Mammal research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Mammal - Research Paper Example Different mammals live in different habitats, depending on the kind of food they consume. Therefore, mammals can be found in deserts, near wetlands, forests, and near water bodies. This paper presents a study research that focuses on specific mammals referred to as â€Å"Otters,† and the research is about how otters socialize. There is presentation of data, and conclusions are made from the data. Otters are mammals that live or found in water, hence referred to as marine or aquatic mammals. These are considered to be the smallest kind of mammals that live in water. In order to keep warm, otters have thick fur on their body. There are different types of otters, including sea otters, giant otters, and river otters. One of the differentiating factors of these otters is their area of habitation. Nonetheless, otters can be found in Europe, Asia, North America, parts of North Africa, and South America. A common characteristic of all otters is that they exhibit a high level of social behaviour. These marine mammals for instance hang out in groups, based on their sexes. While female otters spend time together, their male counterparts also do spend their time together in groups. The otters that are mothers to young ones spend a great deal of their time nursing the young ones, as well as grooming them. These also carry their young ones on their chests (Dickerson 2-3). For this research on otters, it was important to locate a safe, convenient and accessible place, where otters could be found easily. This is mainly because, this is a primary research study, and hence first-hand experience was essential. It was deemed appropriate to conduct the research study in the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. This aquarium is located in Chicago, and is an indoor aquarium. In the aquarium, there are more than 30,000 marine animals, together with those that inhabit aerial and terrestrial environments (Shedd Aquarium Web). After scheduling and buying tickets, the study

College Life Essay Example for Free

College Life Essay I knew when I graduated from high school a new beginning was ahead of me. College was the only thing that was important to me because I knew that I would have to get a good education to get a good job to start a great career. I would have never expected myself to bounce from a community college to a vocational school back to a community college. There are so many choices of colleges and how their short term programs can really help the potential student. The truth of the matter is that there aren’t any short cuts in life, but how are these schools still standing. I was accepted into 3 universities to continue my post secondary education. I made my finally decision as to which one I was planning on attending, Norfolk State University in Norfolk Virginia. There was only one small problem; I was raised by a single mother so there wasn’t any money set aside for my college education. When this was brought to my attention it was too late to apply for scholarships and grants. However I did apply for financial aid but I didn’t qualify because according to the government my mother made to much money for me to get free money. So I did what any other determined person would do, enroll in community college, and work part-time for one year and then go away to school for the rest of my education. When I went to enroll in my first community college, Daley, I took a placement test to see what level I would be at for my general courses like English, Math and so forth. Once I received my results I was instructed to see a counselor and register for fall classes. The counselor that I saw wasn’t even a real counselor; she was a remedial English teacher who barley new the course catalog, but I trusted her input and enrolled in the recommended courses that I wouldn’t even need for my major at the time. When I finished my first semester at Daley my GPA was good for a freshman, but I didn’t save enough money to continue my education there. That’s when I moved to the south suburbs and started at South Suburban College. I attended South Suburban for a total of two semesters maintaining a GPA of 3. 2. I saved some money from the two jobs that I worked but that was barely enough for me to attend 1 semester at NSU. My mother was willing to help me out but she still had my little brother to raise. That was when I kept seeing ads for ITT Technical Institute. The ads simple said that I can graduate with an Associate’s Degree within two years or a Bachelor’s in three years. The commercial also stated that they will find employment for me and I can come back as an alumnus to take any course refreshers if needed to. I thought to myself, that is where I need to be attending as soon as the next semester starts. When I went to enroll I just knew that I would qualify for financial aid because I have been living on my own for almost two years, but once again I was declined and the school suggested that I take out a student loan, the school also said that I will need a co-signer since I don’t have any credit established. My mind was made up and I was going to attend this school, so I asked my mom of course to co-sign for me. She really didn’t trust this schools credibility, but she saw how important it meant to me so she applied along with my husband now, boyfriend at the time. I got my loans for school, totaling 60k for two years, enrolled and started in the fall of 2004. I went through my program for 2 years and received an Associate’s in Computer Electronics and Engineering Technology. When I graduated the school had jobs waiting for me but they had nothing to do with what I just spent the last two years of my life studying for.

Factors influencing assessment of language in school

Factors influencing assessment of language in school Due to the globalization, some people whose first language is not English are the fastest-growing school population, and in Australias classroom are becoming increasingly diverse. Take Deakin university for example, the students in the classroom come from Italy, America, China, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Australia and so on. Many students are from none English Speaking countries and different cultural background. They share the considerable challenge of having to learn English while responding to the subject-matter demands of school. This article is to explore the cultural understandings which underpin pedagogies used in international education. Moreover, there has been great recent interest in the social and policy context of language testing and assessment. McNamara (1998)comments on the recency of discussion of the ethics of language testing, an area in which social values are a main concern; while the previous relative neglect of these issues in research on language testing has been doc umented by Kunnan (1996), quoted from Hamp-Lyons article. Finally, because effective use of technology must be supported by significant investment in hardware, software, infrastructure, professional development, and support services, over the last decade, technology is introduced into the nations school systems, ultimately, the schools will be held accountable for these investments. Assessment refers to the collection and interpretation of information about learners knowledge, skills, strategies and attitudes. It is a vital and integral part of classroom instruction, and serves several purposes and audiences.Assessment polices exert considerable influence over the education of English language learners because assessment influence the identification, classification, placement, and ongoing monitoring of students. Sometimes the assessment results can help the students to improve their abilities and the quality of instruction. Assessment practices were not designed with the diversity o f current population of English language learners in their mind. As a result, assessment practices have also sometimes prevented students who are learning English from gaining access to a high quality education. Many learners complain that the English language tests are too much, in fact their abilities and skills have not been adequately assessed because traditional testing practices do not capture all that they know and can do. This essay will argue that the culture, policy and social condition, the educational background and technology impact on assessment of language in Australia. In planning assessments to be taken by the general student population, including English language learners, the general principles of good assessment practices apply. This article describes different steps within the planning process, highlighting issues most relevant to the assessment of English language learners. First of all, the policy and social considerations influence on language assessment. McNamara (1998) mentions that the use of tests as an arm of policy reform in education and vocational training has grown, and it has been incorporated as an aspect of immigration policy. These developments have invited the kind of analysis made relevant by the new frameworks for thinking about tests outlined above. The policy influence on the school and university educational systems and even the workforce. National governments often require language tests or other formal assessment procedures to be used. Test fairness is a particularly important quality when tests are related to migration, residency or citizenship. Moreover, as labor mobility has risen and immigrant and refugee flows become a more entrenched part of the present global situation, the assessment of language skills has assumed importance in the context of immigration policy, especially in Australia. Besides that the concern of governme nts for greater industrial efficiency, and the needs of vocational education and training of workforces in rapidly changing environments of production, have motivated a range of policy initiatives which have had implications for assessment. In the past 15 years, language assessment has become increasingly uses as an instrument of policy in the areas of school education, vocational training, and immigration. Khattri and Sweet (1996) demonstrate that the policy context supporting the introduction of performance assessment in school and vocational training contexts at national, state, and district levels, quoted from McNamara article. Therefore, policy makers should be aware that there are some other kinds of assessment which may also be appropriate. Tests and other methods of assessment have their own particular benefits which relating to characteristics such as impact on the candidate, the interpretability of results, standardization and reliability of the results which means that it is easy to compare candidates across the same or different administrations, and cost and practicability. It is very significant that the requirements of the situation are considered carefully to identify the most appropriate kind of assessment. It should also be noted that a combination of assessment methods is possible. Brindley argues that the function of such frameworks in providing greater accountability for systems in their delivery of language training potentially involves a conflict with the educational needs of learners and the goals of teachers. For example, as notes in the ETS standards for quality and fairness, validity is one of the most important attributes of an assessment. Validity is commonly referred to as the extent to which a test measurement what it claims to measure. For English language learners, as well as for all populations, it is critical to consider the degree to which interpretations of their test results are valid reflections of the skill or proficiency that an assessment is intended measure (Educational Testing Service, 2009). Language assessment is a measure of language ability for the ELLs. According to study guide, the Rasch model attempt to generalize from test data to estimate candidate ability and item characteristics (difficulty, discrimination and fit to the model). Estimates of candidate ability take task or item difficulty into account and are based on the assumption that the propability of a correct response is a function of the difference between the persons ability and difficulty of the task. For instance, ESL tests are being increasingly used by the Australia government to manage immigration. One test, assess, raises ethical issues in the way it is used to limit numbers and types of immigrants. There are many immigrants from the other countries want to move to Australia, the government should take effective measures to control this situation; the other, step, was used to hasten the determination of residential statu s for substantial numbers of asylum seekers (McNamara, 1998). The Australian tradition of using language tests in immigration policy contexts, dating back to the notorious dictation test which was used to implement a blatantly discriminatory immigration policy until the 1960s, is analyzed by Davies (1996). Cumming (1994) has stressed the responsibility of language assessment practice to promote the welfare of immigration. As a result, where language assessment is being considered, policy makers are urged to first consider issues at a deeper level. 690 Second of all, different language and educational background influences the assessment of English language learners. This point of view describes factors to consider when developing assessments and make useful decisions relate to testing accommodations for English language learners. The factors provide useful context for the guidelines presented in the later parts of the document. As for language factors, many English language learners in Australia are from a wide range of linguistic backgrounds. This is particularly important to keep in mind when considering the use of native language testing accommodations, since it may not be possible to provide assessments in all native languages represented in a large school district to a state. For example, in Deakin University English Language Institute (DUELI), which is a language training school related to Deakin University, many overseas students are from different country, they can communicate with each other in English, through a period o f language learning, at the end of the step there is a language assessment provided. That is to detct the progress of students in language learning. Furthermore, different levels of proficiency in English for English language learners will influence their assessment of language. They may have varying levels of oral and written English proficiency. It also conclude the native speakers, some may not have had any formal schooling in their native language. The language learners should not be assumed that they can converse easily in language learning will have the literacy skills necessary to understand the written directions for a standardized test. Some English language learners may be proficient in the English used for interpersonal communications but not in the academic English needed to fully access content-area assessments (Educational Testing Service, 2009). According to some research that shows the level of language proficiency has an influence on processing speed. Comparing with native speakers, English language learners probably take longer on tasks presented in English. This is important to keep in mind when designing and scoring the assessment, as well as when making decisions about testing accommodations. In addition, as for educational background factors, English language learners vary widely in the level of formal schooling they have had in their native language (Educational Testing Service, 2009). The degree of native language formal schooling affects not only native language, but also for the assessment of English language learners. The other the proficiency of the language learners in literacy in the native language is involving the skills and knowledge. For instance, some students are refugee people, they want to go to the school which the educational system with little or no formal schooling in any language. These students must learn English and content-area knowledge simultaneously, while also being socialized into a school context that may be extremely unfamiliar. The other English language learners may come to the formal schooling and may have received instruction in the content area in their native language. Accord to Educational Testing Service (2009) describes the primary challenge for these students is simply to change their existing content knowledge into English. In addition, these factors come into play when making decisions about appropriate accommodations. Moreover, there are vary degrees of exposure to standardized testing, it should not be assumed that the English language learners have had the same exposure to the standardized testing that is prevalent in Australia. The learners in some countries may have had no exposure to multiple-choice questions, while those from other countries may never have seen a constructed-response question. Even English language learners from educationally advantaged backgrounds and with high levels of English language proficiency may not be accustomed to standardized, large-scale assessments and may be at a disadvantage in these testing situations. Thirdly, cultural factors can be potential sources of construct-irrelevant variance that add to the complex of appropriately assessing English language learners. Culture is an important facet of the learners social environment as cultural beliefs guide and direct behaviour. Each culture has different value systems and these guides the individual. English language learners are from a wide range of cultural background, and cultural difference may place the English language learners at a disadvantage in a standardized testing situation. Lack of familiarity with mainstream Australia culture, they may potentially have an impact on test scores for English language learners. The learners who are unfamiliar with Australia culture may be at disadvantage relative to their peers because they may hold different assumptions about the testing situation or the educational environment in general, have different background knowledge and experience, or unfamiliar with Australia culture may be at a pos sess different sets of cultural values and beliefs, and therefore respond to questions differently (Accord to Educational Testing Service, 2009). In fact, assessment the true value of language assessment is to check the language learners learning level, and based on the assessment results to help students progress. Culture differences are inevitable factors and impact on language assessment obviously. In addition, assessment can be used for a variety of purpose such as diagnosis of learners strengths and weaknesses, grading of learners performance, placement of learners in an appropriate class or teaching programme, and evaluation of learners for further studies. August, D., Pease-Alvarez, L. (1996) maintains that assessment presented builds on the school-wide and classroom cultures, policies, and practices that characterize effective schools for English language learners. Elements of these include a core curriculum aligned with rigorous content standards, student assessment that i s culturally responsive, teacher knowledge of strategies that support students cultural backgrounds, and a challenging and responsive learning environment. Every element of the model is first presented in a research-based discussion and then followed by attributes of effective practices based on examples from school sites. All cultures promote specific norms of behavior that can influence the assessment and intervention process with members of ethnically diverse groups, cultural issues related to the assessment process and culturally sensitive recommendations. Last but not least, technological aspects impact on assessment of language in schools. Each technology is likely to play a different role in students learning. Rather than trying to describe the impact of all technologies as if they were the same, researchers need to think about what kind of technologies are being used in the classroom and for what purposes, applied linguists might consider technology in language assessment by discussing ways in which streamlines the testing process. Two general distinctions can be made. Students can learn from computers-where technology used essentially as tutors and serves to increase students basic skills and knowledge; and can learn with computers-where technology is used a tool that can be applied to a variety of goals in the learning process and can serve as a resource to help develop higher order thinking, creativity and research skills (Reeves, 1998; Ringstaff Kelley, 2002). In fact, much progress can be identified with respect to this worth while goal, as many language tests today are delivered on microcomputers and over the internet. An equally important strand of language assessment concerns its effects on language learning, language teaching, and knowledge within the field of applied linguistics. The story of technology in language assessment needs to encompass both the efficiency of technical accomplishments, which is evident in part through the success of testing programs in constructing technology-based tests, as well as the effects of these test. Technology can encompass a board range of devices used in the testing process, from recording equipment, statistical programs, and data bases, to programs capable of language recognition (Burstein, Frase, Ginther, and Grant, 1996). Many different types of technology can be used to support and improve learning, involving the language assessment. Everything from video content and digital moviemaking to laptop computing and handheld technologies have been used in classroom s, and new uses of technology such as podcasting are constantly emerging(Marshall, 2002). For example, writing assessment is a suitable point which can support this belief that the students can become better writers when they use the computer for writing. By creating more frequent opportunities for students to learn, Students writing in digital form makes it possible to analyze writing quality in more detail, grade the writing by automated means, and provide immediate feedback to both the student and the teacher about how well the student performed (Miller, 2009), quoted from Bejar (2010). A digital writing environment also can provide students with tools or scaffolds (Deane, Quinlan, Kostin, in press) that can facilitate writing. The feasibility of detailed writing analysis also makes it possible to study the development of writing skills and to chart their development on a meaningful scale (Attali Powers, 2008). Many years ago, access to technology was limited and writing school was one of the nations highest education priorities. Public schools have also made consistent progress in expanding Internet access in instructional rooms. Technology is introduced into our nations school systems. Along with expanded access has come a growing pervasiveness of technology in society. For the new generation of young people, technology, particularly the Internet, has assumed a substan tial stake in their social and educational lives. To sum up, English as a world language, in the past few decades a significant change about the language, researchers have found that these changes not only from English language itself, but also from other factors. This chapter has attempted to outline the issues that need to be considered and, by implication, the issues for which policy makers should take responsibility. The questions of what type of assessment is necessary for the intended purpose, and what it can be expected to measure should be considered first. For the successful use of a language test for migration and citizenship purposes, those who define the policy must work with the test providers on several aspects after the decision to use a test has been made. During these changes will impact on language -related changes in language teaching and assessment. Assessment is the practice of collecting evidence of student learning. In the past, the English test or assessment still to the native English speakers of the languag e for criteria, which language closed to the native English speakers is a good standard of evaluation results, and vice versa is not up to the standard learning objectives. Language testing and evaluation is changed now, set the highest standards and evaluate the assessment of the highest standards from the distance and differences, and then view the object of study and progress through the content analysis. Language assessment also based on the different factors is change, and position of the language assessment is more important in the world, therefore, linguists, educators, and testing evaluators should pay more attention on the advantages and limitations of the language assessment, and to grasp these changes then take effective measures.

Beyond the Themepaper :: Personal Narrative Papers

Beyond the Theme I woke up yesterday morning, as I always do, at 7:30. I showered, got dressed, brushed my teeth and did my usual morning routine, and then suddenly, while leaning over my bowl of corn pops, which burst from my mouth with the force of an F-10 at lift off, I got it! "Yes, yes, yes," I yelled as I did a back and forth arm movements just like football players do when they get a touchdown, and danced around my dining room, still mindful of my neighbors downstairs, of course. So this is what it's all about I think to myself. Could this really be what Dr. Morgan and the rest of the class has been trying to get me to see? I had just realized that the only way I would be able to go anywhere with this assignment would be to to step out of my body, a body which is so tuned to writing themepapers, and to take a chance at seeing things from a different angle. And so there I was, looking down at myself with the perspective of a bird. I took a moment to admire myself from above. I noticed that I slouch and that my part is very crooked. I saw myself sitting in a small room with tan wallpaper and with no windows. I am sitting at a desk and everything looks normal and simple. And then I notice that I have a frustrated look on my face and I am surrounded by several crumpled up sheets of paper. "Why do I look so perturbed," I ask myself? And then I remembered why I was up here-- that gall darn paper about getting beyond the theme. Oh, yeah. How to get beyond the theme? Well, since I am up here and I have left my body for a while, I might as well take advantage of all the space and room up here and explore and do some things that I couldn't or wouldn't have done down there. I will be a voyager. I am free. Free to think. Hmmmm. Themewriting. What does it mean to go beyond the theme, that unexplored territory few of us have voyaged to or beyond and that many of my classmates and I are struggling to understand. Hmmm. And then, for the second time in less than a few hours, I had another revelation.

Legal Requirements for Employee Benefits Essay

As we discussed earlier in this chapter, some benefits are required by law. This requirement adds to the cost of compensating employees. Organizations looking for ways to control staffing costs may look for ways to structure the workforce so as to minimize the expense of benefits. They may require overtime rather than adding new employee, hire part-time rather than full-time workers(because part-time employees generally receive much smaller benefits packages),and use independent contractors rather than hire employees. Some of these choices are limited by legal equirements, however. For example ,the Fair Labor Standards Act requires overtime pay for nonexempt workers, as discussed in chapter 11. Also,the Internal Revenue Service strictly limits the definition of â€Å"independent contractors,â€Å" so that employees cannot avoid legal obligations by classifying workers as self-employed when the organization receives the benefits of a permanent employee . Other legal requirements involve tax treatment of benefits ,antidiscrimination laws, and accounting for benefits. Tax treatment of benefits A modern, flexible benefit plan provides a number of potential tax advantages to employees and employers. Employees A flexible benefit plan allows employees to choose to swap some of their existing benefits or purchase benefits from a menu of options. Payments in excess of the employees spending allowance are normally collected via a gross salary adjustment. If employees exchange salary for tax exempt benefits (pensions, life cover, childcare vouchers, mobile phones, etc. ), they do not pay tax or National Insurance on the amount exchanged. This gives a basic rate tax payer earning less than the National Insurance (NI) Upper Earnings Limit (UEL) a saving of 33% compared to receiving the money as salary. For example, an employee that exchanges ? 200 per month of their salary for childcare vouchers and additional pension payments will save ? 792 in tax and NI compared to taking the money as salary. Even if the benefits are not tax exempt, employees can still exchange salary for employer provided benefits and, whilst they will be charged income tax, they save NI as their salaries have been reduced by the value of the benefit. This gives employees earning under the UEL an 11% saving. Employers Employers participating in a flexible benefit plan do not pay employer’s NI on payments on payments to exempt benefits. If these payments have been exchanged from salary by employees then the employer will save 12. 8% employers NI on the amounts. For example, an employee that exchanges ? 200 per month of their salary for childcare vouchers and additional pension payments will deliver an annual NI saving to the employer of ? 307. Antidiscrimination Laws  Legal treatment of men and woman includes equal access to benefits, so the organization may not use the employee’s gender as the basic for providing more limited benefits. That is the rationale for the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which requires that employers treat pregnancy or childbirth, the employee needs time off for conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth, the employee would receive whatever disability benefits the organization offers to employees who take disability leave for other reasons. Another area of concern in the treatment of male and female employees is pension benefits. On average, woman live longer than men, so on average, pension benefits for female employees are more expensive (because the organization pays the pension longer), other things being equal. Some organizations have used this difference as a basis for requiring that female employees contribute more than male employees as a basis for requiring that female employees contribute more than male employees to defined benefit plans. The Supreme Court in 1978 determined that such a requirement is illegal. According to the Supreme Court, the law is intended to protect individuals, and when women are considered on an individual basis ( not as averages ), not every woman outlives every man. Age discrimination is also relevant to benefits policies. Two major issues have received attention under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and amendments. First, employers must take care not to discriminate against workers over age 40 in providing pay or benefits. For example, employers may not set an age at which retirement benefits stop growing as a way to pressure older workers to retire. Also, early retirement incentive programs need to meet certain standards. The programs may not coerce employees to retire, they must provide accurate information about the options available, and they must give employees enough time to make a decision. In effect, employees must really have a choice about whether they retire. When employers offer early retirement, they often ask employees to sign waivers saying they will not pursue claims under the ADEA. The Older Workers Benefit Protection Act of 1990 set guidelines for using these waivers. The waivers must be voluntary and understandable to the employee and employer , and they must spell out the employee’s rights under the ADEA. Also , in exchange for signing the waiver, the employee must receive â€Å"compensation† that is , greater benefits than he or she would otherwise receive upon retirement. The employer inform employee that they may consult a lawyer before signing, and employee must have time to make a decision about signing-21 days before signing plus 7 days afterward in which they can revoke the agreement. The Americans with Disabilities Act imposes requirements related to health insurance. Under the ADA, employees with disabilities must have â€Å"equal access to whatever health insurance coverage the employer provides other employees. â€Å"Even so, the terms and conditions of health insurance may be based on risk factors -as long as the employer does not use this basis as a way to escape offering health insurance to someone with a disability. From the standpoint of avoiding legal challenges, an employer who has risk-based insurance and then hires an employee with a disability is in a stronger position than an employer who switches to a risk-based policy after hiring a disabled employee. Accounting Requirements Companies’ financial statement must meet the many requirements of the Financial Accounting standards Board ( FASB) . These accounting requirements are intended to ensure that financial statements are a true picture of the company’s financial status and that outsiders, including potential lenders and investors , can understand and compare financial statements . Under FASB standards, employers must set aside the funds they expect to need for benefits to be paid after retirement, rather than funding those benefits on a pay-as-you-go basis. On financial statement, those funds must appear as future cost obligations. For companies with substantial retirement benefits, reporting those benefits as future cost obligations greatly lowers income each year. Along with rising benefits costs. This reporting requirement has encouraged many companies to scale benefits to retirees. Summarize the regulation affecting how employers design and administer benefits program. Employers must provide the benefits that are required by law, and they may not improperly classify employees as â€Å"independent contractors† to avoid paying benefits. Tax treatment of qualified plans is favorable, so organizations need to learn the requirements for setting up benefits as qualified plans-for example, ensuring that pension plans do not discriminate in favor of the organization’s highly compensated employees. Employers may not use employees’ gender as the basis for discriminating against anyone, as in pension benefits on the basis that women as a group may live longer. Nor may employers discriminate against workers over age 40 in providing pay or benefits, such as pressuring older workers to retire by limiting retirement benefits When employers offer early retirement, they must meet the requirements of the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act of 1990. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, employers must give disabled employees equal access to health insurance. To meet the requirements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board, employers must set aside the funds they expect to need for retirement benefits ahead of time, rather than funding the benefits on a pay-as-you-go basis

History of Fashion Essay

Fashion has always been a reflection of the collective consciousness and unconsciousness of society. In politically conservative times, fashion reflects the staidness of the majority, but also the subversive elements of the minority. No less a controversial figure than King Louis XIV of France was rumored to have said that fashion was a mirror. Music, films, and television, all potent pop culture mirrors in their own right of the anxieties, hopes, and dreams of any society, all collectively form a synergistic relationship with fashion, each informing, influencing, and cross-pollinating the others in various turns. Fashion is also a pop culture manifestation of the intellectual and cultural trend of postmodernism. Fashion depends on newness; summer, fall, winter, spring are seasons that occur inexorably each year, and with them, the demand for new fashion lines. The inexhaustible hunger for new ideas and inspirations in fashion and other pop culture arenas leads inevitably to cannibalization, plagiarism, re-contextualization, and re-imagination of ideas past and present – the essence of postmodernism. If we survey the landscape of where pop culture and fashion have been, we can to some degree predict the elements which may define where it will go, though in the postmodern universe of the 21st century, it is next to impossible to predict what incarnations will come to pass. Fashion is the byproduct of a leisure society that has transcended many of the basic human struggles on the lower level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Most people in prosperous Western nations are fortunate enough to lead lives in which the acquisition and/or maintenance of food, shelter, and clothing is not a struggle that consumes their existence, as is sadly true in many African nations, for example. Free to ponder the meaning of their lives and the many ways in which it is possible for humans to express their inner thoughts and feelings, citizens of the leisure society began to use fashion as a mode of self-expression and reflection of any number of zeitgeists of their time. As far back as the 1700s, French women consulted fashion magazines to learn the latest fashion trends. Sketch artists were present in royal courts to make note of the fashion choices made by the ruling classes, and communicated these ideas to dressmakers across the nation, who in turn crafted facsimiles for those who were able to afford such fashion mimicry. The French have historically held a special place in the fashion universe since this time. As the 1800s and 1900s saw Western societies evolve from agrarian societies to industrial societies, with the concurrent increase in wealth and disposal income, the focus on and indulgence in fashion increased. With the advent of pop music, most notably rock-and-roll in the 1950s, and television, teenagers all around the world saw the likes of Elvis Presley and his gyrating hips, causing a global fashion sensation. Boys everywhere began to sport white t-shirts (in whose sleeves the more raucous ones rolled packs of cigarettes), blue jeans, and grease their hair. Celebrities from the arenas of music, film, and then television became the new royalty, the new elites, for Western cultures, and the fashion trends they embodies became inspirations for millions in each successive generation. The messages of rock-and-roll became more complex, subversive, and powerful in the 1960s, corresponding with the United States’ controversial entry into the Vietnam War and a wholesale rejection on both sides of the Atlantic of many of the traditional values of the Cold War era. The Beatles’s turn from fresh-scrubbed, feel-good bubblegum pop to psychedelic and metaphysical subject matter influences a new set of fashion trends which shocked the Establishment to the core. Men and women everywhere began wearing colorful (both literally and figuratively), outrageously expressive, and even outlandish fashions, and allowing their hair to grow long. The exhaustion from the myriad political and socio-cultural revolutions of the 1960s, and the stagnant Western economies of the 1970s gave way to a culture preoccupied with escapism and simply having a good time. Sit-ins and political protests gave way to champagne-filled boogie nights. The flower-power psychedelia fashion trends of the late 1960s and early 1970s gave way to the groovy leisure suit styles inspired by the music trend of disco that consumed the world from roughly 1976 to 1980 and cemented by the global box office phenomenology of the film Saturday Night Fever, starring John Travolta and featuring a soundtrack packed with disco hits written by the Bee Gees. The tight-fitting and well-cut suits worn by Travolta, and the sexy, stylish dresses and pantsuits of the women in the film inspired millions to change their wardrobes accordingly. On the tail end of the disco era came a brief but potent preoccupation with cowboy fashion, inspired by the peculiar utilitarian clothing from the American Old West – cowboy boots, rugged blue jeans, ten-gallon cowboy hats, etc. , again propelled into the collective fashion consciousness of the world by another hugely successful film, 1982’s Urban Cowboy. At the same time the fashion trends inspired by disco and cowboy culture were dying out, the realm of the political again profoundly affected the universe of fashion. The elections of conservative political figureheads Margaret Thatcher in England and Ronald Reagan in the U.  S. sparked a schizophrenic revolution in clothing and music: as economic recoveries were engineered on the backs of the working poor, the culture that proclaimed â€Å"greed is good† took to reveling in the wearing conservative, yet expensive or even shocking clothing – furs, for example — which reflected the mindset of conspicuous consumption. Simultaneously, those cultural elements who were not benefiting from the economic boom were rebelling against the conservative establishment trends and adopting controversial styles embodied, for example, in the slut-chic clothing popularized by the music and videos of Madonna. Music videos, a new invention in pop culture and institutionalized by the power of MTV, became a new showcase for outrageous fashion statements in the 1980s and beyond. The greed and spiritual bankruptcy of the 1980s gave way to the hippie nouveaux culture of the Earth-and-cause-friendly early-to-mid 1990s, and then to the greed nouveaux culture of the late 1990s, spawned by the phenomenal economic growth of the Internet boom. By this time, pop culture had begun to liberally cannibalize itself for new ideas, having exhausted much of its potential for true originality. As technology and civilization continue their exponential evolution of consumption, genuinely original ideas become more and more difficult to generate, leading fashion designers to borrow from past ideas, to combine hitherto uncombined or un-combinable ideas, as evidenced by the infamous phrase â€Å"What’s old is new; what’s new is old. The early 21st Century is a time of profound uncertainty in fashion, with a myriad of recycled influences competing for the crown of the next hot fashion trend. The inherent self-referentiality and cannibalism of post-modernism, however, makes it virtually impossible to predict which trends will take hold and when. The next decade will make for a fascinating time in the universe of fashion.

The Advantage of Marginal Analysis for Decision Making

The Advantage of Marginal Analysis for Decision Making From an economists perspective, making choices involves making decisions at the margin that is, making decisions based on small changes in resources: How should I spend the next hour?How should I spend the next dollar? In fact, economist Greg Mankiw lists under the 10 principles of economics in his popular economics textbook the notion that rational people think at the margin.  On the surface, this seems like a strange way of considering the choices made by people and firms. It is rare that someone would consciously ask themselves How will I spend dollar number 24,387? or How will I spend dollar number 24,388? The idea of marginal analysis doesnt require that people explicitly think in this way, just that their actions are consistent with what they would do if they did think in this way.    Approaching decision making from a marginal analysis perspective does have some distinct advantages: Doing so leads to the optimal decisions being made, subject to preferences, resources and informational constraints.It makes the problem less messy from an analytic point of view, as we are not trying to analyze a million decisions at once.While this does not exactly mimic conscious decision-making processes, it does provide results similar to the decisions people actually make. That is, people may not think using this method, but the decisions they make are as if they do. Marginal analysis can be applied to both individual and firm decision making. For firms, profit maximization is achieved by weighing marginal revenue versus marginal cost. For individuals, utility maximization is achieved by weighing the  marginal benefit versus marginal cost. Note, however, that in both contexts the decision maker is performing an incremental form of cost-benefit analysis. Marginal Analysis: An Example To gain some more insight, consider the decision regarding how many hours to work, where the benefits and costs of working are designated by the following chart:Hour - Hourly Wage - Value of TimeHour 1: $10 - $2Hour 2: $10 - $2Hour 3: $10 - $3Hour 4: $10 - $3Hour 5: $10 - $4Hour 6: $10 - $5Hour 7: $10 - $6Hour 8: $10 - $8Hour 9: $15 - $9Hour 10: $15 - $12Hour 11: $15 - $18Hour 12: $15 - $20The hourly wage represents what one earns for working an extra hour - it is the marginal gain or the marginal benefit.The value of time is essentially an opportunity cost   it is how much one values having that hour off. In this example, it represents a marginal cost what it costs an individual to work an additional hour. The increase in marginal costs is a common phenomenon; one usually doesnt mind working a few hours since there are 24 hours in a day. She still has plenty of time to do other things. However, as an individual starts to work more hours, it reduces the number of hours she has for other activities. She has to start giving up more and more valuable opportunities to work those extra hours.It is clear that she should work the first hour, as she gains $10 in marginal benefits and loses only $2 in marginal costs, for a net gain of $8.By the same logic, she should work the second and third hours as well. She will want to work until the time at which the marginal cost exceeds the marginal benefit. She will also want to work the 10th hour as she receives a net benefit of #3 (marginal benefit of $15, marginal cost of $12). However, she will not want to work the 11th hour, as the marginal cost ($18) exceeds the marginal benefit ($15) by three dollars.Thus marginal analysis suggests that rational maximizing behavior is to work for 10 hours. More generally, optimal outcomes are achieved by examining marginal benefit and marginal cost for each incremental action and performing all of the actions where marginal benefit exceeds the  marginal cost and none of the actions where marginal cost exceeds the  marginal benefit. Because marginal benefits tend to decrease as one does more of an activity but marginal costs tend to increase, the  marginal analysis will usually define a unique optimal level of activity.

Picking Up Where You Left Off By Earning An Online Degree Essay Example

Picking Up Where You Left Off By Earning An Online Degree Essay Example Picking Up Where You Left Off By Earning An Online Degree Essay Picking Up Where You Left Off By Earning An Online Degree Essay Not everything happens in life exactly how we picture that it will; in fact most things do not happen as we pictured them. Such is the complexity of life and our ability to enjoy it; if we are somehow able to go along for the ride and adjust accordingly than we may suffer far less disappointment. That does not mean, however, that it is necessary to simply give up our dreams. While dreams may be derailed at times, sometimes they are worth pursuing again in the future. Such is often the case with earning a college degree. While some of us went straight to college and finished our degree in four years – even going on to earn graduate degrees – there are those of us who never made it and left school without earning their degree. Life circumstances may have been such that the pursuit of such a degree was a low priority in the face of other opportunities, financial hardships, or life changes. But for a great many students who left school without that degree in hand, the desire to achieve it never really goes away. And perhaps they revisit the idea somewhere down the road – for personal accomplishment, to further a career, or to begin a new profession. What these students may find is that the opportunities for higher education have changed in the way of online degree programs offered for non-traditional students. In fact, many universities and colleges – bolstered by the availability and popularity of the Internet – offer online degree programs today, so that students can earn their degree without taking a leave of absence from their jobs – or their lives.

Goodwill and CSR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Goodwill and CSR - Essay Example This means that it is left up to the management and leadership teams of commercial enterprises to determine whether such policies and procedures require development and how to effectively cope in the midst of a crisis situation that relies on the business extending a goodwill gesture for community support. Kyoto University (2007) offers that successful business operations are irrefutably linked with trust-building efforts with community citizens and stakeholders. Therefore, lack of legal backing and the undeniable truth that business success is linked to trust somewhat forces management and leadership to consider the value of corporate social responsibility when making goodwill decisions such as those proposed in the case studies. Â  In the event that a situation occurred where a business is dependent on market stability and customer interactions as part of their supply chain, crisis scenarios in which the business is called upon to extend physical support such as using the facility as a disaster triage center represents a considerable risk. In the case involving Kaspa Financial Services, there were concerns over potential liability claims for disaster victims who might choke on their food offerings as well as lost revenues from disgruntled shareholders (to name only a few). The financial and reputational risks to the business were significant if the company decided to offer the facilities to the disposal of disaster management personnel and victims of the disaster.

Kind of sport ball Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Kind of sport ball - Essay Example o establish and market its brand name, which is a trusted and well-known national brand as designer clothing and a private label that has several low-cost, well-located, and leased stores throughout the U.S. (Pride & Ferrell 36). This has helped the company attract and retain loyal shoppers. The company management has also gained staffing confidence in its market through the achievements of its managers and employees and awards given to its staff. Kmart has adopted and implemented turn-around strategy, which has significantly transformed management structure. This implies that unprofitable stores and underperforming employees are retrenched, in any renewal (Pride & Ferrell 36). This strategy ensures that a high performing staff is retained, and employees are promoted to where they can work effectively. Kmart has also managed to limit face-to-face competition from its key competitors, such as Wal-mart and Target, by locating its stores away from them. It has employed expertise that plans the appearance and layout of stores to satisfy different customer segments (Pride & Ferrell 36). Finally, the company has established an effective retailing system through focusing on certain key areas of technology. This system helps in controlling supplier payments and inventory. It also monitors income versus profit margins, and track customer behaviors across all stores (Pride & Ferrell

Impending Extinction of Steelhead Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Impending Extinction of Steelhead - Essay Example This is attributed to human activities. Along with the scientific developments came the human population explosion. Hundreds of habitats are being destroyed to serve as agricultural or residential lands. Excessive harvesting of animal meat has led to the decline of reproducing population. Irresponsible disposal of garbage and chemicals has further narrowed life opportunities for organisms. This paper will explore on the reasons for impending extinction of the steelhead. It will also look at the measures taken by concerned entities in preventing this from happening. Our focus would be in the steelhead habitat in the Washington State. This paper is aimed at providing the reader knowledge of what is currently being done today to address the environmental problem. Steelheads are characterized by a dark-olive color, shading to silvery-white on the underside with a heavily speckled body and a pink to red stripe running along their sides. They can reach up to 55 pounds (25 kg) in weight and 45 inches (120 cm) in length. An adult female steelhead will prepare a redd (or nest) in a stream area with suitable gravel type composition, water depth, and velocity. It then deposits 4 to 5 eggs in "nesting pockets" within a single redd. The eggs hatch within 3 to 4 weeks. The juvenile steelhead ... It then deposits 4 to 5 eggs in "nesting pockets" within a single redd. The eggs hatch within 3 to 4 weeks. The juvenile steelhead rears in the freshwater for 1 to 4 years before migrating individually to the open ocean. It stays in the marine environment for 1 to 5 years after which it returns to the freshwater streams and rivers of their birth in order to mate. This process is called anadromy. Unlike other Pacific salmonids, steelheads can spawn more than once and will but will again migrate through estuaries to the ocean. Migrations can reach hundreds of miles as evidenced by a fish tagged in the Sea of Japan and caught six months thereafter in the Skagit River of northern Washington. Some streams host two runs of steelhead, a summer run (returning in summer and early fall and spawning in early to mid-winter) and a winter run (returning in early winter to late spring and spawning within this time frame). FOOD Young steelheads feed primarily on zooplankton. Adults feed on aquatic and terrestrial insects, mollusks, crustaceans, fish eggs, minnows and even other small fishes including other trout. PREDATORS: Fish, mammals, and birds are the primary natural predators of steelhead. Fish predators include the northern pike minnow, walleyes, and smallmouth bass, channel catfish, sculpins, white sturgeon and even some adult salmonids like adult bull trout, rainbow/steelhead trout, cutthroat trout, brook trout, and brown trout. Fish-eating birds present in the Upper Columbia Basin include great blue herons, gulls, osprey, common mergansers, American dippers, cormorants, Caspian terns, belted kingfishers, common loons, western grebes, black-crowned night herons and bald eagles. Mammalian

Merger and Acquisition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Merger and Acquisition - Essay Example Johnson & Johnson, on the other hand, is one of the biggest names in the healthcare industry, serving customers around the globe with its baby care products, medical devices, medicines, body nutrition and other day to day consumer products (Jnj.com, 2013). The announcement by Johnson & Johnson had created waves in corporate world; firstly, this marked the biggest acquisition in this industry, and secondly it had multiple-fold effects disturbing many organizations within and outside the industry. Strategic Justification Johnson & Johnson was observed to be laying great emphasis on healthcare sector in recent years, and wanted to shift its focus from consumer products to healthcare products. Thus, in the words of CEO of Johnson & Johnson, acquisition of Synthes was all part of the big plan for Johnson & Johnson: becoming most wide-range orthopedics and neurological business, serving customers worldwide in medical industry. This has enabled Johnson & Johnson to be the absolute provider of all related services in supply chain of orthopedics with a comprehensive coverage for all kinds of products and services. Synthes makes substantial profits in developing markets and third world nations. Therefore, the acquisition decision was in line with Johnson & Johnson’s long-term strategy to promote well being of public, especially in underdeveloped and developing areas, through innovative and healthier products, putting the company in a stronger position than before. It also provided benefits of economies of scale, synergy and bulk buying to the group as they were engaged in similar businesses and therefore idle capacities and resources could now be better utilized, leading to efficient or full employment of factors of production and fall in unit costs as fixed costs were spread over larger number of units being produced (invertor.jnj.com, 2012). Regulatory implications When deciding on acquisition of Synthes, Johnson & Johnson had to consider all legal complications involved; one of them being prohibition of simultaneous holdings in Synthes and DePuy orthopedics subsidiary. Johnson & Johnson and Synthes have been direct competitors in certain sectors of medical equipment and surgical treatment goods and therefore, Federal Trade Commission intervened to protect public interests (reuters.com, 2012). Antitrust regulations governed by the European Union and U.S. regulators were required to be satisfied and complied with to make due diligence effective. Consequently, it had to divest its stakes from DePuy in order to be able to make acquisition of Synthes legally possible. It accepted offer from Biomet, a company involved in surgical products and instruments to sell the subsidiary for $280 million, receivable in cash (Nj.com, 2013). On part of Synthes, there were past accusations regarding one of its business units, Norian, of conducting trials to promote its product without permission of relevant authorities. The company ended up paying a penalty and damages to another company, amounting to $22 million. It agreed to dispose of its unit which committed offence previously at its acquisition date (Bloomberg, 2013). Apart from mentioned implications, it was very vital to account for the deferred taxation repercussions involved in due diligence activities, including consideration of accumulated tax losses and deferred tax assets that could be utilized for tax avoidance tactics.

TRADE LIBERALIZATION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES Essay

TRADE LIBERALIZATION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES - Essay Example As part of its conclusion, the paper also provided some recommendations in relation to the overall improvement of some problems identified in the conduct of the research. Introduction The African continent has been divided into three regions to be able to account for the differences in the level of development. The disaggregation is a manifestation of the level of development – North Africa, the South African Customs Union and the ‘Rest of Africa’. The South African Custom Union is composed of South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia and Botswana. Both North and South Africa are middle-income countries while most countries in the category of Rest of Africa are low-income countries1. North Africa is consists of seven countries namely: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia and Western Sahara. As of today, the region has an estimated population of more than 208 million2. Among the African countries, North Africa has the biggest non-black population that com prise the more than half of the population at 160 million3. Largely, North Africa is an Arab region with the most number of Arab populations in the world. This can be traced from the historical, cultural and religious influence of the Middle East. North African countries have diverse cultural and historical backgrounds that affect the variance of their political, economic and cultural policies. Apart from being collectively referred to as part of the same region, sharing of a common adherence Islamic cultural identity, and colonial history, it is now difficult to find commonality among the countries of North Africa4. As the African continent is known for its enormous wealth of natural resources, with one of the world’s largest countries with vast deposits of diamonds, gold chrome, uranium, copper, iron, cobalt and many other minerals, the same is true with the North African region. It is endowed with richness of natural resources especially in terms of agriculture and mineral s. Libya and Algeria are also known to have large amounts of petroleum5. North Africa is a region that can rouse development internally with all of its’ natural and human resources. The full use and maximization of its natural resources alone can help this region into full economic development. The North African region is not a rookie when it comes to globalization. It basically relies on oil, natural gas, phosphates and agricultural products for exports. Tradable industrial output, non traded goods and services play a not-so significant role in North African’s economy in terms of manufacturing and most of the existing firms and entrepreneur are mainly family-owned and out of date if compared to other emerging markets in the global industry6. The North African region had also been a region of dispute. Just recently, three of its countries have suffered from political chaos, namely Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. The growing discontent of the people has greatly affected the r uling power in these countries and the government’s retaliation has further destabilized their respective governments. Protests come in different forms, yet, the peoples’ clamour is the same: protests against political suppression and significant economic reforms. It has been apparent from the series of

Time Since Death Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Time Since Death - Essay Example Therefore, the estimation of the time since death is very essential, since it enables the investigators to narrow down their investigation to a given time frame, which makes it easier to investigate the circumstances that surround such deaths and the possible causes (Newberry, Lewis & Walters, 2004:936). Further, the accurate estimation of the time since death is also crucial for enabling the investigators to narrow down to a narrow range of suspects associated with the death, owing to the fact that, when the time since death is known, then it is easy to know the immediate individuals that were associated with the victim, as opposed to when the time since death is unknown (Payne-James, 2003:93). Therefore, this discussion seeks to analyze the various methods that may be used for the estimation of time since death, with a view to critically assessing the merits and demerits of each of these methods. First, the discussion will explain the different methods applicable in estimating the time since death. Secondly, the discussion will tackle the merits associated with each method. Thirdly, the discussion will present the demerits associated with each method. Finally, the discussion will be summed up by a conclusion, which will recap the important points of the discussion, state limitations associated with the discussion and raise the necessary questions, if any. There are various methods that can be applied to estimate the time of death of an individual, depending on the environment where the body is found, the evidence available and the nature of the cause of death (Szelecz, Fournier, Seppey, Amendt & Mitchell, 2014:671). The different methods that can be applied to estimate the time since death include: This is a method applied to estimate time since death, through the measurement of the core temperature of the body, relative to the temperature of the surrounding environment where the body is found, also referred to as the ambient temperature (Warther,

Merger and Acquisition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Merger and Acquisition - Essay Example Johnson & Johnson, on the other hand, is one of the biggest names in the healthcare industry, serving customers around the globe with its baby care products, medical devices, medicines, body nutrition and other day to day consumer products (Jnj.com, 2013). The announcement by Johnson & Johnson had created waves in corporate world; firstly, this marked the biggest acquisition in this industry, and secondly it had multiple-fold effects disturbing many organizations within and outside the industry. Strategic Justification Johnson & Johnson was observed to be laying great emphasis on healthcare sector in recent years, and wanted to shift its focus from consumer products to healthcare products. Thus, in the words of CEO of Johnson & Johnson, acquisition of Synthes was all part of the big plan for Johnson & Johnson: becoming most wide-range orthopedics and neurological business, serving customers worldwide in medical industry. This has enabled Johnson & Johnson to be the absolute provider of all related services in supply chain of orthopedics with a comprehensive coverage for all kinds of products and services. Synthes makes substantial profits in developing markets and third world nations. Therefore, the acquisition decision was in line with Johnson & Johnson’s long-term strategy to promote well being of public, especially in underdeveloped and developing areas, through innovative and healthier products, putting the company in a stronger position than before. It also provided benefits of economies of scale, synergy and bulk buying to the group as they were engaged in similar businesses and therefore idle capacities and resources could now be better utilized, leading to efficient or full employment of factors of production and fall in unit costs as fixed costs were spread over larger number of units being produced (invertor.jnj.com, 2012). Regulatory implications When deciding on acquisition of Synthes, Johnson & Johnson had to consider all legal complications involved; one of them being prohibition of simultaneous holdings in Synthes and DePuy orthopedics subsidiary. Johnson & Johnson and Synthes have been direct competitors in certain sectors of medical equipment and surgical treatment goods and therefore, Federal Trade Commission intervened to protect public interests (reuters.com, 2012). Antitrust regulations governed by the European Union and U.S. regulators were required to be satisfied and complied with to make due diligence effective. Consequently, it had to divest its stakes from DePuy in order to be able to make acquisition of Synthes legally possible. It accepted offer from Biomet, a company involved in surgical products and instruments to sell the subsidiary for $280 million, receivable in cash (Nj.com, 2013). On part of Synthes, there were past accusations regarding one of its business units, Norian, of conducting trials to promote its product without permission of relevant authorities. The company ended up paying a penalty and damages to another company, amounting to $22 million. It agreed to dispose of its unit which committed offence previously at its acquisition date (Bloomberg, 2013). Apart from mentioned implications, it was very vital to account for the deferred taxation repercussions involved in due diligence activities, including consideration of accumulated tax losses and deferred tax assets that could be utilized for tax avoidance tactics.

Time Since Death Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Time Since Death - Essay Example Therefore, the estimation of the time since death is very essential, since it enables the investigators to narrow down their investigation to a given time frame, which makes it easier to investigate the circumstances that surround such deaths and the possible causes (Newberry, Lewis & Walters, 2004:936). Further, the accurate estimation of the time since death is also crucial for enabling the investigators to narrow down to a narrow range of suspects associated with the death, owing to the fact that, when the time since death is known, then it is easy to know the immediate individuals that were associated with the victim, as opposed to when the time since death is unknown (Payne-James, 2003:93). Therefore, this discussion seeks to analyze the various methods that may be used for the estimation of time since death, with a view to critically assessing the merits and demerits of each of these methods. First, the discussion will explain the different methods applicable in estimating the time since death. Secondly, the discussion will tackle the merits associated with each method. Thirdly, the discussion will present the demerits associated with each method. Finally, the discussion will be summed up by a conclusion, which will recap the important points of the discussion, state limitations associated with the discussion and raise the necessary questions, if any. There are various methods that can be applied to estimate the time of death of an individual, depending on the environment where the body is found, the evidence available and the nature of the cause of death (Szelecz, Fournier, Seppey, Amendt & Mitchell, 2014:671). The different methods that can be applied to estimate the time since death include: This is a method applied to estimate time since death, through the measurement of the core temperature of the body, relative to the temperature of the surrounding environment where the body is found, also referred to as the ambient temperature (Warther,

Global capitalism is the primary cause of world hunger Essay Example for Free

Global capitalism is the primary cause of world hunger Essay Evolution/ change are a way of life. People evolve, cultures evolve, and so do our economies. And with every change comes a considerable amount of resistance. The transition from feudalism to capitalism gathered its momentum in Western Europe in 18th and 19th centuries. Along with came chaos, ambiguities and insecurities. Numerous theories on Capitalism as good or bad also came along. Some include famous works by premier sociologists: Karl Marx and Max Weber. Though Karl Marx’s most popular theories on â€Å"class and conflict† made him a capitalist critique, it is mainly Max Weber who’s considered to have developed a more rational theory on capitalism. Defined in Max Weber’s term, Capitalism is a process where money becomes an end in itself consequently changing the values of society. Although capitalism is an age old phenomenon what makes it younger even now is the global face it has assumed over the past two or three decades. It is now used in combination with globalization hence, termed as global capitalism. It has largely dominated the discourse on poverty and human development. Patrik Aspers (1) defines global capitalism as, â€Å"an economy that connects capitalistic actors from all over the world via production and consumption markets. † The common attack on this phenomenon is that it has increased the disparity between the rich and the poor in the developing world and widened the gap between the developed and the developing world. What’s perplexing is to see how the same phenomenon that is acclaimed for the growing GDP in many emerging economies is also seen as the culprit in raising world hunger. Global capitalism does not function in isolation. There are many other factors that determine its nature making it good or bad for human development. This paper will delve on those factors that have made this phenomenon so unpopular especially in the developing world. Also, to establish that global capitalism is not alone a cause per se of world hunger. Free Trade: Global capitalism means integrating the national economy into the world economy through breaking down of artificial trade barriers. In other words, allowing a free flow of capital across the globe. A more popular term given to this phenomenon is that of â€Å"Free Trade†. Joseph Stiglitz (2)defines it as â€Å"the closer integration of the countries and peoples of the world which has been brought about by the enormous reduction of costs of transportation and communication, and the breaking down of artificial barriers to the flows of goods, services, capital, knowledge and people across borders. Free Trade versus small –scale Farmers: There have been tall claims made on the benefits gained by the emerging countries out of free trade looking at their GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth over the past decade. While determining the effectiveness of Free Trade, most evidences are based on the number of jobs generated in emerging economies through this system. But this is also dovetailed by another question on whether these jobs also generate a livelihood option for the last common denominators in the developing world. The answer is quite evident from the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) that has taken a centre stage on the ongoing WTO (World Trade Organization) negotiations. The most affected lot of the multilateral trading system are the small scale farmers in developing countries who are largely being affected by huge subsidies provided to farmers in U. S and Europe. This in turn helps these farmers to sell their products at much reduced rates in international markets than the small- scale farmers of developing countries can afford to sell even in their own domestic markets. Hence, forcing these very farmers to sell their produce at a lesser price than that involved in production. One could argue that despite the farmer’s grievances, large flow of cheap food in developing countries could also mean that the poor and hungry benefit from floods of cheap food. The following fact answers this argument. World hunger strings from the current situation of small scale farmers in the developing world: The UN report on World Hunger 2000, revealed failure of the 1996 target of halving the number of people who do not have enough to eat within 15 years. Robert. Drinan (3) in National Catholic reporter, states that a total of 842 million hungry in the world during 1995- 1997 increased by 13 million in the 1999- 2001 period. The First Food Program Director, Kirsten Schwind points out that a vast majority of the world’s poor make their living off agriculture. Hence, failure in this sector also suggests that 50 percent of the people who live with hunger globally are these same small – scale farmers. United States and Europe: are they alone responsible for world hunger? Undeniably, the huge subsidies offered to farmers in the United States and Europe disrupts the global market. But this reason is not alone responsible for devastating farmer’s life in developing world. This era of global capitalism also calls for a global accountability. It isn’t right to put the entire blame on the US and Europe. Kenneth AJ (4) clearly states that â€Å"hunger is a multi-dimensional problem that requires a multidimensional approach and intersectoral interventions in relevant areas, such as health, markets, learning and emergency preparedness. But too often the necessary investments have not been made. National level strategies usually exist, but they often need to be modified to take hunger into greater consideration. † Simply judging the interventions made by international institutes, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund is not enough. Unless country’s own systems such as, domestic policies, their implementation, and their transparency are not evaluated, the current situation on world hunger will not improve. It is a stated fact that serious policy mistakes are dovetailed by crisis in the economic sector. What keeps many developing countries from benefiting despite numerous development projects are their own infected methods. Many people and many governments have misunderstood the meaning of liberalization. They have mistaken it to mean liberating themselves off their responsibilities. The idea behind globalization was to make competition healthier. This could be done when each country facing an international competition ensures improvement on its infrastructure and provides its workers with latest knowledge on their skills. It is after all a country’s own responsibility. Unfortunately, the latest trend is to blame it all on the unhealthy competition led by free trade. Little have these governments done enabling their own citizens to face the global competition. It is after all these policy makers who hold key to development of their own nation. They are the wheelers of the society who link the modern, pre – modern and postmodern together. When we talk about agricultural competition, besides looking at debates engulfing the distortion issue, it is also important for us to assess the country’s own performance in these areas. It is after all government’s responsibility to improve upon its agricultural production meeting market needs by assisting its farmers with latest techniques and knowledge on new variety crops. Even if we agree for a while that many developing countries cannot afford the latest technologies, how do these governments then account for the dramatic increase in their GDP growth? India stands as the best example, where on the one hand many reports reveals the increased suicidal rate of the farmers, on the other hand there are reports flashing India’s growing GDP rate. A country with 60 percent population involved in agriculture, accounts for only 22 percent of its total GDP growth. Fair Trade involves paying a fair wage to the growers for their goods. Ironically, the larger retailers involved in the selling of these goods exploit these growers by buying their goods, like coffee, cocoa and sugar, at world low prices and then selling the same goods at international markets at highly marked – up prices. The unequal ratio between the production cost and selling cost forces the small – scale farmers in developing countries to borrow money from the local lenders. These lenders decide their own interest rates which unfortunately keeps the farmers in perpetual poverty. There is no supervisory authority that can help these farmers get a fair share for their produce. Caught between the vicious lenders and retailers, these farmers are constantly facing a blow. The government does little in bailing out these ill fate stricken farmers. The borrowing chain does end with the farmers. This trend continues even with the government who borrows money from international bodies to finance their development through several development projects. The supervisory authorities spend little time in monitoring the international capital inflows. These authorities also do not collect information on external borrowing by private corporations in their respective countries and in turn to use this information for managing their domestic policies. The excessive borrowing has direct link to hunger as these payments back to creditors outside the country are drawn from funds that should instead be invested in areas that need greater funding to lift people out of poverty and hunger. The money that is initially borrowed to invest its large portions in areas like agriculture, health care, education, job creation, etc. helps little in elevating these spheres and is rather used up in dealing with the fluctuating market interest rates. Asian Crisis : a result of excessive borrowing: Prior to 1997, eight East Asian countries-Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia experienced a rapid economic growth often called the â€Å"East Asian miracle†. Between 1965 and 1990, the GDP in these countries doubled. Their success was attributed to many factors such as free trade, macroeconomic policies and discipline, high saving and investment rates that attracted many foreign investors looking for a high rate of return. With increasing pressure felt in the foreign exchange market there was a sudden flow of Thai baht in market against the US dollar (the currency speculators rushed to buy US dollar against the Thai baht). This resulted in Thai currency devaluation followed by withdrawal of foreign capital from other East Asian countries as well. What followed was the Asian crisis in mid – 1997 affecting currencies, stock markets and other asset prices of several Southeast Asian economies. Foreign investors lost confidence and withdrew their invested money from these countries. Extensive borrowing in foreign currencies by corporations and other financial institutions while turning blind eye to currency fluctuation was the main culprit for this crisis. The ineffective financial supervision that encouraged short – term borrowing underestimating while the risk involved in exchange rate proved fatal. Role of the National Government: In several working papers much has been said about the international bodies and their role in the Asian Crisis. What is even a greater matter of concern is the role of national governments during the crisis. Nobody ever talks about their intervention. It is true while dealing with global market; one normally expects the global bodies to be accountable for its success or failure. If that being the case, why don’t we abandon the idea of even being governed by national bodies if every downturn is expected to be addressed by the international ones? It is evident from the East Asian case that the supervisory authorities spent little time in monitoring the international capital inflows. The authorities did not collect information on external borrowing by private corporations in their respective countries and in turn to use this information for managing their domestic policies. In earlier times whenever there was a failure in any sector, the only remedy seen for it was nationalization. Any failure in a sector in today’s time is handed over to privatized bodies with national government taking a back seat. The national governments have completely turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to its citizen’s problems. In fact for any rising problem it is the international market that is held responsible. Conclusion: The facts stated above clearly points out the loop holes existing in domestic policies and governance. Lian Greenfield (2001) has argued that the driving force behind capitalism is nationalism. Many countries saw a strong economy as a way of strengthening the nation making capitalism as a means in this process. Hence, it wont be wrong to say that it isn’t global capitalism that is the primary cause of world hunger, it is the improper governance that has led to this disaster. Food availability, food access, and asset creation are virtues of a responsible government for which we cannot hold world systems alone accountable. A good government is one that ensures a proper and organized lending to its farmers helping them to cope with international prices through establishing local banks with reasonable interest rates. This is just one of the many solutions a government can adopt to encompass failures in the agricultural sector considered one of the most important sectors of the emerging economies. A democratic country is one that lets the state make some of the economic decision, and the market and the civil society do others, though with different emphasis on these spheres. References: Aspers P, Edling C, Hobson B. A Note on Global Capitalism. Sweden: Department of Sociology, Stockholm University; 2005. Stiglitz J. Globalization and its Discontents. New York: Norton; 2002. Jesuit Fr, Drinan R. Report Shows World Hunger Increasing. USA (MO): National Catholic Reporter Publishing Company; 2004. Shwind K. Going Local on a Global Scale: Rethinking Food Trade in the Era of Climate Change, Dumping, and Rural Poverty. USA (CA): Institute for Food and Development Policy; 2005. Kenneth AJ. World Hunger Series 2006: Hunger and Learning. Italy: World Food Programme and Standford University Press; 2006. Reuven G, Moreno R. Government intervention and the East Asian miracle. Business Economics; 1997.

Economic Model Of Price Determination In A Market Economics Essay

Economic Model Of Price Determination In A Market Economics Essay As an economic model of price determination in a market, the relationship between supply and demand is a topic being discussed for a long time. We may think of demand as a force which tends to increase the price of a good, and also that supply as a force which tends to reduce the price. According to the microeconomics theory, the price P of a product is determined by a balance between production at each price (supply S) and the desires of those with purchasing power at each price (demand D).It concludes that in a competitive market, the unit price for a particular good will vary until it settles at a point where the quantity demanded by consumers (at current price) will equal the quantity supplied by producers (at current price), resulting in an economic equilibrium of price and quantity. When the two forces balance one another, the result will be that the price neither rise nor fall, but stay stable. This is the analogy that leads us to think of the stable or natural price in a particular market. It is called the equilibrium price. As we know, iPhone now has attracted great attention and become a heated topic. Here, we take it for example: if every consumer wants and can afford an iPhone, and APPLE Company is willing to provide each of them one iPhone, the demand and supply is in equilibrium status. In addition to the theory above, is there any relation among supply demand and the market? How to measure the relation? Is there anything else to measure the functions of supply and demand in market? Or they have some links when influencing the market? There are three theses concerning this topic for further discussion. The first thesis I have chosen is written by David Huffman. The author insists that supply and demand is measurable. (Another thesis I introduce below is the opposite: ) He tries to resort to retail Market Place to addresses these questions because he thinks the database of Retail Market Place can provide a direct comparison between retail sales and consumer spending by industry and it can therefore measures the gap between supply and demand. In his thesis, he holds the view that there are two ways by supply or demand to measure activity in a retail market. The article is mainly divided into three parts to probe into this topic: Market Supply (Retail Sales); Market Demand (Retail Potential); The Leakage/Surplus Factor (Supply and Demand). One point must be emphasized is that Leakage in an area represents a condition where a markets supply is less than the demand. For such factors, it seems that to measure the market by using supply and demand as a tool is doable and useful. There is another thesis by an anonymous author also discusses the relation of supply, demand and market. Ordinarily, there always exist different price levels where individual buyers and sellers are satisfied so that the sum total will create a market or equilibrium price. But in reality, there will be some exceptions, because a market price is not a fair price to all participants in the marketplace. Not only when there is no increase in the quantity of product demanded, but also when there is a shift in demand due to changing consumer preferences will influence the market price and reach a new equilibrium. So does the reaction to the short run or long run changes. The charts below are separately describing change in equilibrium price and shift in demand. In most regions, iPhone is not only a cell phone but more than an apparatus of making telephone calls and writing text messages. iPhone has been a symbol of some players, and people distinguish their identity from using iPhone: They have a keen sense of popularity; They enjoy being a member of their circle and they like communicating with real friends or net friends; They eagerly break the tradition and desire something newà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Though the price of iPhone is high enough to restrain most consumers, many people choose iPhone for proving themselves different. Such relation of supply and demand decides that iPhone occupies in the High End of the market. If the price of iPhone decreases, on one hand, it will surely attract more consumers, but on the other hand, many previous buyers will quit because iPhone is no longer unique and rare. But in the article written by JUSTIN WOLFERS in 2009, the author argues that supply and demand are difficult to measure. At the very beginning of the article, the author raises the question of Catherine Rampell, Does lowering the price of broadband increase its use, which brings a research and a series of data and diagram trying to figure out the demand curve. However, the reality is always beyond the theory only in the textbook. Sometimes to our surprise, the result is different though the source of data is the same. The author gives an example to illustrate it: a supply-obsessed economist were interested in asking Does increasing use of broadband raise its price? so that he might examine data on broadband prices and adoption rates. He expects to see more broadband correlated with higher prices because the supply curve is upward sloping but undoubtedly the result will be opposite for a demand-obsessed economist. As we know, there are many types of factors taking effect. On one hand, the determinants of supply include production costs, the technology of production, the price of related goods, firms expectations about future prices, number of suppliers, etc. On the other hand, the determinants of demand comprise income, tastes and preferences, prices of related goods and services, expectations and number of Buyers. Whats more, it is believed that factoring in of Marketing also has something to do with the curves because marketing drives demand in some way. In a wide variety of historic and current examples, we find more and more evidence that with shifts in demand or in supply causing changes in price and quantity, we can explain changes in quantities as well as prices as the equilibrium of supply and demand. The changes in price and quantity are coordinated in many ways that can be not only understood but also predicted, at the premise that we understand the theory of supply and demand. As the topic of the article, the author thinks that the factors influencing the equilibrium are far more complicated so Supply and Demand Are Hard to Measure. To some extent, that is because prices and quantities are determined by both supply and demand. The author has a new idea that nationality has influence and it indeed makes a difference. It is pointed out that prices and quantities differ across countries, which breaks the traditional theory of If both curves were the same in every country, broadband prices and use would be the same in every country. Some people may even argue that income skews the opportunity cost of broadband ownership. It seems strange that iPhone sells extraordinarily well Mainland China. Maybe you will surprise that in such a developing Asian country, though a small portion of people can lead a tremendous change. Its true, and its certain that China has been the greatest purchasing power only after the USA on luxury goods, let along iPhone. Consequently, what makes supply and demand hard to measure is the reality: the world is indeed a mixture of both cases. The author owes this to an identification problem, with a bit sense of humor, which arises precisely because prices and quantities are determined by both blades of the supply and demand scissors. The example of iPhone indeed proves that demand and supply are hard to measure. Many people bought iPhone not because they need it but for other reasons. Some bought for keeping up with the latest trend, some bought because other people recommended, some bought for showing off, and some bought for having a tryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Here comes the consequence of over demand. Whats more, if the APPLE Company restricts the supply so that iPhones seem scarce to consumers, many people will squeeze and swarm forward to get simply one iPhone, even late at night before its release. Some luxury companies also promote their articles in limited edition and as a result supply and demand is unequal. We can bring the same example to every day life. If we compare the price of water to the price of diamonds, there is a dramatic difference. The price of water is very cheap and we use it everyday, not only for drinking, but also for washing cars, watering plants, and for flushing the toilets. Most importantly water is crucial for our life. Diamonds on the other hand, has no significant influence to our lives other than showing off. Diamonds are for sure luxury products, but its components are simply carbon. If we assume that the price of water is extremely expensive, would we still use water to wash our cars or flushing the toilets? If the price of diamonds are as cheap as water, will people still ware it on their fingers or as an engagement gift? It all comes down to the theory of scarcity. Water is cheap simply because its easy to get and the world has sufficient of it, diamonds are expensive because it takes millions of years to form and its hard to find. Generally, there is still something worth digesting after reading and some problems remain unsolved. With much doubt, some readers raised a list of questions. For instance, supply and demand curves must be linear? If supply and demand curves shift around in different geographical regions, or in different periods of time, then shall we get to assume that economic equilibrium is well-defined? Whether the author assumes the shifts occur because of how preferences are distributed or because preferences change, it seems that theres no guarantee that exchanges are approaching an efficient allocation of resourcesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The three theses above have a sequence from concrete to abstract. In fact, in the marketplace, it is rarely possible for supply and demand to go the path we have designed. On one hand, supply and demand can be used to describe and measure the market, but on the other hand, for the factors are numerous, the curve is a result of price and quantity as well as a combinat ion of demand and supply, and surely these reasons make the relationship of supply and demand hard to measure.

Discrimination in America Essay -- Race Racism Prejudice

Our world has always been faced with the problem of discrimination. It is one of the most discussed topics nowadays and throughout history. In all countries there is most likely at least one type of discrimination that affects different groups of people. The definition of discrimination is the denial of opportunity or equal rights for a specific group of people that may be differentiated by things such as their religion, color of skin, or gender. The world we live in has been struggling with this sensitive subject for as long as we the have record. Many people believe discrimination has made big steps forward, but has it really? If it has, why do people still get turned down, receive hate mail, or get ridiculed simply because they differ from each other. I guess these are questions we must ask ourselves. I guess you could also ask yourself if you have ever called anybody a name, looked at them different or judged them when you did not even know them or understand them. You m ay be thinking "That is not discrimination," but, in fact, it is. Personally, I never felt that I was discriminated against by anyone or discriminated against others until I came to the USA. Even though this country welcomes all immigrants, people still get treated as â€Å"others.† I remember the night when I arrived in the United States and saw so many black people in the airport. My friends and I were pointing at them and saying â€Å"Look, they are black and they are not like us, they are others.† While we were not trying to be rude, it is clear to me now that we were actually being discriminatory. However, I didn’t realize at the time that sooner or later I would be considered as an â€Å"other† also. Even as a good-looking, smart, intelligent European w... ...ome from), the issue of racial discrimination is not as strong but there are some others, such as gender, class and religion discrimination. This is truly a global issue affecting all nations. I closing, I have realized from my arrival in America that diverse people will often judge each other by appearance and language rather than on substance. We must accept the fact that while people may get more tolerant, there will always be some sort of discrimination. Instead of giving up, it has just made me stronger as I have learned to adapt and not have a complex about my differences. I am sure there are many stories similar to mine that can be used as examples of discrimination. The United States has not solved this problem, but there are a lot of things that have been done in this country in order to have equal rights so that fewer people are treated like â€Å"others.†

Cinnamon stained Dawn :: essays research papers

Cinnamon Stained Dawn Mom: â€Å"I have been working really hard† Joyce: â€Å"I know, I know† Mom: â€Å"Where is my baby?† Joyce: â€Å"Maybe you should try using the restroom† Mom: â€Å"That is impossible, I’m in labor Joyce: â€Å"Just try, the pressure from your bladder might be the reason the baby is not coming out† Mom: â€Å"Alright if you say so, I’ll try† It was December 8, 1990 at 6 o’clock in the morning. My mother was in labor. She had suffered 9 months of morning sickness. The family was so accustomed to her bouts of regurgitating whatever meal she had just eaten that we formed the â€Å"Oh no† brigade. As soon as Mom felt the warm saliva in the back of her throat she’d say â€Å"OH NO! We snapped into action; Mom would run to the kitchen sink and start splashing cold water on her face. My sister and I would grab ice from the freezer and rub it on her toes, her calves, her arms, and any spot we could find, while my dad rubbed ice on the back of her neck. This lasted ‘til the nausea passed. Her sickness and pain would be worth it. After all â€Å"no pain no gain.† Within the next 15 minutes my younger sister would be born. Her birth was unusual, spectacular, and strange. She would be born, not into a world of machines, drugs, nurses, and doctors, but into a world rare and comfortable. She, like my older sister and I, would be born at home. Her first breath would open the gates of a whole new world. With that one tiny gasp of fresh air my new born sister would carve my destiny into stone.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We lived in a four bedroom home with a painter’s studio, right on the edge of Costa Mesa, and Newport Beach. We were so close to the sea that the smell of salt caressed the air. The city was like an ant hill, workers everywhere trying to build a mall, Triangle Square. My parents, Frank and Joycelyn, were and still are very talented artists. My older sister Jaspre was then seven years old. We were a happy little family that would soon be blessed with a pleasant surprise.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It all started before the 8th but those events were just a fury of excitement and are impossible to remember. By the time the 8th did roll around my mother had been in and out of labor for over 30 hours and the labor had not even hinted on reaching its final stage.