,† was spoken by the U. S. Department of Education. Adults should have their own choice of clothing. Wearing the school attire may have a detrimental effect on students Selfridges. There is a saying by Any Miracle which indicates â€Å"the only one can make Gonzalez 2 yourself happy. † When students wear the same gear, instead of having the pop opportunity to select clothes that suit the body type, can suffer embarrassment at school. Having the freedom of expression helps not only in the age growth but also while in s school. Focusing so much on uniform takes away the attention from finding genuine lotions to problems in education. The push of uniform is driven by comer Call interest rather than educational ones. â€Å"Education must enable one to sift and weigh, t o discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction . The function of education, therefore is to teach on to think intensively and to thin k critically and essentially,† declared Martin Luther King Jar. In America we spend an aver GE of about one billion dollars on school uniform in just one year. It is proven that s dents that wear uniform tend to oppose of uniform. A 201 2 previewed study by researchers at the university of Nevada at Reno found that ninety percent of seventh and eighth grade public school students did not like wearing uniform. The MO re people that oppose have less education because they focus more on taking uniform away than widening their education. On the website proton. Org expresses that â€Å"most PU bill schools with uniform policies are in poor neighborhoods, emphasizes the class deductions that uniforms were supposed eliminate. The use of school attire e emphasizes the socio economic divisions they are supposed to eliminate. Not all schools are the same but the ones that have uniform tend to lack focus on education. There’s many reasons why uniforms should be eliminated but little have they truly put full s peculation the recognition their value. Gonzalez 3 Aside from convenience, there are other reasons to favor school uniform. Am Eng all those reasons one would be reducing peer pressure and bullying. On the website Stealth. Org says, â€Å"some kids give into peer pressure because they want to be liked, to fit in, or because they worry that other kids might make fun of them if they don’t go long with the group. When all students are dressed similarly, the competition amongst students over the choice of clothes and the teasing of those who are dressed in less fashionable or less expensive outfits can be eliminated. An argument f or having school uniform is that they will bring conformity among students. In a person al Interview with Israel Pinion he revealed, â€Å"a school uniform is on ly comfortable during GA mess period. † Having student comfort themselves may result in increasing their owe n safety, comfort should be important in order to maximize learning outcomes. Although ugh many loud be against uniform not all have looked to see that it improves attendant CE and discipline. A 2010 study by researchers at the University of Houston found that t the average absence rate for girls in middle and high school decreased by seven percent. For most middle and high school is hard to get discipline and attendance info arced but uniform mightiest be the solution. School uniform may be a probable source o uneasiness for students considering that they need to make maximum use of their time in school. Just like there are cons on school uniform there are pros and one would be the at uniform may withdraw crime and boost student safety. Knowing uniform elm innate crimes, make students feel more confident. Eric Reverberant mentioned iconic dance and implied, â€Å"having confidence is on the most essential pieces of advice you’ll race vive in life Gonzalez 4 that makes no sense if you’ve never done it. † When students feel confident, it helps them show up to school, it also helps their education performance exceed. Ha Vying uniforms, in school, may prevent the display of ongoing colors. According to a Center For Parent Information and Resources report in 201 3, almost 50% of students n high school say there are gang members at their schools. The elimination of gang c lord keep students focused on education and not as much on their clothes. Wear Eng uniform can enhance school pride, unity, and community spirit. In 2007 a study was m dad a University in the United Kingdom found that uniforms â€Å"often directly contribute et to a feeling of school pride. † (School Uniform) Being involved with school and the c immunity helps build networks and just might help later on in life. How to cite Pros and Cons On School Uniform, Papers

How to Bounce Back from Adversity free essay sample

Give an example of how you turned a negative experience into a positive one. In order to turn a negative experience into a positive one is to counter adversity with resilience; that is taking charge of how we think about adversity. The first step is to have a plan of action, then respond to that plan otherwise called response oriented thinking. I was employed with my previous company for six years. Initially, I started off as your typical receptionist, and then subsequently I was promoted three times.During my time with the company, I climbed the corporate ladder vigorously, positioning me as the assistant to the vice president during my last three and a half years. I was in my glory, feeling self-confident and looking forward to whatever came next. Unfortunately, the failing economy not only failed our business, forcing us to close, but it also turned my optimism into pessimism. We will write a custom essay sample on How to Bounce Back from Adversity or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page After numerous interviews and no luck, I was running low on resources, fearing the perception of the business world around me. I needed another plan of action, and that’s exactly what I did.I took my challenge and turned it into an opportunity. Instead of seeking out positions for which I had done for the last six years, I broadened my outlook and sought out new career developments. This directed me to the hospitality industry which eventually led me to restaurant management. If I had continued to limit myself to a dereliction corresponding chain of events, I would have never succumbed to a more resourceful outcome. 2. What tactics do you use to counter adversity? According to â€Å"How to Bounce Back from Adversity†, effective leaders use three lenses to view adverse events to make them shift efficiently.These include control, impact, breadth, and duration. Control is looking for what can improve the crisis now rather than trying to identify all the factors. Impact is identifying the positive effects your personal actions can have on the crisis. Breadth is specifying the underlying cause of the crisis and containing it, and finally duration is determining how long the percussions of the crisis will last. With each lense, three identifying questions, also known as the reliance regime, are designed to help leaders replace negative responses into positive remorseful ones.These questions include specifying, visualization, and collaboration. Instead of continuously revisiting the repercussions, these questions can help achieve core objectives. Adversity to me is an opportunity to correct mistakes, learn and develop new approaches, and emerge in a better form. Some of the actions I take comprise of moving forward with my goals no matter regardless of how difficult they are at the given time, always avoid discouragement and despair, always retain my passion and dedication in everything I do, and always maintain faith. It can take a while to overcome adversity; however the operative word is perseverance. I just keep at it until things get better. 3. How resilient are you? I have to admit that I can sometimes feel angry and disappointed when I have put my all into whatever it is that I’m working on, however I’ve realized through experience that feeling victimized gets you nowhere. So how resilient am I? I would say I have come a long way over the years because of experience. I have learned how to bounce back from my problems and always have a game plan for my next step.

The Nature, Transmission, Prevention, And Treatment Of The HIV/AIDS Es

The Nature, Transmission, Prevention, and Treatment of the HIV/AIDS The Nature, Transmission, Prevention, and Treatment of the HIV/AIDS Arthur Ashe is an admirable and well known American tennis player who won many championships. He became the first African American male to win the men's Wimbledon title in 1975. Also, he was on the United States Davis Cup team from 1963 until 1984. Some of his other major accomplishments include helping to form what is now the Association of Tennis Professionals and winning the Australian Open, the United States Open, and the French Open. Ashe lived a wonderful and successful life: however, in 1983, disaster struck! Ashe acquired an incurable disease through a tainted blood transfusion. This disease killed him in 1993. What is this incurable disease that still haunts the lives of so many people? This is a disease known as AIDS. AIDS is a fatal disease without a cure and a disease that responds to little treatment. How can the spread of AIDS be stopped? This paper will discuss the nature of the AIDS virus, the transmission and the prevention of transmission, as well as the available treatments for people with this disease. First of all, AIDS is an acronym for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. AIDS is acquired which means that it is not passed down from generation to generation through a person's genes. AIDS is a disease that attacks the immune system, a system in the body that produces white blood cells in order to fight off diseases. This disease causes the immune system to be deficient, or weakened, so that it cannot properly fight off diseases. AIDS is a syndrome, or a group of illnesses with many possible symptoms that can occur together in a weakened condition. AIDS is a pandemic, meaning that it can be found on all continents. The disease was discovered in 1983, by a French cancer specialist, Luc Montagnier, along with other scientists, at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. However, there were AIDS cases reported as early as the 1950's. "The 80s will go down as the decade that AIDS began. We want to know, - Why" (Bevan 27)? One of the reasons is the promiscuity of sexually active people during the 1980s and the sharing of intravenous hypodermic needles and syringes by drug users. Secondly, AIDS is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. This virus attacks the antibodies in a person's immune system, thereby disabling that system. HIV works in an unusual way because it uses the immune system to its advantage. Viruses cannot live unless they are inside of a living cell called a host. The virus uses the host cell to reproduce themselves, causing the cell to die in the process. The new virii are then set free. The HIV virus attacks T4 lymphocytes, which are a special type of white blood cell. These cells are the body's method of defense. Without them, humans are susceptible to disease and infection. It is not HIV that kills people, but the opportunistic infections people get because of a weakened immune system. Bevan characterizes HIV by saying, "It's the sneakiest virus of all. It goes for the crucial link in the immune system, the cells at the heart of the fightback effort" (Bevan 24). This is why HIV is so dangerous. Being HIV positive does not mean that a person has full-blown AIDS, and not everyone who gets HIV develops full-blown AIDS. When one fully develops AIDS, the signs and symptoms become more evident. These symptoms include: "a failing immune system, persistent swollen lymph nodes and opportunistic infections" (Stine 114). A common example of a skin disorder caused by AIDS is Kaposi's sarcoma. That is, "a multifocal, spreading cancer of connective tissue, principally involving the skin; it usually begins on the toes or the feet as reddish blue or brownish soft nodules and tumors" (Stine 442). Lymph nodes are gland-like forms that help stop the spread of infection. When they become persistently swollen, one can develop lymphadenopathy syndrome or LAS. This condition can bring on mild symptoms of fever and weight loss. Other signs of full-blown AIDS include oral lesions such as thrush and hairy leukoplakia. People may also develop kidney disorders and gastrointestinal diseases like severe diarrhea that can cause weight loss. Since AIDS is such a serious incurable disease, it is important to know how the disease is transmitted. One method of transmission is via bodily fluids by having sex. This includes all forms of sex: vaginal sex, anal sex, and oral sex. The transmission also occurs in many other sexual activities. The human immunodeficiency virus can

Who essays

Who essays Whos Bad?, a line of a popular Michael Jackson classic, has conjured up a new meaning of bad since the pop star was accused of child molestation in December of 1993. With the influence of the media, the American people answered Jacksons question, but some of the responses were not what Michael Jackson had in mind when he released the song Bad in 1987. Sure, all the answers were You Michael, youre bad, but the explanations were not centered around his unique style but more focused on the shocking allegations of child sexual abuse. Since the first day Jacksons charges were announced publicly, the media consistently covered every angle of this flaming hot story. Because people are skeptical about Michael Jacksons image as an overly sensitive and intimate performer who still embraces his childhood amusements, many writers are forced to form certain biases about Michael Jacksons child molestation case that will draw the attention of readers and help readers to eliminate any uncertain ties concerning their personal conviction of the artist. For decades, Michael Jackson has touched the hearts of many people through his innovative style of music. Because Jacksons image reflects a performer who is warm-hearted, loyal, and appreciative to his fans, some writers have chosen to cover the story with a positive, yet firm stand on Michaels innocence. Aldore Colliere, a writer for Jet magazine, obviously supports the pop legend. Collieres article, Michael Jackson Tries to Keep Career from Crumbling as He Fights Addiction to Painkiller Drugs and Charges of Child Molestation, differs greatly from the typical Michael Jackson coverage story. Colliere admits that the typical reporter speculates about why the superstar abruptly ended his world tour and accuses him of fleeing prosecution; however, Colliere focuses her article on the...

Assignment 7 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

7 - Assignment Example In this case, the society incorporates biased attitudes that favor men. For instance, organizations prefer to employ men than women, despite having the same qualifications. In addition, some employers affirm that men have a huge responsibility of taking care of family, thus will be devoted to work compared to women. Callister states that women ought to be given equal chances to work in organizations so as to enhance the Gross Domestic Product of a nation. This is because women who stay at home taking care of the young ones and conducting household do not contribute to the growth of the nation’s economy. Callister came up with a six year research, so as to improve the recruitment and progress of women in organizations. As a result, there was improvement in the recruitment and advancement of women between 2003 and 2009 at Utah State. Currently, most women are able to advance their studies, resulting to reduction in illiteracy and women unemployment rate (Eaton 2). In conclusion, the education sector in any given nation should be enhanced so as to give women the opportunity to attend school. In this case, the government should employ qualified teachers, construct many schools and subsidize education fees. More so, organizations should come up with codes of conducts that protect the rights of women such as sexual harassment from male colleagues. The sexual harassers should be punished by the organization or the government law

2 comprehensive papers topics are listed below Essay

2 comprehensive papers topics are listed below - Essay Example Unfortunately, there is an existing mind-set that educational research is not applicable to â€Å"real world† education, nor to teaching. However, as research is successfully applied in more and more educational settings, administrators and policy makers increase their appreciation for, and use of, research. To that end, teacher preparation programs, curriculum policies and teaching methods are now being consistently evaluated and modified through research. Although it is clear that research should and must be incorporated into teacher preparation, determining which type of research approach most appropriate and most beneficial for education is one of the major debates in the educational arena. Creswell (2002) argues that it is vital that the research methodology be chosen based upon the characteristics of the study, rather than any preconceived preferences by the researcher. Patton (1986) proposed that the purpose of the study should be the driving force in any research evaluation and therefore, be the primary factor considered by the researcher. Keeping both of these philosophies in mind, the researcher should then choose the research method based on the purpose of the study and the characteristics of the study. If this is not done, the research outcome will not yield the adequate data to support or refute what the researcher is trying to prove (Duignan, 2001). Further, the result of educational research becomes more valid and clear when the right type of research methodology is used (Creswell, 2002; Duignan, 2001; Patton, 1986) When the purpose of study has been established, the researcher must determine the appropriate research methodology for the study (Duignan, 2001). To best select the most appropriate research methodology, researchers need to understand the three widely-used methodologies: quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods. In this paper, the three research approaches will be

Disability discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Disability discussion - Essay Example Both writers have directly or indirectly brought out the discrimination and inconsideration in the education system. The current education systems that have been put in place are meant for the normal students only. They systems are put up in order to instill discipline in students. But not all students can follow this rules and not because they are defiant but due to their disabilities, and instead of the system accepting them as they are, they are considered as defectors. Both writers express their views on how we can commendably and competently make the disabled children feel normal in spite of their conditions. In his book The Short Bus, Mooney expresses his views on the society in reference to the history of LD. He argues that, â€Å"The school environment was never questioned. The fact that many LD students were good leaners in alternative other environment was ignored,† (Mooney 46). Davis argues that industrialization is the cause of this kind of discrimination. His argument is that one is expected to perform and deliver efficiently not considering their race, nationality, religion or even medical condition (Davis). Thus the education system treats everyone as equals not providing room for the physically challenged. According to the ‘The Short Bus: How to curse in sign language’ Ashley was a young child who multiple human disorders that in the normal world most people would consider her as a burden and would feel pitiful that she existed in her condition. She was born of an alcoholic and anoxic mother thus giving birth to birth to a baby with a lot of complications. Ashley had a condition that made her developed tumors often (Mooney). This would have made it even more difficult to keep the child given that it meant more expenses in keeping her healthy. However Deborah loved Ashley and treated her like a normal child providing her with the motherly love that any child

Discussing Causes Of Climate Change An Environmental Sciences Essay

Discussing Causes Of Climate Change An Environmental Sciences Essay Climate has a great influence over our lives. All our normal routine actions are according to the climate we are living in. However the climate has been changing from past few decades, which in turn is changing our living patterns and thus, has made this world a more puzzled place to live in. In this essay the causes of climate change would be discussed, which are divided into two categories, either the climate is changing due to natural reasons or is forced to change by the human activities. Naturally, the climate change is said to occur because of various reasons, mainly because of volcanic eruptions, ocean current, the solar variations, the earths orbital change, and by many other natural reasons, which in turn produces various greenhouse gasses and in the end results into global warming. On the other hand, carbon emission done by humans is the greatest factor leading to global warming and then to climate change. Other activities like, chemicals used in agriculture, deforestation and other uses of energy in households also contribute in the greenhouse effect. Climate can be defined as the long term weather conditions for a region, generally determined by 30 or more years of records. On contrast weather can be defined as the state of the atmosphere at a particular place and time. Moreover, the Green House effect is naturally in which certain atmospheric gases absorbs long wave radiation from the Earths surface which in the end results in heating the earths surface and the atmosphere. Hence global warming can be defined as the increase of Earths average temperature which in then results into climate change. (Glossary: Nasa). The Debate: There is no doubt about the fact that the Earths climate has become warmer over the twentieth century, however, there is still a dispute about whether the temperature increase is due to natural reasons or because of human activities. Two groups of UK scientists have recently investigated both types of effect. Mike Lockwood and colleagues at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) argue that the Suns magnetic field has doubled over the century, and that this natural force of solar system has affected the earths climate (Nature  399:437). On the other hand Simon Tett and colleagues from the UKs Meteorological Office in Reading and RAL argue that while solar forcing may have added to climate change, however, human activities have also been responsible for the temperature changes from many years (Nature  399:569). It has been stated that the Earths average global temperature has increased by 0.6 Kelvin in the past 100 years. Four main processes that can affect the Earths climate hav e been evaluated. Two of these are said to be small aerosol particles from volcanic eruptions and changes in solar luminosity. The other two, sulphate aerosols and greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, are due to increasing industrialization, in particular the burning of forests and fossil fuels. Lockwood and colleagues found that the total magnetic flux leaving the Sun has risen by a factor of 1.4 since 1964. Their results could provide support for the theory that changes in the solar wind could contribute to  climate change. The solar wind and the Suns magnetic field are very well linked with each other. According to the theory charged particles in the solar wind would deflect high-energy cosmic rays that would otherwise have ionized the Earths lower atmosphere, leading to the formation of clouds. Since cloud cover determines the amount of solar radiation reflected by the Earth back into space, a more powerful solar wind implies less cloud cover which, in turn, suggests that the Earth would warm up. However, the paper by Tett and colleagues suggests that natural effects alone cannot account for the pattern of temperature change observed over the past 50 years. They used the HadCM2 computer model to predict the Earths global temperature during five overlapping 50-year periods (1906-56, 1916-1966,), and then compared the results with observations. The program models both the oceans and the atmosphere, and also allows for changes in greenhouse emissions, surface albedo (i.e. reflectivity), volcanic aerosols and solar irradiance. They ran the programmers with a number of different solar models, including one that matched the effects highlighted by Lockwood. The results were similar for all cases: it is not possible to distinguish between the contributions of human activity and natural variations to global warming in the first half of the century, but after 1946 increases in the concentration of man-made greenhouse gases and sulphate aerosols was the dominan t effect. (News: Physics World, 1999) Climate Change Human Activities the Cause, Mea Culpa! But Consider 1816, the Year Without Summer! The whole world seems to be getting involved with the facts of Global warming and Climate change. Nobel prizes were awarded to the UNs IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and Al Gore several years ago, followed by the Kyoto Protocol Climate Change Conference of 1997, and finally President Obama led leaders of 192 nations in agreement with its principles, promising heavy financial compensations to third world nations. Scientists have calculated that emissions of carbon dioxide by human activities amount to perhaps 30 billion tons per year because of various factors including fossil fuel burning, cement production, gas flaring, industrial operations and breathing etc. They also estimate that volcanic eruptions can on average emit about one-forty-five to two-fifty-five million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere per year. This seems to specify that human activities may release perhaps 100 times the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by volcanoes, thus, this seems to be a realistic base for the universal concern, which is that human activities have a great negative impact on the climate of Earth. However, it seems like that nature itself is trying to make things worse as firstly admitting furor at Copenhagen by world leaders and President Obama in support of Global Warming then along came the coldest winter in recent decades. Then finally when Obamas EPA poised to levy severe pollutant restrictions and harsh financial penalties on American industry, a volcanic eruption in Iceland devastated the air-transport industry by closing down almost all flights over Europe for a week, which led to bankrupting major airlines, with absent bail-outs by governments. The major natural catastrophes: the recent eruption of Icelands Eyjafjallajokull volcano along with many other including Krakatau, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, or cyclical changing of atmosphere of ocean, should be enough to warn decision-makers about climate change effects. After experiencing the incident of the Iceland volcano eruption, other than man-kind activities in the reference to global warming and climate change seems warranted. The summer of 1816 is considered to be one of the coldest on record which is studied by many weather scientists. The year is known as the Year without a summer. It is also known as the Poverty Year, due to widespread destruction of crops. Severe climate oddity during the summer destroyed crops in Northern Europe, Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada, and average global temperature decrease was sufficient enough to cause many agricultural failures around the world. The most likely cause of the severe climate change seems therefore, to be the volcanic influences because greatly increased volcanic activity causes immense amounts of ash and dust to be blown and trapped high in the atmosphere, which in turn cause increased reflection of solar radiation (instead of absorption at the Earths surface), resulting in globally decreased te mperatures on Earth. Therefore human activities seem minor and insignificant relative to the power of Nature. (Kolom) How do we know that atmospheric build-up of green house gases is due to human activities? Four lines of evidence prove conclusively that the recent buildup of carbon dioxide take place largely from human activities. The nucleus of carbon atoms in carbon dioxide released by burning coal, oil, and natural gas (fossil fuels) vary in their characteristics from the nucleus of carbon atoms in carbon dioxide emitted under natural conditions. Tens of millions of years ago, coal, oil, and natural gas were formed, and the portion of their nucleus, that was once radioactive, has long ago changed to non- radioactive carbon. However the carbon dioxide released from natural sources on the Earths surface holds a measurable radioactive portion. As carbon dioxide has been emitted through fossil fuel combustion, the radioactive fraction of carbon in the atmosphere has decreased. Forty years ago scientists provided the first direct evidence that burning of fossil fuels was causing a buildup of carbon dioxide and thus reducing radioactive carbon in the atmosphere by measuring the decreasing portion of radioactive carbon-14 captured in tree rings, each year between 1800 and 1950. Moreover, scientists began making accurate measurements of the total amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in any countries by late 1950s. Their data show convincingly that the levels of carbon dioxide have increased each year worldwide and these increases are dependable with other estimates of the rise of carbon dioxide emissions due to human activity over this period. In 1980, third evidence was added that the ice buried below the surface of the Greenland and Antarctic ice caps contains bubbles of air trapped when the ice originally formed. These samples of fossil air have been retrieved by drilling deep into the ice. Measurements from the youngest and most shallow segments of the ice cores produced carbon dioxide awareness to those that were measured directly in the atmosphere at the time the ice formed. But the older parts of the cores show that carbon dioxide amounts were about 25% lo wer than today for the ten thousand years previous to the onset of industrialization. The final evidence comes from the geographic pattern of carbon dioxide measured in air. Observations show that there is slightly more carbon dioxide in the northern hemisphere than in the southern hemisphere. The difference arises because most of the human activities that produce carbon dioxide are in the north and it takes about a year for northern hemispheric emissions to circulate through the atmosphere and reach southern latitudes. (Programme, 1997) Discussion: The debate on climate change is as what really caused the climate to vary with time and which affected us adversely. Some say that climate is changed by natural factors like ocean currents or volcanoes while others deny this fact and try to prove the point that human activities have forced the climate to change. I support the second opinion, human activities indeed made the climate to change and result into global warming. The concentration of Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased from 290ppm in 1880 to 352ppm in 1989 which can be concluded as the 20% increase. This increase is almost certainly a result of human activities (Ruddiman,2003). There has been seen a sufficient increase in the emission of Greenhouse gases due to human activities. For example methane has an estimated rate of emission from human activity on the planet which is 375 million tons per year. For carbon dioxide, there is also an estimated rate of emission from human activity which is 7100 million tons per year. The anthropogenic emissions of these two gases are easier to estimate, because we know approximately how much oil, coal, and natural gas humans produce for consumption around the world each year. We also know approximately how much forest is burned and converted to agriculture each year. According to The state of the environment published in 1991 by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, human activities emit about 68 million tones of nitrogen oxides, 99 million tons of sulfur oxides, 177 million tons of carbon monoxide, and 57 million tones of particulates (dust). However, all these numbers are very approximate. On the o ther hand, sulfur oxides have been found to slightly counteract the greenhouse effect caused by other gases. Still, sulfur oxides are very harmful to the environment and are best known for causing acid rain. Carbon monoxide doesnt contribute to the greenhouse effect, but has significant effects on atmospheric chemistry. Dust is generally thought to cool the atmosphere close to Earths surface, but this effect depends on various factors, including the size and color of the dust particles. (Davis, 2004) The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a scientific body set up by the UN to look at climate change. It says that human activity is the main cause of the changes seen in climate. Recent reports from the  IPCC have concluded that most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century is  very likely  due to the observed increase in  anthropogenic greenhouse gas  concentrations. From new estimates of the combined anthropogenic  forcing  due to greenhouse gases,  aerosols, and  land surface changes, it is  extremely likely  that human activities have exerted a substantial net warming influence on climate since 1750. (Uk governements digital service: DirectGov) The most important factor for the climate change is the speeding up of greenhouse effect by manmade activities, which is usually known as Global Warming. Basically, the Greenhouse effect is naturally caused by the emissions of gases like nitrous oxide, carbon-dioxide, methane, ozone and water vapor.  However, anthropogenic activities like burning the fossil fuels and deforestation makes the greenhouse effect stronger. Which means more heat is trapped and the Earths climate begins to change unnaturally. The fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) are burned for various human activities mainly used for transportation, manufacturing, heating, cooling, electricity generation etc. this can be summed up after the industrial revolution, in 18th century, and more of the fossil fuels were being burned frequently. Therefore, manmade gases were being emitted into the atmosphere, mostly in the form of carbon dioxide emissions, from the burning activity. These gases speed up the greenhouse effect, forcing the climate to change. Another factor forced the climate to change and resulted into global warming is the act of deforestation.   Deforestation increases the amount of carbon-dioxide in the atmosphere. Also, due to the disappearance of trees, photosynthesis cannot take place which lowers the oxygen level in the atmosphere. Deforestation is rampant today due to the increase in human civilization. The levels of deforestation have increased by about nine percent in recent times. Moreover, the burning of wood also causes it to decay, therefore releasing more carbon-dioxide into the atmosphere, and carbon-dioxide being the main culprit in global warming increases. Another man-made cause of the increase in the Green house effect due to the emission of such gases is the use of any electrical appliances. Even the refrigerator in the house emits gases which contribute to the Greenhouse effect. These gases are known as Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and are used in refrigerators, aerosol cans, and some foaming agents in the packaging industry, fire extinguisher chemicals and cleaners used in the electronic industry. Some processes of the cement manufacturing industries also act as a cause towards the Greenhouse effect.   Population growth also is an indirect contributor and one of the causes of the Greenhouse effect. With the increase in population, the needs and wants of the people increase. Therefore, this increases the manufacturing processes as well as the industry processes. This results in the increase of the release of industrial gases which catalyze the green house effect. The increase in population also results in the increase of agricultural processes. Most man-made machines, like the automobile also contribute to the green house effect. In one of the recent articles global warming has been linked with the recent natural disasters. As almost fourteen million people have been affected by the torrential rains in Pakistan,  making it a more serious humanitarian disaster than the South Asian tsunami and recent earthquakes in Kashmir and Haiti combined. The disaster was driven by a supercharged jet stream that has also caused floods in China and a prolonged heat wave in Russia. Which comes after flash floods in France and Eastern Europe killed more than 30 people over the summer. Jean-Pascal van Ypersele, vice-president of the body set up by the UN to monitor global warming, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), said the dramatic weather patterns are consistent with changes in the climate caused by mankind. These are events which reproduce and intensify in a climate disturbed by greenhouse gas pollution, he said, Extreme events are one of the ways in which climatic changes become dramatically visible. Professor Andrew Watson, a climatologist at the University of East Anglia, which was at the centre of last years climate gate scandal, said the extreme events are fairly consistent with the IPCC reports and what 99 per cent of the scientists believe to be happening. Im quite sure that the increased frequency of these kinds of summers over the last few decades is linked to climate change, he said. (Gray) However , authors such as  Lean and Rind (1996)  believe that, although natural factors may be the reason for most temperature increase before the Industrial Revolution, the most likely cause of climate change since about 1850is the growing concentration of greenhouse gases as the net atmospheric temperature increase, or forcing is largely due to human (anthropogenic) activities .Interestingly, particulate emissions from volcanoes produce a net decrease in global temperatures, due to the reflective properties (albedo) of the sulfate aerosol particles formed in the stratosphere. (Bianchi, 2010) Conclusion: The earths climate is dynamic and always changing through a natural cycle but the anthropogenic activities make this cycle speed up unnaturally that create problems in the atmosphere as either the earth gets oddly warmer or the people have to face natural disasters. However if man has created all these problems, he should also try to make things better by finding practical solutions.

Psychology: Dreams And Dreaming :: essays research papers

Psychology: Dreams and Dreaming   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dreams, a nightly gift and a part of the natural process of being alive, are being rediscovered by our publisher. The meaning and value of your dreams will vary according to what you and your society decide. Our society is changing. We used to only value dreams in the context of psychotherapy. There are also a few assumptions about dreams. One is that you are always the final authority on what the dream means. Others can offer insight, suggestions and techniques for exploration and expression, but no one knows what the final meaning and value of the dreams will be for you, except you. Another assumption is that dreams come in the service of wholeness and health. If you find an interpretation that does not fit this, perhaps you need to change methods of interpretation. Dream interpretations that lead you toward self-criticism, depression or despair are simply wrong and if these conditions persist you may wish to seek help from others. Finally, there is no such thing as a dream with one meaning. If you feel stuck on one meaning or feel another person is pushing one meaning, it is time to reconsider your methods and approach. (Lemley p. 17).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Clinical dream work is done within the context of psychotherapy and clinical and sleep research have different approaches and goals than peer dream work. (Koch-Sheras p.16).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A dream is a period of spontaneous brain activity usually lasting from about 5-40 minutes that occurs during sleep several times a night usually about 90 minute intervals (Barret p.8).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are also certain types of dreams. There are fantasy, daydream and waking dreams. There are also lucid dreams, nightmares and night terrors. There are also certain stages in the dream cycle. In the first stage, your body temperature drops, your eyes close and your brain waves begin regular alpha rhythms, indicating a relaxed state. Muscles lose their tension, breathing becomes more even and your heart rate slows. Second, random images begin to float through your mind mimicking the dream state. Jolting or involuntary movements will take place at this time. Third, muscles lose all tightness, breathing becomes slower, heart rate decreases and blood pressure falls. At this point, it will take a loud noise or disturbance to wake you up. You are now fully asleep. Finally, you are in a deep sleep. This is the most physically rested period of sleep and longest in duration. (Time-Life Books p. 97). Jubera 2   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Whether awake or asleep, one of the brain's most critical functions is the construction of the model of the environment that we perceive as our

Effects of Globalization on Small Enterprises Essay

The business world has witnessed a transformation in past years. Technological innovations, cultural progress, and connectivity have all influenced the habits and customs of businesses all across the world. Globalization has been behind this change, fuelling the revolution and shaping the businesses and society of today. Globalization is defined as â€Å"the process of interaction and integration among the people, companies, and governments of different nations, a process driven by international trade and investment and aided by information technology.† This process has had effects on culture, society, business, consumer habits, and more. Globalization has also had notable effects on small businesses and economists anticipate more effects to come. Globalization is a phenomenon that has been present for many years and has a long history. It really began to take effect after World War 2; this is described as the resurgence of globalization. Certain agreements have driven globalization, notably the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) which was signed in 1994 creating a trilateral trade bloc. Since, globalization has become rampant and has greatly influenced trade, competition, and small businesses. Globalization’s impact on small businesses has been both negative and positive. This impact can be seen on the macroeconomic level and affects gross domestic product greatly, as small businesses contribute largely to GDP. However, globalization has created multinational corporations with untold power – which has received a plethora of criticism and accusations of corruption and bribery leading to a significant disadvantage for small businesses. However, these days, globalization has made it possible for small enterprises to finally outsource certain tasks, thereby increasing productivity, lowering prices, and becoming more competitive against their contenders. Ultimately, each country has unique issues when it comes to market globalization and must adopt varied measures to combat these difficulties. Economists are able to project trends using different variables to understand what will come in the future and act accordingly. Globalization has provided solutions to certain problems small businesses faced while introducing new problems in their wake. Effects on the Macroeconomic Level Globalization’s impact can be felt on the macroeconomic level. The development of integrated economies creates changes on the aggregate economy of countries which affects a multitude of phenomena ranging from unemployment to price levels. These changes have an especially impactful effect on small businesses as multinational corporations pose threatening competitors and are able to offer lower prices. Conversely, globalization has also provided larger markets with untapped potential. The advantages and disadvantages posed by globalization upon small businesses each have negative and positive consequences and shape business and trade today. Globalization breaks down barriers and encourages trade among different countries. This, in turn, provides many new potential customers, suppliers, and partners – each with different needs to be met. The increased possibilities can be useful for small businesses to gain new customers and create brand loyalty. However, globalization can also go awry for small businesses. With expansion and rampant trade as the status quo, multinational corporations can infiltrate different countries and eradicate small, local businesses that had once dominated the area. A concrete example of this is the effect Walmart often has on their locales. Ana Kasparian, co-host of the talk show, The Young Turks, asserted, â€Å"If you bring in a Walmart†¦ those local businesses are gone.† For instance, after a Walmart opened in Chicago, 82 small businesses in the area closed within two years. Joe Persky, an economics professor at the University of Illinois Chicago, illustrated the occurrence saying, â€Å"No matter which direction you go from Walmart, there’s a very high rate of business closures in the immediate vicinity, and the further away you get there’s less and less.† Multinational corporations, with brand names that are recognized world-wide, become more popular than intimate, local businesses. In this way, globalization can replace small businesses and have a dangerous effect on the security of small business owners. The creation of international markets can be attributed to today’s globalized economies and small businesses benefit greatly. Industry Canada reported that in 2002, 84% of exporters were small businesses. This is especially beneficial as technological innovations and increased connectivity have allowed countries to manufacture more goods and services than they can consume and exportation provides a new market for increased consumption of these goods and services. Open trade also allows for countries to specialize in the domains in which they have what economists refer to as â€Å"comparative advantage.† When countries specialize in the fields which pose the lowest opportunity cost, this increases productivity and minimizes loss, which creates efficiency and synergy for all parties. Globalization allows for small businesses to export. In the past, importing and exporting was only a possibility for large corporations as they could absorb the cost. Now, globalization has become accessible – even to small businesses – which allows them to compete on the international scale. Consequently, small businesses are able to focus in the areas where they thrive, producing goods and services efficiently, and positively contributing to their country’s gross domestic product and overall productivity; increased productivity is an indicator of a superior quality of life. The negative effects of globalization are often felt most intensely in developing countries. The opening of borders increases emigration from developing countries and it is often the country’s most productive, educated, and innovative members of the population who leave the country to explore opportunities elsewhere. This phenomenon is described by economists as the â€Å"Brain Drain† and can strip a developing country of the most talented members of their labour force, throwing them into an even larger disadvantage compared to developed countries. This migration means that small businesses have less human resources to choose from, rendering them less productive. Corporate Money in Politics Globalization has created multinational corporations with power in various countries and enormous wealth. This wealth gives these multinational corporations advantages that many argue are unfair. Corporate money in politics is a topic of wide discussion in the present economic circumstances. In 2010, the court ruled in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that money is â€Å"political speech.† This ruling allowed for corporations to provide unlimited donations to political campaigns. Since, many have protested the influence corporate money has on political decisions, saying that corporations donate to politicians to get certain benefits – a term coined as â€Å"legalized bribery.† This bribery was revealed in a New York Times investigation which found that a Walmart built in Mexico in 2004 bypassed certain zoning regulations which prohibited any building near ancient pyramids. The report announced, â€Å"Walmart was a corrupter offering large pay-offs to get what the law otherwise prohibited†¦ It used bribes to subvert democratic governance – public votes, open debates, transparent procedures. It used bribes to circumvent regulatory safeguards that protect Mexican citizens from unsafe construction.† The most powerful claim in the story was that Walmart used money to gain an advantage against fellow competitors: â€Å"It used bribes to outflank rivals.† Small businesses do not have the financial assets to compete with multinational corporations in terms of political donations. Since these donations often have significant consequences in political decisions, small businesses find themselves disadvantaged as they do not have the same financial or political power as multinational corporations. In this way, globalization has had a negative effect on small enterprises. The power disparity creates an uneven footing for small businesses and forces them to remain in the shadows of large, multinational corporations. Investments Investment is defined as â€Å"the conversion of money into some form of property from which an income or profit is expected to be derived.† Globalization has also impacted investments greatly in past years. Since the world has become more connected, individuals and corporations have begun allocating their resources to foreign investments at a rapid pace. Foreign direct investments (FDI) are defined as â€Å"flows of money into a country that purchase a lasting stake in an enterprise for a foreign investor.† Now, many people hold shares or investments in companies originating in countries other than their own. These investments are significant as they affect the gross domestic product of countries. Additionally, the manifestation of foreign direct investments is especially important to small businesses as they do not thrive in this field. Individuals and corporations are more willing to invest in multinational corporations with long histories, reputable names, and monetary excess. Small businesses, which are less known, are less likely to receive assets in the form of investments as people view this type of investment as risky since they do not feel they know as much about the company and the future profitability of their investment. This largely contributes to the low survival rates of small businesses. Industry Canada’s findings reveal that only 51% of small businesses survive beyond five years. Contrarily, multinational corporations have much longer life spans. For instance, Coca Cola was founded in 1886 and continues to be a household name and an extremely profitable enterprise. The lack of foreign or domestic investments in small businesses is hugely disadvantageous to small businesses in the global market and international economy. This is a domain in which small businesses are still far less developed than large, multinational corporations. Outsourcing and Pricing In the past, outsourcing, a means to reduce costs by allocating certain tasks to outside suppliers rather than completing the tasks within the company itself, was reserved for big corporations as it was extremely expensive and small businesses did not have the financial assets to take on such a task. This meant that large corporations could greatly reduce their costs of production, hence reducing the price of the good or service and rendering themselves more competitive and even more favoured by consumers over small businesses. These days, that is not the case. Technology has transformed and progressed enormously in recent years. This has allowed small businesses to outsource jobs in a cost-effective manner, which reduces their costs, increases their productivity, and renders them more competitive. Now, outsourcing is a real possibility for small businesses. Outsourcing is often international; globalisation has hence played an important role in this phenomenon. â€Å"More small businesses are outsourcing tasks these days because technology has advanced to the point of professionals being able to work from anywhere in the world, coupled with the availability and accessibility of extremely qualified professionals who have decided or been forced to leave the corporate world,† Laura Lee Sparks, owner of Legal Marketing Maven, says. â€Å"These freelancers come on board as subcontractors and save the small business owner the burden of paying overhead associated with payroll taxes and expenses such as health insurance and worker’s compensation, as well as the space constrictions that growing a company in-house can present.† Small enterprises focus on outsourcing three major types of jobs. The first are jobs that require highly skilled, or executive, expertise. These jobs are outsourced to analysts outside of the company who can provide insight into the situation and give constructive feedback. The second type of job that is often outsourced by small businesses is highly repetitive tasks. Menial tasks are outsourced so that the workers of the enterprise can focus on strategic and tactical decisions and focus on the big picture of the company rather than bother themselves with unnecessary distractions. Lastly, small businesses often outsource jobs that require specialized knowledge. This outsourcing is increasingly important since globalisation has increased competition. In order to survive, and especially to thrive, businesses must find ways to produce goods and services in the most cost effective way possible. Consumers are always looking to buy the product for the lowest price and the highest quality possible. By outsourcing and reducing costs, small businesses have become attractive options for consumers looking to make a cost-effective purchase of goods or services. In this way, globalization has positively affected small businesses by giving them an avenue to rival against multinational corporations. Outsourcing overseas is even more profitable for small businesses. Products made overseas are much cheaper since the minimum wage laws in different countries vary and are often much lower in certain countries. Additionally, the worth of currency in more developed countries counts for significantly more than the currency in other countries, making the cost of salaries and production much lower. For instance, many American businesses choose to have production operations run in China because of the cost effectiveness of this decision. Wage laws in China are extremely deregulated, allowing businesses to underpay their workers. Although this poses significant moral dilemmas, from an economic point of view, it is very profitable for small businesses who can now exploit this means of saving money. Since this has become an option for small businesses, they have become greater rivals and much more competitive in the international marketplace. Globalization has opened this door for small businesses and provided an avenue for increased wealth. Policy Issues and Recommendations When it comes to market globalization, every country has their share of policy issues and problems. Canada has three main issues that slow down their SME’s in confronting the challenge of market globalization. Firstly, the Canadian monetary policies have affected the value of the Canadian dollar resulting in reduced competitiveness. The goal intended for the Canadian monetary policy was to limit inflation, while ignoring Canada’s global objectives such as the competitiveness of the dollar on markets and job creation. As a result, Canada has interest rates that are higher than their competitors, which unfortunately creates overvalue in the Canadian dollar. Secondly, increases in investment in both tangible and intangible technologies are needed for the competitiveness of SME’s. Canadian enterprises competitiveness, results from the transfer of new tangible production technologies, such as plant and equipment. However, Canada should also gain competitiveness from intangible technologies, such as management and staff training, as well as new forms of internal and external organization. This equal investment of intangible and tangible technologies will result in the creation of partnerships, which in the long run will connect small and large enterprises while provoking innovation and maintaining flexibility among members. Thirdly, access to information is an important factor that the Canadian SME’s are lacking. SME’s need management that is well informed about different markets and international competition, so that human and organizational resources can effectively reply to the opening up of markets. Subsequently, Canadian SME’s need a new macroeconomic policy, an equal investment in tangible and intangible technologies, and access to information about specific markets, in order for them to meet the new challenge of the global economy. The globalization of SME’s has various different implications for policy issues at a national, local, and international level. Below is a table that describes the possible country initiatives suggested for each policy issue on a national and local level. Policy issue Possible initiative Start-ups and competitiveness Emphasize international competitiveness in start-up assistance and targets. Information access First-stop and one-stop shops that can advise both domestic and foreign clients. Management Advisory consultancy programmes to integrate international advice. Technology International technology exchange programmes. Finance Export finance and guarantee programmes. On the national and local level, Canada needs to focus on proper plans, strategies, and policies. As previously stated, Canada needs to focus on their information access, their management, and increasing their competitiveness. Given these initiatives, it is important to focus on programmes that are cost-effective in order to increase international competitiveness and avoid destructive competition between borders. A management and human resource development programme will give training in skills specific to international activities such as export management. For example, the Kunto programme in Finland works by first analyzing the SME’s needs, strengths, and weaknesses, and then teach how to develop export markets. Other programmes such as information access, gives the SME an advisory service to help them with information about regulations, market conditions, etc. For example, the Canadian Business Service Centres provide a central point of contact for SME’s when seeking information, and also work with the private sector. Canada could benefit from these programmes, and many more, when dealing with national and local policies towards SME’s. However, on an international level, SME’s will need to recognize the dynamic of the entrepreneurial engine of growth that they provide. SME’s need better development of better infrastructure and once again, finding the best programmes and practice policies. Below is a table that describes the possible initiatives suggested for each policy issue on an international level. Policy Issue Possible initiative Access to information Work toward common standards and formats for the provision of government information. Access to markets   Establish simple notification procedure facing market access problems. Business incorporation Examine future requirements for legal recognition of emerging structures. International finance Convene a forum of SME finance-providers to investigate feasibility. Competition policy Continue work to establish international comparability and recognition of competition law principles. General and future trends Although SME internationalization is difficult, based on the eighteen OECD countries, and eight Asian economies, there has been a final analysis made for general trends and key features of SME globalization. Firstly, SME’s contribute between 15 and 50 per cent of exports, between 20 and 80 per cent of SME’s are exporters, and they contribute between 25 and 35 per cent of world manufactured direct exports. Secondly, SME internationalization has been found to be greater in smaller open economies and less in larger, and more self-contained economies. For example, in large economies such as France, SME’s contribute 30 per cent of exports. However, in small economies, such as Denmark, SME’s contribute 50 per cent of exports. Additionally, in countries for which information is available, SME’s have increased their international role. For example, in Finland they increased their share of exports from 17.8 per cent in 1987 to 23 per cent in 1991. Also, approximately 10 per cent of SME’s are engaged in foreign direct investment, and 10 percent or more of foreign investment is attributable to SME’s. Lastly, less than 40 per cent SME’s are reasonably protected from any effects of globalization. Now that we know the general trends of all international SME’s we can look at the specific trends for Canadian SME international activity and compare where we stand amongst the general trends of SME’s. First of all it is important to know that there are three main types of Canadian SME exporters. The first is the opportunist exporter, where a firm adopts a mostly reactive strategy, with little resources devoted to pursuing international opportunities. The second is the exporting SME in transition, where the firm is in the process of moving toward a more sustained and consistent approach to international activity. Lastly, the professional exporting SME is a firm that is committed to sustained international activities, which is a more professional approach. In Canada, about 14 per cent of manufacturing SME’s export products, but most of the products only export less than 20 per cent of their production, and most of that percentage goes to the United States. However 2 per cent of those SME’s have increased their exports to other countries besides the United States, and can be recognized as fully global. Approximately 25 percent of manufacturing SME’s, and 20 per cent of general SME’s are at risk of being directly exposed to increased international competition, and thus unlikely to survive in their present form. The remainder of SME’s which is around 27 per cent, are already exporting or they have export potential, and thus globalization creates new opportunities. After having read the general trends analysis of international and Canadian SME’s, one may ask themselves, what will happen in the future? Unfortunately there isn’t enough statistical information to establish a baseline of present level and pattern. However, with the available information, there has been an estimation of likely trends. It is suggested that the level of SME globalization will continue to increase, and there are 5 reasons why it is expected to do so. Firstly, international trade opportunities will increase as a result of WTO (world trade organization) agreements, along with a number of international agreements for trade liberalization and reduction of non-trade impediments. Secondly, as the level of globalization of industry increases, so will the level if SME globalization. Thirdly, there will be a self-generating expansion. The learning-by-doing is likely to help accelerate the process of SME globalization. Furthermore, technological advances in communications and computing will continue to make it easier and cheaper for SME’s to operate internationally. Lastly, globalization of SME’s is not a policy itself, however it is an important factor in economic development. Governments can be expected to pursue policy initiatives to increase global competitiveness of their SME’s. These five factors are likely to affect the three main industry groupings in different ways. SME’s in mature conventional industries and markets are likely to be able to grow at a rate slightly exceeding that of world trade growth. Restructuring in the mature global industries and markets is likely to limit the potential for SME’s to grow at more than the rate of growth of world trade. Additionally, the opportunities for international growth in excess of the trade growth rate are most likely to be taken by larger firms that organize smaller and more specialized SME’s. In conclusion, SME internationalization will proceed faster than the rate of growth of domestic SME’s, and it is also predicted a structural shift in importance toward new and niche markets. Conclusion Small businesses have made many adjustments due to the effects of globalization. Globalization has provided avenues for increased productivity and competitiveness but has also pushed small businesses into dilemmas, including competing against multinational corporations. Small businesses have played a significant role in the makeup of various countries’ economies and will continue to play an important role. However, now, it is important to study the effects of globalization in thinking of future steps and goals in small businesses. Globalization has had both negative and positive effects on small businesses. More than ever, it is important to learn how to take advantage of globalization and operate in the international marketplace.

Introduction to the Reserve Ratio

Introduction to the Reserve Ratio The reserve ratio is the fraction of total deposits that a bank keeps on hand as reserves (i.e. cash in the vault). Technically, the reserve ratio can also take the form of a required reserve ratio, or the fraction of deposits that a bank is required to keep on hand as reserves, or an excess reserve ratio, the fraction of total deposits that a bank chooses to keep as reserves above and beyond what it is required to hold. Now that weve explored the conceptual definition, lets look at a question related to the reserve ratio. Suppose the required reserve ratio is 0.2. If an extra $20 billion in reserves is injected into the banking system through an open market purchase of bonds, by how much can demand deposits increase? Would your answer be different if the required reserve ratio was 0.1? First, well examine what the required reserve ratio is. What Is the Reserve Ratio? The reserve ratio is the percentage of depositors bank balances that the banks have on hand. So if a bank has $10 million in deposits, and $1.5 million of those are currently in the bank, then the bank has a reserve ratio of 15%. In most countries, banks are required to keep a minimum percentage of deposits on hand, known as the required reserve ratio.This required reserve ratio is put in place to ensure that banks do not run out of cash on hand to meet the demand for withdrawals. What do the banks do with the money they dont keep on hand? They loan it out to other customers! Knowing this, we can figure out what happens when the money supply increases. When the Federal Reserve buys bonds on the open market, it buys those bonds from investors, increasing the amount of cash those investors hold. They can now do one of two things with the money: Put it in the bank.Use it to make a purchase (such as a consumer good, or a financial investment like a stock or bond) Its possible they could decide to put the money under their mattress or burn it, but generally, the money will either be spent or put into the bank. If every investor who sold a bond put her money in the bank, bank balances would initially increase by $20 billion dollars. Its likely that some of them will spend the money. When they spend the money, theyre essentially transferring the money to someone else. That someone else will now either put the money in the bank or spend it. Eventually, all of that 20 billion dollars will be put into the bank. So bank balances rise by $20 billion. If the reserve ratio is 20%, then the banks are required to keep $4 billion on hand. The other $16 billion they can loan out. What happens to that $16 billion the banks make in loans? Well, it is either put back into banks, or it is spent. But as before, eventually, the money has to find its way back to a bank. So bank balances rise by an additional $16 billion. Since the reserve ratio is 20%, the bank must hold onto $3.2 billion (20% of $16 billion). That leaves $12.8 billion available to be loaned out. Note that the $12.8 billion is 80% of $16 billion, and $16 billion is 80% of $20 billion. In the first period of the cycle, the bank could loan out 80% of $20 billion, in the second period of the cycle, the bank could loan out 80% of 80% of $20 billion, and so on. Thus the amount of money the bank can loan out in some period ​n of the cycle is given by: $20 billion * (80%)n where n represents what period we are in. To think of the problem more generally, we need to define a few variables: Variables Let A be the amount of money injected into the system (in our case, $20 billion dollars)Let r be the required reserve ratio (in our case 20%).Let T be the total amount the bank loans outAs above, n will represent the period we are in. So the amount the bank can lend out in any period is given by: A*(1-r)n This implies that the total amount the bank loans out is: T A*(1-r)1 A*(1-r)2 A*(1-r)3 ... for every period to infinity. Obviously, we cannot directly calculate the amount the bank loans out each period and sum them all together, as there are an infinite number of terms. However, from mathematics we know the following relationship holds for an infinite series: x1 x2 x3 x4 ... x / (1-x) Notice that in our equation each term is multiplied by A. If we pull that out as a common factor we have: T A[(1-r)1 (1-r)2 (1-r)3 ...] Notice that the terms in the square brackets are identical to our infinite series of x terms, with (1-r) replacing x. If we replace x with (1-r), then the series equals (1-r)/(1 - (1 - r)), which simplifies to 1/r - 1. So the total amount the bank loans out is: T A*(1/r - 1) So if A 20 billion and r 20%, then the total amount the bank loans out is: T $20 billion * (1/0.2 - 1) $80 billion. Recall that all the money that is loaned out is eventually put back into the bank. If we want to know how much total deposits go up, we also need to include the original $20 billion that was deposited in the bank. So the total increase is $100 billion dollars. We can represent the total increase in deposits (D) by the formula: D A T But since T A*(1/r - 1), we have after substitution: D A A*(1/r - 1) A*(1/r). So after all this complexity, we are left with the simple formula D A*(1/r). If our required reserve ratio were instead 0.1, total deposits would go up by $200 billion (D $20b * (1/0.1). With the simple formula D A*(1/r) we can quickly and easily determine what effect an open-market sale of bonds will have on the money supply.

When She Finally Woke Up †Personal Narrative

When She Finally Woke Up – Personal Narrative Free Online Research Papers It had been three years since my mom had been in a committed relationship and she seemed to be enjoying her life of freedom. She loved to dance, so as many nights as possible, she would hit the dance clubs with her friends and dance the night away. It certainly kept her slim and trim and at 5’10† she definitely made heads turn. Mom always made sure she dressed very stylish and her makeup and hair had to be perfect. She dated, but no one really appealed to her enough to take her away from her fancy-free single-parent life. Mom worked for a large company and when the opportunity came her way, she put in for a job change that would bring her more money. Shortly after moving to her new job, she invited a few of her coworkers to the house for a â€Å"get to know each other† party. Bill was a guy who stood out, but not in a positive way. Mom shared with me that she stayed as far away from him as possible and that suited her just fine. He was too loud, too silly, and homely. Bill had a splotchy red complexion, and hair that was glued together with hairspray. If he got caught in a 50 mile-an-hour wind storm, his hair would all move at as a single unit. After avoiding Bill for several weeks, one day my mom overheard him talking to someone who appeared to be having a problem. Mom said that Bill was so understanding and compassionate, that it really took her back for a minute. Was this that guy who didn’t have a serious bone in his body? Obviously there was another side to this person that she had not expected. As you got to know Bill you realized he wasn’t just the clown that kept everything light and fun. He was that guy who always had a shoulder to cry on and would drop everything to help someone in need. It seems almost unheard of these days when someone is willing to forget what they are doing or where they are going, to just give you their time freely. This was the first thing that seemed to draw her to him and it was obvious that her feelings for him were growing stronger and stronger. Mom said she could talk to Bill about anything and sometimes their discussions went on for hours. Mom told me he was an avid reader, so he would tell her things she had never heard of before. He would tell her about science and what things we might see happen in the future, explain to her how the battles began in the Middle East, and he was well versed on just about any subject you can think of. Maybe her admiration of him went too deep. I began to feel that Mom had such an elevated opinion of Bill’s wisdom, it overpowered her own self-confidence. When Mom and Bill did anything, it was going to happen how Bill wanted it to or it wasn’t going to happen at all. If he got up early, she had to get up too. If they went somewhere together, they left when Bill was ready. Her friends and family, including my sister and me, began to see less and less of her. If they spent time with anyone, it was usually Bill’s circle of friends or family. I felt like I had lost my Mom. She had always been so strong and independent; it was hard for me to see her this way. How could she have let this person have such total control of her for five long years, completely unchecked? I remember the day mom came home from her sociology class and told me what her instructor had said. He was talking to the class about how he is an â€Å"early bird† and his wife is a â€Å"night owl†. Mom jumped on this one and asked him how he handled that. He said he would get up early and read his paper, have a cup of coffee and would let his wife sleep in. If someone had slapped her right in the face, it couldn’t have woken her up any more than that instructor’s words. She realized there were caring people out there who actually let you be yourself? Of course there were! She just needed to remember what her life was like before Bill. Better yet, before she lost herself. Of course, the relationship disintegrated when she began to demand things that she wanted, but at least Mom was free to be herself again. If I can’t have a love relationship that allows both of us to be who we are, I can live without it and I know Mom can too! Research Papers on When She Finally Woke Up - Personal NarrativeNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceThe Masque of the Red Death Room meanings19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraThe Spring and AutumnComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoCapital PunishmentHip-Hop is ArtPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever Product

Anything about europe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Anything about europe - Essay Example Parliament itself was controlled by big landlords. The man in the street still did not count. If this was true of England, the same was the case in other European countries like Austria-Hungry, Prussia, Russia, France, Spain, Poland etc. In most of the European countries, the rulers were depots although during the 18th century they were called enlightened despots. The people had no hand in the administration of the country. They did not enjoy any personal liberty and everything depended upon the whims of the rulers. Serfdom prevailed almost everywhere in Europe. European rulers at that time were dishonest and unprincipled. International morality reached its lowest ebb during the 18th century. A man like Frederic, the Great, did not hesitate to annex Silesia in spite of his promises to Charles VI, the father of Maria Theresa. Russia, Prussia, and Austria conspired among themselves to put an end to the very existence of Poland. There was a general craze for territorial expansion at the expense of the weaker neighbors. "No consideration was paid to race limits or national boundaries," In the words of Professor Holland Rose, " That respect of dynastic rights and treaty obligations which generally held sway when Christendom was more than a name, now gave place to a state policy which avowedly aimed at little else but gain of territory or markets." Prof Hazen says, "The old regime in Europe was disloyal to the very principles of which it is rested" and those principles were respect for the established order and regard for regality and engagements (Mahajan 1) All over Europe there were privileged classes which were completely or partially exempted from taxation and the burden of taxation fell on the unprivileged classes. The rich paid less to the state and the main burden fell on the poor. European society was organized on a feudal basis and the landlords acted like petty sovereigns in the localities. The serfs were attached to the land and most of the proceeds from land went into the pockets of the landlords. The conditions of the serfs were miserable. To quote, "the great substructure of European society was an unhappy, un free, unprotected, undeveloped mass of human beings, to whom an opportunity for growth and improvement was closed on every side." While a few enjoyed privileges, the others suffered. Inequality in every field weakened the very foundations of the social systems. There was hardly any awakening among the masses of Europe and thus the system continued. (Mahajan 21) As regards the religion condition of Europe, western, western and central Europe were roughly divide between a Protestant North and a Roman Catholic south. In the centre people of Switzerland and Savoy were Protestants. The people of Ireland and Poland were Catholics. In Eastern Europe, the orthodox of Greek Church held sway over Russia and the Balkans. The Jews were found all over Europe. In some places, they were tolerated, while at others persecuted. Europe was not free from religious strife but religious toleration was making headway. It was felt that persons of different faiths could be the loyal subjects of the state. The growth of humanitarianism also played its part. The spread of the spirit of scientific inquiry made for tolerance. There was the decline of dogmatic religion. Causes of the French revolution The French revolutio

INTERNATIONAL TRADE STRATEGY AND TECHNIQUES - FINAL CASE STUDY

INTERNATIONAL TRADE STRATEGY AND TECHNIQUES - FINAL - Case Study Example The new company concentrates on the manufacturing and marketing of polymers at 20,000 tons/year. The total investment for the ventures is 12 million Euros. The sections of financing are 4 million EUR by equity financing, Export credit obtained from COFACE up to 6 million EUR and other debt financing of about 2 million EUR. The favorable and the risk factors which would be faced by owing to its joint venture with Vietchem are elaborated in the report. Question 1 Vietnam Vietnam is a developing economy which is planned with a market well connected to the other parts of the world. The economy of Vietnam has shifted their concentration from centralized planned economy to socialist market economy that employs both indicative and directive planning. After the shift, the economy has rapidly grown. The Vietnamese population has been estimated to be 87 million. This estimation includes 3 million who lives in Hanoi and in Hochiminville; the estimated number has been 9 millions. About 11 millio n of the population are working in the industry or engaged in industry related works. The unemployment rate has been 2.3%. The GDP value amounts to $300 billion with a growth rate of 5.9%. The FDI inflows have amounted to $7.4 billion. The average tariff rate of trade has been 5.7% that includes some of the non-tariff barriers which had limited the gains of trade (The Heritage Foundation, â€Å"Vietnam†). Though there have been serious efforts from the FDI but it has been hindered by the government regulations by imposing various restrictions. With the evolving capital markets of Vietnam, the financial sector has also expanded (â€Å"China struggles with the way forward on reform†). Vietnamese Market Although the Vietnamese market has shown a rapid growth, it is still extremely price sensitive. Thus if the JV has to take place, Synthenia has to face this issue. Vietnamese market is a monopoly market with only a single producer of polymers i.e. Polyviet Company Limited. The company is based in Japan and sells 80% of its end products in the Vietnamese market. The company produces polymers and their main customers are the seekers of textile glues and formulators of buildings. Thus, the JV is looking for a reliable polymer supplier with a very good Research and Development department so that the products are adequately tested (â€Å"Investing in Vietnam – A risk worth taking?†). The favorable and unfavorable factors that Synthenia will probably run into while doing business in Vietnam are elaborated in the next section. Favorable factors for investment in Vietnam For establishing an investment plan in Vietnam the chemical giant group, Synthenia will have many advantages few of which are elaborated below. Synthenia has spread its existence in the Asian market. The Asian agents and the distributors have helped the company to develop their business in Asia. So with its expansion in Vietnam, it will provide a wider Asian market for the comp any. The country had a growth rate of 4.9% in 2009 which has increased to 5.9% in 2012 and has stabilized at that point. Thus

Nut wk7 assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nut wk7 assignment - Essay Example However, I took the initiative to put into practice the activities recommended by â€Å"Mypyramidtracker.† The most interesting activity was to carry out various body exercises and then calculate the corresponding energy expenditure from the calculator. I also developed the habit of being nutrition conscious and took control of my eating habits. The first time I did a food nutrition evaluation, I found that my diet consisted excessive energy-giving foods. Most of my diet consisted of deep fried potato chips, crumbled bread, almonds roasted with honey, chocolate milk, and cornflakes among others. The results from the calculator indicated that I was taking approximately 3210 Cal which was the above my daily recommended intake of 2630 Cal. Particularly, I was taking an excess of proteins, saturated fats, and carbohydrates. However, I was meeting the daily-recommended intake for total fiber, which I was able to maintain at 25. Vitamins and mineral elements requirements varied from one vitamin to another. Whereas the diet was exceeding the required daily intake for vitamins A, C, E, and riboflavin, it was falling short of thiamin, potassium, and zinc. After reading and understanding about the various health effects of taking less or more of one nutritional requirement, I decided to change my diet. I primarily reduced the amount of carbohydrate foods I was taking in a day and supplemented the same with vegetables and fruits. The changes were hardly noticeable within the first week but I began to record some changes in the third week. It was challenging at first since some of the substitutes were costly and difficult to choose from the food stores. For instance, I would not know what type of fruits or vegetables would help me meet or at least maintain the daily-recommended nutrient intake for some vitamins. Therefore, I had to exercise patience and do a lot of trial and

Gulliver in Brobdingnag Essay Example for Free

Gulliver in Brobdingnag Essay The setting of the passage to be analyzed here is that of Gullivers voyage to a land of giants. The speakers context here is the basic comic devices of reversal and exaggeration. When the dimensions of things are reversed there is a comic effect. When clowns at the circus ride around in a tiny car the effect is hilarious. In a famous Gary Larsen cartoon a gigantic monster is seen peering into a mans car through the wing mirror which reads: Things reflected in this mirror may appear to be larger than they are. The comic context employed by the speaker in the following passage, then, is that of a man suddenly turned tiny by circumstances beyond his control. There are, of course, classical antecedents for this type of size reversal. Odysseus in the cave of Cyclops would provide the best example. There are, no doubt, many who would argue that this incident in the Odyssey is not meant as humor. May we not at least wonder, however, if some of Homers audiences didnt chuckle when they heard about how the subtle Odysseus outwitted the giant? It will be argued in the following that Swifts intention throughout Part II as a whole is comic irony, and that the passage to be analyzed typifies the situation in which Gulliver finds himself when surrounded by giants. Starting off, a simple exaggeration introduces the passage: The Kings palace is about seven miles round suggesting the colossal size of the castle, the rooms within are two hundred and forty Foot high. Gulliver who is, as we have learned earlier, a proud and dignified man is reduced by his comparatively tiny dimensions to the role of a doll. All of his proud bearing and gentlemanly dignity disappears in a puff of smoke when his Mistress Glumdalclitch holds Gulliver up in her hand to give him a better view of the surroundings. Swifts choice of words at the beginning of this passage also provides an ironic effect. Gulliver who is, in fact, a freak in this society reports that when Glumdalclitch is taken out to see the town, I was always of the party, carried in my Box To be of the party suggests social (and physical) equality, but when Swift follows this dignified phrase with the description in my box the effect is humorous, since Gulliver is revealed as the curiosity and freak that he is by the fact that he travels in a box like a doll. Swifts imagery in this passage allowed allows the reader to see other human-like creature from the perspective of a very tiny person. It also demonstrates to the reader once again that Swift loves to engage in the humor of the disgusting and the impolite. When a group of Brobdingnagian beggars presses up against the carriage to view the strange little creature that is our speaker, Gulliver is able to observes the cancer on the breast of a beggar woman full of holes, in two or three of which I could have easily crept and body lice and their snouts with which they rooted like Swine. There is a misogynist quality to this joke. The breast of a woman is presented as disgusting rather than as an inspiration to art and poetry. The idea of crawling into a cancerous lesion on a womans breast is an ugly parody of what men usually think about when they see the naked female breast which is to adore, kiss, or suck it. This type of humor is based on a simple reversal of the usual emotions inspired by an image. The equivalent would be, for example, to provide an image of the Queen of England sitting on a chamber pot rather than her throne. The imagery in the rest of this passage is also unforgettable, especially the wooden legs of a beggar which were each about twenty Foot high. Immediately following these alarming and disgusting images is another liars trick based on the category of emphasis. This is offered in Gullivers careful description of his Box. Before analyzing this part of the passage in detail a general comment on Swifts project in Gullivers Travels is required. The speaker mentions many times throughout the tale the phenomenon of travelers tails or books of voyages. These were supposedly factual accounts of what travelers from Europe had seen on the other side of the world. They were, of course, full of lies and Swifts project throughout much of the book is to satirize the lying authors of these books. One well known liars trick is to emphasize the details of some fictional object. This is what Gulliver does with the description of his Box. Its origin is carefully described: the Queen ordered a smaller one to be made for me Its design and dimensions are carefully recorded: This traveling Closet was an exact Square with a Window in the Middle of three of the Squares , etc. The important detail of the boxs construction which will eventually allow for Gullivers salvation by sailors is also carefully noted: On the fourth side, which had no windows, two strong staples were fixed , and so on. There is a dual purpose to what we might call the liars emphasis lavished on this passage. The first is to satirize the books of travelers tales so popular in Swifts days in which exact descriptions of fantastic creatures were given to fool the credulous. The second is to prepare the reader for Gullivers eventual escape. This happens in his traveling box which is then conveniently destroyed by the sailors who rescue him so that no substantial evidence of his adventure remains, and the gullible can easily believe the whole story of Gulliver among the Brobdingnags. The comic irony is an effective device in satirizing human folly. The absurdity in the relationship between these two elements is essentially targeted at England (Gulliver), the Wigs, specifically, whereby Swift is attacking his opposition. In the spirit of Swifts famous word play about his good Master Bates, we can rename his fable Gullibles Travels.

Incarceration Rates of Minorities in the US

Incarceration Rates of Minorities in the US With law enforcement poised to eliminate crime and the people who commit it, the building of new jails and prison seem to be the likeliest answer to the problem. Throughout American history, minorities have always been portrayed as dark and evil to name a couple of stereotypes. With the help of television and other means of media the focus has been set to create a mental consciousness to presume every black, Hispanic, and anyone closely related as armed and extremely dangerous. This has cause an unfair disadvantage for people of color, but has left the perception of the white race crystal clean. Just as there are bad people everywhere, there are bad cops, judges, and politicians in every police department, court house, and legislative branch that forge evidence to meet arrest quotas that the system needs to have in place; setup by the elitist to fund their need to have slave labor for their manufacturing companies. Some minorities have been falsely accused and persuaded by police bru tality in order to coerce false confessions, and the judges fall in their place to announce the sentencing. Throughout years of focusing on media events that always place blacks and other minorities in a position of being the bad guy. Today the jail and prison population is primarily made up of blacks. Although there are Hispanics, as well whites, the main overcrowding comes from blacks being locked up on frivolous charges. But there’s a deeper reason behind why this injustice is happening to blacks, and it all stems from the system’s need of the incarceration of minorities. To test the influence of local county politics on minority incarceration rates, data are collected at the county level in most states to create a pooled cross-sectional data set. OLS regression models predicting black, Hispanic, and white incarceration rates in state prison are used in the analysis. Counties ideological orientations and racial and ethnic contextual characteristics significantly impact minority incarceration rates. Greater ideological conservatism within counties is associated with higher rates as a proportion of their population of both black and Hispanic incarceration. Consistent with racial threat theory, results show counties with greater racial and ethnic diversity are more likely to incarcerate blacks and Hispanics. Tests for interaction effects indicate that greater county diversity decreases the punitive effects of ideological conservatism on minority incarceration. Political forces nested within states systematically shape how state government incarceration p ower is distributed across different racial and ethnic groups. (Bridges and Crutchfield, 1988; Greenberg and West, 2001; Western, 2006; Yates, 1997), The punitive paradigm that has characterized U.S. crime policy over the past three decades has led to important concerns about the distribution of one of government’s most intrusive powers; the ability to deprive citizen of their liberty through imprisonment across different racial and ethnic groups. It has been well documented that blacks are six to eight times more likely to be incarcerated relative to whites. (Western, 2006). Hispanics are over three and one-half times more likely to be incarcerated than whites. Blacks and Hispanics, together, account for nearly two-thirds of the state prison population. Disparities such as these within the criminal justice system have long engendered heated debate about principles of equality and civil rights. Imprisonment rates between the states are shown to be a function of a variety of state-level political and legal factors. From this research, there is clear evidence that political forces cause states to incarcerate at widely different rates, with minorities living in a particular state either more or less likely to be imprisoned, depending in part, on the politics within. Yet, while these studies have significantly advanced our understanding of the politics of incarceration, state-level studies often mask the fact that a state’s ‘‘use’’ of incarceration is largely a byproduct of political processes found at the local (county) level of government. When analyzing the politics of incarceration from the bottom up, top-dow n political forces like the partisan control of state-level institutions or state sentencing laws effectively become standardized, suggesting that local politics retains significant leverage over how a state’s imprisonment powers are allocated Given this, however, we know little about the extent to which incarceration rates are systematically tied to local environments and whether local politics systematically shape the imprisonment ratesof racial and ethnic minority groups. Two primary questions motivate this research: Do political forces shaped by the local ideological and racial and ethnic environment affect incarceration rates in ways that are disproportionately detrimental to racial and ethnic minorities? Second, to what extent does the racial and ethnic context interact with localized Ideological orientations to affect minority incarceration rates? Or, put another way, can diversity levels in a given jurisdiction work to strengthen or weaken the propensity of those who might, because of their ideological beliefs, be already more inclined to incarcerate minorities? Conservatives tend to view criminal activity as a matter of personal choice and focus on deterrence and incapacitation based policy responses. Beckett and Western (2001). Conservatives have been more likely to use incapacitation as a means to control a marginalized ‘‘underclass’’ of citizens that threatens the economic and political interests of elites. (Scheingold,1984), In contrast, ideological liberals tend to view crime as a function of structural impediments to success and place more emphasis on crime prevention policies rather than punishment after the fact. Beckett, and Sasson (2004). If ideological conservatives are more inclined to incarcerate, these orientations might also be expected to influence the target of those policies with racial minorities more likely to be targeted relative to whites. (Edsall and Edsall, 1992; Weaver, 2007), Republicans used crime and punishment as an effective tool to realign the political electorate by pursuing law and order policies that linked financially secure fiscal conservatives and middle to lower class conservatives who had little else in common, while blaming street crime and other social ills on a racial (black) underclass, conservative. Republicans made veiled appeals to anti minority hostilities among some lower income conservative whites by enacting punitive crime policies that were implemented in ways that put more blacks in prison, but invoked greater support at the ballot box. Insofar as these political pressures retain their influence on criminal justice policy making at the local level of government, as well as to minorities other  than blacks (i.e., Hispanics), it can be predicted that more conser vative counties will be more likely to incarcerate blacks and Hispanics (as a proportion of their respective population) in state prisons than are more liberal counties. Racial politics shaped by the local racial and ethnic contextual environment are also expected to influence minority incarceration rates. In racial politics literature, significant attention has been paid to social conflict or ‘‘racial threat’’ theory, which offers a ‘‘contextual’’ explanation for minority imprisonment. Dating back to the work of Key (1949), the main idea behind the theory is that when a minority population is small, it represents a relatively minor threat to the interests of the majority. However, as the number of minorities grows, they begin to threaten the economic and political interests of the majority population, increasing hostile attitudes toward minority populations among majority group members. Blalock (1967) argued that a majority groupà ¢â‚¬â„¢s repression of a minority group’s interests was based on two types of perceived threats those motivated by economic competition and those driven by competition over political power. A growing body of research has found evidence of a racial threat effect across a variety of institutional settings. (Hurwitz and Peffley, 1997). If racial hostilities increase in more diverse environments, there are more reasons to predict that these hostilities will spill over to influence criminal justice policy making. ‘‘Old-fashioned’’ white racism often concentrated on a perceived genetic inferiority of blacks to whites. Today, more common white stereotypes involve the perception of blacks as a violent, criminal underclass. These stereotypes, along with the assumption that objective demographic data which show blacks to be disproportionately linked to the U.S. penal system permeates the public’s consciousness to believe that most blacks are violent tha n whites. To a meaningful degree, likely increase the probability that whites associate crime and the criminal justice system with race. In conclusion; this research provides convincing evidence of ‘‘racialized’’ crime policy in the United States. The tendency among some whites to connect race with crime has important implications for state punitiveness and imprisonment of blacks more specifically. Whites who view blacks as violent have been shown to be more supportive of punitive policies like the death penalty and longer prison sentences. Following arguments associated with the racial threat idea, a more racially diverse environment is likely to trigger more negative stereotypes among whites living there, who, as a result, may be more apt to support punitive crime policies, particularly if there is the perception that the target population is black. However, existing tests of the racial threat hypothesis on black incarceration rates have brought mixed results. In so me state-level studies, once black arrest rates and other socioeconomic conditions are controlled, the racial threat hypothesis provides little predictive power (Bridges and Crutchfield, 1988; Yates, 1997). Others have found the proportion of blacks in a state does matter, but in the opposite direction predicted by the racial threat idea black imprisonment rates decreased in states with a greater black population (Yates and Fording, 2005). This mixed set of findings brings the possibility that a more appropriate test of a racial threat effect on imprisonment should be conducted at the local level. Measuring the influence of state racial composition on imprisonment has proven useful because it allows comparisons across jurisdictions; however, these efforts often gloss over the fact that state imprisonment rates are a function of decisions made by county law enforcement officials. If, indeed, incarceration rates are influenced by racial politics, it might be expected that county prose cutors, judges, or public defenders those with authority over prosecuting, sentencing, or defending offenders to/from state prison are most likely to be subject to racial ‘‘effects.’’ Assessing the influence of a racial threat on minority incarceration can also be advanced by considering whether political forces resulting from whites’ exposure to a variety of ethnic and racial minorities, rather than simply their exposure to larger black populations, affects minority imprisonment rates. References Percival, G. L. (2010).Ideology, Diversity, and Imprisonment: Considering the Influence of Local Politics on Racial and Ethnic Minority Incarceration Rates. Social Science Quarterly (Wiley-Blackwell), 91(4), 1063-1082. doi:10.1111/j.1540-6237.2010.00749.x Bridges, George S., and Robert Crutchfield. 1988. ‘‘Law, Social Standing and Racial Disparities cin Imprisonment.’’ Social Forces 66(3):699–724. Western, Bruce. 2006. Punishment and Inequality in America. New York: Russell Sage  Foundation. Beckett, Katherine, and Theodore Sasson. 2004. The Politics of Injustice: Crime and Punishment  in America. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications. Edsall, Thomas B., and Mary D. Edsall. 1992. Chain Reaction: The Impact of Race, Rights,  and Taxes on American Politics. New York: W.W. Nortan Company. Scheingold, Stuart A. 1984. The Politics of Law and Order: Street Crime and Public Policy.  New York: Longman. Blalock, Hubert M. 1967. Toward a Theory of Minority Group Relations. New York: Wiley. Key, V. O. 1949. Southern Politics in State and Nation. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Hurwitz, Jon, and Mark Peffley. 1997. ‘‘Public Perceptions of Race and Crime: The Role of  Racial Stereotypes.’’ American Journal of Political Science 41(2):375–401. Yates, Jeff. 1997. ‘‘Racial Incarceration Disparity Among the States.’’ Social Science Quarterly  78(4):1001–11. Yates, Jeff, and Richard Fording. 2005. ‘‘Politics and State Punitiveness in Black and White.’’  Journal of Politics 67(4):1099–1121.