Monday, September 30, 2019

Tet in Vietnam

New Year is the most important and popular holiday and festival in Vietnam. It is the Vietnamese New Year base on the Luna calender. Vietnamese New Year commonly known by formal name Tet Nguyen Dan. The name Tet Nguyen Dan is Sino-Vietnamese for the Feast of the First Morning, derived from the Han nom characters. Many Vietnamese prepare for Tet by cooking special holiday foods and cleaning the house. There are a lot of customs practiced during Tet, like ancestral worshipping, wishing New Year’s greetings, giving lucky money to children and elderly people,etc. Tet in the three Vietnamese regions can be divided into three period, known as Before New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Eve and the New Year, representing the preparation before Tet, the eve Tet, and the days of and following Tet, respectively. All of these customs are to celebrate Tet in Vietnam. Vietnamese people avoid doing bad things and try to do good things during T?t holiday. * DOS – One should sprinkle lime powder around the house to expel evil. – One should return all things borrowed, and pay debts before Tet. * DON’TS One should not say or do bad things during Tet. – One should not hurt or kill animals or plants but should set them free. The reason for this originates from Buddhism’s causality. – One should not sweep the house or empty out the rubbish to avoid luck and benefits going with it, especially on the first day of the new year. – One should not have duck meat because it brings unluckiness. – One should not have shrimp in case on would move backwards like shrimp, in other words, one would not succeed. – One should not refuse anything other give or wish you during Tet. New Year, my favorite holiday, is one of the most celebrated days in the world. The day is shaped by different customs and traditions. Each culture celebrates this holiday in its own unique way. We live in a rapidly changing world both culturally and linguistically, so culture is very important thing. People who know about other cultures are more able and adept at working in today’s world. They can communicate effectively, solve problems creatively, and keep an open mind when others shut down. Happy New Year!

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Bureaucracy & Formal Organizations

Chapter Summary Society is organized â€Å"to get its job done†. It does so through formal organizations and bureaucracies. The same system that can be frustrating and impersonal is also the one on which we rely for our personal welfare and to fulfill our daily needs. The society of today, however is not the society of yesterday, nor will it be the society of tomorrow. The rationalization of society refers to a transformation in people's thinking and behavior over the past 150 years, shifting the focus from personal relationships to efficiency and results.Karl Marx attributed this transformation to capitalism, while Max Weber, who disagreed with Marx, related it to Protestant theology. As a result of rationality, formal organizations, secondary groups designed to achieve specific objectives, have become a central feature of contemporary society. With industrialization, secondary groups have become common. Today, their existence is taken for granted. They become a part of our l ives at birth and seem to get more and more complex as we move through the life course.The larger the formal organization, the more likely it will turn into a bureaucracy. Bureaucracies are defined as formal organizations characterized by five features that help them reach their goals, to grow, and endure. These five features are (1) clear levels, with assignments flowing downward and accountability flowing upward, (2) a division of labor, (3) written rules, (4) written communications with records, and (5) impartiality. Although bureaucracies are the most efficient forms of social organization, they can also be dysfunctional.Dysfunctions of bureaucracies can include red tape, lack of communication between units, and alienation. Examples of these dysfunctions include an overly rigid interpretation of rules and the failure of members of the same organization to communicate among one another. According to Max Weber, the impersonality of bureaucracies tends to produce workers who feel d etached from the organization and each other. According to Karl Marx, workers experience alienation when they lose control over their work and are cut off from the finished product of their labor.To resist alienation, workers form primary groups, banding together in informal settings during the workday to offer each other support and validation. They also personalize their work space with family photographs and personal decorations. Not all workers, however, succeed in resisting alienation. One reason bureaucracies endure and are so resilient is because they tend to take on a life of their own through a process called goal displacement. Once a bureaucracy has achieved its original goals, it adopts new goals in order to perpetuate its existence.A classic example of goal displacement involves the March of Dimes. Originally founded to fight polio, the organization was faced with being phased out after Jonas Salk discovered the polio vaccine. Rather than disband, it adopted a new missio n, â€Å"fighting birth defects†, which was recently changed to a vaguer goal of â€Å"breakthrough for babies†. In addition to bureaucracies, many people in the United States become involved with voluntary organizations, groups made up of volunteers who organize on the basis of some mutual interest.But even voluntary organizations are not immune from the affect of bureaucratization. Although formal organizations provide numerous beneficial functions, they also tend to be dominated by a small, self-perpetuating elite, a phenomenon Robert Michel referred to as the iron law of oligarchy. Even volunteer and non-profit organizations are affected by the iron law of oligarchy. Sociologists use the term, â€Å"corporate culture† to refer to an organization's traditions, values, and unwritten norms. Much of what goes on in corporate culture, however, is hidden.To ensure that the corporate culture reproduces itself at the top levels, people in positions of power groom ot her people they perceive to be â€Å"just like them† for similar positions of power. In the United States, personal achievement is central; workers are hired on the basis of what they can contribute to the organization that hires them. To counter the negative side of bureaucracies, many corporations have begun taking steps to better humanize work settings. This includes the establishment of work teams, corporate day care, employee stock ownership plans, and the quality circles.There has been a great deal of research directed at comparing the Japanese corporate culture to the American corporate culture. The Japanese corporate model differs significantly from the American corporate model in the way it views work, workers, and work organizations. Although considered as superior to the American corporate culture, more recent inspection shows this to be more of a myth than a reality. Successful Japanese businesses have adopted many of the American methods. The real bottom line is that we live in a global marketplace of ideas as well as products, with no single set of cultural values being universally superior.Key Terms in Chapter Seven alienation: Marx's term for the experience of being cut off from the product of one’s labor that results in a sense of powerlessness and normlessness. (p. 181) bureaucracy: A formal organization with a hierarchy of authority; a clear division of labor; emphasis on written rules, communications, and records; and impersonality of positions. (p. 176) capitalism: An economic system characterized by private ownership of the means of producing goods and services, the pursuit of profit, and market competition. (p. 176) corporate culture: The orientations that characterize corporate work settings. p. 186) formal organization: A secondary group designed to achieve explicit objectives. (p. 176) goal displacement: A goal displaced by another; in this context, the adoption of new goals by an organization; also known as goal replace ment. (p. 182) humanizing a work setting: Organizing a workplace in such a way that it develops, rather than impedes, human potential. (p. 188) Peter principle: A bureaucratic â€Å"law† according to which the members of an organization are promoted for good work until they reach their level of incompetence, the level at which they can no longer do good work. p. 182) rationality: The acceptance of rules, efficiency, and practical results as the right way to approach human affairs. (p. 174) rationalization of society: A widespread acceptance of rationality and a social organization largely built around this idea. (p. 174) self-fulfilling prophecy: As applied to corporate culture, predictions that later come true based upon values and stereotypes. (p. 186) the iron law of oligarchy: Robert Michels’ phrase for the tendency of formal organizations to be dominated by a small, self-perpetuating elite. (p. 185) he McDonaldization of society: The process by which ordinary aspe cts of life are rationalized and efficiency comes to rule such things as food preparation. (p. 179) traditional orientation: The idea, characteristic of tribal, peasant, and feudal societies, that the past is the best guide for the present. (p. 174) voluntary association: A group made up of volunteers who have organized on the basis of some mutual interest. (p. 183) Key People in Chapter Seven Alexis de Tocqueville: In his report of his travels across the United States, Democracy in America, Tocqueville observed the tendency of Americans to join voluntary associations. p. 183) Peter Evans and James Rauch: Evans and Rauch found that the most prosperous countries are those with central bureaucracies that hire workers on the basis of merit and offer them rewarding careers. (p. 182) Elaine Fox and George Arquitt: Studying local posts of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Fox and Arquitt found that leadership positions in organizations are typically decided behind the scenes with current lead ers choosing their favorite candidates for other leadership roles. (p. 185)Rosabeth Moss Kanter: In her organizational studies of corporations, Kanter discovered that corporate cultures reproduce themselves at the top levels by selecting workers that they think best match the corporate model; providing those workers with the opportunities and resources to do well; and after they succeed, promoting them to high-level positions. (p. 186). Gary Marx: Noting technology’s role in the control of workers, Gary Marx warned of a maximum-security workplace where computers keep track of every movement workers make on the job. (p. 190)Karl Marx: According to Karl Marx, the rationalization of society was due to the transformation to capitalism, which, in turn, created alienation—workers who lost control of their work and were cut off from the finished product of their labor. (p. 174) Robert Michels: Michels coined the phrase â€Å"the iron law of oligarchy† to describe the t endency of formal organizations to be dominated by a small, self-perpetuating elite. (p. 185) William Ouchi: Ouchi identified five ways that the Japanese corporate model differed from the American corporate model. p. 191) George Ritzer: Ritzer coined the term â€Å"the McDonaldization of society† to describe the process by which ordinary aspects of life are becoming more and more rationalized. (p. 179) David Sills: Sills identified four of the seven functions of voluntary associations. (p. 184) Max Weber: According to Weber, a change in people’s religious orientation and their way of thinking produced capitalism. Weber also argued that the impersonality of bureaucracies tends to produce workers who feel detached from their organizations and each other. (p. 175)

Saturday, September 28, 2019

A Day in the Life of Fahad

Beep, beep, beep, beep â€Å"Oh man, is it 7.30 am already† is what I say to myself in the early morning of an average school day. During an average school morning, I look, talk and walk like a tramp. At 7.45 am I walk into the bathroom where I do my personal business such as doing my toothbrush, washing my face with soap and then either have a shower or have a bath, when I've had a shower or whatever I go to the mirror and flex my muscles and comb my hair and if I have to put some hair gel on after I've done this I put some facial cream on to stop dry skin from attacking me. When I get out the bathroom I run straight into my bedroom, I then put some spray on my body after this part of the morning I get changed into those things called a school uniform which all school pupils probably dread wearing, once I have successfully completed this I look for my shoes which I normally place beside my bed and place them into my feet and do up the shoe laces I grab my bag and motivate myself to carefully walk down the stairs and make sure I don't wake my brothers up and go into the kitchen snatch the cereal box from my mum and with a mess pour it into a plate then get the milk out of the fridge and in the same way pour it over the cereal and then just eat it like I've never eaten in my life before†¦ When that horrendous scene has gone past I say all my goodbyes and get ready for what I say an ‘assault course' because I on my way to school I go in and out of muddy areas. Every time I walk to school I have to go to the shops because I get tired and out of juice and once I've got my energy back I start walking faster and when I reach school I go straight into my form room with a big bang on the chair which shows how much effort I put into walking to school. If I get late for a lesson my best excuse is that â€Å"Miss, everyone came late to registration and when they came they all started messing around, and by the time we got our registration done, every one was already 5 minutes into their lessons.† This master excuse always works for me whenever I am late for a lesson. Today for the first 2 lessons I have English, then I have got break time, then the second 2 lessons I have Science and History and for the last 2 lessons I have got RE (full course) and Business Communication Systems. For some strange reason the first 2 lessons go awfully slow and so do the last 2 lessons. On the last lesson everyone is tired and can't wait till home time, at this time nobody talks and all you hear is tick tock tick tock and then when its time to go everyone cheers and go running to their cars or wherever they go at home time. Well for me, I go to the school gates and wait for my friends and walk up to where we all split up one of my friends goes to the left, the other friend goes right and I go straight up ahead, once I get to the shops, I would always get a packet of chewing gum and a bottle of Fanta Fruit Twist which is my best drink. When I get home my mum would prepare me a cup of tea with some biscuits, after this small feast I run back into my bedroom and get changed into something more suitable for me and go get my very thick jacket, the reason I take this jacket is because everyone is bound to get hit with a stick by the mosque teacher either for not reading properly or talking to a friend, I go mosque to read the Qur'an and learn about Islam and read Urdu too. After mosque I go to my friends house and play out till about 8.00 pm when I get back from my friends house I come home and eat some chappatees and some drink to go with it. During my food time I watch some TV and its normally Eastenders. I then go upstairs and do all my school homework. After this I get changed into my night-clothes and go to sleep. Beep, beep, beep, beep â€Å"Oh man, is it 7.30 am already.† If you think about school, it's like a test, if you get it all wrong then you won't get a good job, if not that then you'll get nothing at all. So you have to accept getting up early and doing the best you can at every thing even if you don't like it.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Role of the European Capital of Culture Research Paper

Role of the European Capital of Culture - Research Paper Example There also lies a threat of consistency â€Å"as the cities are seeking to fulfill a format of the ideal ECC† (Palonen, 2011, p.246). After studying three applications related to the ECC 2008 as well as the argument surrounding the bid, various researchers, including Griffiths, has claims that â€Å"the ECC bidding process managed to articulate differences between the cities, and their distance to the local and regional strategies† (Palonen, 2011, p.246). Hitherto, while creating dissimilarities between cities, areas and even presenting insights to Europe which vary, the thoughts of culture are somewhat similar. And also are the characteristics of the programmes as well as their applications (Palonen, 2011, p.246).  Ã‚   In respect to the policy process, all the European cities become symbols of Europe as the ‘family of cultures’. The examination on this super-occurrence could center on the institutions as well as on the actors of the procedure; however, in various articles, a novel viewpoint is required. This explores how the process of institutionalization associated with the cultural models of Europe, partaking as well as special effects (habitually gentrification) are restricted in the liberty of the city performance artistic interferences as an element of the official programme related to two closely linked with ECCs. The degree of inspection is related to the micro-context that is associated with ‘an encounter between the locals and the intervention staged by ‘cultural workers’ including the author herself’. Originally, it has been the thought of nominating the â€Å"European City of Culture† that has been voiced in the year 1983 by the â€Å"Greek Minister of Culture†, Melina Mercouri. In this regard, ECCs has been chosen since the year 1985 and also the policy has been shifted over the passage of time.  Ã‚  

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Exit strategy in monetary economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Exit strategy in monetary economics - Essay Example It emphasizes on the significance of the models in determining the uncertain future expectations by incorporating the current macroeconomic outlook. Primarily, the general equilibrium of the model presents the connection between the agents’ behavior and policy action (25). Similarly, the comprehensive specification of the stochastic shocks contributes to the economic fluctuations that facilitate the identification of the transmission of the shocks to the economy (23). The monetary policymakers employ the dynamic stochastic general equilibrium models in conjunction with other statistical tools to determine policies quantitatively. The main characteristic of the DSGE models is the generality in nature. The implication of the general nature of the DSGE is evident in prices and interest rates. In effect, the price and interest rate tend to adjust to the point where the supply and demand in a given market become equal. For instance, the demand of services equals the supply of the same. Similarly, the incorporation of the random components in the model is critically significant in expounding on the cyclical patterns of the economy. The common behaviors in the economy encompass shocks that affect the patterns of financial markets and adjustments in the economic production (28). In turn, the shocks influence the efficiency of production. The dynamic stochastic general equilibrium models estimate the shocks, as well as the proportions adjustments in economic activity that emanate from certain market disturbances. For instance, the models can be crucial in assisting the economists to decipher the nature of the shocks during economic downturns. Notably, the DSGE models can offer answers to the recent economic recession by determining whether the economic downturn was due to financial or fiscal shocks. The supply and demand blocks, as well as the rate, comprise the structure of DSGE models. The central banks employ the models to

Music Report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Music Report - Research Paper Example As a teenager, he enrolled to â€Å"The Secondary Institute of Industry† found in Jeddah upon where he received a diploma in art and industry. However, he ended up working in the post office even after attaining a commendation from a different course, which is not related to his area of work. Mohammed Abdu’s passion for love in songs was evident through is childhood life, where he sang mostly about, dramatic songs to equate it to the kind of tragic and sad life he lived as a kid. Omar Kadres the composer his song realized how much of a talent Abdu had, when he sang on a national Television program in Saudi Arabia, and that is how he put Abdu in the musical world Abdu began his musical career in the early sixties, when his career took a turn around from the industry and shipbuilding job to music. His music career kicked off well courtesy of one Abbas Faiq Ghazzawi, who helped Abdu after he sang about Baba Abbas in a radio show in 1960. The people of Saudi Arabia were fond of Mohammed Badu through his two songs, â€Å"Sakbat Dmouu El Ein† and â€Å"Aalle Albi†. In 1967, he did a song entitled â€Å"Lana Allah†, a song that played a positive impact in reviving his musical career. In 1971 two years later, he became more prolific when he released many other songs, which included his two massive songs â€Å"Lee Thalath Ayyam† and â€Å"Ashoufak kol Yom†. Throughout his musical career, he made concerted efforts by making sure his music spread not only in Saudi Arabia, but also across the borders in the Middle East and the larger Gulf terrain in the Arab areas. Throughout his journey of music, he has managed to release a number of albums that have turned out to be successful since, he released very popular songs that was well received in the Arab world. To elaborate how further he took his music, Mohammed Abdu entered into collaboration with a company called, â€Å"Sawt El Jazeera† to help make his music grow further. Under the guidance of the company, Mohammed

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Electronic Channels Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Electronic Channels - Assignment Example Most often this comes as a contrary expectation to any commercial entity. Since the electronic channels allow the consumers to carry out their transactions from most convenient locations, they eventually affect the role of retailing traders. Even when the electronic retailing mode is scaled against other methods, it contributes to a very minor percentage of the total retailing outputs. This however is bound to change with the advent of ever changing scale of globalization. It is expected to shoot higher in the near future when electronic means shall be inevitable to institutions and corporations (Lechner & Hummel, 2002). Some products are more appropriate for electronic channels. This is largely determined by the market trends and behavior. For instance, some factors like public perception on the channel fundamentally contribute to this preference. Moreover, other factors like the effort inputted by the market segment, time that the commodity takes to be delivered and intentions by consumers to search for prices, all count (Lechner & Hummel, 2002). There are some products inappropriate for electronic channels. Examples of such include experience goods. These are goods that one has to assess based on their tastes and preference for them. For example, a brand of wine can only be assessed once one has had a taste, but not by online inquiry (Lechner & Hummel, 2002). Lechner, U. & Hummel, J. (2002). Business models and system architectures of virtual communities: from a sociological phenomenon to peer-to-peer architectures. International Journal of Electronic Commerce , 41-53. Soon, A. & Luis, F. (2012). Social Media in Governmnent- Selections from the 12th Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research(dg2011). Journal of Information Technology Management, Policies, and Practices ,

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Wk2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Wk2 - Essay Example A case of Zimbabwe, a Southern African country will be used to illustrate how international organizations can continue operating in foreign countries that seemingly have hostile environments. There are certain incidences that may take place in other countries such as socio-political instability but these may not impact negatively on the operations of international business. For instance, Zimbabwe is one of the countries that has experienced social my hem over the past decade due to government policies that have been widely viewed as oppressive to the citizens by different sectors of the whole world. This has impacted on the operations of many businesses but research has shown that this country is not that bad for investment by foreign companies. As such, in 2013, â€Å"the IMF agreed to place Zimbabwe onto a Staff Monitored Programme to help place the economy back onto a recovery path,† (Robertson Economics, 2014). On its own, it seems that the country is still finding it difficult to revive its economy thereby improving the morale as well as social welfare of the majority of the citizens. The situation obtaining on the ground cannot be seen as very bad such that international businesses cannot thrive. The conduct of international businesses is often governed by international law that is specifically concerned with dealing with legal interactions between governments. According to HG.org (2015), â€Å"There are both national laws and international agreements which govern/regulate international business transactions, which include investments, offshore banking, contracts, imports/exports, tariffs, dumping, trade and more.† As such, international organizations are often protected in whatever country they would be operating in such that there is no need for panicking with regards to safety of their businesses. Two examples are discussed below to illustrate how international law can be used to protect international organizations

Monday, September 23, 2019

Pressure Canning Green Beans Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pressure Canning Green Beans - Assignment Example Pressure Canning Green Beans To pressure can, one should gather the canning supplies that include the pressure canner, canning jars, canning funnel, jar lifter, canning seals and rings, a large pot or blancher, towels and dish cloths, bowls, sharp knife and large spoons. The ingredients needed will include green beans and canning salt, which is optional (Rombauer 37). Snapping the green beans involves breaking off the ends and breaking the remaining one into pieces. Snapping is not necessary do but it is preferable because it helps the beans to fit into the jar properly. The preferable size is 2 inches. One could pack the green beans either hot or cold depending on desirability. A cold pack can also be referred to as raw pack. Cold packing is quicker because it does not require heating of the green beans. In addition, in places of high altitude, cold packing is essential because it helps in achieving high pressure. The advantage with hot packing is that it allows more green beans in a jar. However, hot packing or cold packing all depends with ones choice. Both styles of packing require adding canning salt to the jar. The amount of the canning salt should be half teaspoon for pints and one teaspoon for quarts. The important point here is that canning salt is optional because it is meant for taste only (Rombauer 37). For hot packing, boil the green beans for 5 minutes before packing to the jar. One should then drain the water, pack the green beans to the jar loosely, and cover it with boiling water. One-inch headspace should be left on the jar.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Poetry and science enjoy equal success in expanding human knowledge Essay Example for Free

Poetry and science enjoy equal success in expanding human knowledge Essay Before answering whether both poetry and science enjoy equal success in expanding human knowledge, one must first understand what poetry and science are and what they do. Poetry is an artists way of abstractly conveying his or her ideas through writing so as to stimulate the emotional side of the readers. Science on the other hand, is an objective way of clearly stating facts so as to stimulate the formal or fact craving side of the readers. Poetry presents an object in order to convey a particular message or feeling, whilst science merely presents an object objectively and describes how it is, clearly, in every way possible. Therefore, it is clear that the purpose of these two approaches is quite different. Furthermore, the ways of knowing in poetry and science are somewhat different. Poetrys ways of knowing are mainly emotion and language, while sciences are mainly language and reason. However, although they have language in common, both of them utilize language in different ways and for different purposes. As is obvious from above, both approaches aim to expand two completely different parts of human knowledge. Poetry aims to expand the aesthetic while science the scientific. Therefore, they cannot be assessed on their ability to expand human knowledge based on the same criteria but rather, they should both be assessed based on individual criteria in their own specific areas of knowledge and then compared after being assessed. Assessing them based on the same criteria would much be like comparing a desert with a main course, which would be wrong since they both have different purposes and, although the dessert may not be good at achieving the purpose of the main dish, it could well be excellent at achieving the purposes of a dessert. Since poetry tries to touch the readers emotional side aesthetically it must be scrutinized as an art. The purpose of art is to aesthetically touch an emotion which all people supposedly have. Through techniques specific to each art, good artists are able to do this, and this in itself is an expansion of human knowledge in that it causes people to be aware of their emotions. Humans have to turn to poetry to interpret life for us, to console us, to sustain us. (Matthew Arnold, The Study of Poetry) The purpose of Shakespeares Macbeth is not to scientifically understand how ambition can conquer one, nor is it meant to be a historical recount of the real Macbeth. It is a poetic story which is written so as people can empathize with the main characters and view their own life in terms of conquering their faults and sustaining their good. Another purpose of poetry is to represent human nature. This can clearly be seen through any of Roberts Frosts poems such as Out, Out which explains, better than any scientific paper ever could, the ability of a child to care so much about his desire to work and help society, and the lack of care his family experiences when he dies. Poetry presents human characteristics, the human thought, the human inner self, all compact into one verse and it is so powerful because when read, one immediately connects with it, and it touches each persons emotions in a way. Also, it so vividly depicts the nature of humans that it is a powerful tool through which people can express themselves, and in which people can relate to. It expands our knowledge of human nature and the way humans behave and the power of emotions and their effect on us. In Shakespeares Macbeth when Lady Macbeth asks the evil spirits to unsex me [Lady Macbeth] here one feels the evil powers of ambition and its ability to overtake ones sane and rational thought. On the other hand sciences purpose is to clearly depict a situation or object. Science, in no way, should aim to touch the readers emotional side, but rather touch the readers rationality. Although some may argue that science does touch a readers side, it is not the main purpose of the writing, and is rather an effect of extreme love towards and passion for the subject. A scientific argument should not be ambiguous or differ from reader to reader, unlike poetry. There is no way for a scientific argument to be true to some people and false to others, for in science there is an absolute truth which the scientists are trying to attain. Although many may argue that poets are also aiming to achieve this absolute truth, it must be noted that each persons emotions are different and therefore there is no way to absolutely describe the way people think, react or behave. Biology, chemistry and physics have set laws and truths which, regardless of who or where you are, will be true. If the purp ose of poetry is, as we said, to depict human nature, then the purpose of science is to understand nature itself and how it works. When writing a piece the author must create a balance between ambiguity and precision and the language of a piece is directly dependant on the purpose of the piece. Poetry and science are completely opposite in the way that they try to balance ambiguity and precision. In poetry the ability to ambiguously use words is good since it allows one to think abstractly and allows different readers, with different mindsets, to interpret the piece in different ways. Therefore, in the case of poetry language, as a way of knowing, is created to be ambiguous so as to contribute to the knowledge and effect of the piece. On the other hand, in science ambiguity greatly impedes a work. It is not acceptable for a law or theory in science to be indirect and not addressing one specific point clearly.. Otherwise the law becomes obsolete, since if it is not understandable it has no purpose. There is no space in science for different interpretations of a law; the law has one purpose that it achieves and that purpose is set. It is not different for different people, or different nations, or different cultures. In the sense of multiple meanings, contrary to poetrys double entendres, scienctific writing cannot have any; the one meaning the author desires to portray must be directly stated so as to disallow ambiguity and interpretation. For example, water being comprised of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom is true independent if one is in the United States, Russia, or Australia. Also, it is true independent of ones age, race, background, nationality, religion, or any other factor which may change from person to person. However, poetry is quite the opposite. Poetry should be, and is, interpreted differently by different people. The meaning or truth behind poetry is fully dependant on all the factors listed above. An old person may have a completely different understanding of words in poems such as George Herberts The Pulley the double meaning of the word rest which can either mean the remainder or it can mean peace. The great difference between these two interpretations leaves the reader with the final choice to interpret the poem the way he/she wants and this is the intent of the poet. However, in science it is the intent of the scientist to clearly illustrate his/her point without any ambiguity as in science clarity is essential. In conclusion, it can be seen that poetry and science have completely different purposes and different means of attaining these purposes. Furthermore, each of these specific areas of knowledge means to expand different types of knowledge and pertain to different ways of knowing. However, one must realize that it is essential to have a balance between the scientific or factual knowledge, and the poetic/aesthetic knowledge or the emotional understanding of human nature. Therefore, in these terms science successfully expands its portion of human knowledge successfully expands its. Therefore, it can be concluded that each area of knowledge has equal success in expanding knowledge in its respective area. In science one tries to tell people, in such a way as to be understood by everyone, something that no one ever knew before. But in poetry its the exact opposite.(P A M Dirac) Do both the approaches suggested in the quotation enjoy equal success in expanding human knowledge?

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Identity in clothing

Identity in clothing THE CREATION OF IDENTITY THROUGH CLOTHING The work of Alison Lurie (Lurie, 1983) â€Å"The Language of Clothes† and Didier Gondola’s (Gondola, 2010) â€Å"La Sape Exposed! High Fashion among Lower-Class Congolese Youth† will be discussed in order to examine the concept of creating an identity through fashion. The first idea of discussion is Lurie’s concept (Lurie, 1983: 6) â€Å"Colour and Conformity†. Secondly Gondola’s comments on the Sapeurs. The third paragraph, applying the Lurie concept of Colour and Conformity to the Sapeurs and lastly the Colour and Conformity of Lurie, applied to the Smarteez. Lurie states (Lurie, 1983: 1) â€Å"Today, as semiotics become fashionable, sociologists tell us that fashion too is a language of signs, a nonverbal system of communication†. In Gondola and Corrigall’s articles, they discuss the way the sub-culture groups, Sapeurs and Smarteez used extravagant, colourful fashion to rise above their challenged, impoverished circumstances to create a flamboyant identity. Lurie’s (1983) article â€Å"The Language of Clothes† argues that wearing clothes is a form of language interpreted by all. Lurie states (Lurie, 1983:1) â€Å"†¦human beings have communicated with one another first in the language of dress†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In the section â€Å"Colour and conformity† Lurie mentions that psychologists discovered, looking at different colours may alternate our vital signs and emotions (Lurie, 1983: 1). Lurie justifies this by claiming that when someone is approached, the first thing that occupies the visual field is the colour of clothing having a great effect on the nervous system. (Lurie, 1983:2) â€Å"Loud, clashing colours, like loud noises [†¦] may actually hurt our eyes or give us a headache†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This implies that (Lurie, 1983:2) â€Å"Colour in dress is also like tone of voice in speech†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . A white evening dress communicates a different message than a scarlet one. (Lurie, 1983:2) According to Lu rie (Lurie, 1983:3) â€Å"Convention alters the meaning of colours according to the place and time at which they are worn.† The corporate environment requires conventional dress code to communicate status, but the same people would wear colourful eveningwear, suggesting that not dressing in the recognized range of colour for given situations, attracts unfavorable attention. To the Sapeurs, making an immediate impact with their colourful clothing was of greater importance than the attention they received. In his article â€Å"La Sape Exposed! High Fashion Among Lower-Class Congolese Youth† (Gondola, 2010: 157) Gondola comments on the Sapeurs, the oppression faced and the new identity created in response to that. French colonialism brought to Africa, a mission to civilize the people. Gondola states (Gondola, 2010: 158) â€Å"†¦their mission civilisatrice was predicated on redeeming [†¦] â€Å"primitive minds†[†¦] â€Å"primitive bodies† of the â€Å"naked people†. During the 1920s, the word sape(dress) and se saper (to dress fashionably) was used to describe the fashion energy that characterized Parisian socialites. (Gondola, 2010: 158) They influenced the young Sapeurs to dress fashionably, even over dress. Gondola comments (Gondola, 2010: 160) â€Å"†¦Congolese houseboys spurned their masters secondhand clothes [†¦] spending their meager wages extravagantly to acquire the latest fashions from Paris†. After independence of t he Congo’s in 1960, young Congolese flocked to Europe, because of economic chaos. Their dreams of a new life hindered by discrimination. Gondola argues (Gondola, 2010: 165) â€Å"†¦la sape became a refuge that enabled them to forge new identities away from home†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Gondola’s writing highlights that the sapeurs overcame their struggles by allowing fashion to be the essence of their identity through the use of vibrant suits. (Obv.org.uk, 2015) â€Å"Within this society, men are encouraged to have their own sense of style, bringing an individualised definition of sophistication and elegance that suits each character and enriches the group as a whole†. This image of the Sapeurs is an example of Gondala’s comment (Gondola, 2010: 158) â€Å"One could easily spot them strolling down the boulevards [†¦] in expensive and flamboyant attire†. Combining a maximum of three colours was their idea of perfection. (Michalon, 2015) â€Å"The ways of Sapeology are impenetrable for any Sapeologist who does not know the rule of 3: a trilogy of finished and unfinished colours†. They had to know the rules of elegance, which implied matching colours harmoniusly without being excessive. (Gondola, 2010) The loud and striking message the Sapeurs portray in this image does not have a negative effect, as Lurie implies (Lurie, 1983: 2) because of their stylish matching of colours. Like the Sapeurs o vercame their obstacles through their fashion identity, the Smarteez also formed an identity through their excessive colourful attire. In her article â€Å"AGAINST THE MACHINE: THE ‘SMARTEEZ’ FASHION A NEW POST-APARTHEID IDENTITY† Mary Corrigall writes about the Smarteez (Corrigall, 2011: 2) â€Å"a youth-driven street fashion sub-culture†. The image of the group above reflects their striking outfits. (Corrigall, 2011: 2) â€Å"The Smarteez outfits are garish and excessively colourful and thus immediately recognisable as in the vein of dandyism in which the subjects appear like costumed objects†. Lurie argues (Lurie, 1983: 4) â€Å" some people may avoid colours they like because of the belief [†¦] that they are unbecoming, while others may wear colours they dislike for symbolic reasons†. The defining feature of the Smarteez was combining primary colours in their outfits, referring to their name,â€Å" a bright sugar-coated chocolate confection†. (Corrigall, 2011: 3) The name smart refers to their formal wear and intellectual acuity. (Corrigall, 2011: 3) â€Å"â € ¦the Smarteez attire is a parody of the middle class values†. According to Lurie (Lurie, 1983: 1) â€Å"†¦dress is a continual manifestation of intimate thoughts, a language and a symbol.† Rejecting those who did not wear brightly coloured clothes. Therefore they set out to create their own unique identity. The aim of this essay was to assess Lurie’s (1983) â€Å"The Language of Clothes†, specifically her discussion of â€Å"Colour and Conformity† and Didier Gondola’s (Gondola, 2010) â€Å"La Sape Exposed! [†¦] Congolese Youth† by examining the concept of creating identity through fashion. Lurie comments on clothing as a language that communicates. Using colour attracts favorable or unfavorable attention. The Sapeurs created an accomplished and wealthy identity through colourful clothing, their flamboyance making immediate impact. The Smarteez valued their brightly coloured clothing to the extent of rejecting those that did not conform. Therefore these subcultural groups rose above their struggles by creating new identities through fashion. Bibliography Gondola, D. (2010) La Sape Exposed! High Fashion among Lower-Class Congolese Youth. Gott, S.L.K. (ed.) Contemporary African Fashion, 1st edition, Bloomington: Indiana University Press. Lurie, A. (1983) The Language of clothes, Random House Inc. Leroux, D. (2014) Forget the hipster fashion, preppy, preppy golden swag. Nothing compares to the Fire of Congo, 11 Nov, [Online], Available: http://www.tonbarbier.com/2014/11/11/oubliez-la-mode-hipster-preppy-bcbg-ou-le-swag-rien-nest-comparable-aux-sapeurs-du-congo [24 May 2015]. Edsuter (2015) The Smarteez | Ed Suter, [Online], Available: http://edsuter.com/my-work/the-smarteez/ [24 May 2015]. Obv.org.uk (2015) Sapeurs: The creativity of African fashionistas | OBV, [Online], Available: http://www.obv.org.uk/news-blogs/sapeurs-creativity-african-fashionistas [24 May 2015]. Michalon, N. (2015) Sussing out La Sape: fashion, science or religion? Clique.tv, 07 Apr, [Online], Available: http://www.clique.tv/en/enquete-sur-la-sape-mode-science-ou-religion/ [24 May 2015]. Corrigall, M. (2011) Against the Machine: The Smarteez Fashion a new post-apartheid identity, Fashion Conference, Oxford, 1-4. 1

Friday, September 20, 2019

Animal Rights :: essays research papers

Medicines, household products, food, and basically everything involved in the life of an average person has to under go a form of testing before it is legal to be placed on a shelf and if available to the public. The same tests are performed on every medical procedure that is introduced to surgeons. Since the only way to directly mimic the human body is to use it itself, scientists were forced to find the closest and best alternative. That is where animals were introduced to the medical profession. Experimentation on animals date back to as early as 500 BC, making this form of medical validation one of the oldest known to humans. It is not only one of the oldest but one of the most informative. Scientists use animals in medical research to study how the body works and how to diagnose, cure, and prevent disease. Researchers also use animals for tests to try to protect the public from dangerous chemicals, (Day, 13) such as those included in detergents, bleach, and other household prod ucts. When live animals are used in experimentation, this practice is called vivisection. Animals are used in many instances because their bodies often react in a similar way to that of a humans. Although animals have been used in medical research for numerous years it was not until the early 1920’s that it became more prominent. It was at this point that the introduction of using live, un-anesthetized, animals to study toxic effects on an increasing array of drugs, pesticides and food additives was introduced. After this great advance in medical research the results of using animals grew with leaps and bounds. In 1970 this process peaked with the use of millions of animals. Since then, according to the USDA’s Animals Welfare Enforcement, 1,267,828 animals were used for medical purposes in 1998, which is more than a 50 percent decrease since 1970. Although this is a drastic drop in animals used there have been many medical advances; virtually every medical break throug h this century has come about as the result of research with animals. (Office of Technology) Of the many animals used for experiments, about 90 percent of the animals used are rats, mice and other rodents. Animals such as these are used for two reasons, one because they are readily available upon request, and two because they are cheap which helps aid the large cost of animals experimentation.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Individiual Understanding :: essays research papers

Individual Understanding I agree with functionalists, specifically the strong Artificial Intelligence (AI) camp, concerning the concept of understanding. While John Searle poses a strong non-functionalist case in his AChinese Room@ argument, I find that his definition of Ato understand@ falls short and hampers his point. I criticize his defense that understanding rests on a standardized knowledge of meaning, but not before outlining the general background of the issue. Functionalists define thought and mental states in terms of input and output. They claim that what we see, hear, smell, taste, and touch (input) creates a mental state or belief, and that particular mental state in turn creates our reaction (output). If I see it=s raining outside, I believe that if I go outside I will get wet, and therefore I take an umbrella with me. The functionalists define a mental state strictly through its cause and effect relationships, through its function. This thinking leads to the conclusion that the human brain is little more than a big, complex computer. All we humans do is take input, process it, and accordingly create output, just like a computer. In fact, functionalists who support strong AI go so far as to say that an appropriately programmed computer actually has all the same mental states and capabilities as a human. In AMinds, Brains, and Programs,@ John Searle outlines this argument: AIt is a characteristic of human beings= story understanding capacity that they can answer questions about [a] story even though the information they give was never explicitly stated in the story. . . . [Strong AI claims that m]achines can similarly answer questions about [stories] in this fashion. . . . Partisans of strong AI claim that in this question and answer sequence the machine is not only simulating a human ability but also (1) that the machine can literally be said to understand the story . . . and (2) that what the machine and its program do explains the human ability to understand the story and answer questions about it@ (354). While strong AI claims that a machine can understand just as a human understands, Searle himself disagrees. He claims that a strictly input-output system, such as a computer is, cannot understand anything, nor does it explain humans= ability to understand. In criticizing strong AI, Searle creates his famous AChinese Room@ argument: suppose that Searle was locked in a room with a large batch of Chinese writing.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Flint, Michigan :: essays research papers

Flint, Michigan A strong culture is one that has dependency upon itself along with outside resources. The economy is hard if nearly impossible to predict, and this puts severe strain on a community that is dependent on one employer. Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Flint are examples of these types of communities. When a manufacturing process or company pulls out of a city, many problems arise. Flint is a city which has had a significant portion of an industry leave. GM used to be the heart of Flint, until the decision to downsize was made. This caused approximately 40 thousand of the 80 thousand GM employees to loose their jobs. Recently there was a debate pitting two sides of an issue. The question consisted of the decline of General Motors in Flint. Is it a catastrophe or does it provide an opportunity for the community. Members of the panel included Bill Donahue (pro-opportunity), Larry Thompson (pro-opportunity), Dorothy Reynolds (catastrophe supporter) and Ruben Burks (catastrophe supporter).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the beginning, there were many advantages of having GM as the dominate employer in Flint. The quantity of GM jobs in Flint provided for an economic boom town in the 1960's and 1970's. Money from General Motors trickled down from the workers to every part of the economy of Genesse county. The population was on the rise which meant more homes, roads, and businesses. It was all to good to be true. When Roger Smith (then President of GM) decided to relocate numerous jobs from the Buick City, it was time for Flint to pay the piper. The large dependency on GM brought upon a rapid decline in the economy unparalleled by any city in United States history.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The removal of jobs from GM caused many problems in Flint. Dororthy Reynolds gave many statistics which proved how much the decline of GM hurt Flint. She pointed out that since the removal of GM jobs, Flint has become the 2nd most dangerous city in America while being the 6th most segregated. The lack of economic development since the early 1980's has also had a terrible impact on the children of Flint and Genesse county. Thirty percent of the children in Genesse county live at or below the poverty level where the graduation rate in the schools has shrunk to 57%. Mrs. Reynolds also pointed out the fact that only three new home developments have been started in the last 18 months. Ruben Burks was also invited to share his opinions on the catastrophe surrounding Flint. Unfortunately for the audience, his relationship with the United Auto Workers was at a level to where he couldn't expand on his negative GM opinions.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Benazir Income Support Programme Research Proposal Essay

In this ongoing research, the researcher wants to analyze the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). Keeping in view the agenda of our research the researcher identify the main organizational model and implement structure, characteristics or components of Benazir income support programme and there affects in social, poverty alleviation/reduction and economy of Pakistan. Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) has been initiated by Government of Pakistan with initial allocation of Rs.34 billion (US $ 425 million approximately) for the year 2008-09 which is the third largest allocation in the total budget and is 0.3% of the GDP for the year 2008-09. The Programme has been initiated to partially offset the impact of inflation on the purchasing power of the poorer sections of the society. In the years 2005-07, inflation stood at almost 10% with food inflation in the range of 13-15%. In the year 2007-08 sharp rise in oil prices and primary products in the international as well as domestic market resulted in double digit inflation rate, which has almost halved the purchasing power of the people. Hence there is urgent need for direct and speedy relief to the poor sections of the society and BISP is the response to the above compulsions. The Programme is aimed at covering almost 15% of the entire population, which constitutes 40% of the population below the poverty line. A monthly payment of Rs.1000/ per family would increase the income of a family earning Rs.5000 by 20%. BISP will cover all four provinces including FATA, AJK, and FANA & ICT. Husband, wife and dependent children constitute a family. There are quite a few reasons behind this perception, the leading one being that the idea is fairly new and very attractive in order to describe the role and structural factors, mechanism of Benazir income support programme. The purpose and goal behind this study is to ultimate define the pro and cons of Benazir income support programme and their effects on Pakistan economy and what impact on poverty reduction and economic factors? i. Description: The proposed research will focus on the Benazir Income Support Programme mechanism , structure and their distribution of funds, impact on poverty reduction and alleviation, empowerment of women’s and economic factors. The research will initially be carried out locally which can be expanded to other major cities as and when required according to our research prerequisites. Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) working as to help the needy people of the society to a great extent and mitigate their sufferings. Some former economic experts said the programme should provide benefit as many as three million people will be implemented with complete transparency and beyond political affiliations. The special feature of the programme is to give priority to remote and backward areas where the people have fewer chances of business and employment. The government he said would provide maximum relief to 33 percent people living below the poverty line by supporting them through Benazir Income Support Programme. The main objective of the study is to determine either the BISP achieve their goals in order of poverty alleviation/reduction, empowerment of women and social and economic factors. In order to need of this research, tools like interviews and questionnaires will be used in addition to the literature available. On the basis of these findings, inference and analysis will be made to reach to the answers of our research objectives. Economic Context: 2005-2007 Inflation: over 10% Food Inflation: 13-15% 2007-2008 Oil price shock, inflation rate doubled Purchasing power since 2005 ~ halved Inflation in 2008-2009 was above 20% Urgent need for direct and speedy relief Demographic Context: All 4 provinces, including FATA, AJK, FANA & ICT Households 25 m Population 166 m Assumed Poverty Line: 33% Bottom 33% Bottom 20% Bottom 10% Household 8.2 m 5.0 m 2.5 m Population 55.0 m 33.2 m 17 m Source: Pakistan Economic Survey, 2007-08; adjusted for AJK & FANA population BISP Cash Transfer: Complements other social protection instruments and services like health, education etc. Confers dignity and choice. Lower transaction cost and higher value to beneficiaries than in-kind support. Impacts short term food security and long term alleviation of poverty. BISP can serve as a mechanism to deliver cash assistance in times of natural disasters/ crisis in affected areas. ii. Scientific Objectives: The main idea and objective behind this research is to find whether the Benazir income support programme have properly working in order to achieve their objective for ultimate reduction in poverty alleviation, empowering women and stabilize the economy and reduction in unemployment or other economic consequences. BISP is based on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the globally agreed set of social and economic targets that are supposed to be realized by 2015. The idea of BISP was to bring the women into the mainstream. Besides cash help, the programme caries other benefits like health and accident insurances as well as vocational training so that the recipients ultimately become self-sufficient. The hypothesis formulated would be: Null Hypothesis: Benazir Income Support Programme is fully geared and helping towards in order of reduction in poverty alleviation and empowerment of women in Pakistan. Alternative Hypothesis: Benazir Income Support Programme is not fully geared and helping towards in order of reduction in poverty alleviation and empowerment of women in Pakistan. The main objectives which are intended to be completed by the end of the study are: A measure to compensate low income families for reduction of purchasing power. A cash grant of Rs. 2000/ every alternate month. Only one benefit per family. Empowering Women: Only female recipients: Female head of family or adult female member of the family can be a recipient. â€Å"This is not a party specific programme, it is for the people of Pakistan, because of its transparency, the entire world, and donor agencies are cooperating and are sending their offers to us.† To helping the families of the victims of bomb blasts and those of the earthquakes as well as the displaced persons from the Swat region and bajour agency and etc. To reduction in poverty alleviation. Be timely and unbiased. Temporary so as not to create dependency. Not too large, so as not to jeopardize work incentives or have an inflationary effect. Careful attention to design and implementation. Careful monitoring and evaluation. Eligibility criteria to be predefined, transparent, easy to explain and simple to administer. Important linkages to the some studies and work accomplished by various workers in the field highlighted below: References: Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad, Director General (Operations) BISP. Grosh, M., Ninno, C., Tesliuc, E. & Ouerghi, A. (2008), ‘the Design and Implementation of Effective Safety Nets: For Protection & Promotion’ the World Bank, Washington, D.C. www.bisp.gov.pk www.pakistantimes.net/pt/detail.php?newsId=2949 iii. Methodology: The methodology involved in this research the researcher would be used content analysis both as qualitative and quantitative. Content analysis is part of the empirical, social scientific tradition and it is method which has been developed to investigate the patterns of our study. The two major techniques of content analysis, depending on the analytical methods used, which are quantitative content analysis and qualitative content analysis. Quantitative Analysis: The purpose of this analysis is to quantify and manifest features of a large number of media texts. Qualitative analysis is generally concerned with how often a variable is presented and the amount can communicate in numbers. Which allows great precision in reporting the results? So in quantitative research process the application of different test would be made and regression analysis would be used and run. Qualitative Content Analysis: This type of content analysis contains a minimum of quantitative measurement, standardization and mathematical techniques (opposite). Qualitative analysis of content is used to explain the quantitative data and to interpret direction of the contents. Steps of Content Analysis: Universe of the Study: To define the universe is to specify the boundaries of the body of content to be considered, which requires an appropriate operational definition of the relevant population. This research considers the main mechanism of Benazir income support programme in respect of their characteristics, objectives, components and their effects. Sample of the Study The sampling would include individuals, institutions and all the other society factors. The target will be all major sources. Questionnaires. Interviews. Emails. The information will be collected by specially designed interviews and questionnaires, keeping in mind the research objective. iv. Benefits/Usefulness: BISP Coverage: Allocation for 2008-09: Rs 34 bn (US$ 425 m) ~ 0.3% of GDP Target coverage (3.5 million families) ~ 15% of the population Allocation for 2009-10: Rs.70 bn (US$ 875 m) Target beneficiary families for 2009-10: 5 million Plans over the medium term to extend coverage to 7 million families by 2010-2011. Seperation of Function: Functional separation for transparency and efficiency. Eligibility Criteria Monthly income less than Rs. 6000. No family member in government service. Possession of no or less than 3 acres of agricultural land or up to 3 Marlas residential property. Possession of Computerized National Identity Card. Should not be beneficiary of other support programmes. Should not have an account with a foreign bank. Should not possess a passport or an Overseas Pakistani identity card. Requirements/Conditions: Identification of applicants / recipients through democratically elected Parliamentarians. Equal number of forms distributed to each Parliamentarian. Attestation by local level representatives of Parliamentarians and Union Councilors. Screening / Verification of basic criteria through checks with National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA). Cost effective & quick targeting process. Benefits Level A cash grant of Rs. 2000/ every alternate month. Rs. 1000 = 20% increase in income for family earning Rs. 5000/ pm. At prevalent prices Rs. 1000 payout is sufficient to finance 20-25 days flour needs of a family with 5-6 individuals. Rs. 1000/ pm not a labor disincentive – only women family member is recipient. Emergency relief package for IDP’s, victims of bomb blast and terrorism and earthquake affected districts of balochistan. Monitoring of Payments Internal monitoring mechanisms of Pakistan Post Department. External Monitoring through BISP Provincial and Regional Offices. Pakistan Post reports monthly (electronically) to BISP on payments, with list/addresses of houses and name of postman making the delivery. Eligibility and Payment status available on BISP. (www.bisp.gov.pk) Implementation Status Forms Processing Status by NADRA (as of 13 July 2009) Total Forms Processed: 3,736,914 Total Eligible: 2,122,038 Total Ineligible: 496,927 Total In†process: 50,600 Total Withheld: 1,067,349 2. Year wise physical and financial plan of work (Phasing): The following time line shall be observed while performing the research or study: 0-2 Literature and Data Review 2-3 Research Design will be Formulated 3-4 Theoretical Frameworks Designed 4-6 Collection of Data 6-8 Data Analysis and Discussion 8-10 Findings 10-12 Report Writing and Recommendations in the light of above analysis 3. Participating Personnel’s: Sir Sardar Zahid Sami Ullah Tahir Mukhtar 4. Infrastructure Facilities: Already Available: COMSATS facilities will be available, which includes office support, library support and research. Scientific Personnel: _____________________________________________ Proposed to be established: Fax Machine would be used. Scanner would be required. Photocopy would be required. 2 Laptops would be required. Laser printer would be required. USB Flash Drive would be required. One portable hard drive would be required. One Digital Video Cam would be required.

Monday, September 16, 2019

An Academic Narrative

Behind every work there is a story. Often, the story can better explain why a work looks the way it does than can any formal academic argument. The present work started as a Doctoral thesis. So here is its much abbreviated story. Choosing the topic I have been fascinated by what monuments mean to people ever since my Hamburg M. A. thesis of 1993, in which I investigated empirically the contemporaneous meanings of three selected megaliths and menhirs in Germany. Having come to Lampeter later the same year, I wrote a second M. A. thesis also about the various meanings of megaliths, but this time focussing on the theoretical background of Radical Constructivism and Reception Theory as well as on prehistoric and historic case-studies. As I had to make a decision about my Ph. D. research topic early in 1994, this topic seemed to be interesting and promising to pursue further. I chose later prehistory as a time period, since I was mainly interested in working with evidence of material cult ure. In excluding earlier periods as well as the Medieval age, I hoped to avoid dealing with possible continuities of burial traditions and ancestor cults during the Neolithic up until the early Bronze Age on the one hand, and with the quite complex problem of using written sources in arguments about historic periods on the other. Since I started my work in 1994, the basic theme proved feasible and has stayed virtually the same; however, I modified my exact line of argument on several occasions. These changes are reflected in various outlines and abstracts which I wrote at different points in time. Although empirical detail has a certain irresistible attraction to me (as well as a considerable rhetorical power), the theoretical aspects of my work, such as thoughts about past and present, have always (and perhaps over the years increasingly) been more important to me than the details of the archaeology of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern provided an almost ideal study area, not only because of the excellent state of research on megaliths there (largely due to the work of Ewald Schuldt), but also because I felt very attracted to the beautiful coastal landscape. My research in the area was greatly helped by virtually all the local archaeologists, who patiently answered my questions and gave further suggestions. On several occasions, however, one senior archaeologist tried effectively to stop my research (I don't know why). This seemed at first to threaten the entire project, but as time went on, this person's activities proved to be less critical for my work than I had feared. Finding material to work with One of my biggest challenges from the start was to find enough relevant material evidence on which to build a larger argument. I was already confident after having looked at the regional literature in the library of the Institute of Archaeology in London, and undertaking an explorative visit to the sites and monuments record (Ortsaktenarchiv) of the Landesamt fur Bodendenkmalpflege in Lubstorf, both early in 1995. I became entirely convinced of the feasibility of my project during an extended visit of the study area during the summer of 1995. After just over two weeks of concentrated work with the records, I provided the basis for my later analysis by documenting on specially designed forms, the evidence for later prehistoric receptions at almost 1200 megaliths. That summer, I also visited several libraries and photocopied many relevant texts, which were not otherwise available to me at Lampeter. During a second visit to Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the late summer of 1996 I visited even more sites, consulted libraries again and discussed various issues with local archaeologists. I closed gaps in my reading by using the very efficient interlibrary loan service at Lampeter, spending two weeks in the libraries of Cambridge and in the British Library in March 1996, and consulting the British Library for another few days in September 1997. Interpreting the evidence in wider terms On the basis of the promising evidence I had collected, and the associated archaeological literature I had read, it was always clear that for interesting interpretations I would need exciting ideas, rather than additional evidence or access to even more archaeological literature. My interest was, after all, first and foremost in the meanings of ancient monuments, and not in any particular archaeological period or area. I decided early on to combine my archaeological work with references to various other related themes and topics. Later prehistory would be supplemented by evidence from later historic periods as well from the present. The actual receptions of megaliths, which I could see in the record, would be put in the context of wider meanings of monuments. Ancient monuments and conceptions of the past in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern would be associated with completely different archaeological and anthropological contexts. All this was to be put into practice by using hypermedia technology. My original application document and further discussions about my plan to submit my work on the Internet, and then on CD-Rom, led me to think more about the characteristics and significance of hypermedia links in the text. As a consequence, the idea of making sense by making connections became more and more important to me, and developed perhaps into one of the most important arguments of my work. Originally, I constructed the thesis on many small cards each representing one ‘page'; they were ordered by a systematic number code but this was more a way of structuring my writing process than a hidden linear structure in my argument! Coming up with results What I now present is colourful, diverse, empirically rich and (hopefully) intellectually stimulating. I have produced a work that takes a decisively interpretive approach and rejects the metaphor of the law court, according to which the task of the archaeologist is to establish the truth about the past, or to construct a story plausible beyond reasonable doubt, in order for the judge or jury to reach a verdict about what actually happened (Shanks 1992: 54–56). What really happened in the past does not matter much to me. This work is not about the past, but rather about certain parts of the present, although it deals with the past and refers to archaeological evidence. I hope to show that there are a great number of possible meanings of ancient monuments, and that we can reach interpretations and make sense of something by making connections. Perhaps more importantly, I hope to demonstrate in my work that past and present are united and cannot be separated from each other. In saying this I do not argue that different archaeological and historical contexts could not be distinguished from one another. My point is much broader: the past is only meaningful within the particular history culture and as a contribution to the cultural memory of each present. I do not know if there could be a present without a past (except perhaps for small babies and some animals as well as in certain medical conditions? ), but there can certainly be no past without a present. Ancient monuments in our landscapes intrigue me. Perhaps this is the beauty of my approach, and of my work: people in later prehistory and today, including myself, find themselves in very much the same situation. They make sense in one way or another of the ancient monuments they come across in the landscape. The object of study in this work is, therefore, also the studying subject, and the results of my study describe its approach too.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Movies and Television Shows Should Include Better Role Models for Their Audiences Essay

I’m sure it has happened plenty of times. When you finish watching a movie and afterwards feel so inspired. This is often when the movie hero was presented as someone we would like to be or has a personality that we admire. Sometimes it can be other characters that are shown to be â€Å"cool†, attractive, and popular that also inspires us to mimic their personality traits. Movies can also prompt us to try certain activities. Of course this can be seen as the beneficial side of media; the fact that there could be that one movie that has the power to influence someone to become a better person. But like almost everything, there’s a downside to it too. The fact that media can be convincing in positive ways suggests that it can equally convey negative messages as well. The way that movies or television shows portray their characters is something that definitely needs to be paid attention to. The rebellious heroes, senseless social statuses, and unhealthy activities characters engage in are all factors that will influence the audience. Therefore it is important to consider whether it is worth presenting the characters in this way. A large majority of movies are presenting their characters as bad people, yet the people that anyone would find themselves wanting to be. I believe that is wrong, thus movies and TV shows should include better role models for their audiences. Current movies portray violence without consequence, inaccurate representations of social statuses and social interaction, and encourage characters to engage in activities with more harm than good. Many of the heroes in movies happen to be quite rebellious and are often involved in violence. It’s usually the fact that they’re so involved in violence that helps them obtain their cool, heroic status. The characters we see as role models are always showing that violence can be used as a quick fix for conflicts to avoid negative consequences. K. A. Earles states, â€Å"This depiction of violence increases the probability that violence will be one of the first strategies chosen by a child. † Bandura, a professor in psychology at Stanford University demonstrated that preschoolers learn aggressive behavior by watching television. Three groups of children were shown a film n which a man commands a human-sized doll to move, and when it did not he hit the doll with his fists, a mallet, and then rubber balls. In other words, he used violence as an immediate strategy. Group one saw the man rewarded. Group two saw the episode end without reward or punishment. Group three saw the actor receive a verbal lecture. After watching the film, the children in groups one a nd two were seen to behave more aggressively than the ones in group three. This proves that the consequences characters find themselves facing has quite a strong impact on how the audience will act. What encourages violence even more is that it is often carried out by the hero in the story line who is then rewarded for his/her endorsement in violence. â€Å"Such constant exposure to portrayals of physical violence, some of which viewers do not even recognize as violent, may dull a child’s aversion to this behavior. † says K. A. Earles. Reenactments of national worldwide disasters such as terrorism scenes or brutal wars are one thing. But for a fictional superhero to battle and beat his â€Å"enemies† with realistic and bloody dramatizations is not a good way to entertain kids. There aren’t many positive or useful characteristics of the role model heroes for the children to gain besides their â€Å"charismatic† and â€Å"brave† personalities but they express these lovely character traits through violence. They care for the ones who are in danger so they save them with violence. As they stand up to their enemy and begin to battle them they show out their bravery. These heroes are showing young boys that if you are not strong enough, not brave enough to endorse in a physical fight then you are not capable to be someone as amazing and powerful as they are. Physical strength is spotlighted while intellectual strength is forgotten. Sharon Lamb, a professor of mental health at University of Massachusetts-Boston surveyed 674 boys aged 4 to 18 to analyze marketing trends for action figures and movies. This resulted in violence, emotional aloofness, and general hyper-masculinity being the main messages directors of these movies are promoting to young boys. This shows us that there aren’t many useful or healthy things these movies are promoting to their audiences. This only leads me to conclude that directors need to think over the way they are presenting their heroes. Violence is not the only existing strategy. As well as action movies, there are the modern teenage soap operas. I’ve noticed that these programs have a distorted portrayal of the theoretically existing teenage social statuses. There are always the good people and the bad people, the â€Å"cool† people and the â€Å"lame† ones. Although most television programs are to entertain, having a message or lesson for the audience to gain is also important. As mentioned earlier, the way the characters are portrayed is very significant to the audience since they are what influence the audience. There are the more obvious heroes which are the supermen in action movies but the less spotlighted ones in calmer, closer-to-reality programs. In these kinds of films, the â€Å"hero† would be a character the audience finds themselves admiring and looking up to. This depends on the way the characters in the film are presented. A person who our society would admire and want to be has very precise but general character traits; a confident, rich, bossy girl who has an attractive appearance and good leadership skills. It’s practically the same for boys. Society’s image of a picture perfect female or male is neglecting the many other personality traits of a human being that makes them a good and interesting person. Movies present the â€Å"popular guy† typically as someone who is necessarily good at sports for instance, and send the message to younger boys that if they are not good at sports they can’t expect to be at the top of the theoretical social scale regardless of other good qualities they can have. The same goes for girls. These films portray the â€Å"popular† girls as girls who are very narrowed down in their interests. Female adolescents are portrayed as being obsessed with their appearance. † Smart people are shown to be socially unaccepted. â€Å"Intellects are frequently viewed as social misfits. † These movies are encouraging and strengthening society’s distorted image of who the â€Å"popular† kids should be and contribute to a very inaccurate picture of what social interaction and social status is built on in reality. Young girls or boys may start to think that if they are not what the â€Å"cool kids† are presented as in movies, then they will not be successful or liked. This is definitely not the kind of message that should be sent to the younger generations. Lastly, quite a few of the activities characters in movies or TV shows engage in are not healthy and do not set good examples for young teens. The usage of alcohol and drugs is always by the cool, popular kids who will then convince the kids and teens a part of their audience to try them at one point. â€Å"Social Learning Theory suggests that children learn by watching, imitating, and assimilating. † This only proves that the majority of the children that are exposed to media that is practically encouraging alcohol and drug usage will most likely try it in attempt to imitate their role models. Movies propel the idea of these bad habits being â€Å"cool†. With teenagers picking up their first cigarette as early as 14 years of age, evidently there’s a problem. As many parents and adults may have noticed, kids/teens are beginning to have a distorted idea of what sex is all about and media may be the main cause for their way of thinking. Many movies and shows portray it as a normal thing to indulge in, therefore teens are enacting what they see from the media and often end up being pregnant or contracting a sexually transmitted disease. A study was done on 75 girls in which half were pregnant. It was found that the pregnant girls watched more soap operas than the non-pregnant girls and were found more surprised when told that their favorite soap opera characters used any sex protection. According to the National Survey of Children, males who watched more television were found to be more sexually active than the ones who watched less television. â€Å"Television may be a significant contributor to the sexual practices and attitudes of young people. † All of these things may be a part of a movie to show what it’s like out there but there must be some sort of proof of it being a bad thing to no give out the wrong message. Having characters in movies continuously smoking cigarettes and never even considering the consequences of having sex may influence kids in a completely wrong way. All of these reasons strongly suggest that the role models portrayed in movies and television shows can influence the younger audiences in negative ways. If teenagers are continuously exposed to such behaviors their minds will adjust to thinking in a certain way and no matter how hard their loved ones will afterwards try to convince them that these activities are wrong, that these behaviors are wrong, they will not be capable of changing their minds. Dear parents, are you okay with your 14 year old daughter already indulging in sexual activity, and your 15 year old son reacting violently and aggressively to any confrontations? Dear world, do you believe it’s acceptable for young girls to stress about their appearance and feel bad about themselves simply because of the way they look? For boys to believe that sports are what they are bound to engage in to be liked? Directors of movies should start to think how to get society to think differently, rather than encourage its shallow beliefs. Fighting scenes should not be the only entertaining scenes for kids. More creative ways of how to entertain children in a positive way could be thought of. The modern teenage popular kids should all have different interests and be liked for who they are and not what they look like. Pathetic assumptions and senseless social statuses in general should be presented in a brighter way in programs. Unhealthy activities should be portrayed as the bad things to do rather than the â€Å"cool† things. Kids will follow their role models, and if they’re role models are doing good things, it’s likely they will too.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Us History Exam notes

An area in social life, Independent of government where Informed citizens can come together and discuss and Influence political action, a domain that used to be solely for political figures and upper society. What were the major components of the public sphere In colonial North America? The public sphere expanded with the raising of literacy rates and the view that participating in politics and reading was fashionable. Some of the influences were numerous coffee shops and pubs, lots of bookshops, Boston Newsletter, first continuously published newspaper.Which early American stands out for his contributions? Benjamin Franklin What were his three major contributions to the growth of the public sphere? Editing the Pennsylvania Gazette which was considered the best edited, founding the Junta, a forum for mutual Improvement and for discussion about politics, and the Library Company of Philadelphia which was the flirt establishment of circulating literature. What component of freedom was e ssential to the establishment and growth of the public sphere? Freedom of expression. Which famous libel trial demonstrated that this freedom was becoming ingrained in he popular imagination? 735 Publisher Zinger brought up on charge of libel against the governor, calling him corrupt, and after he showed evidence that the governor was corrupt he was found not guilty. This showed the public that the truth will always win. Columbian exchange- transatlantic flow of goods W > E – tomatoes, potatoes, cotton, tobacco, corn E > W – sugarcane, rice. Horses, pigs, sheep Black Legend- Based on Lass Cases' book shows image of Spain as uniquely brutal and exploitative colonizer, gives other countries Justification to colonize, challenge Spain's old French and Dutch are what kind of empires?Commercial, looking for trading, gold and the Northwest passage England Is what kind of empire? Colonizing, Individual men looking for land, and through the possession of land, freedom and bring them back to the home country to make it wealthier, not focusing on colonization or trade Northwest Passage- Route to Asia through N America English colonization begins with Jamestown in 1607 by Virginia Company 5 Attributes to English Freedom: 1. King subject to rule of law (Magna Cart) 2. Security of persons and property 3. Habeas corpus- cannot be held indefinitely w/out charge 4.Right to face your accuser 5. Right to trial by Jury Mercantilism: There is always a winner and a loser in trade, best to be the person with money, exports should always exceed imports Virginia- tobacco in Chesapeake region, swampy Pennsylvania- Religious freedom for Quakers, no slavery Georgia- meant to be a refuge for the English poor, became large slave owning plantation state, rice and indigo Carolinas: Indigo and Rice Rhode Island and New Jersey- religious freedom Massachusetts- formed with original Plymouth colony.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Air Pollution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Air Pollution - Essay Example The size of asbestos particles in relation to their risk to humans has been discussed. The methods used in assessing the risk of asbestos will be given. The global standards and problems associated with asbestos will be discussed. Most asbestos fibers that are respired are invisible to the unaided human eye since their size is just 3 to 20 micrometers long and can be as thin as 0.01 micrometers (Benarde, 1990, pp. 187-203). The human hair varies in size from 17 to 181 micrometer in width. Asbestos fibers eventually form after minerals initially cooled and crystallized, were shaped by the polymeric molecules that lined up parallel to each other and therefore formed oriented crystal lattices. The crystals formed have three cleavage planes, exactly like other gemstones and minerals have. But in the case of asbestos crystals, there are two cleavage planes that are to a great extent, much weaker than the third direction. When enough force is applied, they are inclined to break along their weakest directions and this result in a linear fragmentation pattern and consequently a fibrous form. This process of fracturing can keep happening and one larger asbestos fiber can eventually become the cause of hundreds of much smaller and thinner fibers. As the asbestos fibers get lighter and smaller, they more easily turn out to be airborne and exposure to the human respiratory can result. The asbestos fibers will finally settle but may be re-suspended movement such as air currents. The friability of a product that contains asbestos is a term used to say that the product is so weak in structure and soft that it can be shattered with simple finger crushing pressure. The ease of damage of friable materials makes them to have the most initial concern. The conditions or forces of usage that come into close contact with a large amount of non-friable materials that contain asbestos are considerably higher than finger pressure. Asbestos fibers can have severe effects on

Thursday, September 12, 2019

How do you use your time Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

How do you use your time - Essay Example his situation nudges at family and career values which would place me in a dilemma of making an effort of spending time with family and risking exhaustion before my business meeting. My cousin is earnest but not demanding in his invite. His personal credibility is beyond reproach and he is fair enough in not expecting my full commitment to the occasion. His intention in speaking to me is a motive bound in family values and he does not display any intention aside from inviting me to the occasion. His intention is also persuasive but not insistent. As an audience to his request, the family link played a large part in deciding whether or not I would or should consider his request. He knew that I too was aware of the importance of family and that there were already fewer occasions when the extended family got to gather and mingle with each other. This rhetorical situation revolves around the issue of whether or not I should give time for my family on an otherwise uneventful weekend and risk being too weary for my business travel on the weekday work week; or whether or not I should not join family and friends for a gathering in order to stay refreshed for my business engagement. The main lines of reasoning or argument used in this rhetorical situation are my obligation to family and my duty to my career – to perform at 100% capability during the weekday workweek. My cousin is quick to remind me the value of family, but I would have to make a crucial choice on the situation in a few hours time. My cousin appeals not so much on reason but on my emotions and obligations to my family. He is knowledgeable of the fact that I would really be too tired from travelling to and from the baptism and then again for my business trip. Based on that assessment alone, reason would dictate that I would be compromising the quality of my work when the weekday would come. And he does not bring that logical part of the issue in the conversation. Instead, he appeals to my

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

International marketing( optional) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International marketing( optional) - Essay Example An understanding of the nature of rivalry should begin from an assessment of the nature of products that the two companies deal with. Both companies manufacture highly developed smart phones, ipads, and other technology products with internet-aided applications (The Growth Agenda, 2012, p. 54). The inventory of these products consists of rapid innovations and advancements in technology in very short spans of time. Generally, the products range from simple to highly advanced technological gadgets that seek to satisfy different levels of the clientele. Over the times, both companies have attempted to break into new market segments or take over some of the segments held by their competitors. The course of these pursuits has involved suits of violation of patent rights to other matters that relate to the processes of regulation of the ethics of marketing and general commerce. As such, these companies have devised a range of strategies, which are meant to outpace each other in terms of te chnologies and marketing (Doole & Lowe, 2008, p.36). Samsung has sought to create pools of loyal clientele who cut across the various aspects of the market. The marketing strategies adopted are basically meant to show the other companies as weaker and less innovative in comparison to its own products. Some of the issues that affect the relationship between the two firms relates to the need to build a foil of the companies against which the technological strengths of Samsung might be manifest. On the other hand, Apple has sought to demonstrate the fact that it has a highly evolving technological framework that determines the manufacturing processes of the company. Generally, technological markets are some of the most fluid and unpredictable as compared to other markets. This is because of the fast-paced nature of innovations and technological factors create conditions that encourage competition between rivals in the same operational zone. Some of the issues that relate to the questio n of challenges are that it concerns issues of general commercial concern. The emerging patterns and trends of marketing has often related to the question of ethics versus and fair trading practices. There is an evident departure from ethics of marketing because the companies involved have significant control over significant market niches. The competition, rivalries, and conflicts that pit one company over another could be understood within the wider discourse of liberalization of the market economy. In the context of liberalization, some modern marketing practices often involve a determined from conventional and traditional ethics in ways that encourage the private of private interests at the expense of competitors (Hill & Jones, 2012). Malignant aspects of marketing have the potential of swaying the markets in favor of the direction of the companies involves. Such marketing practices often involve direct mention of certain elements that illustrate the weaknesses of the rival (Moo ij, 2009, p. 62). On this score, companies may deliberately choose to malign the weaknesses of their rivals with the overall objective of carrying out some form of a market coup on the competitor’s interests. Generally, marketing strategies are designed to affect the targeted clientele at the psychological level. Packaging of the psychological messages is usually

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Mandatory Overtime for Registered Nurses Research Paper

Mandatory Overtime for Registered Nurses - Research Paper Example opular profession, such as during the early years of the second World War, there was a surplus of nurses and trained professionals were being turned down for jobs. National and statewide assessments of hospital nurse staffing frequently utilize a measure that averages counts of â€Å"the number of nurses or hours of nursing care given the number of patients or patient days of care per hospital (Aiken, Sochalski, and Anderson 1996; Anderson and Kohn 1996; Spetz 1998; Buerhaus and Staiger 1999; Kovner, Jones, and Gergen 2000; Unruh 2002). These calculations provide a rough measure of nursing staff resources given patient volume, but they do not consider the intensity of nursing care† (Unruh and Fottler, 2006). Assessment has various parameters in delivery. The basic assumption of the current research is that mandatory overtime may compromise the quality of the care the client receives from the healthcare professional, because if someone has been made to work 12-hour shifts, they may be more likely to make mistakes with clients. Therefore, the basic issues are of safety in the healthcare delivery environment, in terms of the quality of car e that is received at the bottom line of the client. of personal problems. . Nonetheless, studies like Day’s feature advocacy of the 12-hour shifts of the flex time schedule in terms of support of both patients and nurses. â€Å"12-hour shifts would have positive effects for patients and staff in a ward environment. The results showed that the new shift pattern offered benefits for patients through improved communication, increased continuity of care and more content staff. The study illustrated the potential a new nursing shift pattern involving 12-hour shifts has for patient care, we well as for staff job satisfaction (sic)† (Day, 2004). In terms of advocacy, Day points out that flex time schedules may be a positive devleopment. But the contrary view is also included in Day’s article as a counter-point. â€Å"The report

MAN SEARCH FOR MEANING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MAN SEARCH FOR MEANING - Essay Example Uninterrupted and successive strokes of negative impacts naturally cause gloom leaving a sense of bleak future. Although intermittent, impacts of positive feedbacks create a sense of over confidence which many times pave way to egotism and subsequent pitfalls thereby maintaining a vicious cycle. Oscillation between these two ends weakens human mind to land on a clear cut understanding what the meaning of life is. In fact, it is very fluid. To conceptualize the concept the phenomena and the factor of time have necessarily to be judged in the right sense. For the meaning of life differs from man to man, from day to day and from hour to hour. What matters, therefore, is not the meaning of life in general but rather the specific meaning of a persons life at a given moment. As such, according to Frankl, any verdict, judgment or assessment at a moment is subject to change at any other moment. This passes much light on our sheer incapacity to act on the strength of our ideology framed already on the basis of previous affixing of meaning. Going by the events around us becomes inevitable in several circumstances especially when under the influence of fetters. Multifaceted approach is practically impossible as the only process of thinking is concentrated in getting the fetters released. Even the various aspects of ideologies are diverted towards the same direction. Only by allowing a very strong contention of good hope of release would make it possible to think outwards. Such strong contention allows accepting things as such. Once we begin to accept things as they are, a ray of brightness enters. Lateral thinking feasible only under conditions of complete fulfillment or contentment. However, honing of our thinking process is made convenient under fettered situations. Several mighty works of great people have emerged at prisons. This proves the truth that man begins to observe his own

Monday, September 9, 2019

Financial Risk Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Financial Risk Management - Assignment Example The banking and financial institutions of a country are responsible for the development and progress of different sectors in the economy. They mobilize household savings and lend it to the potential investors in a country. Investments made in the business corporations help them to expand and generate more employment opportunities in a country. Thus, financial institutions and banks play a pivotal rule in the progress of a nation (Saunders and Cornett, 2011). Figure 1: Classical Banking Model (Source: PPT) Figure 1 above depicts the simplest version of banking model in an economy. However the primary task of these institutions also constitute in offering loans to only the worthy borrowers. Rise in the threshold of bad debts result in acute loss of all the related economic entities. Thus, controlling credit, interest and operational risk is one of the most important tasks conducted by all financial institutions. However, the actual framework of banking system in an economy is more comp lex, this takes into account the market securities and banking risks involved in lending operations (ECB, 2011). Figure 2: Securitization Model of Banking (Source: PPT) Figure 3: Optimization Model (Source: PPT) Risks and Challenges to the Banking Institutions The modern banking and financial institutions have faced several challenges and risks in its process. One of the primary challenges is to introduce mobile banking as regular mode in all banking activities. They have executed several operations to stimulate growth in an economy, sustaining profit levels in an environment with low interest rates etc. They have taken active measures to enhance capital quality and improve capital surplus. Modern banks have tried their best to enrich customer relationship along with restoring public confidence regarding industry. In the recent years the managers of the financial institutions are giving high importance in risk managements. In 1970’s large sums of loans were offered by the fin ancial institutions to different business enterprises in the Eastern bloc, Latin American and less developed economies, but in 1980’s it was found that many borrowers were unable to pay back their loans in time. Government in many economies have introduced the tool of Sovereign Debt Ceiling. By this rule, the borrowers are forced to be defaulters even though they comprise strong credit rating. The global financial instability is increasing with time. Financial crisis in most of the developed and developing economies have increased the credit risks faced by the banking and financial institutions. Many developed economies are suffering from huge debts and failed projects are demanding implicit bail outs from the government. Figure 4: Emerging Market Risks (Source: IMF, 2011) The above cob wed model explains the increased market risks faced by banking and non banking financial institutions in the modern era. Banks and financial institutions deal with different currencies in diff erent economies thus they are often exposed to exchange rate fluctuation risks. They also suffer from high price volatility risks. Interest rate risks faced by the commercial banks are of different types. Repairing risks are also known as the maturity risks, these are the risks that arise due to the inverse relationships between bond prices and interest rates in the market. Basis risks are the ones that arise due t